Inverters are an integral part of all solar systems – and the options available to homeowners and business owners continue to expand. One such option is GoodWe, a leading manufacturer of solar and storage inverters globally, with almost 400,000 inverters currently online. GoodWe is a global company, with call centers spanning across eight separate countries. Recently, they entered the United States market, providing inverters for residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar installations. To learn more about GoodWe and the products they offer, we asked them a series of questions – here’s what they had to say:
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Solar panel warranty: what’s covered, and what’s not?
As you’re comparing LG, Panasonic, SunPower, Canadian Solar, and other types of solar panels, you may notice that all of these manufacturers offer a 25-year warranty for their products. However, simply comparing one warranty term to the next doesn’t give you the full picture: what is and isn’t included in a 25-year warranty actually differs quite a bit from one company to the next. And when making a long-term investment for your home–like buying a solar panel system–you want to go in with eyes wide open to ensure you’re getting the best deal possible.
Continue readingFree solar panels: are they really free?
If you’ve been shopping around for a solar panel system, you’ve probably heard at least one company advertise ‘free solar panels’ – that they will install a solar energy system on your roof for free. But, much as with anything, remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch (or a free solar panel).
Continue readingTop 10 solar companies and manufacturers in 2022
When choosing a solar panel brand, there are a number of factors to consider, from efficiency, to temperature coefficient, to warranty. But a growing number of people also care about where their solar panels are manufactured, especially as supply chain constraints lead to installation delays. So, who are the top solar installation companies in the world and in the U.S.?
Who are the top 10 solar manufacturers?
- LONGi Solar
- Tongwei Solar
- JA Solar
- Aiko Solar
- Trina Solar
- JinkoSolar
- Canadian Solar
- Zhongli
- SunTech
- First Solar
There were some major changes over the past few years, including some new leaders in solar manufacturing who were once no names in the PV industry. JA Solar is grabbing market share with a passion while Q CELLS has slumped. The question for you as a solar shopper: should you care if your solar panels are made by one of the big 10 manufacturers in the world? Are American made solar panels truly the better product when the majority of manufacturers are located elsewhere? Here’s our breakdown of the best solar manufacturers around the globe.
Continue readingSolaria solar panels: the complete review
Solaria is one of the rising stars of the solar panel industry. The company was established in the early 2000s and produces its high-efficiency all-black solar panels in the United States and South Korea. Thanks to their reasonable price tag, high efficiency and sleek appearance, Solaria solar panels are gaining popularity with shoppers comparing solar quotes on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace.
EnergySage has reviewed the product specifications of each Solaria solar panel series to make your solar research process easier. As the leading online marketplace for homeowners considering solar, EnergySage is uniquely positioned to evaluate the technical specifications of Solaria solar panels and help you compare them to other manufacturers on the market.
Continue readingSolar panel installation: a five-step guide to installing home solar panels
Last updated: 03/09/2022
More than a million homes have already gone solar in the U.S., and many more homeowners are considering installing solar PV systems. If you’re in the market for a clean energy system like solar,, you probably want to know what actually happens during a solar panel installation or even how to install solar panels yourself. There are five main steps that need to happen between signing your contract and your home being powered by solar electricity. Most of that is behind the scenes. To show you what you can expect, we’ve outlined a simple five-step guide for the typical solar installation process.
Continue readingKyocera solar panels: the complete review
Kyocera is one of the world’s oldest solar panel manufacturers, and has manufactured solar panels since the early 1980s. The electronics company manufactures its solar products in Japan and China, and is one of the most popular brands featured in quotes to solar shoppers comparing their options on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace.
The best way to be confident in your solar investment is to thoroughly review the product options available to you. To make your solar research process easier, EnergySage has developed Kyocera reviews. As the leading online marketplace for homeowners considering solar, EnergySage is uniquely positioned to evaluate the technical specifications of Kyocera solar panels and help you compare them to other manufacturers on the market.
Continue readingSilfab solar panels: the complete review
Silfab is a Canada-based solar photovoltaics (PV) manufacturer offering monocrystalline and bifacial solar panels to customers throughout the world. The company was founded in 2010 and is one of the few major solar panel brands to manufacture its products exclusively in North America. Their all-black, SIL NL series of panels are very power dense, and are matched with an unbeatable 30-year warranty. As a result, Silfab is one of the most popular brands in offers to homeowners and businesses shopping for solar on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace.
EnergySage has reviewed the product specifications of each Silfab solar panel series to make your solar research process easier. As the leading online marketplace for homeowners considering solar, EnergySage is uniquely positioned to evaluate the technical specifications of Silfab solar panels and help you compare them to other manufacturers on the market.
Continue readingCommunity solar vs. CCAs vs. green power plans: comparing alternative electricity options
At EnergySage, we get a lot of questions about alternative ways to support renewable energy without putting solar panels on your roof. One of the easiest ways to do so is buying electricity from someone other than your utility company. But there are a lot of options out there, each one surrounded by a good deal of misinformation and jargon, making it somewhat difficult to weigh the pros and cons of each.
Continue readingThe Enphase Energy System: what are its four configurations?
One question that homeowners commonly ask during the solar installation process is whether they can power their homes with just solar panels in the event of an outage – typically the answer is no, you’ll also need storage for a safe and reliable setup that can keep the lights on. However, Enphase made headlines in October 2021 with the announcement of a new configuration of the Enphase Energy System which is, in fact, capable of providing off-grid functionality to homeowners without storage installed (with a few caveats).
In a two-part series, we’re explaining everything you need to know about the Enphase Energy System. In part one, we discussed the components that make up the Enphase Energy System. In this article (part two of our series) we’ll explain how the components can be configured into different setups: you can choose from four different configurations, depending on the level of backup you want or need.
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