Tag Archive for: californiasolar

California’s highest court granted review to a lawsuit challenging a “regressive” rooftop solar policy called NEM 3.0.

California Supreme Court to review rooftop solar net metering

A controversial rooftop solar rulemaking decision has risen to the Supreme Court of California, with the state’s highest court granting review for a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity.

The case involves the state’s NEM 3.0 net metering scheme and the rate structure that went into effect in April 2023. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a request by the state’s largest investor-owned utilities to cut compensation to customers that export excess solar generation to the grid, a process called net energy metering.

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Source: PV Magazine

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Fresno USD officially inaugurated a district-wide solar energy & storage portfolio with a combined power generating capacity of 17.5 MW.

California school district inaugurates 17.5-MW solar-storage portfolio

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Fresno Unified School District (Fresno USD) has officially inaugurated a portfolio of district-wide solar energy and storage portfolio with a combined power generating capacity of 17.5 MW which was realised in partnership with US distributed solar and storage developer ForeFront Power.

The portfolio includes 40 projects with solar canopies and energy storage systems across 31 district sites. It will produce 23.5 million kWh of clean electricity annually, covering the power consumption of over 3,000 homes.

The newly-launched assets are expected to save the District over USD 40 million (EUR 36.6m) throughout its 20-year lifespan, according to a press release published Wednesday.

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Source: Renewables Now

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According to forecasts from Wood Mackenzie, California’s residential solar market will see a 40% decline in 2024.

A new reality: The path forward for California’s solar and storage industry

California’s rooftop solar and storage market is changing, and the industry is learning to operate in this new reality.

California has been America’s top solar market for over a decade, installing more solar capacity than any state every year until Texas took over in 2021. While California reclaimed the number one ranking in 2022 and installations look strong in 2023, the shift in 2021 may be a preview of what is to come.

In late 2022, after years of debate, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously approved a new way to compensate rooftop solar customers for the excess energy they generate. This decision moves the state from retail rate “net metering” to a new “net billing” structure that cuts the value of rooftop solar credits by about 75%.

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Source: SEIA

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CA’s risk of blackouts has fallen as more renewable energy & batteries are added to electric grid, reducing the need to import electricity

California is less likely to have blackouts thanks to solar and big batteries

California’s risk of power shortfalls and blackouts has fallen as more renewable energy and batteries are added to its electric grid, while such threats in New York rose thanks to higher electricity demand and new restrictions on gas-fired power plants, industry regulators said.

“The challenge in New York is the New York City area,” Mark Olson, a manager at the North American Electric Reliability Corp., said Wednesday on a call with reporters about its latest reliability report. “Under high demand, getting transmission to flow into the load centers could be a challenge.”

In California, on the other hand, the risk of blackouts has fallen as more renewable energy and batteries are added, reducing the need to import electricity from other regions, NERC said. The grid has been designated “elevated risk,” which means it has enough energy for normal conditions though could fall short in extreme weather.

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Source: Bloomberg

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The US Department of Transportation has given a grant of nearly $202m to California’s ongoing solar-powered high-speed rail project.

California solar high-speed rail gets $202m federal boost

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The US Department of Transportation has given a grant of nearly $202m to California’s ongoing solar-powered high-speed rail project.

The money will fund the construction of six grade separations in the city of Shafter, Kern County. They will vertically separate roads from current freight railways and future high-speed railways where the roads and railways intersect to avoid accidents and smooth the flow of road and rail traffic.

The grant was made through the federal 2022 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements programme.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority, the state-mandated body delivering the scheme, said it was the largest award it has received since the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021.

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Source: Global Construction Review

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California must take all necessary steps to expedite that access by adopting strong community solar plus storage program design.

California needs more community solar. A lot more.

OPINION – Leading the way is nothing new to Californians. Not only does California lead the country in clean energy, we’re also the fifth-largest economy in the world and a hub of global technological innovation. But we now face the same increasingly strong headwinds as other parts of the country – addressing housing, climate, and affordability crises all at the same time.

Our state’s ambitious residential building efficiency standards solve one half of the equation, by requiring renewable energy to power them. Yet, these new requirements cannot be fulfilled unless all forms of solar are accessible and expanded. The state’s utility regulator has an opportunity to tackle housing costs and energy affordability challenges all while enhancing the state’s leading efforts at addressing climate change. California must take all necessary steps to expedite that access by adopting strong community solar plus storage program design.

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Source: Capitol Weekly

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Community solar+storage projects can provide millions of dollars more in value to California utility customers when systems are built on commercial and industrial rooftops in cities rather than on open land in rural areas.

California’s urban roofs provide more value for community solar+storage than rural areas

Community solar installations give community residents access to solar power regardless of whether they rent their home or live in a shady area. Customers buy or rent a share of an off-site solar installation that supplies their electricity and typically earn credits on their electricity bills for the electricity the installation provides.

Despite being a national leader in utility-scale solar power, California “doesn’t have workable community solar programs yet,” Churchill said, echoing sentiments solar developers have expressed for years in the Golden State. Community solar programs thus far have been very limited in size, she said, and customers often pay more for energy than they did before they enrolled, which she says indicates “the pricing structure is undervaluing the benefits of the clean energy.”

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Source: Smart Cities Dive

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The 10 MW system will provide energy cost savings directly to qualifying low-income residents under PG&E’s DAC-GT Program.

California’s largest solar project for low-income communities starts construction

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Construction has begun on the Fresno Disadvantaged Community (DAC) Solar Farm, the largest shared solar project for disadvantaged communities in California and the first utility-scale solar farm within Fresno. The 10 MW system will provide energy cost savings directly to qualifying low-income residents under PG&E’s Disadvantaged Communities Green Tariff (DAC-GT) Program. The project was made possible by close collaboration between White Pine Renewables and the City of Fresno.

Located in Council District 3, “The Fresno DAC Community Solar Farm is the perfect case study of ensuring equity in the new green economy through public-private partnerships that benefit all Fresno residents. In short, it’s the type of solar development where everyone wins,” commented Council Member Miguel Arias.

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Source: Solar Builder

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California needs to think creatively and find ways to put more solar energy in already built-out places, including rooftops and parking lots.

Editorial: California needs a lot more solar. Why not put panels along highways and parking lots?

California is racing to build enough solar panels, wind turbines and battery storage to meet its carbon-cutting mandates and prepare its electrical grid for worsening heat waves and growing energy demand.

But increasing renewable energy by covering far-off, undeveloped areas with solar and wind farms raises its own environmental concerns. That’s why California needs to think creatively and find ways to put more solar energy in already built-out places, including rooftops and parking lots, canals and agricultural fields, so we can slow the climate crisis without harming sensitive land, like the habitat of threatened Joshua trees or Mojave Desert tortoises.

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Source: Los Angeles Times

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Imerys is partnering with TotalEnergies to install a 15-MW solar system paired with a 7.5-MWh energy storage system at Imerys’s Lompoc facility in Santa Barbara County, CA.

California mining site to install solar + storage system

Imerys is partnering with TotalEnergies to install a 15-MW solar system paired with a 7.5-MWh energy storage system at Imerys’s Lompoc facility in Santa Barbara County, California. TotalEnergies will install, maintain and operate the system under a 25-year power purchase and storage services agreement (PPSSA).

This collaboration is part of Imerys’ decarbonization roadmap in line with its commitment to align with the 1.5°C trajectory. Imerys targets to reduce its CO2 emissions by 42% in absolute terms by 2030.

The Lompoc industrial site began its diatomite mining and processing operations in the 1890s. The new renewable power installation will cover 50% of the current electrical energy demand of the site.

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Source: Solar Power World

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