Have you ever come across “flexible solar panels,” or “stick-on solar panels”? Both fit under the wider umbrella of thin-film solar panels, which is a type of solar panel technology known for being lightweight while still producing renewable solar energy. Compared to traditional solar panel cells that have the majority of the market share, thin-film solar panels are made up of electricity-producing layers that are hundreds of times thinner than typical silicon cells.
Continue reading
In 2007, Sunrun launched in San Francisco, CA with their core business model centered around providing power purchase agreements – meaning they own the panels they install on your roof and sell you the power your panels generate. Today, they’ve shifted their strategy and are currently the largest solar installer in the U.S. with about 13 percent of the residential solar market – a feat they reached in large part due to their acquisition of Vivint Solar in 2020, formerly the second largest installer after Tesla. As the solar industry continues to grow, so does the demand for solar-plus-storage systems and Sunrun has also stepped up to meet this opportunity, now offering these systems in most areas of the country.
Continue reading
The amount of solar energy installed in the United States has been growing rapidly in the last few years – in fact, it’s grown by over 20,000% since 2010! As more people start to go solar as a way to save money and as more incentives become available, we’ll continue to see increases in the amount of deployed solar capacity, both in the U.S. and across the globe.
Continue reading
SunPower is one of the most popular solar companies in the US. And, since starting in 1985, the California-based company has expanded into more than 100 countries! In 2019, they began manufacturing panels under a separate company, Maxeon. By the following year, Maxeon spun off and became a fully independent company, manufacturing solar panels in a partnership with SunPower, who continues to provide distributed generation (DG), storage and energy services.
Continue reading
EnergySage was founded in 2009 with a simple mission: to educate and empower homeowners to tap into the environmentally friendly and cost-saving benefits of renewable energy. Having started in the rooftop solar market, we know the demand homeowners have and we know how difficult it can be to find the right installer. That’s why we developed our one-of-a-kind Marketplace to make it easy for anyone to quickly find quotes and get in contact with vetted installers nearby.
Continue reading
Since releasing its first electric car in 2008, Tesla has become a leader in the rapidly growing space of electric vehicles (EVs) – many even consider Tesla responsible for the rise in consumer purchases of EVs! Alternatives to gas powered vehicles continue to gain in popularity: hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EV sales made up over 11% of light duty vehicle sales across the US in the last quarter of 2021.
Continue reading
The solar industry is growing: more people are adding solar panels to their homes and at the same time, are looking to make money by investing in businesses across the solar industry. For investors, the solar industry represents a unique opportunity, encompassing companies across many different sectors including manufacturing, utilities, installation, and technology. With so many companies in this highly profitable emerging space, you may wonder as an investor: what are the most important things to look for when choosing what solar stocks to buy and how can you know what companies are safe to invest in? As with any stock-buying, there are many important factors to consider.
Continue reading
It’s no surprise that the American solar energy industry is expanding: solar prices remain low, and there’s never been an easier time to reap the economic and environmental benefits of going solar. Solar capacity from installations in the U.S. grew 33 percent in Q3 2021 compared to Q3 2020, and we can expect continued rapid growth throughout 2022. However, the exact rate of solar growth in the U.S. will depend on a number of factors, including policy implementation and manufacturing trends. In this article, we’ll examine the state of the solar industry and explain the policies and manufacturing practices that we’re following in 2022.
Continue reading
When searching for the best solar panels for your home, there are many factors to consider including size, weight, and efficiency. As the solar industry continues to grow, so too do the product offerings – there are a variety of different types of solar panels available on the market today, some of which have unique advantages over traditional solar panels. One alternative to conventional panels are amorphous solar panels: thin-film solar panels that are constructed to be bendable while also using less material. In this article, we’ll explain what you need to know about this exciting technology.
Continue reading
