Following the most recent completion of a 1.5-megawatt (MW) solar energy system at a Staples distribution center in Hagerstown, Maryland, the world’s largest supplier of office products is now the largest host of solar energy generation in the state.

As far as awards go, the ones announced yesterday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) are by most measures modest. How headline-grabbing, after all, are caulk, weather stripping and energy-efficient washing machines? (Answer: Not very.) While lacking the glamor of an Oscar, however, the ACEEE’s Top Energy-Efficiency Awards arguably touch on matters [...]

The Maryland Energy Administration last Friday announced (quietly) that it would reduce the amount of grant money available for the installation of solar home energy systems. As is typical in states that offer meaningful solar incentives, demand is at risk of outpacing supply, according to the Solar Energy Grant Program website: The Maryland Energy Administration’s [...]

It was announced today that the University of Delaware will install a solar photovoltaic (PV) system atop three buildings across the school’s main campus in Newark. At 850 kilowatts (kW), the solar installation will, according to GetSolar’s solar cost calculator, produce approximately 950,00 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity each year — equal to the annual [...]

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley today signed into law five energy-related bills that aim to promote renewable power and accelerate the creation of green jobs across the state. A number of the new provisions are relevant — and helpful — to Maryland solar installations, which is music to our ears… Here’s an overview of the new legislation, [...]

On Friday, Mar. 26, the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) updated an incentive program for mid-sized solar energy systems on commercial buildings throughout the state.

Constellation Energy Group Inc. (http://www.constellation.com/portal/site/constellation/), a Baltimore, Maryland-based provider of energy products and services, has committed $90 million to help finance solar panel installations on commercial and government buildings. (http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2010/02/15/daily10.html) In order to be eligible for Constellation’s financial support, the project must be 500 kilowatts or larger, and must begin construction before mid-year 2010–which is [...]

On November 6, the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) began offering grants worth up to $25,000 to companies and non-profits that install mid-sized solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar hot water systems. Made possible by $1.45 million in federal funding from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the new grants are available through October 31, 2010, or [...]

A number of U.S. states require electricity providers to derive a minimum percentage of their power from renewable sources by a certain date. Such a requirement is often referred to a renewable portfolio standard, or RPS. Currently, 24 states, plus the District of Columbia have formalized RPSs in place, while five other states have legislated [...]