For 30 years, under the skilled leadership of Dr. Lehman Marks, the Solar Car Challenge has motivated students in science, engineering and alternative energy awareness. The Challenge teaches high school students around the world how to build and race roadworthy solar cars.
Of this year’s 20 teams, 10 are from Texas. Teams are also from Arkansas, California, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon and Wisconsin. Teams check in on July 12, followed by three days of scrutineering to ensure all cars are eligible to race.
Teams begin preparation for the race during education workshops in fall of the previous year. Additional workshops, on-site visits, mentor opportunities and summer camps help propel the projects to success. After qualifying for this year’s event, teams will drive their solar cars cross-country from Texas to California displaying their vehicles to thousands along the race course.
The 2023 Race will feature the Cruiser, a new racing division featuring a four-door vehicle with the solar array embedded in the body of the car, bringing “realism” to solar car racing.
Qualifying: Thursday-Saturday, July 13-15, 2023 at the Texas Motor Speedway. Purpose?
This year, the 925-mile race event, hosted by Oncor and Lockheed Martin, starts on July 16 in Fort Worth and ends a week later on July 23 in Palmdale, California.
Thursday-Saturday, July 13-15, 2023 at the Texas Motor Speedway
Thanks to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Renew America’s Schools grant program, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) will install solar panels on 16 campuses to build more energy-efficient infrastructure at its facilities.
The project, which could cost up to $15 million, is meant to reduce costs, lower the district’s carbon footprint and educate students on energy efficiency.
The Austin district was one of 24 districts nationwide – and the only one in Texas – to receive an energy grant, according to the federal government.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Today the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is releasing a suite of new and updated resources for consumers to meet the increase in demand for solar power created by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
With the IRA’s incentives in place and energy bills weighing on family budgets, consumers are eager to add solar and storage to their energy mix. SEIA’s new resources are designed to help make the process as easy and straightforward as possible so they can make the best decision for their family.
“The Inflation Reduction Act has launched a wave of new interest in reliable, low-cost solar power,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “SEIA’s new consumer education resources are helping to meet this transformational moment and empower all Americans to confidently access the benefits of our solar-powered future.”
The materials released today are a part of SEIA’s Consumer Protection Portal, a collection of free information that helps consumers access solar energy and helps businesses navigate complex consumer protection laws.
For consumers, SEIA is releasing an updated Residential Consumer Guide to Solar Power that explains the basics of solar and storage and shares residential financing options, smart shopping tips, and frequently asked questions. In addition, SEIA has updated its factsheets on the Section 25D residential tax credit and California’s net billing program so that consumers can understand how to utilize these incentives to get the most out of their solar installation.
Now that standalone energy storage systems qualify for federal incentives under the IRA, many consumers are also adding batteries to boost resilience and run their homes on solar power around the clock. SEIA’s new resources explain the benefits of solar + storage systems, share information about which systems qualify for the tax credit, and offer advice on the questions consumers should ask when considering a solar + storage system.
For businesses, SEIA has created a Consumer Protection 101 video course that’s part of its flagship Solar 101 Program and is available for free on SEIA’s Online Learning Center. In the coming months, SEIA will also be conducting a comprehensive update to its Consumer Protection Primer, an overview of state and federal laws related to consumer protection in the solar industry.
To make these resources as accessible as possible, SEIA is also in the process of translating the documents in the Consumer Protection Portal to Spanish.
“Solar remains one of the most popular energy sources in America, and these new tools will help even more Americans use solar for the first time,” said Hopper.
TXSES Platinum Business Member Big Sun Solar is helping businesses with their sustainability reporting to help illustrate their commitment to addressing ESG issues and creating long-term value for all stakeholders, attracting customers and employees.
Overall, solar energy can be an effective tool for businesses looking to meet ESG goals. It can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce energy costs, enhance corporate social responsibility and meet regulatory requirements.
As a part of business’s plan to meet ESG goals, businesses will publish annual corporate sustainability reports and Big Sun Solar provides data support for large global reporting projects like carbon disclosure project (CDP), Science Based Target initiative and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) or smaller efforts like local energy benchmarking.
A detailed examination of the Texas wholesale electricity market showed wind and solar power generation saved the state approximately $11 billion in 2022. The report, led by Dr. Joshua Rhodes and produced by Ideasmiths, projects that expanding wind and solar capacity could save Texans between $6.1 billion and $15.2 billion per year. This figure marks a nearly 300% increase from previous years. From 2010 to the end of 2022, wind and solar generation produced $31.5 billion in wholesale electricity savings, benefiting all Texas households.
This value is only expected to grow as wind and solar capacity fill the state’s power grid queue.
From 2018 to 2022, these savings led to an average annual reduction of over $200 in electricity costs for the average Texas household. As wind and solar installation increases, this figure is expected to rise.
Tracking market volume, growth, pricing and equipment trends in over 50 major metro areas in the U.S., Ohm Analytics’ platform aggregates a proprietary database of solar projects in the U.S. based on permit and interconnection data.
According to Ohm, Q1 2023 was characterized by a marked downturn in annualized growth across most southern markets, including key solar states Arizona, Florida, Nevada and Texas.
“The 12% decline is a result of an uncertain macro-economic environment coupled with tightening credit markets,” said Joseph Wyer, Clean Energy and Policy Analyst, Ohm Analytics. “This has really impacted the value of solar in low-cost energy states like Texas,” he said.
Texas cities that have experienced the greatest reduction in residential building permits are: Grand Prairie (-53%); Arlington (-37%); Mesquite (-36%); Houston (-22%); and San Antonio (-20%). To accommodate this fluid environment, sales organizations shifted their focus on higher growth markets in the northeast where despite an increase in consumer’s monthly system payments, those costs are still well below a consumer’s monthly utility costs.
What’s the outlook for the remainder of 2023?
“Credit impacts, like higher interest rates, increased dealer and installer fees, will continue to create headwinds through 2023,” said Wyer. Rising utility rates and adoption of third-party ownership as an alternative to financing will help drive a partial recovery.
Looking ahead to 2024, Ohm Analytics still sees strong fundamentals in the Texas market for long-term growth based on consumer demand for resiliency amidst a backdrop of rising utility rates.
