Home Builder Introduces Solar as a Standard in Florida

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Nicholas Brown
Cleantechnica
January 29th, 2012

KB Home, a leading homebuilding company, announced this week that it has started offering solar panels as a standard on its “Built to Order” homes in certain communities in central Florida.

These solar power systems are expected to save the homeowners up to 50% on their energy bills. They did not specifically mention if they were referring to electricity bills only, or energy bills overall. However, in this context, energy usually means electricity.

“We’re excited to take a leading role in bringing solar power systems to the mainstream in Central Florida,” said George Glance, president of KB Home’s Central Florida division. “While many love the year-round warmth and abundant sunshine we are lucky enough to enjoy here in Florida, staying comfortable in this weather can also take a toll on our wallets when we get the monthly electric bill. Consumers who buy a Built to Order™ KB home with a standard solar power system get the value of a custom home-like experience plus the benefit of having the sun help reduce their energy bills.”

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PACE Coming Back?

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Zachary Shahan
Cleantechnica
January 29th, 2012

Beginning today, an innovative energy-smart finance program for homeowners – called Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE – has a chance for revival. Over the next 60 days (until March 26th, 2012), a broad bipartisan coalition of business leaders, environmentalists, property owners and federal, state, and local policymakers will finally have a chance to make their voices heard and explain to federal regulators why PACE makes economic and environmental sense.

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Solar Innovation, Investment Shifting to Installation (Away from Solar Panels)

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Zachary Shahan
Cleantechnica
January 26th, 2012

The focus of solar innovation and investment is shifting from panels to installation, according to a new Lux Research report, “Swimming Downstream: Evaluating Up-and-Coming Solar Installers and Developers.”

“A flurry of M&A activity and an influx of venture capital dollars to solar service providers have led to innovation concentrated on creating new, lean business models in an extremely fragmented downstream landscape,” a news release today noted.

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California’s Lead in Solar Is Slowly Eroding

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Felicity Barringer
The New York Times
January 25th, 2012

The growth of California’s local solar-power systems, not only on rooftops but in parking lots, farmers’ fields and vineyard irrigation ponds, has kept the state well ahead of others in the total power generated from photovoltaic systems.

In 2011, according to a new report by Environment California, California’s total capacity exceeded 1,000 megawatts — up from less than 10 megawatts in 2000.

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San Diego bests rest of California cities in solar installations

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Theo Romeo
Clean Energy Authority
January 24th, 2012

The numbers are in for California solar installations last year, and the winner is a bit surprising. Neither green-minded San Francisco nor the sprawling Los Angeles took the crown.

Let’s just say this: With all the solar power pulsing through its grid, San Diego knew what it was doing when it named its football team the Chargers.

Last year, San Diego completed 4,507 solar installations, totaling 36.7 megawatts.

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