Bundled, Block, Volumetric Rates are the Barrier to Unleashing DER Innovation It’s no secret that net energy metering (NEM) is a controversial topic in the electricity world these days. Customers love the way it helps solar PV offset their utility … Continue reading →
Renewables scored a major victory recently in the natural gas heartland that is Texas. In a resolution adopted by the Austin City Council on August 28, the city declared solar energy its default generation resource, in part noting “that solar … Continue reading →
Five real estate executives weigh in on what it will take to unlock $1.4 trillion in net energy savings through commercial building efficiency. RMI’s Reinventing Fire analysis shows how to tap into $1.9 trillion in saved energy costs in U.S. … Continue reading →
SAN ANTONIO — CPS Energy recently took some lumps for its proposed solar fees. That proposal was shelved after concern the fees would be an obstacle to residential solar, which is only beginning to gain traction in San Antonio. But … Continue reading →
Distributed electricity generation, especially solar PV, is rapidly spreading and getting much cheaper. Distributed electricity storage is doing the same, thanks largely to mass production of batteries for electric vehicles. Solar power is already starting to erode some utilities’ sales … Continue reading →
Talk about risky business. Over the last decade, oil went from being a necessary ingredient of global growth to being its primary constraint. New modeling is now blaming oil’s inability to keep up with demand as a primary driver for … Continue reading →
CPS Energy is putting together a community program that would allow San Antonians who either can't afford to install solar panels on their roofs or live in apartment buildings to nevertheless have access to the renewable power. The effort would … Continue reading →
When Wes Kennedy started engineering solar systems in the mid-1990s, he pretty much had one integration option: batteries. At that time, Kennedy designed and installed systems for Jade Mountain, a Colorado-based distributed energy retailer that eventually merged with Real Goods … Continue reading →
Brundage Management Co. has accepted the Bill Sinkin Solar Award for the company’s work in advancing the adoption of solar energy in San Antonio. San Antonio-based Brundage installed 825 kilowatts of solar energy systems on 11 of the company’s A-AAAKey … Continue reading →
CPS Energy has dropped its proposed fees for solar customers — either for the time being or altogether. The utility detailed the proposal for the City Council last week, with council members raising concerns about whether the fees would discourage … Continue reading →
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “India is to be found not in its few cities, but in its 700,000 villages.” Though that may at one time have been true, it is no longer the case. With about 30 country dwellers moving … Continue reading →
SAN ANTONIO — City Council members told a CPS Energy official Wednesday that the utility's hoped-for timeline to charge fees for future solar customers is too abrupt, saying they need more information before making a decision. In a council briefing, … Continue reading →
First, Randy Ross bought a Chevrolet Volt. Faced with the need to charge his car and eager to cut his utility bill, he installed solar panels on the roof of his Pleasanton, Calif., home. Now Ross, 61, has taken the … Continue reading →
Now is your chance to tell City Council to reject CPS Energy’s proposed fees on solar. The utility will make the proposal at City Council’s B-Session at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11. The proposal, approved by the utility’s Board … Continue reading →
Barclays recently downgraded the entire U.S. electric utilities sector to "underweight" on the threat posed by widespread adoption of solar-storage. These systems allow homeowners to use rooftop solar panels and a battery to cut all but the figurative emergency backup … Continue reading →
Will efficiency projects get sliced and diced like mortgages, car loans and rental units? Only if the industry gets serious about standards. For proof of how securitization can grow a market really quickly, consider the single-family home rental market. After … Continue reading →
Energy is set to be a key global concern for the foreseeable future—and to continue to be an important focus for impact and sustainable investors. In this, the first in a two-part series on the new energy landscape, Marta Maretich … Continue reading →
Jess Mayes opened a plastic container filled with soil — and worms. He showed Tobin Hill neighborhood leader Carolyn Kelley the fruits of the labor he and other volunteers have put toward composting, worm harvesting and other organic gardening techniques … Continue reading →
2nd Annual Health & The Built Environment Conference May 7, 2014; 7:30 AM – 4:45 PM UTSA Downtown Campus A well-designed urban built environment can improve quality of life and health for many, many people. Attend and participate in the … Continue reading →
BlackRock, the world's biggest fund manager, has teamed up with London's FTSE Group to help investors avoid coal, oil and gas companies without putting their money at risk. In a sign that a global campaign against fossil fuels is entering … Continue reading →
