SolUnesco White Paper: Solar Myths Busted

By |2018-06-20T13:19:46-04:00February 8th, 2018|Industry, Land Use, Virginia Solar|

Background This white paper is a companion piece to our two previous blogs on local permitting (Hodsoll and Maughan). In our local permitting blogs we provided our perspectives on best practices for local permitting and how we engage with the local community. We write this white paper to discuss some of the issues and concerns that are raised by the community during this process. All of us engaged in the industry have heard the naysayer’s arguments. From the most bizarre

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The Latest Buzz: Solar Farms as Pollinator Sanctuaries

By |2018-08-10T10:52:04-04:00April 26th, 2017|Industry, Policy|

Overview Pollinators, such as honeybees and butterflies, are the unsung heroes of agriculture. However, their populations have been collapsing in recent years, creating a crisis for farmers who depend on them. Solar developers have started creating habitat sanctuaries to help reverse this trend.

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The Composite Index, Problem Solved!

By |2018-06-08T10:38:04-04:00April 18th, 2017|Company Update, Policy, Virginia Solar|

We have good news!  On April 6th Virginia’s Tax Commissioner, Craig M. Burns, issued a letter clarifying the valuation of solar projects within the Composite Index. The bottom line: these solar farms will provide a net revenue benefit to the county.  As previously stated, bureaucratic bookkeeping could have inadvertently ground Virginia solar development to a halt by reducing county revenue when new solar farms are built. The following is the third of three installments highlighting SolUnesco’s research on the Virginia

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The Composite Index and How it Relates to Solar Development in Virginia, Part One:

By |2018-08-10T12:14:00-04:00March 29th, 2017|Company Update, Policy, Virginia Solar|

Bureaucratic bookkeeping may inadvertently grind Virginia solar development to a halt.  The state government is assessing this issue and we understand a decision will be issued in due course.  This is the first of three installments highlighting SolUnesco’s research on the Virginia Composite Index and its impact on solar electric generation. To download our complete findings, click here.

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The Composite Index and How it Relates to Solar Development in Virginia, Part Two:

By |2018-08-10T15:08:43-04:00March 2nd, 2017|Company Update, Policy, Virginia Solar|

Bureaucratic bookkeeping may inadvertently grind Virginia solar development to a halt.  The State government is assessing this issue, and we understand the state will issue a decision in due course.  The following is the second of three installments highlighting SolUnesco’s research on the Virginia Composite Index and its impact on solar electric generation.   To download our complete findings, click here HOW IS SOLAR TAXED? Covered in Part One of this series, the Composite Index (CI) may ignore the solar tax exemption

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Are Solar and Electric Utilities Really Cooperating?

By |2018-08-10T15:02:27-04:00March 1st, 2017|Company Update, Policy, Virginia Solar|

Renewable energy can drive enormous job growth, and local investment, with some reports estimating that it will generate over 55,000 additional job-years worked right here in Virginia by 2030.  The key to tapping this potential is integrating new sources of energy into the existing electric grid. Since the grid is heavily regulated, this means finding policy solutions that give new sources of energy the space they need to grow. That is why many in the solar industry strongly advocate for

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SolUnesco Talks Solar Policy and Growth in Virginia

By |2018-08-10T12:23:48-04:00July 18th, 2016|Company Update, Policy, Virginia Solar|

On Wednesday we presented at the Virginia Association of Assessing Officers (VAAO) Property Assessment Conference (Click here to download presentation). The association and their conferences provide continuing education to the Virginia community of assessors. We believe that maintaining a healthy dialogue with the professionals who determine land values for the purpose of tax assessments serves the solar industry well. Francis Hodsoll, CEO, presented on policies driving national solar markets and their application to the Virginia framework. He also explained the tremendous

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Innovation in Response to Solar Demand

By |2018-08-10T14:16:18-04:00May 30th, 2016|Industry|

Last week SolUnesco presented on a panel at Solar Power Southeast in Atlanta, Georgia (Click here to download presentation).  The panel focused on the trajectory for solar after the Supreme Court’s Stay on the Clean Power Plan (CPP) including the legal merits of the suit, and the impact on the economics, policy, and market trends. Does the Supreme Court’s Stay mean a slower pace for the development of renewables going forward? One might think so. However, we point to the

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