Solar Carports Grow in Popularity

February 23, 2011

In the 2011 State of the Union, President Barack Obama said he envisioned the United States as the first nation to have one million electric cars on the road by 2015.  With two electric cars introduced to the market late last year in limited supply, the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt, statisticians are skeptical [...]

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Keeping Your Solar Panels Safe

February 22, 2011

When you make an investment in solar panels, most people assume that they will generate power for the next 20 to 30 years.  In recent years, reports of solar panel theft are becoming common in communities in California and Colorado, although still rare in most parts of the country.  To many, safeguarding their solar investment [...]

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Connecticut SRECs Back on the Table

February 16, 2011

Many solar installers in Connecticut forecasted growth in the industry was hinging on the approval of an energy bill that was introduced last year.   After being passed by large margins in the House and Senate, the legislation was eventually vetoed by Governor Jodi Rell, citing that the bill was introduced so late in the [...]

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Environmental Cost of Solar Panel Manufacturing

February 12, 2011

Many people wonder if the manufacturing processes for photovoltaic solar modules and other PV equipment are harmful to the environment or particularly carbon intensive.  There has also been a lot of negative press that photovoltaic solar panels can be toxic to the environment.  Do the benefits of the energy generated from solar panels outweigh the harmful effects [...]

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The Drawbacks of DIY Solar Installations

February 11, 2011

Making an investment in solar power is a smart decision, but installing it yourself could be a big mistake.  Most DIYers, who want to take on a solar project, may do it for the learning experience or to save money.  I think it is great that individuals want to get educated about how solar works, [...]

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Solar Grants Available for Connecticut Nonprofits

February 9, 2011

I’m happy to announce some good news for nonprofits and not-for-profits.  There are finally some solar incentives available for entities that do not pay taxes, including charitable, educational, scientific, religious, and artistic organizations.  Connecticut has opened two very generous grant programs – the On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation program and the ARRA Commercial Solar PV program [...]

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Solar Panels: Sorting Through the Hype

February 5, 2011

Solar panel manufacturers are doing a great job giving consumers a variety of panels to choose from. To some, solar panels are considered a commodity because they are often alike in size, power rating, and quality.  Depending on your preferences, there are slight nuances you can pay attention to like cell type, efficiency, power tolerance, [...]

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Massachusetts Municipal Solar Rebates for 2011

February 4, 2011

If you own a home in the Ipswich, Marblehead, Taunton, Concord, or Chicopee, you may be eligible for generous municipal solar rebate incentives.  Massachusetts has a state-funded rebate program but it is only open to customers of the Ashburnham, Holden, Holyoke, Russell, and Templeton Municipal Light plants and the following utility companies: Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light (Unitil), National [...]

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Solar Power for Condominiums

February 2, 2011

The thought of adding solar panels to a multi-unit condominium building may have once seemed formidable.  I want to debunk the myths associated with generating solar power on condo buildings.  While a little more challenging than a single-home residence, putting solar on your condominium may be more realistic and financially advantageous than you once thought.  [...]

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ARRA Compliant Solar Photovoltaic Equipment

February 1, 2011

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) allocated $787 billion in stimulus funding through tax credits, contracts, grants, loans and entitlements.   Under Section 1605 of the legislation, stimulus-funded public works projects must adhere to “Buy American” requirements for “all iron, steel, and manufactured goods.”  A small portion of ARRA funds have been designated [...]

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Massachusetts Announces Change to SREC Program

January 31, 2011

Today, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has announced a change that may affect the price of Solar Renewable Energy Credits in 2011.  The agency announced a 8.3% reduction to the Alternative Compliance Payment (ACP) for this year.   They have the right to make these changes in accordance with 225 CMR 14.08(3)(b)2. The marketplace [...]

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Why Solar Installers Conduct Evaluations in the Winter

January 27, 2011

I would love to say solar installers in the Northeast take the winter off, but they don’t.  The work for PV contractors does not stop just because snow is on the ground or ice is on a roof.  In the snowiest and coldest parts of winter, a lot of companies spend time catching up on [...]

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Solar Energy Mentioned Often in State of the Union

January 26, 2011

President Barack Obama delivered his second state of the union speech yesterday.  Much to the delight of solar energy companies, PV manufacturers, and clean energy advocates, the President gave some strong support to clean technology and specifically solar power — he mentioned energy (renewable or clean) about 8 times and solar 3 times in the [...]

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Escape the Cold with an Energy Audit

January 24, 2011

The weather in New England plummeted to bone-chilling temperatures this weekend and it will linger until Tuesday.  With the frigid weather, it’s more important than ever that your home is tight and well-insulated.  I’m not sure about other states in New England, but I know both Massachusetts and Connecticut offer inexpensive energy audits and subsidized [...]

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Open PV Project Compiles U.S. Installation Data

January 23, 2011

Were you ever wondering where the solar installations are in your state or when they were installed?  Well, now you can answer these questions and more.  The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Department of Energy is overseeing an alliance between the government, solar power companies, and the public to create a database of photovoltaic [...]

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Deadline Approaching for Connecticut OSDG Grant

January 19, 2011

On November 1st, the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) issued request for proposals (RFPs) for the On-Site Renewable Distributed Generation (OSDG) program.  OSDG grants finance the installation of renewable energy equipment for commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities who are Connecticut Light & Power or United Illuminating customers.  Applications for the first round of funding are [...]

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Depreciation Benefits for Commercial Solar Installations

January 18, 2011

There was a lot of press in December about the extension of the Section 1603 Treasury Grant program in the landmark tax legislation that passed in December, but not too much fanfare about the depreciation benefits for renewable energy, including photovoltaics.  They depreciation incentives were not only extended, but were also expanded.  The Tax Relief, [...]

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Massachusetts Solar Panel Manufacturing Plant Will Close its Doors

January 17, 2011

In some very disappointing news to Massachusetts residents, Evergreen Solar will be shutting down its Devens manufacturing facility.  While the company will continue to operate is headquarters in Marlborough, MA and its high temperature filament plant in Michigan, Evergreen Solar has decided to close the Devens plant and escalate wafer production at its Wuhan, China [...]

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Massachusetts Gears Up to Reduce Emissions

January 13, 2011

At the end of December, state officials presented a 136-page proposal, the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020, to drastically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Massachusetts.  Over the next ten years, the goal is to curtail carbon expelled from homes, cars, and businesses by 25% below 1990 levels.  And after that… Massachusetts has [...]

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Massachusetts Launches Solar Thermal Rebate

January 12, 2011

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has announced that a pilot program for solar thermal rebate incentives will open in early February.  The program will only be open to residential solar installations to finance solar hot water projects.  Traditionally, Massachusetts has only funded a rebate program for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations only.  This new program will [...]

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