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US Solar Institute | Archive for the ‘Solar Installations’ Category

February
11th

Rebate Shortages Cloud Solar Projects

Posted in Blog, Grants & Funding, solar energy, Solar Installations, Solar News, Solar power | View Comments

Disparity in Florida incentives make solar installations for homeowners and small businesses not so sunny…

Florida Power & Light Co. can recoup from customers the full $70 million cost of its new solar plant at Kennedy Space Center.

Mark Napoli, on the other hand, will get back in government rebates only about half the $44,000 cost of the solar system he installed on his Palm Bay home.

The disparity in incentives between large and small producers of solar power has Florida’s market for renewable energy stuck in low gear, a coalition of renewable energy interests says. They want to help the little guy get in on the action by creating incentives similar to those used by states such as Arizona and Oregon, which they argue are way ahead of Florida in promoting renewable energy. Read more »

February
9th

3 Solutions for Going Solar

Posted in Blog, Community Projects, solar energy, Solar Installations, Solar power | View Comments

Knowledge is power, right? Too often people dismiss solar as too expensive, but the fact of the matter is, that while the cost of electricity continues to rise, the price of solar is becoming more and more affordable. What we love about the following article is how it tells the story of 3 different budgets and the creativity of each of these groups to harness the power of solar energy and use it to their advantage. Not only have they seen the benefits of saving on electricity, but also the unmatched satisfaction of doing something for the greater good of our planet.

It’s important to truly understand solar energy—how it works, how it can be obtained, and its many benefits. Unfortunately, the U.S. is far behind countries like Germany and Italy when it comes to renewable energy. With the high cost of electricity in the Caribbean 3-5 times what it is here in the States, many of our students come from the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Barbados to learn about solar. With the exception of California, the U.S. is far behind where it should be regarding the use of renewable energy. We’d love to train more students from the U.S. to help make us a “greener” country. The following stories should spark inspiration to take advantage of the abundance of energy that shines on us every day… Read more »

January
27th

Can You Qualify for the “Section 1603″ 30% Cash Grant Program to Buy Solar?

Posted in Blog, Grants & Funding, Solar Installations | View Comments

We get questions all the time about solar grants. Who qualifies for them? For how much? For what types of solar systems? We found a great breakdown based on the Act that was just passed last month. Read on for simplified details and for a great government resource link…

At the end of 2010, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010. As part of this law, the U.S. Department of Treasury – Renewable Energy Grants program, sometimes referred to as “Section 1603” program, was extended for 2011. Read more »

January
27th

Solar in Ontario: 2011 Preview

Posted in Blog, Community Projects, Grants & Funding, solar energy, Solar Installations, Solar Jobs, Solar News | View Comments

By Tim Wohlgemut, ClearSky Advisors

2011 will be the year that matters most for solar energy in Ontario.

Ontario, Canada — Many developments will occur over the coming year that will have long-lasting implications for the solar PV (photovoltaic) market in Ontario. 2009 saw the introduction of the Green Energy and Economy Act that produced a favorable Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) program. 2010 was a landmark year thanks to the approval of several hundred MWs of solar projects through the FIT program. 2011 is the year where it will become clear whether the Ontario market will be a flash in the pan or will gain the momentum to become a long-term sustainable industry. Read more »

January
20th

The Most Powerful States for Solar

Posted in Blog, Grants & Funding, Solar Installations, Solar News | View Comments

USSI wanted to share this new article from CNN Money, which reveals the top states for solar. They may surprise you as solar projects are driven by subsidies and not the sun! So where does the Sunshine State rank? Read on to find out…

FORTUNE — It turns out that subsidies — not the sun — are what really drive solar projects. Photovoltaic plants simply aren’t cost-efficient without tax breaks and other government carrots. California leads the country in photovoltaic projects, thanks to a 2006 act that offers rebates to homeowners and businesses that go green. But the Northeast is also, somewhat counter intuitively, a big solar player. In 2009, 10 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states formed an alliance that aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions 10% by 2018. New Jersey is the fastest-growing state in terms of solar development. The sunny South has meaningful solar projects only in Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. The same solar-in-the-shade phenomenon is happening globally: Germany and Japan — not exactly hotbeds of, well, heat — lead the world in photovoltaic projects. And until solar power is as cheap to produce as fuels like gas and coal, it is likely there will continue to be nothing new under the sun. Read more »