By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Utility Dive (UD) had an interesting piece on the recent Department of Energy (DoE) grants that are aimed at finding longer-duration batteries, which are important as more renewables join the grid. Right now, according to UD, lithium ion batteries don’t provide enough storage capacity (typically four hours) to really be a sufficient for the widespread battery storage that is necessary as renewables increase their penetration throughout the country. As they should, the DoE is now investing government funds in research-and-development (R&D) to find alternatives. [wds id=”3″] UD reports: Last month, the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent I know it seems like we just did this, but that’s because as you get older, time speeds up exponentially. So when you receive your notification from The Solar Foundation that it’s time to fill out their National Jobs Survey again, don’t think it’s a mistake; it really is that time of year again. It should be obvious, but every year I hear people ask why they should fill it out. How does it help them? To which I say, are you crazy? [wds id=”3″] It’s a 15-minute survey, but the effects of it are … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Yesterday, I sung the praises of Vote Solar as an organization that does the work behind the scenes to make your job possible. I listed several of their recent efforts and asked you to support their Equinox fundraiser on October 18. Then I sat down at my computer this morning and found an article in NJ Spotlight by – you guessed it – Vote Solar (and our friends at GRID Alternatives) fighting for low-income solar [wds id=”3″] (As a writer, I must also say I’m always impressed when I see a Vote Solar piece because … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Lobbying – and organizing lobbying – is often a thankless job. It requires hours of glad-handing, of having a phone of some sort permanently glued to your ear (well, not literally, but you know what I mean) and often without any recognition of what you are doing and/or accomplishing. That’s why it’s important to recognize those folks who do an amazing job at keeping solar moving forward at the state level, and that’s why this post is dedicated to the amazing team at Vote Solar who, as luck would have it, are having a fundraiser … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Stability and certainty. Those two elements are always critical to building and expanding a solar industry. And a third element is supporting the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (or PURPA, as it is most often known in the solar industry. Well, late last week Michigan decided to combine all three elements in their Public Service Commission (MPSC) finalized the rates and standard contract terms for Consumers Energy, one of Michigan’s biggest investor-owned utilities. In the ruling, they set the rates the utility must pay for energy and capacity from solar energy facilities and other independent … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Community solar is taking the United States by storm, and it’s increasingly being used by states to provide access to solar to non-traditional solar constituencies like low-income and communities of color. And as Utility Dive reported this week, Washington is the latest state to announce the rules it will use to govern these projects. To say they are a bit byzantine is an understatement, and solar advocates in the state told Utility Dive that they’re afraid the new regulations will have the opposite effect than the one intended. [wds id=”3″] …the regulation comes from a … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent It’s nice to see companies start putting their money where their mouth is. Organic Valley, America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and a leading organic brand, today announced details of the first-of-its-kind community solar partnership launched last year. The project enables Organic Valley to share the benefits of solar energy with its rural neighbors and become the largest food company in the world to be 100 percent renewably powered. In October 2017, the company ambitiously committed to achieve 100 percent renewable power at its corporate facilities. Since pioneering this new model of community solar development, … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent Let’s all take a moment to give a standing ovation to Amory Lovins, co-founder and chief scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute. On Sunday, he stood before a group of investors from around the world – who control approximately $8 trillion in assets – and told them it was time to stop investing in fossil fuels because those industries are “on their last legs.” That’s the news from the Fiduciary Investors Symposium at Stanford University, according to an article on Top1000Funds.com. Lovins not only delivered this hard truth to the investors, but told them they’d … Read More →

The Energy Show: By Barry Cinnamon When a business or homeowner gets a new rooftop solar installation, the second question they always ask is “how often do I need to clean my solar panels.” We’ll answer that question on this week’s show — taking into account the different effects of rain, dust and electric rates. BTW, the first question people always ask is “how do I read my electric bill;” but that’s a topic for another show. Rooftop solar panels get dirty primarily from wind-blown dust and pollen. Birds are usually not a problem unless your last name is Hitchcock … Read More →

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo has set lofty solar goals for his state as it tries to catch up to its Northeastern neighbors like Massachusetts and New Jersey. And in the Bronx, one organization is trying to help him meet them. CleanChoice Energy, a renewable energy company that provides wind and solar energy products to customers across the country, has opened subscriber enrollment for the Altus Bronx Community Solar Farm. The new Community Solar Farm is located on a commercial building in the Parkchester neighborhood in the Bronx. With space available to more than 150 … Read More →