The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) today inaugurated a 2.2-megawatt (MW) solar farm that will meet 15 percent of campus electricity needs. Covering 17 acres of land previously used for agricultural research, the 7,800-panel solar array is the “largest concentration of photovoltaic modules on one site” in all of Maryland, according to the press [...]

When it comes to large solar energy installations in the commercial, institutional and industrial sectors, rarely are the solar panels and the host building owned by the same entity. In other words, say Walmart installs solar power atop one of its stores. Instead of going it alone and owning the system itself, the retailer instead [...]

Q: Other than the word “solar”, what do these five technologies have in common? Monocrystalline solar panels; polycrystalline solar panels; thin film solar; low concentration solar; high concentration solar. A: They will all be showcased in a single, enormous solar installation on the Yuma campus of Arizona Western College. Arizona Western College and PPA Partners, [...]

California utility Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation (PG&E) announced yesterday a deal with SolarCity that will enable homeowners and businesses to install solar energy systems with small or no upfront investment. Instead of owning the systems, customers pay a monthly fee to SolarCity, which owns the solar panels and can sell the electricity they generate. [...]

(1) Cash. This is how P. Diddy rolls. If you can swing it, paying cash for your solar PV system is the best way to go, especially in times (like these) when credit is tight. Added bonus: you may get to share rank with America’s brightest stars, like Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and [...]

The research firm AltaTerra has released a report that provides the first hard data on PPA-funded solar installations in 2008.