IREC has just released its annual report, U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008. The report, authored by Larry Sherwood, provides public data on U.S. solar installations by technology, state, and market sector. Both PV and solar thermal installations grew rapidly in 2008. This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Solar Energy Technologies Program.

Download the Report (PDF)
U.S. Solar Market Trends 2008

Link to the Report (PDF)
http://www.seia.org/galleries/pdf/2008_Year_in_Review-small.pdf

This NREL handbook is designed for agencies and utilities that offer or intend to offer incentive programs for customer-owned PV systems. Its purpose is to help select, design, and implement incentive programs that best meet programmatic goals. It discusses the various incentive structures that are used, and then discusses qualitative and quantitative tools to design appropriate incentive structures. It also includes a section on program administration considerations. This is an excellent resource for state policy makers considering the use of financial incentives for residential and commercial PV installations.

Download the Document
File Format: PDF
Source: NREL

This CESA-LBNL case study examines the approaches used to encourage PV system performance – including, but not limited to, performance-based incentives (PBIs) – used by 32 prominent PV incentive programs in the U.S.  The report provides a point of reference for assessing the current state of the art, and to inform program design efforts going forward. The report examines the approaches to encouraging PV system performance – including, but not limited to, PBIs – used by 32 prominent PV incentive programs in the U.S. (see Table 1).  It focuses specifically on programs that offer an explicit subsidy payment for customer-sited PV installations. PV support programs that offer other forms of financial support or that function primarily as a mechanism for purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) through energy production-based payments are outside the scope of our review. The information presented is derived primarily from publicly available sources, including program websites and guidebooks.

Download the document
File Format: PDF
Source: Clean Energy States Alliance

This Clean Energy State Program Guide describes how state clean energy programs, in partnership with state housing agencies, can advance the use of clean energy technologies in low-income residential housing. The report provides states with targeted strategies for implementing a program to support and encourage the application of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the development of affordable, multi-family homes.

This Program Guide includes:

• An Action Plan for states to promote solar photovoltaic technology in multi-family housing
• An overview of the affordable housing sector,with descriptions of the key players, programs, procedures and funding sources
• An overview of the "green building design" approach
• Identification of barriers to the use of clean energy technologies in the multi-family housing sector with recommended strategies for states to overcome these barriers
• Information and case studies describing national and state programs that can serve as models and resources for use by state clan energy programs
• Information on green standards and advance energy measures

Download the document
File Format: PDF
Source: Clean Energy States Alliance

Solar Works, Inc. is the leading renewable energy systems integrator in the northeast with over 800 solar energy installations and 25 years of experience. They have an extensive portfolio of solar electric and solar thermal system installations for residential, commercial, education and institutional clients.

Link to the Website
Format: HTML
Source: Solar Works, Inc.