June 20, 2018
I rarely use The Energy Miser to encourage outreach by solar supporters to government leaders. There are plenty of solar advocacy blogs (Mass Solar, Vote Solar, SEBANE, etc.) doing that job very effectively. But Massachusetts is at a crossroads as I write. The solar progress of the previous administration is being trampled on by current… Read the entire post »
April 10, 2018
Update: In summer 2018, the Massachusetts Legislature approved an energy bill that made some changes to this situation. However, those changes are not crystal clear. It appears Eversource’s MMRC, as approved by the DPU, will not go into effect as planned. However, the utility can re-submit a new MMRC to the DPU. More information will… Read the entire post »
January 24, 2018
What the Solar Tariff Means to You Monday, President Trump imposed a 30% tariff on imported solar cells and panels. What does this mean to homeowners and businesses wanting to shift their electricity budgets away from the utilities and into their own clean, cost-effective solar? Thankfully, not a lot. Don’t get me wrong, this tariff… Read the entire post »
November 14, 2017
Why is solar like cars, the Internet and mobile phones? Is it crazy to think solar could meet 100% of the Earth’s energy needs in 12 years? Will the U.S. become a global leader in solar, or will we remain behind China, Japan and Germany? This short, fun video from act.tv — called Solar Power… Read the entire post »
September 28, 2017
If you’re looking for an article saying solar is dead, you’ve come to the wrong place. Solar is officially here to stay. Americans have had a taste of energy independence and they like it. The “solar revolution” is over because the war has been won. Sure, some utilities and anti-solar forces still want to kill… Read the entire post »
August 10, 2017
I am an O.C.E. The term, coined by Kip Andersen, stands for “Obsessive Compulsive Environmentalist”. As an O.C.E., I’m always looking for more ways to recycle. Seriously, it physically pains me to throw things away. For almost a year now I’ve been recycling plastic film. But many people don’t know that this kind of plastic… Read the entire post »
August 2, 2017
In the past couple of weeks, we’ve had some big changes happening here at New England Clean Energy. After serving as our Sales Director for three years, Doug McCartney takes on the role of Chief Executive Officer. Our former CEO, Jim Elkind, retired on June 1st. It’s hard to say good-bye to Clean Energy so… Read the entire post »
July 31, 2017
Last week, the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript published a fabulous opinion piece written by a consumer from Peterborough, New Hampshire. Titled Local Power Generation, One Home at a Time, it’s a wide-ranging piece on solar – myths and realities. In particular, the author makes a compelling case that, despite what investor-owned utilities would have you believe, solar does… Read the entire post »
July 13, 2017
With the start of the NFL football season just shy of two months away, we’re rolling out two more episodes of our Solder on Solar video series. The solar market is saturated with installers, making it difficult to know which one to pick. In Episode 4 of Solder on Solar, Nate explains how he made… Read the entire post »
June 29, 2017
Rhode Island is now one of only two states in the country that has streamlined and standardized its solar permitting process to the benefit of its citizens and the planet. Governor Gina Raimondo recently signed landmark legislation (S.0562) creating a common process for the application, review and awarding of building and electrical permits for solar.… Read the entire post »
I started writing The Energy Miser in 2011 because I like to analyze energy issues and pontificate about my findings. Got a topic you want me to cover? Let me know.
