How to Double America’s Energy Productivity
The Alliance Commission on National Energy Efficiency Policy on Feb. 7 published a report, “Doubling U.S. Energy Productivity by 2030.” It puts relatively simple financial measures at the top of its to-do list. For instance, it recommends a PACE-like program, at the state and local level, for financing home energy projects with repayment included in [...]
Obama Calls for Climate Action, Sustainable Energy
In his second inaugural address on Monday, President Barack Obama issued one of his strongest statements on progressive energy policy: “We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so [...]
Getting To Yes in a New England Historic District
By Will Kessler If New England is to hoist itself up from reliance on fossil-based energy, we need to re-think some priorities and look at solar panels differently. A solar developer working in an historic district or an older building is often confronted with a hurdle called “contextual appropriateness.” Often, the process for approval by [...]
Lawrence Berkeley Lab: Utilities Don’t Fully Account for Benefits of Solar Projects
By Andrew Mills and Ryan Wiser Recent declines in the cost of photovoltaic (PV) energy, increasing experience with the deployment of concentrating solar power (CSP), the availability of tax-based incentives for solar, and state renewables portfolio standards (RPS) (some with solar-specific requirements) have led to increased interest in solar power among U.S. load-serving entities (LSEs). [...]
NREL: In 2010, Residential “Soft Costs” Averaged $1.50/watt
Utility-scale soft costs were just 25 cents/watt According to a new study from NREL, in 2010 the average soft costs for residential systems averaged $1.50 per watt, or roughly 23 percent of system cost. For commercial systems, the median 2010 soft costs were $0.99/W for systems smaller than 250 kW (about 17 percent of system [...]
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