Institute
2010 Projected Energy Generation
280,597
kWh
Capacity Under Construction
616.44
kW
2011 Planned Capacity
13.5
mW
Reports
Conventional Energy Sources: Financial, Environmental, and Security Costs (August 2010)
Soaring global demand for energy has led to increasing consumption of dirty fossil fuels, coal, and oil, which grew ever more costly as their finite reserves dwindle.
Solar Jobs: Higher Employment & Wages in the Mid-Atlantic (July 2010)
As the cleantech economy takes off, “green jobs” are a rising field, and within that sector solar is especially successful. With a higher job generation potential than both conventional and other alternative energy technologies, and a high average industry salary, distributed solar energy can be a major economic growth engine.
The Solar PPA from Distributed Sun LLC (Updated July 2010)
One of the most successful innovations in solar energy finance is the power purchase agreement (PPA), in which a solar system, financed by a solar project developer, provides electricity to an end-user property owner. The PPA delivers the benefits of access to solar energy and reduced electricity bills with no up-front costs. Distributed Sun is a new entrant to the field with a cutting edge business model that provides a unique solar solution to electricity consumers in the Mid-Atlantic.
Hoping for Lower Electricity Rates? You May Want to Reconsider Solar (May 2010)
While it is difficult to estimate the exact trajectory that future electricity prices will take, it is quite certain that the long term trend is of rising costs, as fossil fuel energy resources continue to shrink and become more expensive. As an infinite fuel source and by avoiding the simultaneously rising costs of centralized electricity plant construction, distributed solar energy is one of the few sure ways to hedge against future rate increases.
Why Solar is Already Cheaper than Coal, Gas, and Nuclear (February, 2010)
In the face of rising costs for electricity generated from coal, natural gas and nuclear power, the forecast for electricity generated from the sun is bright, with falling technology costs leading to a lower levelized cost of energy. Distributed solar generation further reduces the price of energy by avoiding costly infrastructure and transmission fees, and dovetails with rising energy technologies such as energy storage and smart grid.
