Top 10 Blog Posts of 2022
The year’s most popular blog posts addressed rooftop solar policy and the path to electrifying homes and transportation.
The widespread adoption of solar energy by California households led the state’s policymakers to examine whether residents are reaping unfair and unsustainable benefits for their clean energy investments. The California Public Utilities Commission issued a decision last week modifying the state’s solar rates. In the year leading up to the CPUC’s decision, readers came to the Energy Institute Blog to find analysis of policy proposals and recommendations for reform, putting solar-related posts at the top of the list.
Beyond the source of renewable electricity, the next frontier of mass market energy policy is focused on convincing households and businesses to move away from the direct combustion of natural gas in homes, and gasoline and diesel in vehicles. Many of the year’s most popular blog posts examined aspects of the electrification challenge. The impact of electrification on the distribution grid, home heating and cooling decisions, challenges faced by renters, pollution from vehicle charging, and even electric bikes were all addressed in popular blog posts.
Thank you for reading the Energy Institute Blog and sharing your favorite (or least favorite) posts with colleagues.
We wish you happy and healthy holidays! See you in 2023!
1. Everyone Should Pay a “Solar Tax” by James Bushnell, 2/14/22
Monthly connection fees are good for the climate.
2. California’s Misguided Rooftop Solar Debate by Severin Borenstein, 1/10/22
The goal should be equitably saving the planet, not growing one industry.
3. Myths that Solar Owners Tell Themselves by Severin Borenstein, 6/5/22
Reaching into the e-mailbag to address some unhappy blog readers.
4. What Will Electrification Cost (the Distribution System)? by Meredith Fowlie, 6/27/22
Coming soon to a feeder near you.
5. Fighting Climate Change with Heat Pumps by Duncan Callaway and Meredith Fowlie, 9/6/22
Heat pumps are cool. When new refrigerant regulations take hold, they’ll be much cooler.
6. How High Did California’s Electricity Prices Get? by Lucas Davis, 9/12/22
Wholesale electricity prices soared during California’s September heat wave.
7. Electric Vehicles for Renters: Getting Landlords to Act by Andrew Campbell, 1/18/22
My experience managing a rental property illustrates barriers to electric vehicle charging and ways to overcome them.
8. How Many U.S. Households Don’t Have Air Conditioning? by Lucas Davis, 8/15/22
With rising adoption, nearly 90% of American homes have air conditioning, but almost 30% in California are still without it.
9. If the Grid is Getting Greener, How Can EVs Be Driving Dirtier? by Meredith Fowlie, 4/11/22
And what does this mean for our vehicle electrification goals?
10. Swedish E-Bikes by Lucas Davis, 4/25/22
Uppmärksamhet! New research digs into the economics of ebikes.
Keep up with Energy Institute blog posts, research, and events on Twitter @energyathaas.
Suggested citation: Campbell, Andrew. “Top 10 Blog Posts of 2022” Energy Institute Blog, UC Berkeley, December 19, 2022, https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2022/12/19/top-10-blog-posts-of-2022/
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Andrew G Campbell View All
Andrew Campbell is the Executive Director of the Energy Institute at Haas at the University of California, Berkeley. At the Energy Institute, Campbell serves as a bridge between the research community, and business and policy leaders on energy economics and policy.
Energy Institute Blog 
If utilities make grid connection unprofitable for the rooftop solar panel owner, then disconnecting from the grid and adding batteries is the next best choice as off-grid systems are viable and profitable still in California. I know because have one and it has beaten the utility prices now for 15 years.