Publications & Reports from IREC

Here you'll find IREC papers, reports and other publications, all designed to help advance renewable energy in your community, and easily downloadable.

IREC's 2011 Updates & Trends Annual Report

Released at IREC's Annual Meeting on October 17, 2011 in Dallas, Texas, with chapters authored by many of the nation's top experts in renewable energy on regulatory issues, policies and incentives, installation and market data, clean energy workforce development, credentialing and training.

U.S. Solar Market Trends 2010

For the fourth year in a row, IREC and chief author, Larry Sherwood, have published this report, a comprehensive look at installation data for PV, solar heating and cooling, and concentrating solar technologies.  The data for 2010 are staggering: the capacity of PV systems installed in 2010 doubled from 2009, with more than 124,000 new solar heating, cooling and PV installations concentrated in a few states.  Growth in the photovoltaic utility sector was the most dramatic-- the capacity of installed by utilities quadrupled in 2010.

 

Good Teaching Matters:  Five Teaching Practices to Improve the Quality of a Training Course

Originally released as a five-part series for the IREC website, Dr. Barbara Martin's comprehensive work on important teaching practices that can improve the quality of a training course are combined here in one complete report.  Whether you're an educator or a student, you'll find Good Teaching Matters useful in your work. (December 2010)

Model Program Rules for Community Renewables

IREC’s new model rules consider many of the basic issues facing  community renewables programs.  These include: renewable system size,  interconnection, eligibility for participation, allocation of the  benefits flowing from participation, and net metering of system  production.  IREC developed the model program rules for community-scale renewable systems working closely with The Vote Solar Initiative a California-based not-for-profit.  (December 2010)

The Intersection of Net Metering and Retail Choice: an overview of policy, practice & issues

In regulated states, net metering is a fairly straightforward process, involving a transaction between a utility and customer.  In complex competitive markets, however, retail choice providers and distribution utilities must communicate in order to provide net metering for their customers.  Furthermore, every state has a different set of laws and regulations that make it difficult for retail choice companies working in multiple states at once. As a result, restructured states have yet to see a significant number of retail choice customers with net metered systems, despite the fact that several of these states have some of the best net metering policies in the country. This report aims to provide clarification on how net metering works in these complex environments.
 

IREC's 2010 Updates & Trends Report

Released at IREC's Annual Meeting in Los Angeles on October 11th, here's the 2010 collection of updates and trends covering regulatory issues, policies and incentives, installation and market data, and workforce development and training from IREC's team. (October 2010)

U.S. Solar Market Trends 2009

The number of new grid-connected PV installations grew by 40% in 2009 compared with the number installed in 2008. The two largest PV systems installed in 2009 together accounted for 12% of the annual installed PV capacity.  In IREC's 2009 edition of U.S. Solar Market Trends, primary author, Larry Sherwood, provides public data on U.S. solar installations by technology, state and market sector.  The report was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Solar Energy Technologies Program.  (July 2010)

2010 Field Inspection Guidelines for PV Systems

According to its author, Bill Brooks of Brooks Engineering, the intent of the 2010 Guidelines is to consolidate the most import aspects of a field inspection into a simple process that can be performed in as little as 15 minutes. Explanation and illustrative pictures are provided to instruct the inspector on the specific details of each step. The 2010 edition of the Guidelines is an update from the 2006 edition. (July 2010)

2009 IREC Updates & Trends Report2009 Updates and Trends Report

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc.'s annual report on trends in renewable energy, including state energy incentives and policies, solar installation, net metering and interconnection, and green jobs workforce development and training. The report puts these trends in the context of an unprecedented federal commitment to renewable energy, despite the global financial crisis, federal bailouts, and historic and pervasive state budget crises.  (October 2009)

Connecting_To_The_GridConnecting to the Grid Guide 6th Edition (2009)

Net metering & interconnection policies are essential pieces of a supportive state-level regulatory policy framework addressing two important aspects of renewable energy development: whether a customer investing in renewable generation can unlock the full value of his or her investment; and how that customer will interconnect his or her generation system to the distribution grid. This guide introduces readers to the issues surrounding policy and technical considerations of grid-integrated, renewable energy development.  (October 2009)

2009 Model Interconnection Procedures

IREC first developed model interconnection procedures in 2005 in an effort to capture emerging best practices in this vital area. Since that time, IREC has been an active participant in dozens of state utility commission rulemakings that have focused on the development of interconnection procedures. These updated procedures also include footnotes that explain key provisions and provide information on alternatives that are being practiced in some states. (November 2009)

Net_Metering_Model_Rules2009 IREC Model Net Metering Rules

On significant points such as size of systems eligible for net metering, program capacity caps, and treatment of annual excess generation, there has been broad variation between states. In an effort to capture this variation, IREC’s model rules now include footnotes that discuss the various approaches states have taken on these issues.  (November 2009)

US_Solar_Market_Trends2008 Solar Trends Report

Public data on U.S. solar installations by technology, state, and market sector to help industry, government, and non-profit organizations improve their efforts to increase the number of solar installations across the United States. Analysis of multi-year installation trends and state installation data helps these sectors learn more about the state markets and evaluate the effectiveness of marketing, financial incentives and education initiatives.  (July 2009)

Net Metering and Interconnection Procedures:  Incorporating Best Practices   This paper presents the most significant changes made to IREC’s model interconnection and net metering procedures.  Presented on behalf of IREC at ASES 2009 by Jason Keyes, Kevin Fox, Joseph Wiedman, Keyes & Fox, LLC; and Maureen Quinlan, Laurel Varnado, Rusty Haynes and Keith McAllister, North Carolina Solar Center, on behalf of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc..