The Honeydew Blog
Key Energy News from the DMV and Beyond
Explaining the DC BEPS (Building Energy Performance Standards)
As a property owner or manager in District of Columbia, the most important new regulatory system you should be aware of for 2021 is the Building Energy Performance Standards or BEPS. BEPS was a major aspect of the 2018 Clean Energy DC Omnibus Act and established one...
What does a Biden administration mean for your energy bills?
OK, it’s election season and for the first time this millennium, it looks like we’ve got a President who’s going to get booted out of office after only 4 years. The new Biden administrations will likely have a very different viewpoint on national energy policies. So...
The State of Solar in Montgomery County, MD
By Stewart Lawrence In Montgomery County, Maryland, a progressive jurisdiction where support for renewable energy is widespread, there's been a notable jump in solar installations. In 2010, there were just 150 homes in the county with solar panels. That figure...
EV Charging Solutions for Condos and Apartments
Before we answer what tools are available for building managers to implement EV (Electric Vehicles) charging stations for their communities, we must first answer why they would want to do this in the first place. After all, sales of EVs in the US hit a big slump in...
The Ongoing Battle over Solar Easements
By Stewart Lawrence Washington, DC has embraced solar power in recent years but it remains an epicenter of conflict between solar power advocates and developers. Over a decade ago, the DC city council passed a law that guaranteed solar access for homeowners....
DC Raises Solar Net Metering Limits
Good news coming from the DC Public Service Commission (PSC). A new regulation raises the maximum size of Net Energy Metered (NEM) solar PV systems. For a refresher as to what exactly a NEM system is, take a look at this article we posted a few months ago. Prior to...
Can a UV lighting system prevent the spread of Coronavirus in your building?
by Stewart Lawrence and Andrew Zimdahl Most people are settling in for the long haul with COVID-19. The pandemic is not going away any time soon, and we’ll be living with the aftershocks for years. In fact, the threat of reinfection as the virus evolves...
Where do I recycle electronic waste in Washington, DC?
DC is a national leader in the proper recycling of e-waste. DC enacted the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amendment Act in 2014 that created the eCYCLE DC program with the goal to divert 80% of e-waste away from landfills by 2032. You can recycle your...
Federal Solar ITC Included in New Recovery Bill
by Bobby Monacella of Ipsun Solar This week House Democrats introduced the Moving Forward Act, a sweeping $1.5 trillion package to support long-term economic growth in response to COVID-19. We are so happy to see that the package includes our stated...
DC, Maryland, & Virginia Natural Gas Price Update
It’s been quite a year for energy prices, to put it mildly. The national natural gas spot market, as measured by the Henry Hub spot market, has not been this low in over 20 years. Keep in mind the Henry Hub chart measures current gas prices. Honeydew typically helps...
What is a Green Bank?
By Stewart Lawrence The DC Clean Energy Omnibus bill of 2018 established the creation of a “Green Energy Finance Authority,” or more commonly referred to as a Green Bank. That sounds interesting, but begs some questions: What is a Green Bank? What is its purpose and...
New Coronavirus Disinfection Service for DMV
New disinfection service available to prevent coronavirus transmission in office buildings and multifamily buildings in DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Big Federal LED Rebate for Commercial Buildings: 179D
LEDs have revolutionized lighting. They can produce a wide range of color temperatures using 50% to 90% less electricity than previous generations of lighting. Also, because they last 5-6 times longer than incandescents and fluorescents, you save a considerable amount...
Recession Tips for Property Managers
Following declaration of a global pandemic over the COVID-19 virus and subsequent crash of the stock market, many of us feel like we live in a different world than we did a week ago. In fact, we do not. It’s the same world, I swear! We still have the same...
Take Action for Solar in Virginia!
By Bobby Monnacella @ Ipsun Solar Please help us support two important solar bills currently moving through the Virginia legislature. The Solar Freedom bill and the Clean Economy Act are both important for the future of solar in Virginia, and we need to make sure our...
What to do about Stormwater Fees?
Rainstorms cause flooding and damage properties in areas with high densities of impermeable surfaces in DC. Much of our infrastructure also combines stormwater with sewage, which overflows in our rivers during storms. Stormwater fees are used to help DC avoid this. Clients ask us if Honeydew offers help in controlling DC’s increasing stormwater costs, and we do!
A Deceptively Simple Solution for Carbon Emissions – Use Nature
by Ed Dodge There is a great deal of discussion around putting a price on carbon emissions. Groups like the Citizens Climate Lobby, the Climate Leadership Council, and the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, are actively lobbying for a variety of policies including a...
Maximizing DC SREC Revenue: SREC Broker Comparison (Updated Oct 2024)
Navigating the SREC (Solar Renewable Energy Credit) market in Washington, DC can be tricky, especially with fluctuating prices and varied broker fee structures. For solar system owners in Washington D.C., choosing the right broker can significantly impact annual...