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Developing State Solar Photovoltaic Markets

February 1, 2008 | 7 Comments

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A new report released by the Center for American Progress takes a look at states can craft policies that will encourage growth in the solar photovoltaic (PV) market nationwide. Developing State Solar Photovoltaic Markets illustrates four different areas states can address to promote the use of PV; financial incentives that insure market stability and cost reductions, interconnection standards that ensure systems can be easily grid-tied, net metering that provides easy credit returns to those with PV systems and rate design that is fair to those with PV systems.

California, New Jersey, and Colorado are pointed to for creating the conditions for a well functioning, self-sufficient solar market and can serve in some ways as models for other states.

Developing State Solar Photovoltaic Markets concludes that states that provide financial incentives for investing in solar power and eliminate regulatory barriers are seeing the benefits of increasing consumer access to renewable distributed generation. These states are also seeing that PV can provide energy when and where it is needed most. The Center for American Progress does not reveal a magic bullet approach, however it does highlight several policies as being particularly beneficial for the PV industry. California, New Jersey, and Colorado are highlighted for creating the conditions for a well functioning, self-sufficient solar market and can serve in some ways as models for other states.

Most energy policy is determined at the state level and in order for solar PV and other renewables to make a large impact in terms of percentage of energy generation; state leadership is essential to establish the market conditions for solar energy to thrive. The report also says that state solar successes can inform federal policy which will help move the nation to develop an integrated strategy to transition to a secure energy system based on renewable resources like PV.

For more information or a copy of the report visit the Center for American Progress online.

Solar Energy

7 Reader Comments

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1 of 7

mircea-faur-ph-d-41515

February 6, 2008

Dear Editor,Good report. For a starter, you should send this (and other similar) report (s) to all other State's Department of Development. Despite the very recent drop in the shares price of almost all public solar PV stocks, the PV business is here to stay, and is poised to grow rather fast. States have to understand (and most of them do not) that helping now their local solar PV businesses is a good economic decision. And the sooner they do it, the better the chance to create many high paying jobs for their constituents (not to mention the positive environment impact, and the improvement in energy security.

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Graham-Jesmer

February 6, 2008

Mr. Casale -Thank you for pointing that out. The link has been fixed and now links to the full report.Graham Jesmer News Editor RenewableEnergyAccess.com

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dan-casale-29083

February 6, 2008

The link in the article doesn't work.

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jon-burnham-74275

February 7, 2008

Gentlemen,
Keep in mind that New Jersey, though touted for its advanced attitude towards aiding in the funding of rebates for solar, just pulled out of that arena ending all rebates. They ran out of money and went to SRECs which at this time are next to worthless. Little guy jobs are on hold and to be honest it doesn't look good. Big centralized energy will not give up that easily.
JB

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Tim-vesely

February 7, 2008

Mr.Schmidt, Be nice...I agree to a point, what you are stating is the cost of the components like panels holding back people from purchaseing Solar systems.I don't think so. The cost of photovoltaic panels has come down alot! The manufacturers of the panels have a huge stake in the early market and require a real time run to boost profits and increase production by use of the profits allowing more expansion and research that in time will increase production and cut costs in the near future. retail will soon follow, and become available to everyone. Time will be needed to set the pase of the industry.Example: see USAsolarstore.com Go shopping for Solar components in a real store and not on line.

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thomas-schmidt-36371

February 7, 2008

Careful there Mircea Faur, Ph.D, you got some of that on your pants leg. There is only thing I know of that will cause greater sales of PV modules and that is for the price of PV modules to come down. Drastically! The state financial assistance by way of  tax incentives is a mere drop in the bucket when someone has to pay not just the $5 per watt cost of PV but also the full cost of installation by an insured, state licensed electrical contractor to utlilize that $5 a watt. Other wise they dont get the state financial assistance. Oh wait a minute. It just dawned on me. The PV industry doesnt really put any importance own those little domestic jobs at the state level. They want those really large jobs that bring in federal financial assistance. I mean whats a few little $15,000 or $30,000 residential jobs when they can have huge multi million dollar commercial and industrial jobs?

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william-hughes-66196

February 11, 2008

See http://mtkass,blogspot.com/2007/07/solar-electric-government-role.htm.The government can do a lot at no cost to itself.

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