Global Solar Market Overview
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Innovations in Voluntary Renewable Energy Procurement: Methods for Expanding Access and Lowering Cost for Communities, Governments, and Businesses
Innovations in Voluntary Renewable Energy Procurement: Methods for Expanding Access and Lowering Cost for Communities, Governments, and Businesses NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. Jenny Heeter, Joyce McLaren National Renewable Energy Laboratory Notice This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. Available for a processing fee to U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information P.O. Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0062 phone: 865.576.8401 fax: 865.576.5728 email: mailto:[email protected] Available for sale to the public, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 phone: 800.553.6847 fax: 703.605.6900 email: [email protected] online ordering: http://www.ntis.gov/help/ordermethods.aspx Acknowledgments This work was funded by the U.S. -
CITY of LARKSPUR Staff Report May 21, 2014 Council Meeting DATE: May 16, 2014 TO: Honorable Mayor Morrison and Members Of
CITY OF LARKSPUR Staff Report May 21, 2014 Council Meeting DATE: May 16, 2014 TO: Honorable Mayor Morrison and Members of the City Council FROM: Dan Schwarz, City Manager SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF POSITIONS ON LEGISLATION ACTION REQUESTED Authorize Vice-Mayor Chu to sign and send the attached letters. SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS It is the policy of the City Council only to take positions on legislation that affect Larkspur and its interests. Further, it is the general practice of the City Council to rely upon the Legislative Committee of the Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers to take positions on legislation. From time-to-time, staff and Councilmembers identify legislation that is of significant enough concern for the City Council to consider taking positions. Two such bills are presented to the Council for positions of opposition. AB 2145 As a member of Marin Clean Energy, Larkspur has a vested interest in the success of this joint powers authority. The primary effect of this bill is to make it more difficult for new Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) entities to form and operate. The bill would also impose new requirements and burdens on existing CCAs – requirements that would increase the cost of operation relative to those of PG&E (on which such requirements would not be imposed). It is for this reason that Larkspur should oppose this bill. AB 2188 This bill would impose new costs on Larkspur by requiring expediting processing for all solar permits. Further, this bill would eliminate the current review process for solar installations, potentially increasing risks to public health and safety by allowing for less secure installation. -
Residential Solar Photovoltaics: Comparison of Financing Benefits, Innovations, and Options
Residential Solar Photovoltaics: Comparison of Financing Benefits, Innovations, and Options Bethany Speer NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. Technical Report NREL/TP-6A20-51644 October 2012 Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308 Residential Solar Photovoltaics: Comparison of Financing Benefits, Innovations, and Options Bethany Speer Prepared under Task Nos. SM10.2442, SM12.3010 NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Technical Report 15013 Denver West Parkway NREL/TP-6A20-51644 Golden, Colorado 80401 October 2012 303-275-3000 • www.nrel.gov Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308 NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. Available electronically at http://www.osti.gov/bridge Available for a processing fee to U.S. -
City Power Play: 8 Practical Local Energy Policies to Boost the Economy
! City Power Play 8 Practical Local Energy Policies to Boost the Economy John Farrell September 2013 ! ! Executive Summary Executive Summary The economy has stalled and so has the war on climate change. But dozens of cities are creating Efficiency Means Local Energy Dollars jobs and cleaner energy using their own power. The city-financed energy savings Keeping Energy Dollars Local program in Babylon, NY, has resulted in • Chattanooga, TN, is adding over $1 billion to its energy improvements on 1,100 local economy in the next decade by properties with annual average savings implementing one of the most advanced smart of $1,300. That’s $28 million in energy grids and delivering the fastest internet service dollars saved over the next 20 years, in the country with its municipal utility. boosting the economy as well as the finances of individual homeowners! • Sonoma County, CA, has created nearly 800 local jobs retrofitting over 2,000 properties for energy savings with city-based financing. • Babylon, NY, has repurposed a solid waste fund to finance retrofits for 2% of the city’s homes, saving residents an average of $1,300 a year on their energy bills at minimal cost to the city. Eight Powerful, Practical Policies This report details eight practical energy policies cities can and have used to their economic advantage: 1. Municipal utilities 2. Community choice aggregation Sunshine Means Local Energy Dollars 3. Building energy codes 4. Building energy use disclosure The town of Lancaster, CA, created a 5. Local tax authority local power authority that uses bonds to 6. Solar mandates pre-purchase electricity from solar 7. -
Buying Green Power Today: Emerging Options for U.S
BuYING GREEN PoWER TodAY: EMERGING OPTIONS FOR U.S. ELECTRICITY CoNSUMERS DECEMBER 2013 Top photo cover credit: Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon BUYING GREEN POWER TODAY: EMERGING OPTIONS FOR U.S. ELECTRICITY CONSUMERS WORKING PAPER DECEmbER 2013 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW | Suite 405 | Washington, DC 20009 | Main: 202.682.6294 www.cleanskies.org | Twitter: cleanskiesfdn © American Clean Skies Foundation 2013 Abstract This paper is intended to clarify the emerging options available to individuals and businesses who want to use their purchasing power to support green electricity. Until recently, customers wishing to buy clean power were largely limited to either installing onsite systems or buying Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), which are often used to “green” the “brown” (average grid mix, i.e., higher carbon) electricity actually delivered to an end-user. Today, however, new options are being introduced to expand the scope for direct use of and investment in renewable electricity. These options are the focus of this report. They include: third-party financing, community shared projects, consumer Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), renewable tariffs and innovative public capital investment vehicles. Creating a lower carbon electricity grid with a larger share of renewable power will require a multi- decade effort. This paper suggests that emerging consumer-driven purchase and investment schemes could become an important part of that effort. This is a working paper that will be updated as new developments merit. Author Geoff Bromaghim is ACSF’s Energy Policy Research Associate. His work supports the Foundation’s power sector initiatives and focuses primarily on renewables and natural gas market dynamics, electric utilities regulation, and clean energy integration. -
GREEN PROFESSIONALS: SHARE IT! the HOMEOWNER’S Clients Need to Know About Sustainable Construction
WHAT’S NEW IN THE 7TH EDITION? Updated Products Sustainable NEW Our guide features a number of Appliances Efficient new products. Don’t miss new Learn what’s new in energy Windows “smart” devices that improve your efficient appliances, including Check out our side-by-side home’s energy efficiency, condensation clothes dryers comparison of energy efficient insulation to significantly improve your home’s R-value, that save homeowners a ton windows to make the best counter tops made from recycled materials, and more. on energy bills. (p. 48) choice for your home. (p. 40) The Homeowner’s HANDBOOK Remodeling? Building a new home? This comprehensive guide has you covered. Understanding the thousands of choices available 7th when constructing or improving a home is daunting. CONTENTS EDITION Add in efforts to use “green” products, and the task gets even more complex. That’s why we created this Exteriors 18 Handbook—to help you manage your project, by Roofing 22 separating the really important choices from the rest. Structure 26 Here’s the essential information you’ve been looking Insulation 30 for, in one handy annually updated guide. Air Quality 34 Windows 38 Heating & Cooling 42 Lighting 46 Appliances 48 Faucets & Fixtures 52 Finishes 56 Cabinets & Tops 60 Alternative Energy 64 Award-Winning Coverage of Sustainable Construction, Products and Lifestyles The Homeowner’s Handbook 2016 / www.greenbuildermedia.com of the go-to green guide for OUR 7TH EDITION homeowners celebrates solar innovation and new products, and brings you the in-depth information your GREEN PROFESSIONALS: SHARE IT! THE HOMEOWNER’S clients need to know about sustainable construction. -
San Francisco, California
Challenges and Successes on the Path toward a Solar-Powered Community Solar in Action San Francisco, California Includes case studies on: • Using a Web-based Solar Map to Provide Solar Information to the Public • Targeting Commercial Property Owners through the Mayor’s Solar Founders’ Circle • Facilitating Residential Solar Group Purchases October 2011 • Addressing Multi-Tenant Barriers to Going Solar San Francisco’s Starting Point San Francisco was designated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on June 20, 2007, as a Solar America City. San Francisco was making relatively significant progress San Francisco promotes solar in the community through high-profile installations on city-owned promoting and enabling solar prior to receiving assistance buildings such as the Moscone Convention Center, through the Solar America Cities partnership. At the time the city’s first large-scale solar installation and the largest municipal system (675 kW) in the United of the designation, San Francisco benefited from: States when completed in 2004. Photo from The City of San Francisco, NREL/PIX 18417 • 2001 voter-approved $100 million bond initiative to pay for solar systems, energy efficiency improvements, and wind turbines for Cover photos from iStock/8809122, View of San Francisco public facilities • 2002 Electricity Resource Plan with ambitious goals, including 50 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity by 2012 with 31 MW provided by solar • Priority permitting for solar installations instituted in 2004, with updated streamlined procedures adopted in 2007 • 2004 Climate Action Plan goal to reduce overall greenhouse gas About the U.S. Department emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by the year 2012 of Energy’s Solar America • San Francisco Solar Task Force established in 2007 to develop policy Communities program: recommendations to accelerate the number of solar installations on The U.S. -
Solar Powering Your Community: a Guide for Local Governments | January 2011 Acknowledgments
NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. Free download available at www.solaramericacommunities.energy.gov Available electronically at www.osti.gov/bridge Available for a processing fee to U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information P.O. Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0062 phone: 865.576.8401 fax: 865.576.5728 e-mail: [email protected] Available for sale to the public, in paper, from: U.S. Department of Commerce National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 phone: 800.553.6847 fax: 703.605.6900 e-mail: [email protected] online ordering: www.ntis.gov/ordering.htm Printed on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 10% post consumer waste. b Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments | January 2011 Acknowledgments DOE funded the development of this guide through the Solar Market Transformation subprogram. -
The Solarize Guidebook
THE SOLARIZE GUIDEBOOK: A community guide to collective purchasing of residential PV systems ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Solarize Guidebook was developed for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the City of Portland. The Solarize campaigns were initiated and replicated by Portland’s Neighborhood Coalition network with help from the Energy Trust of Oregon, City of Portland, and Solar Oregon. AUTHORS Linda Irvine, Alex Sawyer and Jennifer Grove, Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Develop- ment (Northwest SEED). Northwest SEED is solely responsible for errors and omissions. CONTRIBUTORS Lee Rahr, Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Lizzie Rubado, Energy Trust of Oregon Ross Swartzendruber, Salem Creative Network and Solarize Salem Lee Jorgenson, AmeriCorps Volunteer with Solarize Pendleton Jessie Denver, City of San Jose Dave Llorens, 1BOG SPONSORS Solar America Communities This guidebook was made possible through funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar America Communities program. www.solaramericacommunities.energy.gov City of Portland, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) BPS develops and implements programs that provide environmental, economic and social benefits to residents, businesses, and government, which strengthen Portland’s position as an international model of sustainable practices. The BPS took on a management role in several Solarize campaigns and funded replication efforts including this Solarize Guidebook. www.portlandonline.com/bps/solar Energy Trust of Oregon Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping utility customers benefit from saving energy and tapping renewable resources. Their services, cash incentives and energy solutions have helped customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas save nearly $660 million in energy bills. -
Keeping Pace?: the Case Against Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing Programs
KEEPING PACE?: THE CASE AGAINST PROPERTY ASSESSED CLEAN ENERGY FINANCING PROGRAMS PRENTISS COX* Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a method of public financing for energy improvements through special assessments on local government property taxes. Interest in PACE exploded since its inception in 2008, with almost half the states rapidly enacting legislation enabling local governments to use their property collection power to finance residential energy investments. The growth in PACE has been suspended and existing programs have been put on hold in the face of opposition from the federal secondary mortgage market regulators. Governments and environmental advocates supporting PACE have initiated litigation against federal mortgage and banking regulators and are seeking passage of federal legislation to revive the programs. This Article argues that the theory underlying PACE is fundamentally flawed. PACE has been promoted as an alternative to traditional real estate financing that resolves the impediments to homeowners investing in alternative energy and energy efficiency. A careful analysis of these claims demonstrates that PACE actually operates similarly to most other types of real estate financing and that the efforts to reconstruct PACE programs through litigation or legislation are misplaced. Instead, PACE programs should be radically restructured or should be considered a creative yet failed experiment, offering valuable lessons for future residential energy investment programs. INTRODUCTION Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a creative new method of financing renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements for residential buildings. The essential element of a PACE program is public financing of energy improvements with repayment through special assessments on local government property taxes.1 From 2008 through 2010, * Professor of Clinical Law, University of Minnesota Law School. -
The Perks of Renewable Energy!
to save up to 80% on your heating & cooling costs The key to cutting your heating & cooling We chose Climatemaster geothermal to replace our “furnace. Because our rural home used propane, we costs is in the ground right under you. were told that the payback would be less than five Using the constant temperature of the years. The cost savings were better than we even ex- pected. The heat is very even without the fluctuations earth, ClimateMaster geothermal systems over time we had with the propane furnace. Also, the heat is more evenly distributed from one part of the keep you comfortable year-round while house to another. The air-conditioning in the Summer saving more than is similarly flawless. The even cooling and ease of con- trol make this the best change we’ve made. It is reliably half on your keeping us comfortable and doing it extremely well. energy bill. - Dale ” Holland, Michigan Ann Arbor Comstock Park Kewadin Jetstream Mechanical Haisma Heating & Cooling Blue Flame Heating & A/C 734-668-8010 616-784-9552 231-264-5706 Cadillac Dexter North Branch Cornwell Mechanical CMR Mechanical LLC Jeff Brewer Mechanical 231-429-2996 734-424-9555 810-688-4338 Columbus Twp. Evart Sault Ste Marie Superior Heating & Cooling Rite Choice Heating Inc Albert Heating & Cooling 800-770-9903 231-734-6473 906-632-6900 An underground loop system and the constant temperature of the Earth combine to create a comfortable climate in your home. climatemaster.com May 2011 Vol. 31, No. 6 Editor Gail Knudtson Associate Editor Doug Snitgen – Nissan Photo Design Editor Cindy Zuker Photo – Ohio ElectricPhoto Cooperatives Ad/Recipe Assistant Jennifer Hansen Publisher Craig Borr 11 12 14 Editor Emeritus Mike Buda DEPARTMENTS COLUMNS FEATURES Michigan Country Lines, USPS- 591-710, is published monthly, except August and December, 6 Readers’ Pages 9 Comment 10 Cover Story with periodicals postage paid Annual meeting, letters, Time to look in Let’s barbecue! at Okemos, MI, and additional safety, mystery photo the mirror on Gail Knudtson offices. -
Signature Redacted--" Author De T of U Ban S Tudi S and P F~Ing Ma 1, 014
Solarize America How Policy Networks Adopt and Adapt Good Ideas By MASSACHUSETS iNST1TUTE Ryan Cook OF TECHNOLOGY BA in Sociology JUN19 201i Reed College Portland, Oregon (2009) 'JR-ARI ES Submitted to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in City Planning at the MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY June 2014 © 2014 Ryan Cook. All Rights Reserved The author hereby grants to MIT the permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly paper and electronic copies of the thesis document in whole or in part in any medium now known or hereafter created. Signature redacted--" Author De t of U ban S tudi s and P f~ing Ma 1, 014 Certified by Signature redacted Professor Lawrence Susskind Department of Urban Studies and Planning n/, / ., Thesis Supervisor Signature redacted_ Accepted by Assodca rofesskr]P. Christopher Zegras hair, MCP Committee Department of Urban Studies and Planning Solarize America How Policy Networks Adopt and Adapt Good Ideas Ryan Cook Submitted to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning on May 21, 2014 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in City Planning Abstract To address the need for massive change in the adopt new ideas, they take differences in resource electric power industry, state and local actors are availability and institutional capacity into account experimenting with creative policy approaches in both by adapting policies to suit local needs and the clean energy space. I investigate the facilitating by redefining their relationships with each other role that networks play in the production and to better support implementation.