The shift away from fossil fuels like oil towards reliance on renewables like solar will be decisive in many nations during the 2020s. By the end of this decade, the energy sources in use across the world will be far greener than they are today. There’s no controversy about this contention. Where common agreement becomes hard to find surrounds how soon such a shift should happen, and how many nations will have made a decisive shift by the end of
Tampa Electric Co. will ask regulators for a rate increase. Pictured is the company’s Tampa headquarters. | [JAMES BORCHUCK | Times ] Malena Carollo Published Feb. 2 Tampa Electric Co. plans to ask regulators for a rate increase to cover new solar projects. In a notice to regulators this week, the Hillsborough County power company said it will ask for permission to charge customers between $280 and $295 million starting in 2022. If approved, customers’ rates will increase to an estimated
July 5, 2018
Reading Time: 5 minutes The Golden State has always been a front-runner when it comes to solar energy. California is consistently ranked as the top state for solar when it comes to both jobs and installed capacity. Much of their original growth in solar has been due to the California Solar Initiative (CSI). Enacted in 2006, CSI was designed to provide upfront rebates for residential and commercial property owners purchasing solar panel systems. The rebates were available
Reading Time: 2 minutes In this week’s Solar News Roundup, Bill Gates’ energy fund Breakthrough Energy Ventures is in discussions with Alphabet to fund a new energy storage project, plus Massachusetts joins the growing list of states looking to set the bar at 100% renewable energy. Google’s parent company Alphabet is in discussions with Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures to fund a molten-salt storage project Alphabet is currently in discussions with Breakthrough Energy Ventures to expand on an
June 28, 2018
Reading Time: 5 minutes Once solar panels are set up on a property, they’ve relatively maintenance free. This is because the majority of solar panel systems have no moving parts; as long as they’re receiving sunlight and the products aren’t faulty, they will be a reliable source of electricity for 25 to 30 years. Because of their ease of use, most people don’t think about the actual setup of a solar panel system. What parts are required?
June 21, 2018
Reading Time: 5 minutes Many homeowners use their sheds for storage, greenhouses, or as a workspace, but have you ever considered your shed as a potential spot for a solar panel installation? Here are some questions to get you started if you’re looking into a solar shed option. Is the roof of your shed suitable for panels? One question you need to ask yourself is whether the roof of your shed is
June 20, 2018
Reading Time: 5 minutes Upsolar is a global solar panel manufacturer, established in 2006. Though they started out in China, the company manufactures panels in a variety of regions, including the U.S., Europe, and Asia. In addition to manufacturing solar panel equipment, Upsolar also provides solar loans and develops large-scale solar projects. Though relatively new to the market, Upsolar panels are becoming an increasingly popular option with shoppers on the
Reading Time: 2 minutes In this week’s Solar News Roundup, Trump’s panel tariff leads to cancellations and delays for large scale solar installations, and China has started testing solar panel roads with the help of Pavenergy. Trump’s tariff on imported solar products already causes up to $2.5 billion in losses Since the Trump administration levied a tariff on solar imported products in January 2018, many have been wondering what
June 14, 2018
Reading Time: 5 minutes More and more often, new technology in the solar industry is geared towards making installations as aesthetically pleasing as possible. This was SunPower’s motivation for their Equinox home solar energy solution, which was first introduced in 2016. This solar solution is an all-in-one packaged system where every component is made by SunPower. It’s designed to be as sleek as possible on rooftops by hiding parts of the solar
June 7, 2018
Reading Time: 5 minutes Solar technology continues to advance as time goes on, especially in the field of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Lately, solar shingles and solar tile technologies have become an increasingly popular offering from installers, and many large companies like Tesla are tailoring their offerings to include these specialized installations. When Tesla first announced their solar roof tiles in 2016, it was
