SolarCity spokesperson Will Craven said that about 500 of their California customers have agreed to install batteries for power storage, but the state’s three biggest utilities have only connected 12 since 2011. He decided to go to the press after Southern California Edison (SCE) said they were going to charge $2,900 to install a meter, whereas SolarCity has found that an adequate meter can be purchased for between $75-150. The situation has greatly improved since Craven was interviewed by Bloomberg and PV Tech.
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Fighting for the Future of BC’s Fisheries
As many as 70 million sockeye salmon may return to the Fraser this year. These numbers have not been seen for decades and are quite a stark contrast to 1.6 million catch that sparked the Cohen commission a few years ago. That was when Dr Kristi Miller, head of Molecular Genetics at the Department of Fisheries and Ocean’s (DFO) Pacific Biological Station, testified that a ‘viral signature’ of a disease was contributing to as high as 90% pre-spawn mortality in returning Fraser sockeye. One of the reasons there is so much hope for this year, is the returning 2010 run were not infected. But, according to biologist Alexandra Morton, the real key to fighting for the future of BC’s fisheries is Dr Kristi Miller’s lab in Nanaimo.
Reliable Solar Mounting Systems
There are currently approximately 400,000 homes in the US with rooftop solar arrays and by 2024 solar panels may be more common than satellite dishes. In their white paper, “The Importance of Reliable Solar Mounting Systems,” Barry Cinnamon, Liz Oh, and a consortium of experts in the solar industry provide a manual on how to avoid problems like roof leaks, loose panels, and defective wiring.
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European eBus record
By Roy L Hales
One of BYD’s electric buses drove 325km (202 miles) on a single charge, at the end of which they still had 8% of battery charge remaining. This is more than the 310 km record set last year, when BYD drove from Warsaw to Krakow, Poland. BYD has set a new European eBus record.
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BC’s Farmers Concerned: Keep Your Hands of the ALR!
By Roy L Hales
Concerns about changes to the Agricultural Land Commission are growing. The Commission was established in 1972 and currently oversees 4.7 million ha of agricultural land, roughly 5% of BC. A leaked cabinet document, from Agricultural Minister Pat Prim’s office, reveled plans to divide the ALR into northern and southern zones, with the Oil and Gas Commission taking authority over the northern zone.
BC Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett claims that farmers are pleading to have less productive lands removed from the ALR.