The solar industry has a reputation of being a game-changer for the way we think about energy. We believe it can use its influence to effect societal shifts as well. Whether it’s bringing equity to low- and middle-income families through community solar, working with partners to save our customers millions in energy costs or promoting women in STEM careers, Standard Solar is committed to bringing more clean energy to more people.
This month’s newsletter features news on these topics and more, providing useful information and resources from our partners and company experts.
COMMUNITY SOLAR: OP-ED
Equity And Inclusion For Solar Energy
by Gary Skulnik, Neighborhood Sun
Maryland is one of more than a dozen states in the country that have adopted rules to allow for community shared solar. It opens solar power to the 80% of the market that is unable to get rooftop solar.
For too long, the solar industry was very insular and only focused on the upper income population or large corporations. With community solar, we now have the chance to build a more inclusive business, a business that takes concerns of equity and fairness seriously.
Five years ago, Gaby Gomezfelt dissatisfied with her career in electrical engineering in the automotive business and decided it was time to make a change. After pursuing a renewable energy master’s degree, now Gomez is a project engineer at Standard Solar, where she designs commercial photovoltaic systems.
Engineering – and the renewable energy industry as a whole – is still a male-dominated field, but Gomez says she has found the field welcoming to women. “The industry is improving and we’re starting to see more women in the technical fields,” she says.
Favorable State Policies Expand DG PV + Storage Market
Advocacy for storage policy and standardization is ongoing at a federal, state and local level. As the DG PV + storage market stabilizes and continues to expand, more states are expected to begin to use storage to meet their ambitious renewable portfolio standards.
We've researched the states with the most aggressive storage policies in the U.S. and compiled it here. The information is based on a report by the Energy Storage Association and reflects the most up-to-date date that has been published as of June 2020.
Officials representing Valley Metro, cities of Mesa and Chandler, recently cut the ribbon to celebrate the activation of 3,500 new solar panels. With this installation, all Valley Metro maintenance facilities now rely on solar power.
The project, in partnership with Standard Solar and Veregy, began construction in June of 2019 and the panels started producing energy in May.
Standard Solar recently closed a tax equity commitment for up to $105 million to finance distributed generation (DG) solar projects located in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.
The financing was secured through tax equity commitments from Fifth Third Bank, National Association and IBERIABANK. The portfolio of nine projects is a combination of community solar and traditional DG projects located in five states throughout the United States.
DG PV + Storage Critical in Helping Industry Withstand Uncertainty
In this eBook from Standard Solar, experts explain why DG PV + storage is beneficial, report on current compensation models, highlight the states with the most favorable policies and examine possibilities for a standard system of compensation – one that will help solar developers determine the overall cost of installing systems that include storage.
