Solar News of the Week 11.13
SunFarm Energy
Your local solar experts specializing in residential solar, battery storage, off-grid solutions, and EV charging.
Happy Wednesday! We're back after a brief hiatus to bring you the latest in solar and renewable energy news. This week we're talking about the plummeting cost of solar installations. Plus, how the small Florida community of Babcock Ranch withstood two hurricanes, the fight between utility scale vs. rooftop solar, and what a solar powered economy might look like. Elsewhere, AI data center development drives up utility costs for everyday consumers.
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While solar still represents a significant investment for homeowners, costs have plummeted in the last decade, making rooftop solar more accessible. Since a spike in 2021, costs have steadily decreased nationwide due to fewer supply chain disruptions. The average payback period for a solar power system has also decreased from 8 years to 7.5 years. In addition, while costs decline, solar power systems are also getting larger with the average system size sitting at 10.9 kW. Read More
A deeper dive on the plummeting cost of solar:
Solar Wins on Cost - PV Magazine
The Economics of Solar Power - Investopedia
The New York Times
The unique Florida town of Babcock Ranch recently survived not one but two major hurricanes. How? Designed to withstand major storms, the town utilizes natural areas like wetlands to absorb flood waters and keeps the lights on with vast solar arrays. Could communities like this shape Florida's future??
领英推荐
The Washington Post
“Having your own solar system on your own rooftop — I think for many people it helps them think about energy consumption and energy efficiency in general, and take ownership of that. From that perspective, it's important.”
The energy transition will require a diverse set of solutions. What’s better? Rooftop solar or utility scale? In many parts of the U.S., the more rooftop solar you have, the less valuable a utility scale project becomes, and rooftop solar often comes with higher installation costs. While there are plenty of benefits to rooftop solutions including generating energy closer to home, does rooftop solar raise prices for everyone else??
PV Magazine
Spurred by historic climate legislation, a recent report suggests solar is now a dominant technology and huge economic boom with jobs and manufacturing investments continuing to increase. The investment in solar represents a “modern industrial strategy” for the U.S. moving forward.
The Washington Post
“A lot of governors and local political leaders who wanted economic growth and vitality from these data centers are now realizing it can come at a cost of increased consumer bills.” - Neil Chatterjee, former chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission?
The AI boom is raising rates for everyday customers as data centers expand. Many facilities require expensive upgrades to existing infrastructure and drive up the price that local utilities pay for energy. Regulators expressed concern that big companies like Google and Amazon aren’t paying their fair share as they race to lead in AI development. Instead, expensive expansions leave homeowners and small businesses on the hook for their increased electric consumption.
We'll be back in two weeks with more solar and renewable energy news!
Did we miss an important story? Send our editor, Samantha Prue, an article at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!