In this week’s Solar News Roundup, the U.S. utility solar pipeline hits a new high watermark, and California boosts battery incentives for homes vulnerable to wildfire-caused power outages.
Continue reading
For the most part, solar panel systems are “set it and forget it,” requiring very little (if any) maintenance over time – but what costs can you potentially encounter after installing your solar panel system? In this article, we’ll discuss four factors that could impact post-installation costs, and what you can do to avoid some of these costs from the get-go.
Continue reading
The electricity system is changing, from the way we generate power to the way we distribute and use it. All grid-tied energy systems are situated either “in front of the meter” or “behind the meter”, and as more and more electric customers take control of their production and usage, it is important to understand the fundamental differences between these two positions on the larger electric grid.
Continue reading
Tesla’s recently announced solar rental program was met with high hopes, as a program with the potential to make solar more accessible to more homeowners. With a sense of how the program works, the question becomes: how do the savings from renting solar panels form Tesla compare to the savings from owning or leasing solar panels?
Continue reading
Community solar is an enticing option for those looking to take advantage of solar energy without installing a system on their own property. As with any energy choice, there are pros and cons to participating in a community solar program. In this article, we’ll dive into some of the primary benefits and potential downsides of community solar, as well as explaining how best to keep them in mind as you compare your options.
Continue reading
Reading Time: 1 minuteIn this week’s Solar News Roundup, Sunrun lands another virtual power plant deal and Connecticut sets its sights on eliminating fossil fuels by 2040.
Reading Time: 4 minutesSolar energy systems are built to last and are designed to produce solar electricity reliably for 25 years or more. In some instances, though, individual components of a solar energy system may malfunction or break altogether. If you’ve installed solar, here’s what to do if your solar inverter fails.
Reading Time: 3 minutesSolar batteries are becoming popular additions to solar energy projects of all scales. When it comes to the way your solar panels, batteries, and inverters are all wired together on your property, there are two main options: alternating current (AC) coupling and direct current (DC) coupling. Both AC and DC coupling have advantages and drawbacks that are dependent on the specifics of your solar plus storage installation.
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe country’s best solar incentive, the federal investment tax credit (ITC), is in the process of winding down. 2019 is the last year you can claim the full 30 percent tax credit. Starting next year, the credit drops to 26 percent, to 22 percent in 2021, and disappears entirely for homeowners in 2022. This impending deadline has prospective solar shoppers rushing to take advantage of the maximum credit while they still can – but how can you make sure you’re eligible for the 30 percent credit?
Reading Time: 4 minutesOne of the most common misconceptions about solar is that people who install panels no longer receive an electricity bill from their utility company. This isn’t true in most cases: the majority of solar panel systems in the U.S. are grid-tied, allowing customers to draw electricity from the grid when their solar panels aren’t producing enough electricity.
privacy secured