Author Archives: emily

The SolarEdge Energy Bank complete review

SolarEdge has long been a leader in the solar industry, offering some of the most popular inverters and DC power optimizers worldwide. In October 2021, the company made a big announcement: in addition to an upgraded version of their Energy Hub Inverter, they launched their own home battery solution – the Energy Bank. These new product launches are part of SolarEdge’s new home energy solution called SolarEdge Home, designed to easily integrate solar-plus-storage with a number of SolarEdge smart home devices, including the SolarEdge Home Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger. 

Storage is an integral part of the transition to smart electric homes and SolarEdge is joining the growing list of companies to release new solar battery technology. So how does SolarEdge’s Energy Bank differ from these companies and what makes it unique?

Continue reading →

Tesla Solar Roof: the complete review

In October 2019, Tesla Motors announced the launch of Tesla Solar Roof V3, the company’s third version of its integrated solar glass shingle. Among several updates, version three included larger tiles, lower production costs, increased power density, and an easier installation process. Additionally, the total number of parts in the product was decreased. Tesla predicted that these changes would significantly reduce the cost of the product; however, the company has continued to struggle with expediting its solar roof installations.

Continue reading →

Key takeaways from COP26

Earlier this month, leaders from nations across the world gathered in Glasgow, Scotland to discuss a critical subject: climate change. While COP26 was originally scheduled for last fall, due to COVID-19, it was pushed out to this year. But, there were still some notable figures missing from the summit: President Xi Jinping of China, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, and President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil all decided to skip the trek to Scotland this year. Although some have deemed the conference a success, others have noted that while it contained many promises, it lacked plans for concrete actions. So, what were some of these key initiatives discussed at COP26? 

Continue reading →

EnergySage’s Community Solar Marketplace vs. CleanChoice Energy’s Clean Electricity: which is right for you?

While rooftop solar is a great way to lower your electric bill and support clean energy, it leaves out a key group of people: renters. According to the most recent Census Bureau data from 2019, renters encompass about 36 percent of households in the United States – and that number doesn’t include homeowners who don’t have full control over their roof because they live in a multi-family dwelling. If you fall into this category, the good news is that solutions exist for you to support clean energy, and some will even save you money. In this article, we’ll compare two alternatives to utility electricity: EnergySage’s Community Solar Marketplace (herein referred to as community solar) and CleanChoice Energy’s Clean Electricity (which we’ll call Clean Electricity). 

Continue reading →

Home batteries for renters: what are plug-in batteries?

Whether you’re looking to lower your electricity usage during peak electricity hours or have a backup power supply in the case of an outage, home batteries are becoming increasingly popular. However, most energy storage systems require installation and electrical wiring, making it difficult for people who rent or own a condo to take advantage of these benefits. Some companies have recently acknowledged this gap, launching plug-in battery solutions that don’t require installation by an electrician – this is making home batteries more accessible to everyone, regardless of whether you have access to your main electrical panel. 

Continue reading →

How much does it cost to charge a Tesla? EV vs. gas fuel comparison

If you’re considering purchasing a Tesla, one of the top things on your mind is probably how much you’ll pay to charge it. You’re likely familiar with how much it costs to fill up a tank of gas, but charging an electric vehicle (EV) battery is a whole new ballgame! In this article, we’ll explain how much you should expect to pay to charge your Tesla and how this compares to comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) – AKA gas-powered – vehicles. We’ll also walk you through some of the major factors that will impact the cost of charging your Tesla. (Spoiler alert: the best way to lower the cost is to go solar!)

Continue reading →

We read Q CELLS’ warranty so you don’t have to

Let’s face it – warranties aren’t the easiest (or most gripping) documents to read. There are often a lot of details and fine print included that can be hard to digest, leaving many to wonder: what does the warranty actually cover? Am I vulnerable? Anything I might be missing?

To make it as easy as possible, we’ve read warranty documents for the top solar equipment manufacturers–and talked to them to confirm what is and isn’t included–and plan to point out the most important aspects of each in a series of articles. In this article, we’ll explain the warranty of one of the largest solar panel manufacturers in the world: Q CELLS. 

Continue reading →

How to compare solar panel warranties in 2022

If you think comparing solar panel warranties is confusing, you’re certainly not alone. Even if you take the time to sift through pages of dense documentation, understanding the differences in warranties across the various manufacturers can feel like comparing apples to oranges! We sat down with some of the top solar panel companies to better understand their individual warranties, and to get a feel for the key warranty factors to be on the look out for. To help you compare different company’s warranties, we developed a scoring system that allows you to compare different options head to head. In this article, we’ll explain our scoring system and break down how each of the companies stack up against one another.

Continue reading →

We read REC’s warranty so you don’t have to

Let’s face it – warranties aren’t the easiest (or most gripping) documents to read. There are often a lot of details and fine print included that can be hard to digest, leaving many to wonder: what does the warranty actually cover? Am I vulnerable? Anything I might be missing?

To make it as easy as possible, we’ve read warranty documents for the top solar equipment manufacturers–and talked to them to confirm what is and isn’t included–and plan to point out the most important aspects of each in a series of articles. In this article, we’ll be breaking down the warranty of one of the industry-leading solar panel companies: REC.

Continue reading →