As we headed to Minneapolis for the Midwest Solar Expo and Smart Energy Symposium last week, we knew we were in for a great conference when our plane passed directly over two large ground-mount solar PV systems as we descended toward the airport. Minnesota has become one of the sleeping giants of solar, with innovative community solar programs and strong …
One of the more exciting Indiana events focused on clean energy, the 10th annual Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy Spring Forum, took place at the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus on May 15. The event attracted more than 100 attendees from a variety of disciplines, including academia, the renewable energy industry, politicians, Indiana utilities, investors, and municipalities. The …
Inovateus has a strong commitment to community outreach and educating our neighbors about the rapidly growing world of solar, especially young people. I recently accompanied my colleague Tim Powers to Greene Intermediate Center in South Bend, where he gave an introductory presentation about solar energy to a group of eighth-graders about solar energy. The timing was great since these students …
Since its inception 10 years ago, the Greentech Media Solar Summit has offered a look back at solar, briefly assessed the solar present, and then taken a long view into the future. As always, this year’s conference had a wealth of solar analytic storytelling, with many excellent presentations by members of the GTM Research team. There was also a special …
Solar friends, if you’re as much of a Grateful Dead fan as I am, you might be familiar with Terrapin Crossroads, a music venue and restaurant in San Rafael, California, that’s owned and operated by one of the Dead’s founding members, Phil Lesh, and his family. As you probably know, nature and Mother Earth have always been a big part …
About a month ago, Liesl Clark, president of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (MEIBC), reached out to see if I would like to be a panelist at the group’s 5th annual member meeting in East Lansing. Inovateus has been a steady member of the MEIBC, and we have been continually impressed with the council’s efforts to push policymakers to consider the …
As we noted in our previous blog about things that utility managers new to solar should know, utilities typically finance solar via direct ownership, power purchase agreements (PPAs), leases and loans. For the purposes of introducing utility solar financing to people new to or unfamiliar with the space, let’s focus on three: solar PPAs with a third-party owner, PPAs with …
Writing a book can be a daunting challenge, especially for someone like me who’s not a professional author. When I first had the idea of doing a book about the solar and clean energy revolution and Inovateus Solar’s evolution and role in that ongoing revolution, I believed I had a story that needed telling. It was a passion project, a …
There’s a large and growing amount of information out there for consumers and businesses interested in going solar, but what about the U.S. utility customer looking at taking the solar plunge? Although hundreds of utilities now have solar power plants as part of their generation mix, hundreds more have yet to add solar to their grid networks. For utility managers …
The South Bend Green Ribbon Commission was launched in 2009 by then-Mayor Steve Luecke with the goal of bringing residents together to actively engage in environmental issues by enacting green initiatives in the city. These activities include shrinking the carbon footprint and implementing energy-efficient practices to reduce pollution and save taxpayer money. The commission consists of members of the community …
Last week Inovateus came across two new studies that we think will be valuable information for our residential solar partners. Here are the highlights, but we encourage you to read the full reports. The first report is “How Wealthy Are Residential Solar Customers? Household Income and Solar Adoption in the U.S.,” issued by GTM Research and PowerScout. The second one …
Earth Day 2017 takes place this Saturday, April 22, and the timing seems more pertinent than ever. How will you contribute? This year’s Earth Day campaign focuses on environmental and climate literacy. By working together and communicating with each other, we can become as informed as possible about the short- and long-term effects of climate change on our delicate ecosystems. …
