Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7718908@N04/5916982848/sizes/l/in/photostream/

A recent report from Deutsche Bank concludes that solar power has now reached grid parity in India and Italy, meaning that it costs the same as electricity from the power grid. The goal of the Indian government is to produce 20 GW of solar by 2022. This report also estimates that by next year many more countries will also reach grid parity. The German bank has also increased its solar demand forecast for this year by 20% because of strong demands in places like India, the U.S., China (around 7 to 10 GW), the U.K. (around 1 to 2 GW), Germany and Italy (around 2 GW). While China is already the biggest producer of solar, it is expected to become the world’s biggest solar market this year. There’s also progress with big concentrating solar farms, even though the big drop in solar PV prices has made them relatively less attractive than they used to be. The current biggest CSP plant has started operations in the UAE, and an even bigger solar CSP farm is under construction in the Mojave desert in the US. Brightsource Energy is in the process of completing its massive Ivanpah concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in the Mojave desert, making it the largest in the world. The rapid growth of solar power is promising for many more countries to be successful in reading grid parity. 

Source: Solar power has reached grid parity in India and Italy by Michael Graham Richard, April 8, 2013

A nationwide misinformation campaign is underway to dismantle state-level policies critical to the growth of wind and solar. Panelists at the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Conference, taking place in Baltimore April 16-20, will unveil the misinformation at the heart of these efforts, and address ways to counter the opposition.

Boulder, CO, March 21, 2013 — Special interest groups opposed to renewable energy and funded by fossil fuel interests, including the billionaire Koch brothers, are stepping up their misinformation campaign to repeal or weaken bipartisan Renewable Electricity Standards (RES) – also known as Renewable Portfolio Standards – in states across the US this year.

The nationwide effort to prevent adoption of renewable energy technologies is spearheaded by the Washington, DC-based American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a source of policy templates crafted by special interest groups and corporations and distributed to ALEC members in state legislatures nationwide. Sample legislation proffered by ALEC – such as the “Electricity Freedom Act” – has resulted in copycat bills to repeal or weaken existing renewable electricity standards sponsored by ALEC members in states like Kansas, North Carolina and Ohio this year.

The language found in ALEC’s legislative template makes no mention of the external costs imposed by fossil fuels, such as volatile fuel prices, air pollution, climate change and environmental degradation. Additionally, the legislation does not account for the benefits of job creation and risk mitigation.

Renewable electricity standards now in place in 29 states and the District of Columbia, require utilities to generate a certain percentage of their electricity using renewable energy 
technologies. While the standards vary from state to state, they have contributed to a doubling of the electricity generated by non-hydro renewable energy in the last five years. And that rate of growth is increasing, adding tens of thousands of jobs and creating the fastest-growing sector of the US economy in the process.

The panel discussion of political attacks on renewable energy includes:

• Jeffery Wolfe (Moderator), Founder and Chairman, groSolar
• Emily Duncan, Director of Government Affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
• Lisa Graves, Executive Director of the Center for Media and Democracy
• Gabe Elsner, Director of the Checks & Balances Project
• David Anderson, Outreach Coordinator for Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists

About the American Solar Energy Society

Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals and advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy and other sustainable technologies through the publication of the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world, and the the ASES National Solar Conference. For more information about ASES and the SOLAR 2013 conference please visit http://www.ases.org/solar2013.
# # #

Contact:
Seth Masia
smasia@ases.org
303.443.3130 x109

Lili Francklyn
lfrancklyn@ases.org
303-443-3130 x 107

In Baldwin County, Alabama, adding solar to your roof raises the cost of your utility bill. Photo courtesy of Jodybwiki

Solar Citizen: Building the renewable energy movement from the ground up!

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Solar Rights and Net Metering

Saving money can be straightforward sometimes:

• You build a fire in your wood stove and reduce your heating bill.
• You grow your own tomatoes and save on your grocery bill.
• You produce your own solar electricity and save on your utility bill.

“The fact that they are punishing us for producing our own power is ridiculous. It’s un-American.”
– Jeff Max, Baldwin County Resident

Unfortunately, not all utilities or states allow net metering. Or, they have put all sorts of barriers in place to prevent homeowners from being able to net meter. 

This extra fee can end up doubling your electric bill over your pre-solar level. This is ridiculous! You should be able to produce your own homegrown power andreduce your electric bill! This 1:1 net metering should be a solar right!

TOOLS FOR ACTION: Protect the Right to Net Meter

The Baldwin County Electric Cooperative has made a mockery of net metering.  They have changed the way solar customers are categorized so that putting solar on your roof actually raises your electricity bill!

Since Baldwin County prides itself on its sunny beaches for tourists, you might mention that you will be looking to other states for your beach vacation this year!

“Baldwin County is Alabama’s largest county, the one that depends on sunshine to draw tourists to the Gulf beaches. Their anti-solar stance appalls me.”
– Morton Archibald, President, Alabama Solar Association

RESOURCES: Understanding Net Metering

Coalition for Solar Rights New to net metering? This website from Vote Solar gives a good introduction to the basics and includes a great video. Intro to Net Metering Wikipedia actually has a pretty good overview of the concept of net metering, as well as a list of each state’s net metering policies.

Freeing the Grid Freeing the Grid is a policy guide that grades all 50 states on two key renewable energy programs: net metering and interconnection procedures. Check out your state’s grade and learn what can be done to improve net metering in your area. DSIRE USA Want to figure out the exact net metering rules where you live? This database is the source for you! Search “net metering” to find more info.

SOLAR CITIZEN PARTNERS

Alabama Solar Association Alabama Solar Association (ASA) seeks to educate itself, the public, corporations, policy makers, and governments about the tremendous opportunities and rewards in utilizing the sun’s renewable energy.	d	ACME International Services, Inc. Located in Baldwin County, Alabama, Acme International Services, Inc. is a family owned business that is dedicated to offering the highest quality solar and alternative energy products andinstallation services at exceptionally competitive prices.	d	NY Regional Renewable Energy Conference Join the New York Solar Energy Society for their Regional Renewable Energy Conference & Expo on April 5th, 2013 in Troy, New York. The full-day event includes forums on solar financing, information about NY solarize programs, smart grids, and solar development in the state.

Source: U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year-in-Review 2012, http://www.greentechmedia.com/research/ussmi

The U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year-in-Review 2012, released by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), provides an analysis of solar power markets in the U.S. Solar is now the fastest growing energy source in the U.S.; the Solar Market Insight annual edition shows the U.S. installed 3,313 megawatts (MW) of solar photovoltaics (PV) in 2012, a record for the industry. Even with the cost of solar falling for consumers, the market size of the U.S. solar industry grew 34 percent from $8.6 billion in 2011 to $11.5 billion in 2012—not counting billions of dollars in other economic benefits across states and communities. As of the end of 2012, there were 7,221 MW of PV and 546 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) online in the U.S., which is enough to power 1.2 million homes. 2012 was also a year for record-breaking at the state level with California, Arizona, and New Jersey housing the largest state solar markets. The residential and utility segments had their best quarters ever in 2012, installing 144 MW and 874 MW respectively. As average residential systems prices dropped nearly 20% in one year, the residential market saw substantial growth in California, Arizona, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New York. The non-residential segment, including commercial, governmental, and non-profit systems, installed more than 1,000 MW in 2012. Consistent policies regarding solar companies and the sustained growth of the market have enabled the creation of thousands of good jobs. “There were 16 million solar panels installed in the U.S. last year – more than 2 panels per second of the work day – and every one of these panels was bolted down by a member of the U.S. workforce,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. For 2013, the report by SEIA and GTM Research forecasts 4,300 MW of new PV installations, up 29 percent over 2012, and 946 MW of concentrating solar power. Over the next four years, the residential and non-residential markets are expected to gain market share as system prices decline, the industry becomes even more efficient, and new financing channels arise.

Source: SEIA news release- U.S. Solar Market Grows 76% in 2012; Now an Increasingly-Competitive Energy Source for Millions of Americans Today, March 14 2013

Boulder, CO, March 14, 2013 — The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) welcomes Jochen Flasbarth, President, German Federal Environment Agency, and David Wedepohl, Markets & Communications Director of German Solar Industry Association at its annual National Solar Conference, SOLAR 2013, in Baltimore, April 16-20. ASES will explore the German policies and financial incentives that have led to rapid growth in the country’s renewable energy installations, exceeding the expectations of policy analysts and investors around the world.

On Thursday, April 18, Jochen Flasbarth will join Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, in a plenary session on Climate & Resiliency. Other speakers include Alice LeBlanc, former head of the Office of Environment and Climate Change at American International Group (AIG) and Patricia Hoffman of the Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. Behind Germany’s rapid development of renewable energy is a goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2020. That goal is linked to producing 35% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and 80% by 2050. German goals also include reduction in fossil fuel imports and sustainable economic growth.

David Wedepohl will speak on “Building the Solar Industry” on Friday, April 19, along with Rhone Resch, head of the Solar Energy Industries Association; Tony Clifford,  CEO of Standard Solar; and Laura Jones, a partner at Hunton & Williams and an expert on tax incentives for renewable energy. Wedepohl will also participate in a panel session that explores which German policies might be appropriate in the United States.

The key driver behind the rapid expansion of renewable energy in Germany has been the Feed-In-Tariff (FIT), a long-term contract guaranteeing revenue for solar producers over a twenty-year time-period. The FIT, which pays more than the retail cost of electricity, has encouraged hundreds of thousands of German farmers and homeowners to earn income by owning grid-tied solar. Germany encourages the development of distributed energy, as opposed to central power production, a policy which has boosted economic development in rural areas and made them into net energy exporters. Because the country has focused on eliminating red tape and cumbersome permitting requirements, the cost of a PV system in Germany is half what it is in the United States. Germany’s solar industry now employs upwards of 300,000 people, more than its auto industry.

About the American Solar Energy Society:

Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals and advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy and other sustainable technologies through the publication of the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world, and the the ASES National Solar Conference. For more information about ASES and the SOLAR 2013 conference please visit http://www.ases.org/solar2013.

Learn more about the German speakers here.

Contact:
Seth Masia
smasia@ases.org
303.443.3130 x109

Lili Francklyn
lfrancklyn@ases.org
303-443-3130 x 107

Source: Clean Edge Inc., 2013

According to the Clean Energy Trends 2013 Report, although 2012 was a difficult year for clean energy, the fundamental global market drivers for clean technology remained largely intact. This report is issued by clean-tech research and advisory from Clean Edge, Inc. Clean Edge, Inc. is the world’s first research and advisory firm devoted to the clean-tech sector, delivering timely data, expert analysis, and comprehensive insights to key industry stakeholders. The Clean Energy Trends 2013 report found that lower prices for many clean-tech goods and services, combined with a  focus on scalable projects, resulted in record annual solar, wind, and biofuels deployment. Against this continued expansion, however, combined global revenue for solar PV, wind power, and biofuels expanded just one percent, from $246.1 billion in 2011 to $248.7 billion in 2012. This marginal growth was one of the many consequences of rapidly declining solar PV prices.

The report included a few significant findings regarding biofuels, wind power, and Solar PV. Biofuels reached $95 billion in 2012, up from $83 billion the previous year. From 2011 to 2012, global biofuels production expanded from 27.9 billion gallons to 31.4 billion gallons of ethanol and biodiesel. Global wind capacity additions totaled 44.7 GW (gigawatts) in 2012, a record year led by more than 13 GW added in both China and the U.S., and an additional 12.4 GW of new capacity in Europe. While total solar market revenues fell 19 percent – the first PV market contraction in Clean Energy Trends’ 12-year history – global installations expanded to a new record of 30.9 GW. Clean Edge, Inc. projects that these three sectors will nearly double from $248.7 billion in 2012 to $426.1 billion within a decade. Trends that will impact the clean energy market in coming years are outlined in the report including: Smart Devices and Big Data Empower Customers, Distributed Solar Financing Comes of Age, and In the U.S. and Overseas, Geothermal Picks up Steam.

Source: Clean Edge news release- Clean Energy Trends 2013 Released Today, March 12 2013