Some 97% of new electricity generation capacity to be added to the California grid in the second half (2H) of 2013 is slated to come from solar power projects. Greentechmedia.com provides insight on this development.

Mat McDermott from earthtechling.com makes the case for rooftop solar and the potential for it to explode in the US:

“Over 300 Gigawatts of Power Waiting on Our Rooftops – And That’s Just the Top 10 States. Just looking at the United States, recent research from the Solar Energy Industries Association shows that there’s huge rooftop solar power potential waiting to be tapped. California leads the nation with 76 gigawatts, just on the roof of buildings. Texas trails a bit with 60 GW — especially remarkable considering how much of the state, particularly in the western half is barely developed at all, much wilderness or rangeland. Florida has 49 GW of potential rooftop solar power; Ohio has 27 GW; Illinois 26 GW; Georgia and New Jersey 25 GW each; North Carolina 23 GW; Michigan and Pennsylvania each have 22 GW.”

The City of Lancaster, California is on the verge of becoming the first city in the country to require solar panels on all newly constructed homes. The mandate is just the next step down a path toward becoming the net-zero community that Mayor R. Rex Parris proposed a few years ago.

With more than 16 megawatts of installed capacity, Lancaster ranks third in the state for solar behind San Jose and San Diego. However, when it comes to per capita installation, the city has more than 130 kilowatts of solar for each of its 153,000 residents, which is more than double the per capita solar in San Jose and San Diego combined.

Nice write up on mydesert.com about a solar project our company is installing at multiple Palm Springs Unified School District sites for SunEdison. In total, the project encompasses the installation of solar panels at ten schools and the district service center. This has the potential of more than $25 million in savings by stabilizing power expenses over the next two decades, according to the article.

Futurist Glen Hiemstra points out an unrealized opportunity for solar panels – the American road – and imagines, as Solar Roadways has, that you could replace the concrete or asphalt with solar cells beneath a layer of glass:

“Operating at 15% efficiency the U.S. road system would provide more than four times our current electricity needs, or about as much electricity as the whole world uses. … The primary complication is manufacturing glass that is strong enough for an 18-wheeler to drive on, that is clear enough to allow sunlight in but opaque enough not to emit too much glare, with sufficient traction and durable enough to last for years.”

The Voice of San Diego tracks progress made toward Mayor Bob Filner’s promise to power all City and San Diego Unified School District buildings with solar power within five years. As The Voice points out, there are numerous and significant roadblocks – economic, capacity and otherwise – standing in the way of this lofty goal. But where there is a will there is a way, and Reno and other like-minded companies with expertise in solar development stand poised to contribute to the effort.

We announced today our installation of a 2.6MW solar photovoltaic project at California State Prison Lancaster, California, for SunEdison, the leading worldwide solar energy services provider. The Lancaster facility is one of five state prisons in Southern California that has added a combined 23MW of solar-generated power in 2012, an initiative undertaken by SunEdison and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). These solar projects should result in $55 million in energy cost savings over the next 20 years, according to the CDCR.

The goal of the California Solar Initiative, now in its sixth year, is to help solar achieve “grid parity” — the much awaited point where solar can compete with less expensive sources of energy such as natural gas. The program reached a key milestone with the recent announcement that more than 1 gigawatt — or 1,000 megawatts — of solar power has been installed through the initiative.

Reno Contracting is proud to be a part of this initiative; contributing 19 of the 1,000 megawatt total with projects like the Edwards Air Force Base, Patton State Hospital and the Irvine Unified School District.

Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), in concert with Samas Capital, is now offering PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing for Western Riverside County commercial property owners seeking to install renewable energy, energy efficiency and water conservation measures. Recently, the County of San Diego announced approval of a similar PACE financing program, California First. While it’s early, these announcements could be encouraging news for regional property owners and contractors interested in getting in the energy efficiency game.

A concise overview of how the State is aiming to achieve “zero net energy” for all newly constructed buildings by 2030. Interestingly, the new standards which take effect January 1, 2014, are 30% more energy efficient compared to 2008 standards.