Historic moment: solar power now cheaper than new nuclear plants.

In the past, solar PV was more expensive than other alternatives to oil like nuclear power. But as the New York Times recently reported, that’s no longer true. The cost of solar power has been going down, while nuclear power costs are rising.

Based on a the report by John O. Blackburn, a professor of economics at Duke University, a “historic crossover” has taken place, where solar (trending down) and nuclear (trending up) have crossed each other at about $0.16 / kWh.

Report: Solar and Nuclear Costs — The Historic Crossover: Solar Energy is Now the Better Buy

The estimated cost of a new nuclear reactor is about $10 billion, and costs are likely to continue to keep going up. The costs of new reactors are staggeringly high in part because they can take over a decade to build, while construction and financing costs continually rise. The design of each reactor is complex, site-specific, and non-standardized. There are also few suppliers for the specialized products needed to build the plants, leading to high costs.

Analysts have warned that new proposals in Congress to develop more nuclear power could end up costing U.S. taxpayers (and energy users) hundreds of billions– or even trillions– of dollars more than necessary.

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$5,000 – that’s how much you could be getting paid in New Jersey this year, just for having solar panels on your roof.

It may come as a surprise, but New Jersey has the best financial incentives in the country for home solar power. The combination of high electricity rates, the federal tax credit, and solar renewable energy credits (which pay you for producing renewable energy) means a typical solar array will pay for itself in just 4 years. After that it’s free electricity and, thanks to the renewable energy credit market, a viable source of income for the next 11 years.

Even without a solar rebate, NJ beats every other state, even sunny California (where solar is immensely popular):

The two left columns show New Jersey solar payback time with and without a state rebate. No rebate = no problem.
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Solar News: The International Energy Agency (IEA) presented two new analyses in Valencia, Spain this week, a Solar Photovoltaic Energy Technology Roadmap and a Concentrating Solar Power Technology Roadmap.

A key long-term finding from these analyses is that 20-25% of global electricity production could be from solar electricity by 2050.

We’re curious: how does the US fit into that, and how much of this will be residential solar?

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The city known for jazz, Voodoo, and Mardi Gras, can add affordable solar electricity to its list of attractions.

One Block of the Grid is revving up its group discount program for home solar panel installations in New Orleans. In partnership with South Coast Solar, 1BOG has obtained a substantial mark-down to $6.65 per watt, around 15% below standard rates.  Combined with massive Louisiana solar tax credits (50%) and the government’s 30% Federal tax credit, an average house can get practically all of its power from the sun for a one-time installation price of $6,000— a cost that will be covered by energy savings within three to four years.  (These figures will vary depending on orientation towards the sun, shade, local energy prices. Check out our solar estimate tool for a quick calculation.) Read the rest of this entry »

PRESS RELEASE

Partnering with South Coast Solar, 1BOG Offers Solar Group Discounts for Homeowners

San Francisco, Calif. – April 20, 2010 – One Block Off The Grid (1BOG), the nation’s largest solar panel group discount company, today announced the launch of a New Orleans solar group purchase campaign designed to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners in New Orleans to go solar. Homeowners interested in solar power will be eligible for a discounted rate of $6.65 per watt through local installer South Coast Solar, as well as free education, support and online tools.

After a month-long vetting process, 1BOG selected South Coast Solar for their excellent group pricing, products, warranties and history of successful installations. Read the rest of this entry »

Today Dow Jones reported that the solar market grew 37% in 2009.  The US now has over 2,000 megawatts of solar installed.  The residential solar market alone doubled between 2008-09.  The top three states leading solar installations were California, New Jersey and Florida with California accounting for half of all installations in the nation.

1BOG is proud to be a part of this growth as we approach 700 installations.  1BOG has run successful campaigns throughout California (including the Bay Area, Sonoma, San Diego, Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley) and we are wrapping up our first New Jersey campaign.  We are also moving into new regions this summer in pursuit of our goal to increase solar adoption nation wide – keep an eye on our website to see if we’re coming to your city next!

1BOG is currently running a very successful solar campaign in in New Jersey. One of the reasons we launched our first East Coast campaign in New Jersey is the great residential solar rebates the state offers.  Currently, the Renewable Energy Incentive Program offers a rebate of $1.75/watt until 20 MW of solar projects have been committed.  New Jersey is coming close to 20 MW with over 17 MW of solar projects already committed.  When 20 MW is reached, on an estimated date of May 1, rebates will drop to $1.55/watt and eventually to $1.35/watt.

Our New Jersey installer partner, The Solar Center, is working with us to ensure that all 1BOG customers can get this rebate while it lasts.  They will be expediting the rebate applications as soon as a contract is signed in order to get 1BOGers in under the impending deadline.

“The solar rebates in New Jersey have been a fantastic incentive for homeowners considering solar,” said Ed Steins, CEO of The Solar Center. “The fact that we are nearing 20 MW of solar projects shows that residents are embracing solar as a way to conserve energy and save money.  We hope we can help as many 1BOG customers as possible take advantage of the current rebate before it goes down.”

For all the New Jersey 1BOGers who are considering solar, now is the time to act while the best rebate is still available!

1BOG loves seeing solar in new places. We recently read about a completely solar powered yacht that will set sail on a round the world trip next year.  PlanetSolar is a catamaran featuring a 103 kW solar array provides fives times the energy the ship needs to run.

A beacon of environmentalism, during the trip, the boat will make multiple stops around the world.  The skipper, Raphael Domjan, is committed to sustainability and has long sought a way to sail around the world using minimal energy.  Domjan also plans to use this trip to illustrate how solar can be used in shipping.  Shipping is the primary way the world transports good and is responsible for over 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.  We have yet to help a nautical 1BOGer to go solar, but if this idea can further solar adoption, 1BOG is all for it.

One of the PlanetSolar stops is San Francisco – 1BOG will definitely be there to check it out!

Last week, the California State Assembly passed AB 510, a bill to increase the cap on net metering for California residents. 

Basically, net metering works like this:

• When utility customers are using energy from the grid, their meters spin forward.
• When customers use energy they have generated from their solar panels, the meter spins backward.
• Customers are then only charged for the net amount of grid energy used.
• If this bill is signed, customers will be able to do only pay the net amount until 5% of the utility’s peak demand is reached.

If Governor Schwarzenegger signs this bill, which we hope he will do, this new bill will become law.  Currently, net metering is capped at 2.5%.  This bill would double that cap to 5%.

This is good news for anyone considering solar.  Being able to decrease energy bills and save money makes solar more attractive and affordable for homeowners.  With the continued government support of clean energy and energy efficiency (like the upcoming SF PACE program),  the number of California residents going solar is sure to increase!

If both of those are true then it’s your lucky day.  Solar Power International, the country’s largest solar conference with 25,000 industry leaders from around the globe, is coming to your neighborhood.  The event will be three days long and 1BOG Founder Dave Llorens will be speaking there.  While Dave is great, here’s the exciting part for you…

On Wednesday October 28th, the conference organizers are throwing the exhibit floor open to the public for free.

The evening features over 900 exhibits of the latest solar technology , a job center for aspiring industry workers, and special educational sessions on timely solar issues, taught by top-notch colleagues like Andy Black of On-Grid Solar and Liz Merry of Verve Solar.  It’s a great opportunity to learn the latest about world of  solar.  And it’s free.

Wednesday, October 28th
5:30 to 8:30 pm
Anaheim Convention Center.

Details here:

http://s36.a2zinc.net/clients/sepa/sepa2009/public/Content.aspx?ID=359&sortMenu=105009