Barriers and incentives to solar energy development. An analysis of legal and institutional issues in the northeast

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6151441· OSTI ID:6151441

Wallenstein, A. R.

The legal and institutional barriers and incentives to commercializing alternate energy sources are analyzed with particular emphasis on solar energy. The laws that constitute either legal barriers or possible incentives in the commercialization of solar energy in the nine states served by the Northeast Solar Energy Center are detailed. Each barrier or incentive is briefly described in conceptual terms and then each issue area is analyzed in detail, within the context of the law of the nine states in the Region. An analysis is given of Federal patterns of spending and subsidy. The section also addresses life-cycle costing, the problem of obtaining loans and insurance, DOE patent regulation issues, and briefly describes potential Federal and state financial sources for solar energy development. Consumer Protection and Business Regulation discusses laws in the nine-state region that address product and tort liability, warranty protection, consumer credit, consumer protection, trade and business regulation statutes, and equipment certification and product standards problems. Solar Access and Building Siting and Structural Regulations focus on zoning, land use, sun and wind access, and building codes and inspection problems. Public utility regulations, state energy solar office enabling legislation, and labor jurisdiction questions are covered. The public utilities chapter includes a number of cases where solar energy rates and wind power buy-back questions are discussed. Accompanying tables indicate that it might be possible for solar energy to receive lower utility charges rather than the higher discriminatory charges that have been feared. The possibility of jurisdictional disputes among labor unions over solar energy unit installation projects, and inter-union agreement concerning allocation of solar energy work is also explored.

• Research Organization: Northeast Solar Energy Center, Cambridge, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6151441
• Report Number(s): NESEC-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400* -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
299001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Solar-- (1989-)
BUILDING CODES
CENTRAL REGION
CONNECTICUT
CONSUMER PROTECTION
COST
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
FINANCING
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
LAWS
LEGAL ASPECTS
LEGISLATION
LIFE-CYCLE COST
MAINE
MASSACHUSETTS
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH ATLANTIC REGION
PENNSYLVANIA
POWER
PUBLIC UTILITIES
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
REGULATIONS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RHODE ISLAND
SOLAR ENERGY
USA
VERMONT
WIND POWER