The IREC Blog

Washington, D.C. (March 24, 2023) — The national SolSmart program is expanding to help 500 more cities, towns, counties, and regional organizations strengthen local solar energy markets, achieve energy equity goals, and encourage economic growth. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the SolSmart program offers expert technical assistance at no cost to help local...

On Nov. 14, Minnesota became the first state to officially integrate the recently updated IEEE Standard 1547™-2018 into its statewide interconnection regulations when the Minnesota Public Service Commission adopted a new statewide technical standards document, known as the Technical Interconnection and Interoperability Requirements (TIIR). As part of their ruling, and heeding IREC’s recommendation, the Commission determined that the Distributed Generation Working Group will need to address a number of important near-term implementation details to ensure a smooth rollout of the standards.

If you think online training has to be dry and boring, think again. Launched today by IREC is new online interactive video solar training for local code officials, which developers say has a “This Old House” approach.

Rep. Paul Tonko today was presented with a 2017 Energy Hero Award by IREC, represented by IREC President/CEO Larry Sherwood, along with program directors from the national not-for-profit.

IREC’s Updated Catalog Helps States Navigate Models for Shared Renewable Energy By Sara Baldwin Auck Director of IREC’s Regulatory Program The national landscape for state shared renewable energy programs is growing quickly. That’s great news from where we sit, after creating the first model rules for shared renewables in 2009 (updated in 2013), and working...

While millions of Americans can more easily, safely and affordably access renewable sustainable energy today because of our collaborative successes over the last three decades, the current environment in which we operate elevates the need for IREC’s continued leadership. Our unique, critically important work must continue – in your state and mine and across the U.S. And to meet these amplified challenges head on, we need your help more than ever.

IREC and the International Association of Fire Fighters have teamed up to create online, interactive solar PV training for fire service professionals. Support for this training comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative. Designed by experts from the solar industry and the fire service, the training guides learners through the process of identifying the...