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 …
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 …
