Sun Must Continue To Shine On Solar Energy
It's always better to be a leader than a follower. And it's under that banner of leadership that Gov. Deval Patrick and his administration deserve credit for establishing and surpassing the state's goals to install and expand solar energy.
On May 1, four years ahead of schedule, the administration exceeded its goal of 250 megawatts of installed solar capacity, and announced a new goal of 1,600 megawatts — 64 times the original — by 2020. Those twin announcements earned applause from the Solar Energy Industries Association, which called Patrick "a solar champion."
In a region with a long history of reliance on fossil fuels to power and heat both businesses and homes, the Bay State's success with solar energy is both a source of pride and a key element of its energy future. Many businesses have implemented around that strategy to great success. Take Staples, which recently unveiled a 685-kilowatt solar installation at its Framingham headquarters, the 37th solar array for the global office products giant. Or The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester, which now receives 80 percent of its electricity through an agreement with the owners of a 5-acre solar farm in Leicester.
Vincent DeVito, a partner with the law firm Bowditch & Dewey and a member of the Institute for Energy and Sustainability in Worcester recently wrote in the WBJ: "The state of the clean energy technology business in Massachusetts is good and growing. The economic benefits have driven a cultural shift."
The governor's goal for the next seven years must also come with increased financial incentives from the state. Those incentives include programs such as Commonwealth Solar, which provides rebates to homeowners and businesses who install solar photovoltaic systems of less than 15 kilowatts. Then there's the Solarize Massachusetts program, which makes purchasing solar energy systems more affordable through group-purchasing, and the solar renewable energy credit (SREC) program that allows users to generate income by selling SRECs back to the power grid.
Since 2007, the average installed cost of solar in Massachusetts has decreased 35 percent, with costs under $4.50 per watt for some systems, according to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Keeping those costs low will make private financing easier, and open the door to more installations. The state incentives are also important given recent changes and reductions in incentive programs overseen by the federal government.
The recent boom in fracking has caused domestic production of natural gas to skyrocket, pushing down the price to all-time lows. While this has been a terrific boon to all energy consumers, it has not come without significant environmental concerns. And while the boom is expected to depress natural gas prices well into the future, we'd be foolish to believe that it's a true, long-term solution. Only renewables offer long-lasting environmental advantages, and as limited inventories will inevitably raise prices on gas and oil, solar only promises to become more efficient as the technology continues to improve. Government is too often reactive in its efforts, so it's rewarding to see this kind of long-term commitment to solar in Massachusetts.
______________
Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Read more
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments