Rocky Mountain Power’s Post

For our Equitable Community Solar Primer, IEJ developed a framework for defining equitable community solar based on three fundamental criteria: 1. Allocating energy and solar benefits from one system to multiple customers: This ensures that the advantages of solar energy are not confined to a single entity but are distributed broadly, especially among those who need it most. 2. Intentionally focusing on benefitting marginalized communities: This involves directing resources and benefits to those historically overlooked or disproportionately impacted by energy policies. 3. Prioritizing local community governance and ownership: This empowers communities to have a say in the projects that affect them and fosters a sense of ownership and investment in renewable energy initiatives. Projects that check all these boxes fit the ideal approach to equitable community solar. Dive into the full resource to see how these principles come to life in community solar projects across the nation: https://lnkd.in/eSKUcHJg

Solar is now a major player in the energy sector, but how did it finally earn its place? Recorded at SEIA's, Solar Energy Industries Association 50th Anniversary Roundtable, this panel discussion features Abby Hopper, Frederick Morse, Scott Sklar, and Rhone Resch. These key figures from SEIA’s past and present share their experiences, from the early days of solar water heating to today's advanced photovoltaic and storage systems. Expect to learn: ⚡ SEIA’s fascinating origin story ⚡ How the industry overcame (and is still overcoming) skepticism ⚡ Key legislative victories that helped solar along the way ⚡ The expanding applications of solar technology ⚡ What the future of solar and storage looks like Watch the full roundtable discussion here: https://lnkd.in/gbi2bKw9 #Solar #RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergy

Today is the (lucky) 13th anniversary of one of the greatest projects I've ever had the privilege to be part of - the 144-panel solar thermal project atop the Saint Paul RiverCentre. So celebrating with a little look back and a BIG thank you to the partners that made this possible - Kate S., Bill Huepenbecker, Jim Giebel, Anne Hunt, Chris Coleman, Brian Ross, Stacy Miller, Kathy Ross Pavek, Jora Bart, Anders Rydaker, Ken Smith, Bjorn Gangeness, Ray Watts, Jeff Volovsek, Joe Lucas, Jason Coughlin, and the teams from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Solar America Cities), TKDA, Pioneer Power, Sheehy Construction Company, and Arcon Solar. And bonus shout outs to any other team members from Ever-Green Energy that made that project a reality. This was a first-of-its-kind project in the U.S. and where I cut my teeth understanding how difficult it is to be the first with emerging technology at this type of scale. Spoiler alert - it's hard. But that list of partners above is how we made it happen. It's why the Grid Catalyst program is built on a similar partnership model. And it's why some of you may have seen the project poster, designed by AlyssA Greening, behind me in a Zoom meeting. Extra fun to see current collaborators - Peter Frosch and Gregg Mast in these pics, showing up for innovation and clean energy at our launch event. Now two of the most crucial partners for driving energy and cleantech innovation in Minnesota. #AccelerateNorth #demo2deploy #solar #partnership #innovation #Minnesota #WeNeedCleanMN

With Smart Cities Marketplace we are going to work on a short booklet explaining, in simple terms, what collective self-consumption is. We will look into Case Studies where a group of people, like neighbors or a community, generates renewable energy together (such as through solar panels). Instead of each person using only the energy they produce, they share it among themselves. It's like having a big potluck where everyone brings something to share, but in this case, it's electricity generated from sustainable sources. Collective self-consumption could help us all use clean energy and reduce our reliance on the other power sources, benefiting both the environment and the community. Curious already? More coming your way in the beginning of 2024! 🎉

Challenging those claiming that solar energy cannot be produced in the winter. Snow covered panels can make less energy, but always make some energy, even on cloudy days. On utility-scaled sites, some arrays have pivoting panels to help remove snow and some sites employ folks to remove snow. For roof-top arrays at home, depending on where you live, age of panels, direction of installation, and the slope of your roof can all inpact how snow might accumulate and the panel's ability to make energy, and if snow clearing is necessary.

We're a proud supporting sponsor of NC Sustainable Energy Association's Clean Energy in the Mountains event next month! When: Thursday, May 16th, 6-9pm Where: Highland Brewing, Asheville What: The event features conversations about clean energy program limitations, and what’s needed to spur rapid growth for customer projects to accelerate progress towards the state’s goal of 70% carbon emissions reductions by 2030 and a moderated panel with customers and clean energy providers alike to highlight some of the challenges and opportunities for clean energy programs moving forward. Why: For some time now, North Carolina has been a national clean energy leader, at one point reaching #2 in installed solar. That growth is slowing down as we face  challenges related to interconnection, transmission, and utility procurement of generation technologies.  On the other side of the equation, there are a lot of opportunities ahead for customer-sited (or sited nearby) clean energy projects involving technologies like solar and storage. Unfortunately, the clean energy programs available for residential and commercial customers have been fairly limited. Extra Goodies: Music, beer and hors d’oeuvres! Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/effmjWhg

New York City Makes 8,500 Acres Of Parking Lots Eligible For Solar Canopy Development 🌞🚗🏙️ New York City is taking a big step towards a greener future by approving a change in its zoning laws that will allow solar panel canopies to be installed over parking lots. This move will make approximately 8,500 acres of parking lots in the city eligible for solar canopy development, helping to increase renewable energy generation and reduce carbon emissions. 🌱🌎 #sustainability #renewableenergy #NYC Full Article: https://lnkd.in/dMP_xkZe

After analyzing dozens of community solar projects and spotlighting four specific case studies, our Equitable Community Solar Primer highlights why no one-size-fits-all approach to community solar exists. Equitable projects can be challenging to replicate and scale, with each initiative having a unique range of needs, circumstances, collaborators, and barriers. However, the potential for transformative community benefits and renewable energy access remains immense. Our ECS Primer delves into the various challenges and potential solutions to help guide developing inclusive and effective community solar models. Read more:  https://lnkd.in/eSKUcHJg

The solutions Kinematics have developed for the OEM Solar Tracker sector are top-notch. Their added emphasis on revitalizing outdated systems is, in my view, indispensable for maintaining sustained interest in large-scale solar assets for the long haul.

Attention all businesses! Did you know a Nevada solar-plus-storage installation is powering this year's Super Bowl? That's right, the biggest event of the year is being powered by green energy. If you're interested in exploring your solar options for your business, TPI consultants can help. Check out the link to learn more. #solar #greenenergy #solarnews #superbowl