Author Archives: Jacob Marsh

About Jacob Marsh

Jacob is a researcher and content writer at EnergySage, where he focuses primarily on current issues–and new technology!–in the solar industry. With a background in environmental and geological science, Jacob brings an analytical perspective and passion for conservation to help solar shoppers make the right energy choices for their wallet and the environment. Outside of EnergySage, you can find him playing Ultimate Frisbee or learning a new, obscure board game.

solar o&m plan

Should you get a solar operations and maintenance (O&M) package?

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

For many, solar panel systems are mostly a “set it and forget it” investment, requiring very little maintenance over the 25+ years. However, if you’re looking for extra peace of mind, one upgrade to consider is a solar operations and maintenance (O&M) package. Simply put, O&M packages are essentially protection plans for your solar investment. You can think of them as a sort of “homeowner’s insurance” for your solar panels; if a tree falls on a portion of your house, a home insurance plan will likely cover a large portion of the repair costs –  the same is true of solar energy system repairs under O&M plans.

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sonnen ecolinx review

The sonnen ecoLinx home battery complete review

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Reading Time: 6 minutes

Battery maker sonnen’s “luxury” battery offering – the ecoLinx – is more than just an energy storage device: the ecoLinx syncs your entire property’s energy usage together to efficiently and intelligently manage how you use energy in your home, all without disrupting your lifestyle. Especially when combined with a solar energy system, the sonnen ecoLinx is a powerful and smart home energy management system. (Note: check out our review of sonnen’s other primary product line–the eco–here.)

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Zero-down solar financing options: which is best for you?

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Installing solar at your home or business has significant financial benefits. In many cases, you can choose a zero down solar financing option and install your system without paying any money up front, leading to instant savings. In this article, we will examine the various options for $0 down solar and the merit of each option.

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agm solar batteries

AGM batteries for solar: what you need to know

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries have traditionally been used as car batteries, but in certain cases, they can be a solid choice as an energy backup system or paired with solar panels. In this article, we’ll discuss what AGM batteries are, and when they might be the right choice for you.

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eguana storage system

The Eguana Evolve home battery complete review

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Reading Time: 7 minutes

Eguana is a 20-year-old battery company based out of Alberta. Their battery systems use the same reliable cores as LG Chem’s RESU line, so you know you’re getting tested quality and performance reliability in a home battery. One of their more recent products, the Eguana Evolve, is becoming an increasingly popular addition to solar panel systems across the country.

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solar operations and maintenance

Solar O&M plans and providers

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

For most, a solar installation is a “set-and-forget” investment, but not always: problems may come up with your system over time, from damaged panels to faulty wiring and more. You may have heard of “operations and maintenance,” or O&M, plans designed to help catch problems as they come up and fix them quickly so you can keep generating free energy from the sun. In this article, we’ll take a look at what O&M providers actually do, different types of monitoring and panel maintenance plans, and who the major providers in the space are.

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