With its upcoming Solar for All program, Illinois is about to give us a big hint. Certain facts about the world are just self-evident. Water freezes below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Things fall when they are dropped. Nobody likes doing their taxes. And Congress doesn’t pass climate change legislation. As an American growing up in the…
Depending on where you live, you may not be able to do both–so decisions must be made. Here’s how they stack up. If you clicked on this article, you’re probably already familiar with the many benefits of solar energy–to both our economy and environment–and the ever-growing need to switch to clean energy. I won’t preach…
A version of this post originally appeared on Solar Power World. Despite the threat from tariffs, data from the Smart Electric Power Association (SEPA) shows community solar capacity has astoundingly doubled to 730 MW in 2017. As of today, community shared solar is available across 42 states, yet you will find that contract terms vary…
We’re really excited about community solar, and we’re not the only ones. Seven years ago, community solar was barely a blip on anyone’s radar in America. It was an idea built on encouraging premises–good for the planet, good for communities, and, given falling renewable energy costs, good for business–but hardly any projects had actually been…
If you had the chance to save ten percent on energy month after month, what would you think? What could you do with that money? We break down the numbers so you can make a decision for yourself. You see an advertisement for a community solar garden that will save you 10 percent on your…
If you rent an apartment or a house, you might think solar is out of the question. After all, you can’t just decide to put panels on your roof one day. So, is there a way to get solar for apartments? I chose to join the solar industry because clean energy is essential to our…
Many people are initially concerned about getting just the right amount of community solar to offset their energy usage. So, what if you do need to use more electricity? Less? Will that affect your savings? Let’s break it down. Regardless of what you’re signing up for, opting into a contract can be a difficult decision.…
I embarked on a journey to understand the impact of community solar on farmlands. Today, I’m breaking down all my unbiased learnings for you. Okay, let’s address the 13,000-pound elephant in the community solar industry: I’ll be real: this isn’t the first time that someone has brought this up. It’s a fair point, and it…
In a year when the threat of tariffs hung over the solar industry and growth was mostly flat, community solar capacity more than doubled to 730 MW (enough to power approximately 120,000 households). But where are all of these solar gardens going in, and which community solar state is the most promising in 2018?
With cities growing, global economies expanding, and standards of living getting higher in countries around the world, one thing has become clear: the best way to ensure that energy infrastructure can support our needs is by building small, sustainable, and distributed energy resources. Much of our existing energy infrastructure consists of huge, centralized power plants, that…