Community solar is poised for significant growth across the U.S. driven by state actions to encourage solar power and incentives in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Also known as shared solar, community solar allows multiple energy customers to participate in projects that are remotely located and receive credits to lower their electricity bill.
Amid the growing number of initiatives to unlock the benefits of distributed energy resources, states across the U.S. are pursuing measures that support customer-oriented solutions while ensuring reliable system operations.
Net metering policies, which have been instrumental in driving the growth of distributed solar across the U.S., are poised for further evolution as states explore a holistic approach to establish compensation mechanisms. In California, a long-time leader in solar adoption, regulators have approved a significant overhaul of the net metering program, a decision that will likely have broad implications for the industry nationwide.
Technological advancements and climate goals are driving the transformation to distributed energy resources (DER), such as solar photovoltaic systems. The transformation, which is empowering consumers with more choices and energy management options, has also prompted an evaluation of potential cybersecurity risks stemming from anticipated future growth.
Federal and state actions to boost distributed solar show the growing interest in harnessing the technology to achieve broader policy goals.
Amid federal and state policies aimed at catalyzing solar power to facilitate power sector decarbonization, an investigation into circumvention of tariffs on solar panels imported from Southeast Asia has created market uncertainty, threatening U.S. solar buildout.
The importance of U.S. state renewable portfolio standards (RPS) continues to grow, with recent changes reflecting the trend of strengthening renewable energy targets. Several states have expanded their RPS programs to broader clean energy standards, which establish milestones to achieve a carbon-free electricity supply.
The expansion of renewable portfolio standards (RPS) has prompted several states to reshape their solar incentive programs. The market for solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) is driven by solar carve-outs in RPS programs, which require utilities to procure a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable resources.
A growing number of states are gearing up to leverage distributed energy resources (DER) to support grid operations amid clean energy and climate goals that require investments in and incentives for renewables and customer-sited generation.
