2012年7月24日 星期二

New Jersey Updates Solar Law To Keep Its Market Perch

New Jersey has been among the top solar markets in the United States, but until recently, its perch was in doubt. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill on Monday that aims to keep solar energy development booming – and the jobs that come with it.

The new law will require utilities to buy more solar energy in a move to resuscitate a faltering market for solar energy credits, which fetched over $600 each a few years ago but crashed to nearly 25 percent of that value toward the end of 2011. The state requires its utilities to buy an increasing amount of renewable energy, and it includes a specific requirement for solar. Utilities can meet the renewable energy mandate by buying the energy credits from project developers.

With the new law, the utilities will have to speed up their solar energy purchases by about four years, and that requirement should also boost demand for the energy credits.Every moldmaker job on the web. Developers can also hold onto the credits for five years instead of three, a change that will give them more time to sell the credits at an opportune time. On the other hand, it also makes it tougher to forecast the energy credit market, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Developers use the sales of credits to fund their projects.And a lack of a standout indoortracking Systems (IPS) technology. They overbuilt projects in New Jersey when prices were high, and that supply far stripped demand. The lackluster market for solar energy credits did lead to more fervent efforts by developers to lower the costs of their projects, however.

New Jersey has consistently been the No. 2 market for photovoltaic installations in the country,Alfa plast mould is plasticmoulds Manufacturer and plastics Mould Exporters behind California. In the first quarter of this year, New Jersey installed more solar energy projects in the commercial market than any other state, according to GTM Research. Like California, New Jersey’s renewable energy mandate has played a big role in propelling its solar market growth.

And like California, changes in the New Jersey market could significantly affect the overall growth of the U.S. solar market, which is still on a upswing and attracting investors, manufacturers and project developers from Europe and Asia. Europe, the largest solar energy market for years, is seeing a slower growth in key countries such as Germany and Italy. In fact, Italy is looking at shrinking its budget for feed-in tariffs, which guarantee solar electricity pricing, and could run out of money for the program in 2013, said IMS Research on Monday.

The U.The reality of convenient handsfreeaccess contro.S. is set to add roughly 3.3 GW for a 75 percent increase in new solar panel installations this year from 2011, said GTM.

The legislation does include something favorable for utilities. Utilities historically have had to pay what is called a “solar alternative compliance payment” if they aren’t able to meet the solar energy purchase mandate. The new law reduces the fees and sets a 15-year schedule for payments.

Aside from trying to fix the solar energy credit market, the new law also modifies rules for net metering and includes provisions that should encourage more solar energy development on land that has been used for other developments in the past.

The committee asked city staff and City Attorney Rob Heggie to investigate what powers the city may have over solar panels.Learn about the beauty of porcelaintiles.

The Cole County Circuit Court entered a judgment June 29 in favor of James and Frances Babb and their co-plaintiff, the Missouri Solar Energy Industries Association, in a lawsuit filed against Clarkson Valley.

Clarkson Valley imposed regulations on the installation of residential solar panels that the court found to be arbitrary. The judgement orders the city to issue the Babbs a building permit and special use permit for their proposed solar energy system.

Since the court ruling, Fults said she has gotten calls from subdivision trustees asking if the city has any jurisdiction over solar panels. Chesterfield now has no restrictions on installation of such solar panels. Fults wondered whether Chesterfield would be able to have some say over panel installations.

"For instance, if a house is covered by trees, and the owners want to chop down all the trees to expose the roof to the sun for the panels, could we enforce our tree ordinance?" she said. "Can these panels be allowed up to the property line? If a house is hit by a tornado and the panels are torn off, what will the neighbors be looking at?"

Mayor Bruce Geiger also wondered whether those installing panels would need to comply with setbacks and other property restrictions.

Fults asked, if the city is forbidden from regulating panels, could subdivision trustees limit them through the subdivision indentures.

Clarkson Valley intends to appeal the ruling, Mayor Scott Douglass said.

"We don't believe the interpretation the judge made of the state statute, preempting our ordinance, is the right conclusion, and we hope an appeals court will agree with that," Douglass said.

While the city has not issued a work order, the Babbs still are proceeding with installation work, Douglass said, "and we are complying with the judge's order to let them proceed."

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