The major focus of this website is to provide news on Solar Industry developments in California. Yet we recognize that studies and research conducted elsewhere address issues with implication for developments within the state. This section provides a selection of reports summarized in news releases that may be California-specific, or which may have primarily a US national or international perspective with implications for the Solar Industry in California. Studies and research are incorporated based on their geographic perspective.
California-Specific
Study: California could get 74% of power from rooftop solar
Rooftop solar panels could meet three-quarters of California’s electricity needs and about 40 percent of the country’s electricity needs, according to a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. … Read More →
Could Solar Energy Be California’s Next Cash Crop?
Several years ago, Nick Rajkovich bought 1,200 acres in California’s Fresno County, planning to grow almonds for his family’s farming business. The ranch had a steady supply of water at the time. But that changed with the state’s latest, relentless drought: Federal water deliveries over the past three years dwindled to zero. “Now the almonds are dead,” Rajkovich says; and with the land bone dry and no relief in sight, “The only thing we can farm is the sun. That’s why solar is the obvious choice for us.” … Read More →
California Leads a Quiet Revolution
With its progressive politics, high-tech bent and abundant sunshine, California is fast ramping up its production of clean electricity, setting an example its leaders hope the rest of the country, and other nations, will follow as they seek to cut emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide. … Read More →
U.S. Solar Market Insight™
olar Market Insight report is a collaborative effort between the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Greentech Media (GTM) Research that provides a quarterly and annual solar-specific analyses and forecasts. On a quarterly basis, GTM Research conducts surveys of installers, manufacturers, utilities and state agencies from which it produces a report on trends in the U.S. photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) markets. … Read More →
California Net Energy Metering Ratepayer Impacts Evaluation
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) contracted a study to provide an evaluation of the costs and benefits of the net energy metering (NEM) program in California. This study fulfills the requirements of Assembly Bill (AB) 2514 (Bradford, 2012) and Commission Decision (D.) 12-05-036, to study “who benefits, and who bears the economic burden, if any, of the net energy metering program.” … Read More →
US National
What’s happening with U.S. solar after four months of panel tariffs
Here we are, four months after 30% panel tariffs were placed on imported crystalline silicon solar panels. Who are the winners, … Read More →
US Residential and Utility-Scale Solar Markets See Installations Fall for the First Time
The problem with experiencing a year of explosive market growth is that it can make subsequent years look soft — … Read More →
Trump Administration Issues 30% Solar Panel Import Tariff
The White House announced that President Trump has issued a 30 percent year-one tariff on imported solarcells and modules. Tariffs … Read More →
Wind, solar do not harm power grid reliability-draft US study
The growth of renewable power, including wind and solar, has not harmed the reliability of the U.S. electricity grid, according … Read More →
Google’s Project Sunroof Claims 80% Of US Roofs Analyzed Are Suitable For Solar Panels
Google has updated its Project Sunroof to include 3-D models of every rooftop in all 50 states. The new software … Read More →
International
Renewables Threaten German Economy & Energy Supply, McKinsey Warns In New Report
A new report by consulting giant McKinsey finds that Germany’s Energiewende, or energy transition to renewables, poses a significant threat to the nation’s economy and energy supply. One of Germany’s largest newspapers, Die Welt, summarized the findings of the McKinsey report in a single word: “disastrous.” “Problems are manifesting in all three dimensions of the energy industry triangle: climate protection, the security of supply and economic efficiency,” writes McKinsey. … Read More →
Carbon dioxide levels reach global milestone
Worldwide levels of carbon dioxide — the gas scientists say is most responsible for global warming — reached a significant … Read More →
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