Net Metering: Why California Solar Needs It

For so many Californians who have chosen to install a solar electric system, the phrase Net Metering is simply a way of describing the way power from roof-top solar panels will reduce their own electric consumption and spin the meter backwards. But Net Metering also allows owners of solar systems to receive credit for clean [...]

California Throwdown: Solar vs. Farmland

Solar developers are swallowing up thousands of acres of productive California farmland to build utility-scale solar installations. That could be a big problem for California’s agriculture industry if the development is not more carefully monitored, said Ed Thompson with the American Farmland Trust. There are currently 40,000 acres of California farmland in development or slated [...]

Solar Bus Shelters Powering Street Lights in California

The City of Perris, Calif. is preparing to install six solar-powered bus shelters in different locations around the city. The grid-tied shelters will have 1.2-kilowatt solar arrays on their roofs, said city planner Clara Miramontes. They’ll also be connected to traffic lights at the location, offsetting their energy use. “The solar bus shelters will be [...]

Another Milestone for California Solar

The Germans would say tja, but by U.S. standards, it’s impressive. The California Solar Initiative cracked 1,000 megawatts of installed solar before the close of 2012, putting the program more than halfway toward its goal of getting 1,940 MW of solar power on homes and businesses around the state by 2016, regulators said on Thursday [...]

Did You Know? Individuals Can Buy And Trade Carbon Credits

One of the little-known facts about cap-and-trade is that individuals are allowed to buy and trade carbon credits just like corporations can. It’s the same as buying and trading a stock through a broker, but in this case individuals would do so through brokers that specialize in environmental credits. Take California’s first historic cap and trade auction [...]

Solar Crowdfunding: The Next Big Thing

Two of today’s most hottest trends — crowd funding and clean energy — collided into a historic launch as Mosaic opened its solar investment doors to New York and California residents as well as accredited investors from around the country. Mosaic’s mission is one few could argue with: Create abundant clean energy for the people [...]

Mosaic: Bringing Solar to the 75%

From the roof of my condo complex in a sunny part of San Francisco, I can see solar panels on at least a few houses on each surrounding block. Yet solar for our condo has eluded us. When it comes to solar, condos — with multiple owners and HOA regulations — are a tough nut [...]

UPDATE: Ivanpah Project 75% Complete

The 377 megawatt Ivanpah Solar Energy Generating Station (SEGS) being built by BrightSource for NRG Energy has reached a significant milestone with construction now more than 75 percent complete. Since construction on this (concentrating solar power) CSP—or solar thermal—project got underway earlier this year it’s been going at a breakneck pace. By August, construction reached [...]

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