Utility-scale solar and distributed solar both have an important role to play in reducing greenhouse emissions, and both have made great strides in the past year. Utility-scale solar, the focus of this article, is reaching “grid parity” (i.e., cost equivalency) with traditional generation in more areas across the country. And solar received a major boost… Keep reading →
Elon Musk’s decision last week to invite other car manufacturers to use Tesla Motors’ technology was bold. But the Tesla CEO, putting on his SolarCity chairman’s hat and working with company leadership partners Lyndon and Peter Rive, might have surpassed that move on Tuesday. The trio announced that SolarCity – heretofore a solar power financier/installer… Keep reading →
The concept of grid parity is the following: the point at which the cost of producing electricity from an energy source is less than or equal to the price of purchasing power from the grid. In theory, when solar energy reaches grid parity it will be cost-competitive with conventional fuels, making it viable for widespread… Keep reading →
By sitting around and watching opportunities pass by Warren Buffet, the legendary investor who has been at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway and made a fortune for himself and his shareholders, was once asked how to make a million. His answer: Buy an airline for a billion and watch your investment shrink to a million.… Keep reading →
The solar industry has been very hot. Record amounts of new solar capacity have been installed over the past two years. The accelerating pace of adoption of solar panels for distributed generation (installed at the point of use, rather than sold into the power grid) and the downward trend of module prices have created exuberance… Keep reading →
The promise of solar grid parity is near The news about solar PV costs keeps getting better as price of modules falls as do installation and balance of system costs. A team of researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has been tracking these developments in the US, with their latest report released in… Keep reading →
The production tax credit may still be critical to the continued development of wind power in the US. But as the price of generating wind power keeps falling, justification for renewing it could lose steam, and if lawmakers do prevent it from lapsing at the end of this year, the question may soon become how… Keep reading →
