Photovoltaic Commercialization: an Analysis of Legal Issues Affecting a Government-Accelerated Solar Industry

Photovoltaic Commercialization: An Analysis Of Legal Issues Affecting A Government-Accelerated Solar Industry by David Lamm. This study examines five legal issues that could slow the commercialization of photovoltaic (PV) technologies and the Department of Energy's (DOE) accelerated program to reduce PV costs. It discusses solar access rights, building code impacts, manufacturer and installer warranties, utility interconnection obligations, and rate policies, all in relation to the Photovoltaics Program Multi-Year Plan (MYPP). The report details how solar access laws, zoning, and easements influence PV market penetration; the need for PV-specific performance standards and building code conformity; how warranties (Magnuson-Moss and U.C.C. implied and express warranties) affect financing and pricing; and how PURPA, interconnection provisions, and PURPA Section 210 guidance shape utility behavior. It also outlines MYPP’s four target markets—international/remote, mid-term, residential/intermediate, and central station—and the price milestones projected to achieve commercial readiness by the mid- to late-1980s.