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.
Continue reading California’s Solar storage scandalCategory Archives: Energy
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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Biking In Portland
By Roy L Hales
As many as 60,000 Portland residents may use bicycles, or ebikes, every day. That’s Jonathan Maus’ best guesstimate. He says there are around 70 bike shops in town and ebikes are also displayed in a dozen or so. There are also two shops specifically dedicated to ebikes.
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BC Hydro Files Application To Increase Nameplate Net Metering Capacity to 100 kW
On February 28, 2014, BC Hydro filed an application to the BC Utilities Commission to increase the nameplate capacity limit under Net Metering from 50 to 100 kW.
There are presently around 250 rooftop solar installations, generating around 2.1 MW, in the province.