Tag Archives: srecs

About solar incentives

Solar panels for businesses: does commercial solar make sense?

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If you’re a business owner, the concept of “solar panels for businesses” might seem like a risky move in a complex and confusing market. You may have heard about major Fortune 500 companies going solar, but thought that it might not be feasible for your organization. Maybe you’re considering installing commercial solar panels at some point in the distant future, when your organization can afford to make a major investment in something that seems like an environmental “good” rather than a strategic financial decision.

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Renewable portfolio standards explained

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Following the 2018 elections, there has been a flurry of state-level action on climate change and clean energy to begin the new year. Outside of proposals at the federal level for a Green New Deal, many states are proposing and passing a suite of climate-related legislation, from emission reduction goals to clean energy procurement targets. Perhaps the most common policy instrument for growing clean energy at the state level is the renewable portfolio standard (RPS).

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Should I go solar now or wait?

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For those asking themselves “should I go solar”, the cost of solar installation continues to fall. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), installing a residential solar energy system costs 70% less than it did in 2010, which is great news for today’s solar shoppers. But the ever-decreasing costs of solar create a conundrum: should I go solar now or wait? For many, daily headlines that declare lower and lower prices can stir them to action. For others though, these same headlines can cause them to wait a few more years in hopes of saving even more money. So who’s right?

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SRECs in Pennsylvania: prices, projections, and program status

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Reading Time: 3 minutesIf you’re considering installing a solar panel system in Pennsylvania, one incentive to be aware of is solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs). Pennsylvania is one of the few states that offers this performance-based incentive to property owners generating solar electricity. Pennsylvanians who buy and install a solar panel system can earn hundreds of dollars each year by selling SRECs.

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2019 SREC prices: explaining how to sell your RECs in the U.S.

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What are SRECs?

If you’ve been researching the best solar energy incentives available in 2019, you have likely heard something about solar renewable energy credits (SRECs). SRECs are a tradable commodity that you obtain from owning a solar panel system and producing clean energy. Because of a common state requirement known as the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), many utilities must generate a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources, typically at least 20 percent. In several states and Washington D.C., the RPS specifies that a certain percentage of the renewable energy produced must come from solar power. States with this type of “solar carve-out” are willing to pay significant amounts of money to take credit for the power generated by solar homeowners.

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SRECs in Maryland: prices, projections, and program status

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Reading Time: 3 minutesIf you’re considering installing solar in Maryland, one incentive you should be aware of is solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs). Maryland is one of the few states that offers this performance-based incentive to people generating solar electricity. Property owners in Maryland who buy and install a solar panel system can earn hundreds of dollars each year by selling the SRECs their system generates.

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How Roof Angle Can Affect Solar Panel Performance

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Reading Time: 3 minutesThere are a lot of factors that can affect the performance of your solar panels and the economic benefits they can generate—things such as where you live and how sunny it is, how much you pay for electricity, which way your house faces—even the pitch of your roof. Variety is the spice of life, but the diversity of our architecture can affect the performance of solar panels. It’s important to understand how those differences in production performance related to the angle of your roof will affect the overall financial performance of your solar power system. Continue reading →

How do SRECs work? State by state solar renewable energy credits explained

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Reading Time: 3 minutesOf all the incentives for installing solar panel systems, solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) are some of the most potent, yet least-understood. You may have heard enigmatic terms like “SREC markets,” “solar renewable portfolio standards,” and “minimum compliance payments” thrown around in discussions about SRECS, but sifting through of all this jargon can be downright mind-numbing. However, SRECs can provide sizable streams of money to owners of solar power systems, so learning about what SRECs are, where they are available, and how they can make solar more financially-rewarding can, quite literally, pay off in a big way. In this article, we aim to answer the simple question: “how do SRECs work?”
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Q&A with Sol Systems

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Reading Time: 4 minutesIf you’re a homeowner in a state with Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs), one decision to make as you’re installing a solar panel system is how to sell your SRECs. There are a number of SREC aggregators who will sell your SRECs for you. One of the most popular of those companies that solar panel system owners elect to work with today is Sol Systems. EnergySage conducted a Q&A with Sol Systems to learn more about their company, what customers should consider when choosing an SREC aggregator, and how they differ from other SREC aggregators.

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Sol Systems review: what you need to know

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Reading Time: 4 minutesSolar energy renewable certificates (SRECs) are some of the most attractive solar incentives available in the country. Many states with renewable portfolio standards (RPS) have special “solar carve-outs” that require a certain amount of a utility’s energy production to come from solar. In these states, utility companies meet the requirement by purchasing SRECs from people producing solar energy.

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