high efficiency solar panels

How to decide if high-efficiency panels are worth the cost

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Reading Time: 5 minutes

High-efficiency solar panels are becoming increasingly popular, and can impact how much solar power you can produce on your roof or property. Given all of the options for high-efficiency products, though, it can be hard to get a feel for how the efficiency of your panels influences the costs you pay for solar. Here’s a quick guide to help you determine if high-efficiency solar panels are worth the added cost when comparing your solar options.

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meet your energy advisor aliza

Meet Your Energy Advisor: Aliza Vaida

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Finding the perfect solar solution isn’t always easy – that’s why EnergySage has a team of Energy Advisors here to help answer any and all of your solar questions. One of our expert advisors is Aliza: we sat down with her to learn more about her time at EnergySage and hear some inside tips for people shopping for solar today.

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500 watt solar panel

Technology updates not to miss: 500-watt panels

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Technology in the solar industry is advancing at a rapid pace. Solar equipment continues to become more powerful and more resilient while becoming less expensive. With so many news stories to track, it can be easy to miss the occasional new technology. But here’s a technology announcement that shouldn’t be missed: Trina Solar just released 500-watt panels. 

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california solar mandate guide

Navigating the California Solar Mandate: a helpful guide to buying a new home with solar panels in California

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Reading Time: 4 minutes

Buying a home is one of the most significant and rewarding decisions you can make. As of January 2020, Californians will have the added exhilaration – and potential stress – of acquiring a rooftop solar panel system at the same time. 

That’s because the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) approved a state-wide mandate requiring most new single-family homes, including multi-family residential buildings up to three stories, to install solar panels. The first-of-its-kind California solar mandate is designed to make new homes in California far more energy-efficient while saving homeowners tens of thousands of dollars on electricity costs.

To help people understand what it means to buy a new home with a solar energy system, EnergySage created the California Solar Mandate Guide: an educational resource for knowing what questions to ask prior to buying a solar-powered home. But before we dive into our tips and suggestions, let us first explain why paying a bit more for your new home just to have solar on it makes a ton of sense. 

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solar panel cost

How much do solar panels cost in the U.S. in 2020?

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Reading Time: 8 minutes

You’ve probably heard about how solar energy can reduce your electricity bills, but what solar panel cost should you expect to see? The easiest way to calculate the average cost of solar panels is to look at its price in dollars per watt ($/W), which is relatively consistent across the United States.

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What are the best solar panels on the market? Complete panel ranking table

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Reading Time: 6 minutes

Finding the best solar panels for your home can feel like a daunting challenge. There are more than a hundred different brands of solar panels and other solar equipment on the market at any given point. In this article, we’ll discuss how solar panel manufacturers stack up to one another, and who makes the best solar panels.

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Pika Energy Harbor Smart Battery system: the complete review

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Reading Time: 6 minutes

Pika Energy is the U.S.-based manufacturer of the Pika Energy Island™ home energy management system. This includes powerful smart batteries, islanding inverters and solar optimizers in one. Notably, Pika Energy partners with Panasonic to produce the Harbor™ smart lithium-ion battery. The Harbor™ is designed to provide extended backup power and maximize your on-site solar energy use.

But how does Harbor Smart Battery measure up against all the other home energy storage options? Read on to learn more about the Pika Energy Harbor Smart Battery’s cost, technology, and warranty coverage.

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generac pwrcell review

The Generac PWRcell home battery complete review

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Reading Time: 7 minutes

In 2019, Generac acquired battery manufacturer Pika Energy, and has since integrated their technology into the launch of their own Generac-branded home storage solution: the Generac PWRcell. Having long been a leader in the backup power space, Generac is now moving into clean energy and energy storage, with the PWRcell line of batteries at the forefront of their new product fleet.

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review solar quotes

How to review solar quotes

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Reading Time: 6 minutes

So you’ve got a few solar quotes from different installers, each with different pricing, equipment and savings estimates – what’s next? With all the information available, comparing solar quotes can be overwhelming, but we’re here to make it as easy as possible. If you’re sitting down to review multiple solar quotes for the first time, here are the most important questions to ask yourself, and the factors to consider as you’re evaluating one solar quote against the another:

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