Impacts of Regional Electricity Prices and Building Type on the Economics of Commercial Photovoltaic Systems
Business owners often have a choice between multiple electricity rate options. For businesses with photovoltaic (PV) installations, choosing the right rate is essential to maximize the value of PV generation. The complex interaction between PV generation, building load, and rate structure makes determining the best rate a challenging task. We evaluated 207 rate structures across 77 locations and 16 commercial building types and identified the impacts of regional electricity prices and building type on the economics of solar PV systems.
Maximizing the Value of Photovoltaic Installations on Schools in California: Choosing the Best Electricity Rates
Schools in California often have a choice between multiple electricity rate options. For schools with photovoltaic (PV) installations, choosing the right rate is essential to maximize the value of PV generation. The rate option that minimizes a school’s electricity expenses often does not remain the most economical choice after the school installs a PV system. The complex interaction between PV generation, building load, and rate structure makes determining the best rate a challenging task.
Evaluating the Benefits and Costs of Net Energy Metering in California
This paper explores recent claims by California’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) that the state’s net energy metering (NEM) policy causes substantial cost shifts between energy customers with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and other non-solar customers, particularly in the residential market. We conclude that the utilities’ concerns with the impacts of NEM on nonparticipating ratepayers are unfounded.
Solar Means Business: Top Commercial Solar Customers in the U.S.
Solar energy is being deployed on a massive scale by the most iconic brands and best-managed companies in the U.S. in order to help lower operating costs and increase profits. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar) have unveiled a report naming the companies using solar on their facilities in the U.S., ranked by cumulative solar energy capacity.
2012 California Solar Initiative Annual Program Assessment
On July 2, 2012, the Calfornia Public Utilities Commission issued its 2012 California Solar Initiative Annual Program Assessment to the Legislature, showing that in 2011 California reached a major milestone by becoming the first state in the nation to install more than 1 gigawatt (1,000 megawatts) of customer-generated solar energy; a record 311 megawatts (MW) were installed in the investor-owned utility territories in 2011 alone.
Residential Photovoltaic Installations Increase Home Value in California
A new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Labs shows that residential photovoltaic energy systems in California help to increase home sales prices. The report, "An Analysis of the Effects of Residential Photovoltaic Energy Systems on Home Sales Prices in California", finds that on average, homes with photovoltaic energy systems receive a $3.9 to $6.4 per watt premium on home sales. This cooresponds to a $17,000 premium for a home with a 3.1 kilowatt system.CA Home Prices.pdf