Renewable Energy

Batteries are becoming a popular add-on to solar systems thanks to the extra benefits they can offer for solar system buyers. Batteries offer backup power benefits when the grid goes down, increases the usefulness of off-grid systems, and improves solar economics if you have less than ideal net metering policies or time-of-use (TOU) rates.

There’s a lot of buzz around Boston-based Sistine Solar, and for good reason: their product allows homeowners to customize how their solar installation actually looks on the roof of their home.

In this week’s Solar News Roundup, we check out a new industry report on energy storage’s big 2017 and promising 2018, plus New York’s ringing endorsement of community solar and a clean energy future.

As one of the largest solar companies based in the United States, chances are you’ve heard of First Solar. Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, this company has been in the news recently, in part due to the unique solar product they manufacture.

If you want to make sure your solar panel system is operating as efficiently as possible, you are probably considering either power optimizers or microinverters (collectively known as “module level power electronics,” or MLPEs).

When you’re evaluating your solar options, there are a lot of factors to take into account. Price, of course, is key, whether you’re paying out of pocket or financing monthly payments with a lease or loan.

A solar panel system will last you 30 to 35 years. In that time, your solar panels will generate plenty of savings on your electric bills.

My wife and I purchased a house in Vermont in the summer of 2017. After searching throughout New England for nearly a year, we decided on a three-bedroom “ski chalet” style home, located in the southern section of Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest and near ski mountains, lakes and hiking trails.

According to a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the key to driving down the overall cost of solar implementation may lie in targeting property owners considering new roofs or entirely new construction.

In this week’s Solar News Roundup, we explore the massive price drop in high-efficiency solar panels over the past year, plus an early indication that solar battery systems are a viable solution for peak electricity demand.