The US IRA stands to make solar energy a more viable option for renters and to people whose homes are not suitable for rooftop arrays.

You don’t have to own a home to go solar

Over the past decade, a boom in renewable energy made rooftop solar increasingly practical for US homeowners — but it largely left out the 44 million households that rent, and those unable to afford to go green. The Inflation Reduction Act is now poised to change that dynamic, expanding access to low-cost, carbon-free solar energy by providing generous incentives for what’s known as community solar.

Developers of these smaller-scale projects install solar panels on vacant land in or near communities, or on the rooftops of commercial buildings. Renters, apartment dwellers and people whose homes are not suitable for rooftop arrays can then subscribe to a community “solar garden,” paying a monthly fee based on their electricity consumption. In exchange, they receive a discount on their utility bills for the clean power they’re helping supply to the grid.

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Source: Bloomberg

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The proliferation of solar requires PV projects to adapt to their grid surroundings, be it energy storage, other renewables or green hydrogen

The rise of solar-plus

On a sunny Sunday afternoon this May, California reached a major milestone on its path towards a carbon-free free power grid, as the state produced enough renewable electricity to meet more than 100% of demand for the first time.

Renewables generation exceeded demand for about 112 intermittent minutes and reached a new high of 103.45% for 1 – 2 minutes on 8 May, according to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which manages the flow of electricity for about 80% of the state.

The landmark followed a host of renewables records being broken in California throughout spring. Ashutosh Bhagwat, chair of the CAISO board of governors, said in April: “These moments help crystallise the vision of the modern, efficient and sustainable grid of the future.”

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Source: PV Tech

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The latest disaster illuminates how much progress Puerto Ricans have made toward energy resilience and how far the island still has to go.

Solar is lifeline in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona knocks out power

Just two days before the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans received a brutal reminder of how vulnerable the island’s central electricity system remains. On Sunday, Hurricane Fiona slammed into the U.S. territory, bringing feet of rain and catastrophic flooding. All of the nearly 1.5 million utility customers initially lost power.

In a moment that was a bit too on the nose, Pedro Pierluisi, the governor of Puerto Rico, was briefing residents just ahead of Fiona’s landfall when the power suddenly went out in the conference room. Although service has since been restored to some customers and critical facilities like hospitals, it may take several days to fully restore power due to the ​“magnitude and extent” of the blackout, said Luma Energy, which operates the island transmission and distribution system.

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Source: Canary Media

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California's community solar program is designed to benefit customers, developers, workers and the overall power system at the same time.

California embraces a new approach to community solar

Community solar is a way to allow people who don’t have access to a roof that is suitable for solar panels to take part in the world of renewable energy. That includes renters, co-op and condo owners, and homeowners whose roof faces the wrong way or is shaded by trees.

Let’s be clear. As a general rule, utility companies take a dim view of rooftop solar, community solar, or any other idea that involves someone other than themselves generating electricity on their own. That’s why government policies are needed to diminish the power imbalance between utility companies and consumers.

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Source: Clean Technica

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Over the weekend, Newsom signed Senate Bill 1340 into law, which extends the tax exclusion for installing a new active solar energy system.

California extends sunset on property tax exclusion for active solar energy systems

A new California law extends the sunset on an existing property tax exclusion for newly constructed active solar energy systems by two years, a measure that Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged has a “direct impact” on property tax revenues for local governments.

Over the weekend, Newsom signed Senate Bill 1340 into law, which extends the tax exclusion for installing a new active solar energy system. Under current law, installing a solar energy system does not result in an “increase or decrease in the assessment of the existing property, unlike other physical additions,” according to a bill analysis.

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Source: The Center Square

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Michael Popp and Yi Liang developed an online decision support software tool to help growers assess whether solar is feasible for their farms

Researchers developing tool to help poultry producers realize full value of solar technology

Poultry producers considering use of renewable energy in their operations will have a free tool this fall to help them determine whether solar is right for them.

Yi Liang, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering and a researcher in the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, conducted solar energy research in 2021 on an Arkansas poultry production operation and found it offered significant savings.

The poultry grower saved more than 90 percent off his annual electricity expense, Liang said. He paid only account charges — between $15 and $25 per month — in 11 out of 12 months of utility bills in 2021.

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Source: University of Arkansas News

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More than 8,400 public and private schools serving 6 million students are now using solar power generating significant cost savings.

Nearly 1 in 10 US schools now using solar power

Thousands of schools across the U.S. are beginning to make the switch to solar power, generating significant cost savings and helping them meet their hefty energy needs, a new report has found.

More than 8,400 public and private schools serving 6 million students — or about 1 in 10 institutions nationwide — are now using solar power, according to the report from the nonprofit Generation180.

Since 2015, the number of solar panels installed at the country’s K-12 schools has tripled, while the number of schools that use solar has doubled, the report found.

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Source: The Hill

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The Solar Access Act bill implements instant, online solar permitting in cities and counties in California.

California cities and counties now required to switch to instant, online residential solar permitting by 2024

Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco)’s legislation, SB 379, the Solar Access Act, passed both houses of California’s legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The bill implements instant, online solar permitting in cities and counties. This legislation will greatly decrease approval times for residential solar and solar + storage systems, cut permitting costs for local governments and homeowners and help California meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. SB 379 is co-sponsored by SPUR and Environment California. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) is a coauthor of the bill.

Climate change is a dire threat, and California must accelerate its transition to clean energy in order to meet its target to become carbon neutral by 2045. Widespread installation of residential solar systems has helped push California towards these goals. However, while the cost of solar technology has decreased in recent years, the high costs associated with installation — including local permitting and inspection requirements — have remained prohibitive for many. Delays due to long permit and inspection wait times also hurt solar implementation across the state. Automated permitting solves both of these issues; the Solar Access Act will allow California to implement a timely and comprehensive solution.

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Source: Solar Power World

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a package of bills aimed at moving away from reliance on fossil fuel-based energy

California governor signs sweeping climate legislation

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of bills Friday to expand California’s reliance on clean energy and reduce carbon emissions, moves he said further establish the state as a global climate leader.

The new laws include proposals aimed at reducing exposure to gas and oil pollution in communities of color, expanding clean energy jobs and accelerating the state’s timeline for getting most of its electricity from renewable energy sources. Newsom signed them following a record-breaking heat wave that forced California to rely more heavily on natural gas for its electricity production.

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Source: ABC News

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The IRA is going to transform America’s energy economy, and the forecasts show a wave of clean energy and manufacturing investments

US Solar installs to get 40% boost on climate law, report says

President Joe Biden’s sweeping climate legislation is expected to boost US solar installation, but lingering bottlenecks in the global supply chain and trade issues mean most gains won’t be realized until 2024.

Clean-energy developers are forecast to install more than 215 gigawatts of solar panels during the next five years, according to a report published Thursday from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie. That’s 40% more than the Washington-based trade group expected without the Inflation Reduction Act, the climate-friendly bill signed into law last month.

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Source: Bloomberg

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