Earlier in the week I took a look at which brands of solar panels have been top choices for residential solar energy systems in California. We found that three manufacturers — SunPower, Sharp Solar and BP Solar — have accounted for about half of all residential solar energy systems, judging from the number of rebate applications received under California’s main solar incentive program.

The data reviewed on Tuesday go all the way back to 2006, when that incentive program — the California Solar Initiative — was launched. I suggested at the end of my previous post that a peek at more recent numbers only would reveal “a rise in the number of installations from manufacturers like Suntech Power, Canadian Solar and Trina Solar relative to makers like Evergreen Solar and SolarWorld.”

Well, here’s what the numbers look like since 2010: …click here to read more

Generally speaking, solar energy installations come in two flavors: small- and medium-scale systems that are installed atop roofs and in empty lots (broadly referred to a “distributed generation”); and large, utility-scale solar power plants that sit on acres and acres of land.

A common critique of distributed generation is that, thanks to trees and other obstructions, not every roof is good for solar panels; a common critique of utility solar is that the plants take up lots of land and can disrupt surrounding habitats.

Case in point vis-à-vis the latter: a new assessment released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management …click here to read more

This morning, I got to tinkering around with some numbers from California Solar Statistics, a program of the state’s Energy Commission and Public Utilities Commission. What did I find?

Well, beyond a wealth of details on system size, average installed cost and California solar incentives, I verified that most solar home energy systems in the state use name-brand panels from large, well established manufacturers.

Here’s a breakdown of all California residential photovoltaic (PV) systems, by solar panel manufacturer: …click here to read more

If you’ve spent even the smallest amount of time reading about solar power, chances are you know that solar panels are good for the environment and can substantially reduce your monthly electricity bills. Solar offers other benefits, however.

One that’s being discussed a lot lately is that solar homes tend to sell at a premium relative to non-solar homes. Why?

Andy Black, founder of OnGrid and an industry expert on solar economics, explains …click here to read more

Despite perceptions to the contrary, New York City is by some measures the most environmentally friendly city in America:

“Eighty-two per cent of Manhattan residents travel to work by public transit, by bicycle, or on foot. That’s ten times the rate for Americans in general, and eight times the rate for residents of Los Angeles County. New York City is more populous than all but eleven states; if it were granted statehood, it would rank fifty-first in per-capita energy use.”

Admittedly, these green credentials …click here to read more

Pre-fab homes and tract housing aren’t typically associated with green living.

But as more buyers become attuned to high energy costs, homebuilders appear more willing to market homes that consume less power, water and other resources.

On Earth Day Friday, for example, Meritage Homes plans to make its “net-zero” home available to buyers in select markets in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and central Texas.

Already, Meritage has unveiled an Arizona housing development where …click here to read more

This is by no means the first time we’ve seen IKEA install solar panels at one of its stores (just see here, here, here, here and here).

But the furniture retailer’s latest project is somewhat noteworthy: at 290 kilowatts (kW) in size, it’s the third largest solar energy system of its kind in Burbank, California. (Costco and Warner Bros. studios are number one and number two.)

IKEA’s newest system comprises 1,260 solar panels …click here to read more

As one of Arizona’s main electricity utilities, Salt River Project (SRP) has done its part to promote the use of solar power — mainly by providing solar rebate to customers who install solar panels on their home or business.

(For more info on SRP’s solar incentive programs, see here and here.)

As it turns out, this isn’t the only way the utility is increasing the number of residential solar energy systems within its service territory. …click here to read more

The Ivanpah solar power plant is a work in progress along a stretch of California desert just west of the Nevada border.

Earlier this week, Google announced it will invest $168 million in the 370-megawatt (MW) project, which relies on solar thermal technology that’s sometimes informally called the “power tower” (pictured left). This announcement comes after the Internet search company last week made known its $5 million investment in a Germany-based solar energy facility.

Unlike photovoltaic (PV) systems, which convert the sun’s rays directly into electricity, …click here to read more

California Governor Jerry Brown yesterday signed into law a mandate requiring utilities get a third of their electricity from renewable resources like solar panels and wind turbines.

The new bill promises to bring certainty to a fast-growing market for solar energy, in particular. With the transition to a new Governor this year, the future of California’s renewables portfolio standard was periodically brought into question (see here and here). Without formal legislative action, the standard would have remained stuck at 20 percent rather than the more aggressive 33 percent. …click here to read more