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South Carolina Solar Energy News – January Edition

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The following article contains important news about solar & renewable energy in South Carolina from the month of January 2018. Contact the Southeast’s leading solar company Southern Current to learn about saving money by powering your home or business with clean, unlimited solar energy.

January News Solar Energy In South Carolina

PV Magazine USA: Tariffs on imported solar materials approved by U.S. ITC

Panels are the single largest expense in a solar installation and a new 30% tariff will raise prices of the overall system. This tariff could result in a $2,000-$2,500 increase on a typical 10 kW residential installation. Southern Current will continue to work hard to minimize the economic impact of this tariff on our customers. One way Southern Current is achieving this goal is by maintaining our current pricing while we still have a supply of pre-tariff panels in inventory. To learn more please contact us at 843.277.2090

Congressman Mark Sanford visited the Southern Current office in January

Above: Sanford (left) poses with Southern Current’s Stephanie Dohn, Director of Government Relations and Jon Downey, President

“One of the largest economic drivers in rural South Carolina is solar, as developers are investing billions of dollars in new infrastructure, creating millions of dollars in new tax revenue, and providing a diversified source of income that is critical to farmers. South Carolina should be looking to innovative companies like Southern Current who have proven to be competitive in a non-competitive market by providing the lowest cost power to our grid.” -Congressman Mark Sanford

The Post and Courier: Solar companies ask new S.C. Energy Caucus to lift cap on residential solar

Bret Sowers, vice president of development and strategy with Southern Current, asked state lawmakers on a new Energy Caucus to consider solar-friendly legislation.

Solar companies see opportunity as the South Carolina Legislature continues to wrestle with the cancellation of two unfinished nuclear reactors at V.C. Summer station in Fairfield County. A new legislative energy caucus met for the first time in January, and Southern Current’s Bret Sowers asked state lawmakers to repeal a law saying no more than 2 percent of the state’s electricity production can come from solar panels on residential properties.

Southern Current Blog: Employees complete week-long solar safety training

 

Members of the Southern Current solar installation team recently wrapped up a week-long course designed to enhance the care and safety taken on job sites. The program was 100% voluntary, meaning no local, state, or other authorities ordered this training to occur. Learn about the safety training on our Blog.

Save Money With Solar Energy In South Carolina

Southern Current is proud to be one of the top Solar Installers in the Southeast. Thanks to the numerous Solar Rebates & Incentives that are currently available, there’s never been a more affordable time to create your own energy! View the Southern Current Solar Panel Installation Portfolio to see projects we’ve completed in your area, or Contact Us to request information about a solar panel installation for your home or business and see how much you can save with solar.

 

South Carolina Solar Energy News – December Edition

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The following article contains important news about solar & renewable energy in South Carolina from the month of December. Contact the Southeast’s leading solar company Southern Current to learn about saving money by powering your home or business with clean, unlimited solar energy.

December News Solar Energy In South Carolina

TheTandD: 550 acre solar farm planned near Bowman

Our friends at Cypress Creek Renewables are investing $115 million dollars to build a 75-megawatt solar farm near Bowman! Scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2019, the project will generate power from sunlight which will be sold to South Carolina Electric & Gas and to help the utility serve customers during periods of high demand.

Southeast Energy News: Solar industry says $5.6B in Southeast projects threatened by tariff

An industry analysis says as much as $5.6 billion in solar investments and nearly 15,000 jobs in four Southeast states would be at risk if President Trump places tariffs on imported solar panels. The report supports a claim made earlier this month by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who told the U.S. Trade Representative that “any increase in solar panel prices will destroy billions of dollars’ worth of investment and result in thousands of job losses” in the state.

Join us in fighting together to protect the 370,000+ Americans who work in solar by contacting the Trump Administration and voicing your opposition to solar tariffs.

 

PV Magazine USA: SCEG hits solar goal three years early

In December local utility South Carolina Electric & Gas announced they had reached their goal of building 42 MW of utility-scale solar capacity three years ahead of schedule (original timeline called for projects to be commissioned by 2020). The achievement was celebrated on December 5th in conjunction with the commissioning of a new 1.62 MW Otarre Solar Park in Cayce.

A special solar net metering offer is available for SCE&G customers who add solar panels to their homes.

Southern Current Blog: End-of-Year Promo for Going Solar

Southern Current is now offering a special $500 Gift Card for customers who finalize contracts before the end of the year! Going solar offers a lifetime of rewards including lower power bills, higher home value, and numerous environmental benefits.

Save Money With Solar Energy In South Carolina

Southern Current is proud to be one of the top Solar Installers in the Southeast. Thanks to the numerous Solar Rebates & Incentives that are currently available, there’s never been a more affordable time to create your own energy! View the Southern Current Solar Panel Installation Portfolio to see projects we’ve completed in your area, or Contact Us to request information about a solar panel installation for your home or business and see how much you can save with solar.

 

Coalitions Speak Out Against Solar Power ‘Death Wish’

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Southern Current is against tariffs on solar imports, and you should be too. As we previously wrote in September, the bail-out of these two foreign owned solar manufacturers (who have already declared bankruptcy) would would do more harm than good, resulting in higher costs to the consumer and as many as 80,000 job cuts from domestic manufacturers, while benefiting only a select group of investors.

Most solar companies and utilities oppose these tariffs because they would kill sales and installation jobs and stifle the booming development of America’s solar energy sector.

Below are some quotes and news snippets on this very important topic that we have compiled from around the web:

“Two foreign failed solar companies – one owned by offshore hedge funds the other backed by a foreign royal family – are attempting to manipulate our trade laws by asking President Trump to increase the cost of solar panels by a government mandate. Taxpayers should not have to bail-out one foreign-owned company only for their foreign financiers to get another payout.” -Fox News Host Sean Hannity

“They failed to create a business model that’s competitive in the United States, they’ve gone bankrupt, and now what they want to do is add an artificial cost to an industry that’s working just fine.” –North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis

“The more I read about this, the more outrageous it sounds. There are two foreign-owned companies who are pushing to greatly increase the tariffs on these key solar panels that would really cripple the solar industry in America.” –Syndicated Radio Host Michael Medved

“These two companies, they’re the only ones filing this claim. The entire rest of the solar industry is against them, saying that if you increase the price of these panels, you’re going to crush demand, it’ll threaten jobs throughout the entire industry. There are a lot of U.S. manufacturing jobs at risk here.” –Syndicated Radio Host Mike Gallagher

“Make no mistake: Tariffs would directly harm U.S. national security and needlessly put the lives of American troops at risk.” –Retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general Norman R. Seip

Southern Current is a member of the Energy Trade Action Coalition, a large, bipartisan group that includes solar companies, utilities, members of Congress, governors, and leading think-tanks.

Join us in fighting together to protect the 370,000+ Americans who work in solar by contacting the Trump Administration and voicing your opposition to solar tariffs.

South Carolina Solar Energy News – September Edition

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The following article contains important news about solar & renewable energy in South Carolina from the month of September. Contact the Southeast’s leading solar company Southern Current to learn about saving money by powering your home or business with clean, unlimited solar energy.

September News About Solar Energy In South Carolina

The Post And Courier: Reject Solar Panel Tariffs

Leaders from South Carolina’s booming solar industry are calling on President Trump to reject an International Trade Commission ruling to levy tariffs on imported solar panels. Most solar companies and utilities oppose tariffs because they would kill jobs — most are in sales and installation, not manufacturing — and stifle utility-scale solar farms. An independent analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory found residential prices would jump 15 percent if tariffs are imposed.

The Times And Democrat: SCE&G Recognized For Solar Programs

South Carolina Electric & Gas was recognized by the South Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance for leadership and success in developing solar energy programs. SCCEBA cited SCE&G’s overall success with implementing its solar programs in accordance with the state’s Distributed Energy Resource Program Act of 2014 (Act 236) and the utility’s efforts to embrace solar energy as a part of its electric generation portfolio as reasons for the award. A number of incentives, rebates, and solar programs are available from SCE&G, all of which make switching to solar more compelling and financially lucrative.

Fast Company: During Irma’s Power Outages, Houses Kept Lights On With Solar, Batteries

The rise of new home battery storage products like the Tesla Powerwall is changing how robust a solar install can be. Solar systems typically shut down when there is a grid outage, like when Hurricane Irma struck and disrupted power to millions of homeowners in the Southeast. But new advances in battery technologies, and lower costs, are allowing solar users to keep lights and refrigeration on when there is an outage.

The Gazette: Renewable Energy Celebrated At Darlington Raceway

Darlington Raceway’s notorious turn four was painted green to honor the track’s renewable energy effort during a recent race weekend. “We are proud the say that our Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Bojangles’ Southern 500 race weekend will be 100 percent powered by green energy thanks to Pee Dee Electric Cooperative and Santee Cooper,” said track president Kerry Tharp. “Darlington Raceway takes great pride in being a facility that is powered by green energy.” The track is powered from clean, renewable sources such as solar, wind and methane gas emitted from landfills under a green power production program offered by Santee Cooper.  A special solar incentive for homeowners is also offered by Santee Cooper to encourage its customers to go green.

Save Money With Solar Energy In South Carolina

Southern Current is proud to be one of the top solar installers in the Southeast. Thanks to the numerous South Carolina solar rebates & incentives that are currently available, there’s never been a more affordable time to create your own energy! View the Southern Current Solar Panel Installation Portfolio to see projects we’ve completed in your area, or Contact Us to request information about a solar panel installation for your home or business and see how much you can save with solar.