Backup Power
We’re in the middle of winter – and there’s some serious precipitation. It’s snowing in much of the country, and California is finally...
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Jan 27, 20171 min read
Carbon Tax
“Pigovian Tax.” If you know what this means, then you can skip this week’s Energy Show on Renewable Energy World. For everyone else...
Jan 20, 20171 min read
Five Easy Ways to Compare Home Solar Proposals
Home solar systems are pretty simple: put some solar panels on your roof, wire them up, get connected by your utility, and enjoy cheap...
Jan 16, 20171 min read
Ten Rooftop Solar Mistakes
Poor installation practices - missed rafters, inadequate safety procedures, etc. Employees who are not properly trained or incentivized -...
Jan 9, 20172 min read
Rooftop Solar Potential in the U.S.
At the center of our solar system, approximately 92.96 million miles away, is a nuclear power plant capable of powering the entire globe....
Jan 3, 20171 min read
Ten Predictions For Rooftop Solar In 2017
Module prices will stay at current low levels. U.S. solar manufacturing will continue to decline. Community solar will struggle to get...
Dec 26, 20161 min read
Solpad with Chris Estes
In 2016, more solar generating capacity was installed than any other fuel source. Because of the low cost of solar-generated electricity,...
Dec 18, 20161 min read
New LED Lightbulbs are Cheap
Looking for those last minute, inexpensive and romantic holiday gifts? Well, two out of three ain’t bad with the new crop of LED...
Dec 12, 20162 min read
I Was Wrong About Peak Oil
We used to worry about the time when the world would start running out of fossil fuels, defined as Peak Oil. The concept of Peak Oil is...
Dec 5, 20161 min read
Concentrating Solar Power with Fred Morse
As technology advances, our favorite science-fiction and spy-thrillers become both laughably more unrealistic and eerily based on truth....
Nov 28, 20162 min read
Community Solar
About 50% of U.S. residents are not great candidates for rooftop solar. They may live in an apartment, they may have a very shaded roof,...
Nov 21, 20161 min read
Solar Under the Trump Administration
Our country had a surprise when Trump was elected as our next President. He takes office in fewer than two months. Compared to his...
Nov 20, 20162 min read
Costs and Savings for Tesla's Solar Shingles
Tesla’s recently announced solar shingles are a great looking and potentially ground-breaking Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV)...
Nov 13, 20163 min read
What We Can Do To Continue Solar Momentum- A Solar Pep Talk
The sun was shining the morning Donald Trump became president-elect. I checked. Solar continues to be the most cost-effective way of...
Nov 7, 20162 min read
Solar Inverters, More Than AC-DC
With so many options for solar inverters, choosing the right one for your home or business can get a little overwhelming. In the way of...
Oct 16, 20161 min read
A Gathering of Solar Pioneers
Scientists at Bell Labs made the first solar cell in 1954. A dozen years later entrepreneurs started installing solar panels on rooftops....
Oct 10, 20162 min read
The Real Cost of Electricity
Electricity is a commodity – indistinguishable regardless of the source (all kwh are the same), available from different suppliers and...
Oct 3, 20162 min read
Electric Utilities Don’t Want Solar on your Roof
Rooftop solar is the cheapest way to generate electricity for your home or business. That’s good for you — but not for your local...
Sep 24, 20161 min read
What Could Go Wrong with your Home Solar System?
Just because you have a worry free warranty on your rooftop solar system doesn’t mean things can’t go wrong. Murphy’s Law — “anything...
Sep 18, 20162 min read
Presidential Energy Politics
We’re in the midst of a bizarre presidential election. And a global energy transition driven by both economics and climate change. So...
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