Washington, D.C., United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] The Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs), a group funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, has released three new reports for the solar industry. The reports are in the areas of interconnection and net metering, solar access laws and utility external disconnect switches.
The first report, A Comprehensive Review of Solar Access Law in the United States, looks into the legal issues for solar access and solar rights. The report recommends language for model statutes that could be used by state and local governments to protect access to solar resources for new and existing buildings.
The second report, Comparison of the Four Leading Small Generator Interconnection Procedures, reviews and compares four sets of interconnection procedures that regulators commonly consider when developing their own state and local procedures. Effective interconnection procedures will encourage solar projects.
The third report, Utility External Disconnect Switch: Practical, Legal, & Technical Reasons to Eliminate the Requirement, looks into the safe operation of photovoltaic (PV) systems without a utility external disconnect switch (UEDS) in several large jurisdictions. It explains the rationale for eliminating UEDS. Among the reasons presented are that its functionality is now redundant, it fails to provide expected protections, and it adds unnecessary cost to a PV system.
All three of the new reports are available on the Solar ABCs Web site.
