The solar industry has seen rapid growth over the past decade, and a major contributing factor has been the surge in solar farms popping up across the globe. In this article, we’ll explain the different types of solar farms, how much they cost and how to start one.
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How many solar batteries do I need?
Solar batteries are becoming more and more common for individual homeowners, and just like solar panels, the exact battery installation you should get depends on your unique situation and what you want to get out of energy storage. The question “how many solar batteries do I need?” doesn’t have a straightforward answer – in this article, we’ll outline the major factors that contribute to the size of a battery system, and around how large your solar battery setup should be.
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Monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar panels: what you need to know
When you evaluate solar panels for your photovoltaic (PV) system, you will encounter two main categories of panel options: monocrystalline solar panels (mono) and polycrystalline solar panels (poly). Both types of panels produce energy from the sun, but there are some key differences to be aware of.
Continue readingTesla Powerpack: what you need to know
The Tesla ecosystem is full of innovative energy products, from cars to solar roof tiles and more. One of Tesla’s lesser-known offerings is the Powerpack, a commercial-scale battery storage system designed to help large electricity users save money and control their energy usage.
Continue readingWhat is a solar generator and is it right for you?
Solar isn’t just for rooftops – you can use portable solar products like solar generators as a backup power source if the grid goes down, or as a source of electricity for your campsite, RV, or boat. But what is a solar generator exactly? And how does it compare with typical fossil-fuel powered generators? In this article, we’ll break down the key things you need to know about solar generators so you can decide if they’re right for you!
Continue readingWhat is solar energy?
Solar energy is energy from the sun, and it’s the most abundant energy resource on Earth. Solar power can be captured and used in several ways, primarily to generate electrical or thermal energy for homes, businesses, utilities, and more. Solar power is a renewable resource, and as such, is a critical part of our clean energy future.
Continue readingSolar panel recycling: what you need to know
Solar panels have a lifetime of about 30 years. With the increasing number of solar panels being sold and installed in the U.S. each year, it’s only a matter of time before high volumes of panels are at the end of their useful life and have to be disposed. Solar panel recycling is still at an early stage, but as the solar market continues to expand, recycling processes will have an increasingly important role to play.
Continue readingRecycling solar batteries and electric car batteries: what you need to know about lithium-ion battery recycling
Electric vehicles (EVs) are all the rage – and might just be the centerpiece to the clean energy revolution. There’s a catch, however. Along with all of those electric cars comes an equal amount of lithium-ion batteries to power them, and recycling those batteries is a complicated, but necessary, problem to solve. What’s more, home batteries like the Tesla Powerwall are usually made of very similar materials to EV batteries, so there’s even more to recycle.
Similar to solar panel recycling, it’s expensive and difficult to separate out the components of a lithium-ion battery to the point where they can be recycled and reused. Nowadays, lithium-ion battery recycling exists, but not nearly on the scale and at the efficiency we need it to as batteries become more and more popular.
Continue readingTesla’s shift to LFP batteries: why it matters
In 2020, Tesla announced that they would be manufacturing their Model 3 cars in China using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, moving away from their traditional nickel-based chemistries they use in US-based car manufacturing. Tesla doubled down on their bet on iron batteries in the spring of 2021, announcing intent to use LFP batteries in their grid-scale energy storage solution: the Megapack.
Continue readingAre flexible solar panels right for you in 2022?
Solar panel technology is rapidly advancing every year, and new developments like flexible solar panels are constantly being released and improved upon. Compared to traditional solar panels, these panels can have a lightweight design, are able to be used for applications like charging devices and can be used independent of the electric grid. Read on to learn what flexible solar panels are, as well as how they compare to standard photovoltaic cells.
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