If you want to be an informed and engaged citizen, keep reading. According to information supplied to Renewable Energy World by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Californians pay much more up to 30 percent more per kWh of solar power compared to Germans. Why? Likely causes include inefficient federal tax credits that artificially inflate the cost of the US dollar; banks offering financing for solar leasing at overstated prices; complex state and federal incentives and a lack of guaranteed interconnection with the grid, making taking on solar projects risky; and by inconsistent local...

Renewable Energy World carried an article on New York Citys solar potential, sharing the exciting findings that during peak electricity use hours, rooftop solar panels could power up to half the city (if panels were in place where rooftop space allowed). This solar power potential illustrates a larger reality in the US: at present many of us are consumers, but if the right changes are made in the US electricity system and regulations, in many areas solar prices are competitive with retail electricity costs. Regional planning authorities under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are...

Want to help people better understand and measure costs of PV installations? Ask your contractor to take a survey created by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and SolarTech that will be used to establish a benchmarking system of the non-hardware costs related to installing PV. These costs include customer acquisition costs, fees related to permitting, inspection and interconnection; financing and contracting; and installation and performance upkeep. Whats in it for your contractor? Well, the Department of Energy is trying to reduce installed costs of solar installations by 75 percent...

Probably youve heard the news. But if not, you should get happy. Because the Chinese Energy Research Institute said in a new report that, with sustained investment today, in less than five years solar costs could achieve parity with coal power costs.

What does it mean?

In the UK, theyre taking this as an indication that solar is not a technology anyone can afford to ignore. Advocates there pointed to the potential of solar tech to readily generate 30 percent of the countrys energy needs and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

Why the sudden change? 

Well, its linked to the...

A study examining over three quarters of all grid connected PV capacity in the US spotlights a few very interesting trends for the sector.

What does it mean for homeowners?

First: Residential PV systems installed on new homes had much lower average installed costs than those installed as retrofits to existing homes. So if youre building a new home and debating whether to add panels now or later, adding the panels now Could be a way to save. 

Also: Overall installed costs of solar PV power systems has fallen substantially in 2010 and into the first half of 2011, so shop around when it...