One of the biggest trends in the U.S. utility sector is the accelerating rampdown and closure of coal-fired power generation plants. Forty-six coal-fired generating units at 25 electricity plants across 16 states will be closed over the next few years, according to a study cited in Cleantechnica. By the end of 2018, the plant closures will amount to a net …
As the Section 201 trade case cast an ominous shadow over the U.S. solar industry, I went into Intersolar North America with my ears open and my notepad ready. I was determined to soak up as much information as I could from manufacturers, advocates and solar industry leaders. Taking place this year at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco …
Twice a year, the U.S. solar community gets together en masse at the largest tradeshows on the conference calendar: Intersolar North America’s July run in San Francisco, followed by Solar Power International’s mid-September shebang in Las Vegas. Although Inovateus won’t be exhibiting this year, I’ll be joining several of our team members at Intersolar next week. We will be meeting …
This Fourth of July, at a time when many focus on what divides us, Inovateus views solar energy as a unifier that brings together Americans from across the entire spectrum of politics, beliefs and lifestyles. Republicans, Democrats and Independents, urban hipsters, suburbanites and flyover folks, small businesspeople, corporate managers and Buffett billionaires, military leaders, peace activists and educators—people from all …
Rarely does a month go by when one or more of Inovateus’ 40-plus team members doesn’t attend an industry conference. These events range from premier corporate events such as Intersolar North America and Solar Power International to smaller local conferences that help us keep in touch with our Midwest base. Suits and fancy booths are more the norm among the industry’s …
Many of us are determined to live minimally, recycle everything that we can, and ditch processed food for healthier natural options. These are great habits to blend into your lifestyle, but have you given any thought to actually reducing the environmental impact that you have on our planet? I’m talking about your carbon footprint, people. Carbon footprint is the total …
As we’ve noted in previous blog posts, a growing number of U.S. colleges and universities are going solar. Inovateus has experience working with facility managers installing solar at higher education institutions—including the current 13 MWDC carport project at Michigan State University (MSU)—so we wanted to share some general information about the process and what to expect when your university solar …
Each year, EnergySage, an independent solar comparison-shopping website for rooftop solar, conducts a survey with its network of residential and commercial solar installers. For the 2016 report, more than 360 installers from 42 states and the District of Columbia responded to the survey. The full report contains some great insights and detailed data, so we encourage you to download it …
In September 2015, the Michigan State University Board of Trustees approved the development of five solar carport locations to be constructed on parking lots in various locations on the MSU campus. Project construction began on Spartan PV1 in early March, and it’s projected that the first array could begin producing power as early as December 2017. Inovateus Solar has played …
While we remain bullish on solar, there’s another clean energy solution that’s starting to come on strong: energy storage. When solar and battery storage are paired together, even more of the sun’s energy can be captured and used when the sun isn’t shining, electricity rates spike, the grid needs some help, or the grid goes down. The list of current …
Residents of Indiana need to be aware of a recently enacted piece of legislation that affects residential solar in our state: Senate Bill 309, which has been signed by Gov. Holcomb and goes into effect July 1. So what exactly is SB 309, and what does it mean for Indiana homeowners with solar as well as those planning to have …
Like most Americans, we were disappointed when President Trump announced his decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement to address climate change. The increasing threat of man-made climate change is a global concern, and the Paris Agreement represents one of the best international efforts yet to deal with this challenge. But in the end, we believe the decision …
