systems

Trevor Greenham doesn’t have to go far to remind you that he can’t own solar panels.

Key points:

Current public housing residents don’t have access to solar panel rebates More than 23,000 public housing units are being encouraged to install panels. The panels will save residents more than $500 a year.

A few steps through his back door usually does the trick.

Mr Greenham lives in government-owned public housing in Hamilton, three hours west of Melbourne.

He is a conscious energy user and, by his own admission, lives an economical lifestyle on a tight budget.

He was delighted to learn that installing solar panels on his facility could save him enough to almost completely cover his annual electricity bill.

But his joy was short-lived.

As a resident of a government-owned public housing property, he was quickly informed that he could not take advantage of the discounts that would make the panels affordable for most residents.

“It’s not fair that the people who need them the most are being left behind,” Mr Grinham said.

“Knowing that anyone can buy a new one [solar panel] or contribute to a greener environment … but you can’t do anything because it’s not available to you.”

Push for panels

The peak body representing public housing residents has been defending people like Mr Grinham for years.

Katelyn Butters says installing the panels will help prevent energy problems. (ABC News: Simon Tucci)

Public Tenants Association of Victoria chief executive Katelyn Butters said a long list of residents would love to see the panels installed.

“Existing public housing tenants remain the last group of Victorians without access to help to install solar panels on their homes,” Ms Butters said.

“This is despite the fact that these houses are among the least thermally efficient apartments.”

His organization joined forces with the Victorian Council of Social Services to develop a plan to reduce electrical pain for social housing residents.

The groups have released details of a $117 million proposal that would result in solar panels being installed on more than 23,000 existing public housing units.

More than 20 per cent of homes in Victoria have solar panels installed.(Supplied)

As a result, each resident is expected to save more than $500 on electricity.

Victorian Council of Social Services chief executive Emma King said people should not have to choose between staying warm and feeding their families.

Both advocacy groups urged both sides of politics to stick to the plan ahead of November’s state election.

Mr Grinham said the relief it would provide would be “life-changing”.

“I’d be happier for one,” he said.

“I’d have more money for my other bills, which were all going up and up, and I’d be able to buy myself nicer food.”

Big construction makes big profits

The state government is no stranger to promoting the environmental and financial benefits of green energy.

It spent $111 million to improve energy efficiency in public housing, including installing better heating and cooling units and installing more efficient hot water systems.

“Our government is funding energy efficiency upgrades for tens of thousands of social and public housing facilities,” a government spokesman said.

“These improvements will help social housing tenants save up to $300 in heating costs each year.”

Trevor Greenham is frustrated at not being able to take advantage of solar rebates. (ABC South West Victoria: Daniel Miles)

However, the government’s Energy Efficiency in Social Homes program does not include solar panels.

Mr Grinham said he would not be able to install the panels without a discount.

He said he could also be charged with removing them if he ever moves out of his unit.

“It all gets you down a little bit,” he said.

“Walking around the city, you see more and more progress every day.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Find more local news

A viral video claims that eligible homeowners can install free solar panels on a dime from the US government.

“If you qualify, you can install solar panels out of pocket and say goodbye to your electric bill, plus an $8,500 bonus,” the speaker said in a video he shared on Facebook on September 3.

This post is featured in Facebook’s News Feed as part of efforts to combat fake news and misinformation. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

Based on a search of websites, press releases, and news articles, we found no evidence from the US Department of Energy to support this claim. Homeowners are eligible for federal tax credits for solar installations, but not free panels or cash incentives.

The US Department of Energy did not respond to a request for comment. The Office of Solar Energy Technologies, part of the Department of Energy, says on its website that it does not provide financial assistance or payments to households that install solar energy systems.

According to the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Administration, part of the department, eligible homeowners are eligible for a 26% tax credit if they install their solar panel systems in 2020 or 2021, or a 30% tax credit if the installation occurs between 2022 and 2032. they can be. Energy.

While these credits translate into dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of income tax owed, that doesn’t mean the federal government is literally cutting homeowners a check.

The tax credits stem from the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law on Aug. 16 and pledging $750 billion to bolster health policy initiatives and curb climate change.

The September 3 video is not the first time these claims have been brought up and denied.

Our verdict

A video posted on Sept. 3 claimed that qualified homeowners could install solar panels for free and receive an $8,500 “stimulus” check from the federal government.

We found no evidence of a federal program providing free panels and incentive checks. Some homeowners may be eligible for tax credits related to solar panel installation, but this does not equate to a cash payment.

We rate this claim as False.

SUPERIOR, Wisc. — Groundbreaking has taken place for Superior’s first community solar garden along Hammond Avenue.

Superior Water, Light and Power will refer to space as Superior Sun to mark this renewable energy cycle. At 470 kilowatts, Superior Solar will be large enough to power more than 100 homes. Project managers will rely on local labor and Minnesota-made solar panels.

Project manager Joscelyn Scandel said: “Any customer interested in participating in solar energy can subscribe to the garden. Then, after they subscribe to the garden, the solar energy generated through the garden loans is offset against the actual customer’s account.”

This project has been under development since 2018 and is expected to produce energy by the summer of 2023. As most subscriptions fill up quickly, there are still some spaces available in the 1 kilowatt block.

If you would like to subscribe, you can visit Superior Water, Light and Power’s website.

What’s going on

stocks First Sun On Wednesday (FSLR 5.64%) rose 5.6%, continuing the solar panel maker’s share price gains following the passage of climate-focused legislation in mid-August.

So what

The Inflation Relief Act of 2022 was signed into law by President Joe Biden on August 16. The bill includes $369 billion in energy security and climate change investments designed to reduce US carbon emissions by nearly 40% by 2030.

Two weeks later, First Solar announced plans to build a new panel factory in the US for about $1 billion. The new site is projected to produce 3.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar modules annually by 2025. For context, the entire U.S. solar industry generates about 126 GW, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

CEO Mark Widmar cited the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as the main reason the company chose to invest in local manufacturing capabilities. “With this kind of alignment, you can create partnerships and opportunities to grow together, and maybe create a more win-win structure than we had before the introduction of the IRA,” Widmar said.

Now what

Wall Street is excited about First Solar’s new expansion strategy. On August 31 Bank of America analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith reiterated his buy rating on the stock and raised his share price forecast to $152 from $141. Dumoulin-Smith expects the company’s new production capacity to enable a higher supply of premium panels from the US and to increase profits accordingly.

Later that day, Baird analyst Ben Kallo also raised his price target for First Solar to $164 from $119 and reiterated his outperform rating. Kallo believes the company’s manufacturing investments will strengthen its position in the US solar industry.

Bank of America is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks listed. The Motley Fool recommends First Solar. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

This is the seventh in a series of blogs celebrating grant projects funded under the Clean Air Act with the owners of the ED Edwards coal-fired power plant outside Peoria, Illinois. The settlement calls for the plant to close by the end of 2022 and provides $8.6 million for local job training, lung health, energy efficiency, solar energy and bus electrification projects. Each blog features the great work one of the township grantees is doing to promote public health and quality of life in the Peoria, Illinois area.

At Woodruff Career and Technical Center, a public vocational high school in Peoria, Illinois, teacher Michael Bricks invites a second group of students to a two-year Renewable Energy Training course funded by the Peoria Public Schools District (PPS). Edwards Settlement Fund. The training grant complements a second Edwardian grant that PPS used to install a solar array on the Center’s roof, and the students’ coursework will include inspecting the panels and supervising their work.

Solar panels on the roof of the Woodruff Career and Technical Center in Peoria, IL.

Woodruff was built in 1937 and served as one of four comprehensive high schools operated by Peoria Public Schools until 2010. In 2011, it became a specialized career and technical school where students can take vocational and trade-oriented classes located in PPS’s three general secondary schools. Programs offered at Woodruff include construction, barbering, cosmetology, information technology and landscape design, among others.

The Renewable Energy Training course is designed to provide in-depth and hands-on training, and in each unit, students spend over two hours with Mr. Brix each school day. To complement the classroom sessions, Mr. Brix’s students organize field trips to look at renewable energy sources—solar panels being installed on 100 acres of cornfields, wind turbines operating nearby, an electric bus that recently launched with support, a separate one in Peoria’s public transit district (CityLink). From an Edwards Foundation grant and even an electric car Mr. Brix recently traded in for a truck. The course also provides students with internships to gain work-based knowledge in the renewable energy sector. The ultimate goal of the course, consistent with Woodruff’s mission, is for students to graduate ready to enter a two- or four-year post-secondary experience in a course-related field such as solar panel installation (construction), solar energy, or a living wage career path. energy monitoring (information technology), architecture or project management. With the growing demand for jobs in the renewable energy sector, Mr. Brix’s training at Woodruff should be invaluable to students.

Having worked in construction before moving into teaching, Mr. Brix is ​​incredibly passionate about renewable energy sources and all that they offer to his students. His enthusiasm paid off; Every student in the first cohort of the Renewable Energy Training course chose to re-enroll and complete the second year of the curriculum. We thank Mr. Brix and the Peoria Public Schools for their investment in Peoria’s clean energy transition, and we look forward to where the students will spend their education after graduation.

Other projects funded by Edwards include a solar array at Peoria’s Romain Community Center for Arts and Culture; Expanding the job assistance program operated by Jubilee Ministries of Peoria; electric buses that two Peoria-area school districts are adding to their fleets; increased scholarship for PeoriaCorps’ Green Infrastructure training program; Launching a new all-electric bus for Peoria’s transit district; and training two yoga instructors at a local yoga studio. NRDC and its bidders selected the projects with the help of community partners Central Illinois Healthy Community Alliance, Illinois People’s Action and the Peoria NAACP. For a complete listing of the project, visit EdwardsCleanAirSettlement.org.