If you could have locked in your gas prices ten years ago, would you? After taking a look at the infographic below, you might start wishing you could’ve. The cost of gasoline has been volatile and on the rise. Just ten years ago in 2001, news reports were lamenting the cost of gas at $1.70/gallon. Since then, gas has shot up ever higher.

The cost of solar, however, has dropped and settled down over the past few decades.

While the cost of solar dropped significantly in the second half of the 20th century, prices have been relatively stable since 2001. That’s why now is the best time to lock in low rates for solar electricity – while prices are low, but before solar rebates and incentives go away. Take the first step in controlling your electric bill by requesting a free solar quote.

January 21, 2011

Yesterday, SunRun released an official report exposing $1 billion in unnecessary solar costs from inconsistent local solar permitting and inspection processes. According to the report, streamlining and standardizing these processes can save around $2,500 per residential installation, and make solar affordable for 50% of Americans!

SunRun’s newest report reveals that going solar doesn’t have to be so expensive.  In countries like Germany, which has a simplified permitting and inspection processes, installation costs are 40% lower than in the United States.  Lower costs make a difference – in the past 2 years, Germany reported around 1 million new home solar installations.  The total number of solar homes in the U.S. just reached 120,000. “Local permitting red tape keeps solar off of millions of American homes and businesses,” said Rhone Resch, the president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), “Policymakers need to recognize that these additional costs put an undue burden on new, clean technologies like solar that are trying to create jobs in the U.S.”

A response to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) request for data on non-equipment solar costs, our report also provides specific recommendations for how the DOE can take immediate action to solve local permitting problems and reduce unnecessary costs.  The report is currently being reviewed by the DOE.  A coalition of 22 leading installation companies from across the nation have already endorsed the report.  In addition, it has been endorsed by industry organizations such as The Sierra Club, SolarTech, and Vote Solar.  Download the report from our web site: Local Permitting Report.

Be sure to also check out the New York Times coverage on the report: “Solar Firms Frustrated by Permits.”

January 21, 2011

This week’s solar news roundup features a few of the best and the brightest in the clean energy industry. From award winning electric cars to the federal funding of one of the world’s the largest solar power plants, to the building of the biggest single-rooftop solar system, renewable energy is just getting bigger and better.

Nissan Leaf wins Car of the Year

Last week, the Nissan Leaf was awarded Car of the Year 2011. The Leaf is the first full electric vehicle to win this award. This is a great sign that electric cars are not only here to stay but are also on their way to becoming a mainstream vehicle.  The Leaf boasts abundant torque, instantaneous response, close to zero-emissions, and offers a varied range between recharges. The winner of this annual international competition is chosen by a panel of senior motoring journalists across Europe. With the release of other electric and hybrid cars into the market, increasing fuel efficiency and moving away from gas-powered engines seems to be the future direction of the automobile industry.

290-MW solar power plant to be built in Arizona

In solar news, Arizona solar power will significantly increase with NRG Solar’s 290-MW solar power plant in Yuma County, Arizona. The project was given the go ahead with a $967 Million federal loan grant, and when completed, will be among the largest solar power plants in the world. First Solar, which began construction last year and agreed to sell the project to NRG, will supply the thin film solar panels for the plant. In addition to the federal grant, NRG Solar plans to invest up to $800 Million of their own funds in the project.  President of NRG Solar, Tom Doyle, states:

“The public private partnership between NRG Solar, First Solar and the Department of Energy will be instrumental in adding an unprecedented amount of emission-free solar power to America’s energy portfolio.”

NRG Solar has locked into a 25-year agreement with PG&E to sell the clean energy the plant produces to the California Utility company. At full capacity, the project will provide zero-emissions electricity for more than 100,000 homes. The project is expected to begin power production in 2014 and will create approximately 400 green jobs throughout the construction process.

The largest single-rooftop  solar  system to be built in New Jersey

There are a lot of solar rooftops in the country, but which one is the biggest? The largest rooftop solar system is the 5-MW system currently being built on top of the headquarters of White Rose Foods in Cateret, New Jersey. It’s not surprising that this rooftop is located in the garden state, since New Jersey solar power is only second to California in total photovoltaic installations. The food distribution company is the largest independent wholesale food distributor in the New York City and New Jersey areas.

Solar Power, Inc. is building the system and NuGen Capital Management will help provide technical services once the panels are in production. Almost 11,000 photovoltaic panels will line the building’s rooftop and will span the size of approximately seven football fields. The amount of clean energy the system will produce is equivalent to the electricity it takes to power 400 U.S. homes.

January 20, 2011

The solar industry and the process of installing a home solar system can often be confusing and complicated. To help remedy this, SunRun has taken commonly asked questions and answered them in short and simple videos. We want solar to be easy to understand and enjoyable to learn about. Each week, we will post a new question, so stay tuned to watch the SunRun team draw answers to your questions on our solar Q&A whiteboard.

Check out our first video, hosted by SunRun Account Manager, Jameson Dequinia. He answers the question: How do I get my solar power at night?

January 11, 2011

In an industry that is still relatively new and yet to be adopted by everyone, it is really important to share the shine and spread the word about the benefits of solar power. Luckily, great solar resources are being created everyday! We here at SunRun wanted to share a fun and informative webisode series created by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).  The project series is entitled The Solar Generation USA Road Trip and captures the stories and installations of solar advocates all across the country. These webisodes seek to find out how solar energy is working for America and to illustrate how far the industry has come. From a few panels on a homeowners rooftop to a huge array that can power a whole town, this generation has show itself to be the solar generation.

Check out the summary video: Solar East Coast to West in 5 minutes

Click here to watch all the Solar Generation Road Trip webisodes.

January 4, 2011

Happy 2011! Believe it or not, another year has gone by and it has certainly been a good one for solar power. Instead of doing a weekly news round up, we thought it would be fitting to provide a solar news year in review.

Total Global Gigawatts

This year, the amount of photovoltaic solar installed globally, reached 15 gigawatts. This momentous number can be admired in the context of the global solar market being only 170 megawatts in 2000. The strong PV demand in the European market, in particular, Germany accounts for a large portion of global PV installations, and the substantial growth in U.S. and China PV markets has also contributed to an impressive year for the solar industry.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the U.S. photovoltaic market has grown at an average annual rate of 69% over the past ten years. By the third quarter of this year, the U.S. had already achieved a record year for PV installations with 530 MW. In terms of green job growth, the number of people employed by the solar industry has doubled to over 100,000 in the past year, and is expected to increase by 26% in 2011.

Coal Update

For two consecutive years, no new construction began on a single new coal-fired power plant in the U.S! This is very promising news for the clean energy world, as making the switch from dirty fossil fuels to alternative energy sources will significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2002, 36,000-MW of new coal-fired power had planned to be installed by 2007. Only one-eighth has been completed. According to Deutsche Bank predictions, the portion of electric power generated by coal will drop from 47% in 2009 to 34% in 2020 and 22% in 2030.

A Green White House

This year, the Obama Administration became the ultimate solar proponents by announcing the installation of solar panels on the White House rooftop.  The photovoltaic panels and solar water heater will generate electricity and heat water. In an announcement, United States Energy Secretary Steven Chu stated:

“Around the world, the White House is a symbol of freedom and democracy. It should also be a symbol of America’s commitment to a clean energy future.”

Solar Policy Highlights

Californians successfully defeated Proposition 23 during the November mid-term elections. This win was very important, as the out-of-state oil company funded ballot initiative would have suspended California’s greenhouse gas regulation laws. Also, if Prop. 23 passed, hundreds of thousands of green jobs would have been threatened.

In other good solar policy news, the 1603 Federal Tax Grant Program was extended. The Grant Program subsidizes up to 30% of clean energy installations, and has created many job opportunities and facilitated immense growth in the solar industry. The extension of the Grant Program will help SunRun build 36,000 more home solar installations and generate 6,000 new jobs.

Here at SunRun, we are excited for a productive and solar-filled new year. With such a successful 2010 under our belts, we expect that the solar industry will continue to grow exponentially, by increasing the number of clean energy installations, generating new jobs, and lowering our global carbon footprint.

November 19, 2010

The solar news roundup for this week is all about finding solar energy in unexpected places. From a NFL team’s commitment to power their stadium with a comprehensive renewable energy power system, to harnessing solar power from hot asphalt roads, to the new solar plant being built in South Africa, solar energy is popping up in some pleasantly surprising locations.

NFL Team to Power Stadium with Renewable Energy System

Yesterday, Philadelphia Eagles announced plans to install solar, wind and duel-fuel renewable energy systems at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. They have partnered with Florida-based company SolarBlue,  and will install 2,500 solar panels on the exterior of the stadium, 80 20-foot spiral wind turbines on the stadium rim, and build a 7.6-MW onsite dual-fuel cogeneration plant.  The self-generated renewable energy is expected to produce 1.039 billion kWh of electricity over the course of the next 20 years, and is estimated to save the NFL team $60 million in energy costs. SolarBlue will invest $30 million in this project and expects to complete the installation by September 2011. The installation builds upon the team’s sustainability program, which includes water reduction, energy conservation, recycling, and toxic chemical avoidance.

Research has found new ways to capture solar energy from hot asphalt roads

New studies have found that solar energy could be harnessed from asphalt roadways. During the summer months asphalt roadways absorb a significant amount of heat, sometimes reaching more than 140 degrees. As you have probably experienced yourself, on hot days, the heat radiation from asphalt raises city temperatures. A research team at the University of Rhode Island has conducted experiments to find innovative ways to capture solar energy from these asphalt roads.

One of the ways to do this is by integrating flexible photovoltaic cells in the dividing barriers on highways, and then use this energy to illuminate signs and streetlights. Another technique that could be used to capture asphalt solar power is by installing water pipes underneath the asphalt to heat water. During cold weather months, the heated water could be used to melt the ice, reducing or eliminating the need for road salts. The heated water could also be piped to nearby buildings to fulfill hot water needs, comparable to a geothermal heat pump. The potential for harnessing asphalt solar energy through water pipes is great due to the asphalt’s ability to maintain high temperatures in the pipes. Experiments found that the water could be heated to an even higher degree than the asphalt itself. Using roadway asphalt is proving to be another creative and effective way to harness the sun’s power!

South Africa signs $435M deal with Yingli to build solar plant

On Wednesday this week, Chinese company Yingli Solar signed a $435 deal to build a manufacturing plant in South Africa. The solar company will partner with a local construction company on the project, and plans to begin building the plant within the next 12 months. The director general at South Africa’s department of energy, Nelisiwe Magubane, has also signed an agreement between South Africa and the China Development to cooperate on a broad range of energy projects. These efforts are representative of South Africa’s recently highlighted committed to increasing the country’s renewable energy usage.

November 12, 2010

It was a big week for the international solar industry, so this week’s solar news roundup will take a look at the recent solar initiatives and solar PV projects across the globe.

US – Australia research collaboration to cut solar prices

Earlier this week, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the joint research initiative to lower the cost of solar PV installations over the next five years. The main objective of the collaborative project is to cut the sales price of solar technology by two to four times the current price.  Research will focus on making the price of solar electricity comparable to conventionally-generated electricity. At a press conference, Prime Minister Gillard expressed the purpose behind the initiative:

“One of the greatest barriers to a broader commercial take-up of solar power is its cost, and that is specifically what this joint research initiative will address. The price of solar technology has come down in recent years but we need to accelerate that trend.”

The Australian Government will commit $50 million from the Renewable Energy Future Fund to support the project and the Australian Solar Institute will oversee Australia’s involvement and research contributions to the project. The collaboration will take advantage of the knowledge and expertise of both countries and will include the exploration of solar technologies such as dual junction photovoltaic devices, hot-carrier PV solar cells, and high temperature receivers.

Ireland-based investment group to invest €140M in European solar

On the European front, International Energy Investments Group (IEIG) plans to invest approximately €140 million in European solar power plants over the next nine months. To demonstrate IEIG’s commitment to this contribution, the company has installed two ground-mounted solar power plants in France. The PV plants were built by Solon Investments and will generate enough electricity to supply 3,000 people each yeah.

New PV manufacturing facility to be built in Jinquan, China

Construction has begun this month on the Astronergy solar PV module manufacturing facility in Jinquan, Gansu Province. The project will be built in collaboration with the Chint Group and will produce Astroenergy high-efficiency thin film modules. The agreement includes the installation of 1,000 MW of grid-connected PV projects by the year 2020. Additionally, both companies have committed to produce 200 MW of PV cells and modules before 2015. Moving into more Western regions of China is a part of the Chint Group’s strategic development.

November 9, 2010

Did you know that approximately 50% of the electricity in the U.S. is generated from coal?  Electricity powers our lights, refrigerators, and computers everyday, but many of us are not familiar with where the energy comes from.

Watch our new and latest video, “The Story of Coal” to learn more and tell us how you’ll change the story of coal.  You can share ideas, get tips, and spread the word!

November 4, 2010

SunRun CEO Edward Fenster spoke as a panelist today at GreenBeat 2010, an annual conference on the smart grid that brings together entrepreneurs, utility and technology executives, policymakers, investors, and press for discuss, debate, and networking.  At Stanford University this year, GreenBeat 2010 explored the evolution of the grid and how the new “Super Grid” is creating opportunities in renewable energy, automobiles, and energy storage.

One of the main topics discussed at this year’s conference was the rise of distributed solar power and its impact on the grid.  Ed spoke on a panel called, “The Rise of Distributed Solar,” with other clean technology startup experts.  Distributed solar – or smaller-scale solar projects right where you need it – has proven a cost-effective way to use solar power, compared to larger-scale solar farms, which require expensive transmission lines to be built and maintained.

We at SunRun believe that distributed solar power is a great way to bring a clean and affordable alternative to the utility right to your rooftop and are thrilled that this was highlighted at GreenBeat 2010.