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The following items have been recently added or updated:
Living with the Sun - Arizona Style Arizona Electric Utility Information
Considerations in sizing a PV system in Arizona Good Intentions on donating PV systems to Habitat
Renewable Activity in Other States Understanding your APS Connected Photovoltaic System
What’s Really Green and What’s Really New
Ask Americans what the Green New Deal is all about, and you’ll get two basic answers. Most often you’ll hear, “It’s about moving to renewable energy in order to fight climate change.” You’ll also hear, from a camp further right, “It’s all about socialism!”
Wishing you a wonderful and Happy New Year!
The year 2017 has gone by quickly, and AriSEIA has accomplished a full and active agenda to further solar and renewable energy in Arizona.
Seeking Arizona agriculture producers who are using small solar systems in their operations in Arizona
Dr. Bonnie Eberhardt Bobb, Executive Director of the Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, is looking for agriculture producers who are using small solar systems in their operations in Arizona who might be willing to help her with preparing ACC testimony, discussion with representatives, writing letters of support, signing petitions, etc. to further their goal of increased renewables in agriculture. She would love to hear from ag producers and listen to their stories of how solar has benefited their operations. Thank you so much. Please contact drbonnie2002@yahoo.com if you can assist.
Arizona Corporation Commission
During March 2019, SRP wrapped up their public pricing process at a final rate setting board hearing. The board approved new rates for SRP customers, which will translate to a $1 to $4 decrease in monthly bills.
The board also voted to lower rates for solar customers, approve three new options for solar customers, and adopt a new battery/storage incentive.
APS announces 2018 ended with 16,479 applications and 14,818 installations: Note: APS applications peak in August due to deadlines to freeze APS purchase rates for 10 years.
FRAUD ALERT PHOENIX – Attorney General Mark Brnovich issued a warning today about deceptive flyers appearing on residences in the Phoenix area that promote a solar energy effort. The flyers claim to be a “Public Notice” from the “Maricopa County Solar Initiative,” and claim that “Arizona and the Federal Government ITC (26 USC § 25D) are paying to have solar energy systems installed on qualified homes in this neighborhood.” The flyers tell consumers to call to schedule their “site audits.” Consumers who call are subjected to a solar sales pitch by a private company. In addition, the Maricopa County Solar Initiative’s website improperly uses a modified version of the county seal, but the “Solar Initiative” is linked to a private business and is not associated with the county. The “Solar Initiative” is also not registered to do business in Arizona. Similar flyers previously appeared in Clark County, Nevada, this summer, and law enforcement officials there have warned that the “Clark County Solar Initiative” notices are deceptive. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has aggressively prosecuted businesses masquerading as government agencies, including obtaining consent judgments against “Mandatory Poster Agency” and “Compliance Filings Service,” resulting in full restitution for Arizonans totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you believe you are a victim of consumer fraud, you can file a complaint online at the Arizona Attorney General’s website. You can also contact the Consumer Information and Complaints Unit in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, and outside of the metro areas at (800) 352-8431. Also covered at: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2018/11/26/deceptive-flyers-circulate-arizona-promoting-solar-energy-effort/2115597002/
Attorney General Warns About Deceptive “Solar Initiative” Flyers
A picture of the “Public Notice” is below:
A picture of the improperly modified county seal used by the “Solar Initiative” is below:
Interesting Technology Updates;
A look at some of the more significant changes under consideration for the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) that will affect future distributed generation systems (solar electric wind, etc.). Article 690, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems and Article 705, being renamed Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources, are specific to distributed generation. The referenced article below by IAEI, a membership driven, non-profit association promoting electrical safety, has a good summary of upcoming changes. https://iaeimagazine.org/magazine/2019/09/10/pv-installations-for-the-2020-nec/
Proposed changes impacting photovoltaic (PV) installations in the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC)
Caution- News leads open in new windows. Warning- These news links are automatically generated by others such as Google News and are not reviewed by the Arizona Solar Center, Inc. We are not responsible for link content.
Renewable power is taking off around the world and fast approaching a tipping point in its development. Consider these recent developments:
Full article: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-tipping-point-for-renewable-energy-is-nearly-here-2017-02-15
Community-scale solar has attracted particular interest in the rapidly growing renewables market across the United States. Whether driven by interest from distribution utilities and community groups, or via policies like virtual net metering enacted in individual states, the sector holds untapped potential for offering competitive distributed electricity generation to a broader array of customers than are currently being served. Still, many lenders and tax equity investors have difficulty understanding both the opportunities and the challenges this market presents, and some developers active in this sector have been slow to adequately address some of the concerns of potential financial partners. This dynamic has proven to be a barrier to financing community-scale solar projects, which, in turn, has inhibited broader consumer access to renewable energy. In this report, Rocky Mountain Institute’s (RMI’s) Shine community-scale solar program and Sustainable Finance practice area describe how established solar-financing models can be easily adapted to the community-scale solar market, and discuss key risks and mitigants, as a framework for financiers and project developers to use in order to rapidly grow this market.
Read the full report at http://blog.rmi.org/Content/Files/Financing_Community_Scale_Solar.pdf
Interesting articles or past news:
Asocial media blackout has struck at another U.S. government department. On Thursday, it emerged that an internal email to the Department of Energy’s SunShot solar program is telling employees to not post anything to Twitter or Facebook about work “until further notice.” The note, sent to the 50 staff members working on the project, relayed an order given by Steven Chalk, deputy assistant secretary for renewable energy.
The email, published by ThinkProgress, reads:
I want to share that we are PROHIBITED from any social media post (from personal or business handles) regarding your work, attendance at any meeting, etc until further notice, per Steve Chalk, acting EE-1.
See full article at: https://www.inverse.com/article/27020-sunshot-solar-energy-twitter-silenced
Arizona Solar Center Mission- The mission of the Arizona Solar Center is to enhance the utilization of renewable energy, educate Arizona's residents on solar technology developments, support commerce and industry in the development of solar and other sustainable technologies and coordinate these efforts throughout the state of Arizona. About the Arizona Solar Center- The Arizona Solar Center (AzSC) provides a broad-based understanding of solar energy, especially as it pertains to Arizona. Registered… Read More
