Article
filed under
Energy
| Written by
John Farrell
|
| Updated on
Oct 13, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/property-assessed-clean-energy-pace-life-support-0/
In mid October, Leon County, FL, joined Babylon, NY, Palm Desert, CA, and Sonoma County, CA, as well as the California Attorney General, Sierra Club, and Natural Resources Defense Council in suing the Federal Housing Finance Agency over their opposition to the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) municipal energy financing program. These lawsuits were complemented… Continue reading
Article, Resource
filed under
Energy
| Written by
John Farrell
|
| Updated on
Oct 8, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/pace-presentation-overview-update-and-future/
PACE provides one of the most promising municipal energy financing tools and it’s been adopted by 22 states. But resistance from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has put the brakes on new programs. This presentation explores the rationale, the process, and the promise of PACE. Continue reading
Article
filed under
Energy
| Written by
John Farrell
|
| Updated on
Oct 4, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/policy-maximize-site-use-distributed-generation/
Distributed generation (DG) puts energy production close to where it is consumed, often on people’s homes or in their backyards. But just having a rooftop solar module doesn’t mean that every kilowatt-hour produced from sunlight is used in the home. In fact, it’s often less than one-third, with the remaining energy production flowing out into… Continue reading
Article
filed under
Energy
| Written by
John Farrell
|
| Updated on
Sep 20, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/open-neighborhoods-community-solar-makes-solar-pv-la-homerun/
Residential solar PV in Los Angeles is getting a huge boost from a new community solar buying group. With typical residential installation costs for crystalline solar PV, residents would see a 20-year payback on a solar PV installation or a minimal 2% IRR on a 25-year investment (without factoring an inverter replacement). But what about… Continue reading
Article
filed under
Energy
| Written by
John Farrell
|
| Updated on
Sep 16, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/europe-leads-decentralized-renewables-lags-effective-building-retrofits/
Decentralized renewable energy doesn’t top the climate and energy agenda in Europe or the United States, but for very different reasons. In Europe, there has already been substantial development of decentralized renewable energy, and policy makers have moved on to discussions of 100% renewable energy. In the United States, by contrast, well-heeled interest groups tend to dominate renewable energy discourse, and American energy policy reflects their paradigm of centralized generation dependent on high-voltage transmission lines.
Continue reading
Article, ILSR Press Room
filed under
Energy
| Written by
John Farrell
|
| Updated on
Sep 9, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/community-solar-new-model-local-ownership/
A new report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), Community Solar Power: Obstacles and Opportunities , examines nine community solar projects, the policies that made them possible, and the (substantial)barriers that remain. Successful community solar power projects in Colorado, Maryland, and North Carolina are knocking down the price of residential-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) by… Continue reading
filed under
Energy
| Written by
John Farrell
|
| Updated on
Sep 8, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/community-solar-power-obstacles-and-opportunities/
Community solar power can offer unique benefits in the expansion of solar power, from greater participation and ownership of solar to a greater dispersion of the economic benefits of harnessing the sun’s energy. But community solar faces significant barriers in a market wherethe “old rules” favor corporate, large-scale development. New rules – better community solar policy and regulations – are needed to remove these barriers. Continue reading
Rule
filed under
Energy
| Written by
admin
|
| Updated on
Sep 1, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/rule/clean-programs-feed-in-tariffs/3058-2/
In 2009, the Canadian province of Ontario dramatically revised its standard offer renewable energy program into a full-fledged feed-in tariff(FIT). The program provides a guaranteed grid connection, cost-based prices for renewable energy producers, and a long-term power purchase contract. Paul Gipe awarded the program an ‘A-’ in his recent analysis of North American FIT policies and we find the bonuses for domestic content and local ownership to be innovative twists on a successful policy tool. Continue reading
Article, Rule
filed under
Energy
| Written by
admin
|
| Updated on
Sep 1, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/rule/community-choice-aggregation/3057-2/
Over 30 cities, towns and unincorporated areas have formed a community choice aggregation program in Marin County, CA. The program will provide ratepayers with significantly higher levels of renewable energy at rates comparable to their previous PG&E electric provider. Continue reading
Article
filed under
Energy
| Written by
John Farrell
|
| Updated on
Aug 3, 2010
The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/federal-stimulus-cash-grant-gives-boost-locally-owned-wind-power/
The credit crisis may have crimped commercial wind turbine installations, but the economic stimulus cash grants in lieu of tax credits have given new life to community wind projects. Continue reading
