The Honeydew Blog
Key Energy News from the DMV and Beyond
When Energy Suppliers Go out of Business
Before we delve into the question begged by the title of this article, let’s take a step back and consider what an “energy supplier” is. Most ratepayer’s utility bill is divided between distribution and supply costs. The utility uses distribution fees to maintain and...
What is Pepco’s Plan to Support Solar in DC?
Community solar, or Community Renewable Energy Facilities (CREF) was introduced to the District of Columbia in the Community Renewable Energy Credit Rate Clarification Amendment Act of 2016. Since this time, solar companies attempting to develop CREFs have had to...
Rise of the Climate Sloths
In the ‘90s and the early part of the 21st century, the biggest enablers of climate change were the climate deniers. They insinuated that scientists are motivated by money to lie about the science and liberal politicians used this as a cudgel to gain power. Of course...
Dorian’s Impact on Natural Gas Pricing
Energy commodity prices are notoriously difficult to predict. Unforeseen weather and political factors can dash the conclusions of the most thoughtfully orchestrated economic forecasts. We at Honeydew do not pretend to be experts at economic forecasting. Instead, we...
Honeydew Organizing Young Professionals Network with the DC Chamber of Commerce
Honeydew Energy Advisors has been active at the DC Chamber of Commerce Membership Committee for the past 5 years. Through our participation, we have had the privilege of meeting many political and business leaders in the District. We have also earned exciting...
Maryland: Lock In Electric Rates Before they Increase
On April 8, 2019, in a victory for clean energy and climate policy in Maryland, the General Assembly gave final approval to the Clean Energy Jobs Act. The legislation will transform the way electricity is used in the state, making roof-top solar power and...
What the Green New Deal Means for Washington, DC
By Alice Goldberg Local Policy Contributes to a National Vision Despite the fact that protecting the environment is central to both domestic and foreign policy agendas of young voters, national leaders have been consistently negligent in enacting thorough policies...
NEM vs CREF Solar PV Systems
Net Metered or NEM systems are the most common grid-direct (no batteries) solar PV system. These systems feed power to a single meter. Currently in DC, the total amount of energy the system produces may be no more than the meter consumes over the course of a year. If...
Why have Maryland SREC’s gone up so much recently?
Over the past 10 years, chiropractors have been raking it in from treating whiplash from those watching the Maryland SREC market. In 2009, MD SREC prices rivaled their neighbor DC at $325 per megawatt hour. This value was slashed in half over the next 5 years as the...
What is the DC ‘Solar for All’ Program?
Many critics of the American approach to renewable energy deployment correctly point to its regressive nature. Specifically, the beneficiaries of federal and local subsidies to solar energy systems tend to be wealthy. After all, until recently, you need to own the...
Get Ready for Building Upgrades Mandated by DC Climate Bill
On January 18, Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the “Clean Energy D.C. Omnibus Act of 2018,” a bold climate bill unanimously passed by the D.C.Council on December 18. With 74% of DC's emissions coming from buildings, property owners across the District will soon be required...
What will DC’s New Clean Energy Bill actually do?
On Tuesday, November 27th 2018, DC City Council voted unanimously to move forward the most ambitious bill to combat climate change in the nation. A second vote to bring the The Clean Energy Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 into law will occur later in December, per the...
Have You Overpayed Your Utility Bills for Years?
Most people who work at utility companies are hardworking folks who are deeply committed to their company's missions. Frankly, it's a miracle that these utilities are able to consistently balance supply and demand for energy on the grid at all times. This is easy to...
Examples of ROI on PACE Financed Energy Efficiency Projects
As a building owner or manager, every dollar saved is not only a dollar earned, it's a dollar earned each year for the next 10 to 30 years. We recently completed a detailed energy model of a building in Southeast DC that is applying for a PACE loan (Property Assessed...
Massive LED Rebates in Prince George’s County, Maryland
Prince George’s County recently introduced its Energy Star and Green Leasing Program, offering rebates that can cover up to 100% of LED lighting upgrades. The goal of this program is to facilitate commercial buildings become Energy Star certified, helping them reduce...
Why Have DC SREC Prices Fallen by 15% in the Past Year?
This article explains why DC SREC prices have fallen, despite the fact that the District continues to fall short of it’s renewable energy portfolio standards
First Move on Trump’s Solar Tariff: SunPower to Acquire SolarWorld America
In one of the largest visible effects of the Trump administration's decision to charge tariffs on imported solar modules, SunPower just announced the acquisition of SolarWorld. The tariffs were announced on January 22nd of this year, but had been anticipated by the...
Controlling Your Building’s Heating Expenses
Dealing with snow removal, black ice, and the biting cold of winter is tough. Getting a whopping heating bill at the end of a winter month can feel like insult added to injury. This article outlines a few easy ways to control heating costs giving property managers...