RMI Outlet
Plug Into New Ideas
Obama’s Renewable-Energy Plan: Let’s Raise the Roof
In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised to use his executive authority to accelerate the construction of 10 gigawatts of renewable energy installations on public lands. But, as encouraging as this announcement was, the administration could and should go beyond public lands by focusing on public roofs.
RMI Solar Program Live Chat: Questions and Answers
If solar equipment, installation and other costs continue to drop, solar energy will be increasingly competitive in more markets after the scheduled end of solar tax credits in 2016, RMI experts told participants in a live web chat last week.
Solar Horizon for 2012 Shows Shadows, Bright Spots
The U.S. solar industry ends 2011 with a mix of news that’s being interpreted both as a sign that solar is near a mainstream tipping point and that it is in deep trouble. Which is it?
Top 10 Reasons Why Renewable Energy Wins
By now the financial, political, and emotional fallout from the recent Solyndra bankruptcy filing is running at full tilt. Print, online, and social media channels are filled with the appropriate questions about what happened -- who’s responsible, who’s accountable, and who’s going to pay for it? (Originally published on Greentechmedia.com)
Transforming the Solar Market
With all the talk about Solyndra’s bankruptcy, the message that the solar industry is struggling to effectively compete at scale with cheaper electricity sources such as coal is being made loud and clear. So while solar photovoltaic module costs have decreased significantly in the past decade, high installation costs caused by a complex tangle of utility interconnection requirements, financing expectations and permitting codes is a big reason why installed solar PV remains an expensive energy option.