A new technical report and other resources developed by the NREL aim to help state and local organizations address the PV access gap.

Bridging the solar energy gap through federal assistance programs

The number of residential solar photovoltaics (PV) installations continues to increase across the United States. But that increase is slower for low-income households, who made up 23% of solar adopters as of 2022.

A new technical report and other resources developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) aim to help state and local organizations address the PV access gap.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) offer energy efficiency services to low-income households through state, territory, and Tribal governments. WAP provides free weatherization services to approximately 30,000 households every year, and that number is expected to increase due to the $3.5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding dedicated to the program. LIHEAP provides billions of dollars for states, Tribes, and territories to reduce energy-related costs for low-income residents annually through bill assistance, and states can leverage LIHEAP funds for energy efficiency and weatherization.

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Source: Clean Technica

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Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ celebrated the commissioning of a new 12-kW rooftop solar and upcoming battery storage installation.

Compton church adds resiliency with rooftop solar + storage

Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ, known as “The Brook,” in collaboration with RE-volv and California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL), celebrated the commissioning of a new 12-kW rooftop solar and upcoming battery storage installation. The church’s move to adopt solar energy aims to alleviate financial strains, build community resilience and bolster local clean energy projects and advocacy efforts.

The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a speaking program featuring remarks from the Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, and a resiliency workshop. The Mayor presented two awards, recognizing The Brook and Ms. Linda Cleveland, long-time community activist and church secretary, for their environmental leadership and contributions.

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Source: Solar Power World

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The Vatican has been seeking to drastically reduce its environmental impact by adopting more renewable energy sources

Pope launches project to get Vatican to run solely on solar power

Pope Francis appointed two special commissioners to start work on building an agrivoltaic system on a Vatican property outside of Rome that could supply the whole of Vatican City’s energy needs.

“There is a need to make a transition to a model of sustainable development that reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, establishing the goal of climate neutrality,” he said in an apostolic letter issued “motu proprio,” on his own initiative.

The letter, titled “Brother Sun,” was dated June 21, the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. The Vatican published the letter June 26.

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Source: EARTHBEAT

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Low-cost, clean power, resilience and energy security are all part of the great American success story that is solar energy.

The Pentagon’s plan to go solar: another chapter in a great American success story

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin can’t run for reelection, so it’s frustrating to see him spending so much time trying to score political points. The latest episode came earlier this month, when according to Fox News, Youngkin sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin questioning the Pentagon’s plan, announced back in January, to install solar panels on the building’s massive roof. Youngkin complained that the plan included no requirements for American-made technology, raising the question “whether American taxpayer dollars will be used to purchase solar equipment from the Chinese Communist Party.”

A few days later, Fox News reported the Pentagon offered reassurance that it had a “rigorous and extensive oversight process to ensure compliance” with the Buy American Act and other laws requiring domestic content.

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Source: Virginia Mercury

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The first recipient of the expanded Energy Conservation Assistance Act program is the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California.

California Energy Commission awards clean energy loan to Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians in California in Lake County to build solar photovoltaic project

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has expanded its successful low- and zero-interest clean energy loan program to include applications from California Native American Tribes.

The first recipient of the expanded Energy Conservation Assistance Act (ECAA) program is the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California. On June 12, the CEC approved a $3 million loan at one-percent interest for the tribe to build a carport- and rooftop-mounted solar photovoltaic system to support the casino, hotel, and event center building. The Rancheria is a regional emergency/evacuation center during power outages, wildfires and natural disasters.

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Source: Sierra Sun Times

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New study in the journal Risk Analysis finds that strategically placing resilience hubs in CA could generate up to 8GW of solar energy

New research shows that solar-powered ‘resilience hubs’ in California could generate up to 8GW of power

Power outages are on the rise nationwide as climate change brings more frequent wildfires, heat waves, and severe weather events. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the state of California have both recently established funding to help communities create “resilience hubs” that rely on solar+battery systems to provide emergency power for residents.

A new study in the journal Risk Analysis finds that strategically placing resilience hubs throughout California could generate up to 8 GW of solar energy and lower the state’s carbon emissions by 5 million tons per year.

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Source: Tech Xplore

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In April alone, electrical generation by renewables grew by 13.5% compared to April 2023 and reached 31.0% of the U.S. total

Renewables surpass 30% of U.S. electrical generation for the first time

A review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data newly released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirms that solar has continued its decade-long streak as the nation’s fastest-growing source of electricity.

In its latest monthly “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through April 30, 2024), EIA says the combination of utility-scale and small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar increased by 25.4% in the first four months of 2024 compared to the first third of 2023. Small-scale solar alone grew by 19.3% while utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 28.4% — substantially faster than any other energy source.

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Source: Solar Power World

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Researchers in Germany have developed a groundbreaking new light-harvesting system that could drive a huge leap in solar cell efficiency

New light-harvesting system could revolutionize solar energy, researchers claim

WHAT JUST HAPPENED? The solar energy revolution might be about to shift into an even higher gear. Researchers in Germany have developed a groundbreaking new light-harvesting system that could drive a huge leap in solar cell efficiency by absorbing light across the entire visible range.

For years, solar tech has been hamstrung by some fundamental limitations. Traditional silicon-based solar cells can absorb light across the entire visible spectrum, which is great, but they do so “weakly.” They also need to be thick – we’re talking micrometers – to soak up enough photons to generate meaningful electricity. That added bulk makes them heavier, pricier, and harder to integrate seamlessly into buildings and vehicles.

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Source: Techspot

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For part of almost every day this spring, California produced more electricity than it needed from renewable sources.

California is showing how a big state can power itself without fossil fuels

Something approaching a miracle has been taking place in California this spring. Beginning in early March, for some portion of almost every day, a combination of solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower has been producing more than a hundred per cent of the state’s demand for electricity. Some afternoons, solar panels alone have produced more power than the state uses. And, at night, large utility-scale batteries that have been installed during the past few years are often the single largest source of supply to the grid—sending the excess power stored up during the afternoon back out to consumers across the state. It’s taken years of construction—and solid political leadership in Sacramento—to slowly build this wave, but all of a sudden it’s cresting into view. California has the fifth-largest economy in the world and, in the course of a few months, the state has proved that it’s possible to run a thriving modern economy on clean energy.

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Source: The New Yorker

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US DOE announced more than $7.3M from the IAC Implementation Grants program for 37 small- and medium-sized manufacturers across the country

More than $7 million to bolster clean domestic manufacturing in USA & support small-and medium-sized businesses

As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced more than $7.3 million from the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) Implementation Grants program for 37 small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) across the country to make improvements at their facilities to save energy, reduce climate pollution, and strengthen our domestic manufacturing sector. DOE also announced that the IAC program is open for additional applications, ensuring SMMs can continue to apply for grants throughout the next year. Supported by President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by DOE’s Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains Office (MESC), the IAC Implementation Grants program provides up to $300,000 per manufacturer per funding round to implement recommendations made by DOE and other qualified energy assessments. The projects are expected to abate about 17,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, equivalent to about 70 small businesses’ annual emissions. Today’s announcements reinforce the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to revitalize American manufacturing, create good-paying jobs in communities across the nation, advance energy and environmental justice through the President’s Justice40 Initiative, and meet the President’s ambitious goal of a net-zero economy by 2050.

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Source: Clean Technica

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