The Sense Home Energy Monitor is a convenient tech-enabled option for homeowners that want a detailed understanding of their electricity use. Install the Sense monitor to your electricity panel and, with the help of an app, you’ll know which appliances are in use, how much you’ve used those appliances over time, and how you can reduce your electricity bill.
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Tesla Battery Day: what you need to know
It’s rare that very technical demonstrations of technology and supply chain advancements manage to jump beyond industry and into the public consciousness. But as with all things Tesla, the announcement of the company’s Battery Day was met with significant hype beyond just the storage and electric vehicle industries, and with good reason: teasers in anticipation of the event seemed to indicate that Tesla had discovered a breakthrough in energy storage manufacturing that would reduce the price of batteries to the point that they could begin to produce and commercialize a truly affordable electric vehicle.
Continue readingMass Save rebates 2019: get an energy assessment in MA
The Mass Save energy assessment program is Massachusetts’ all-encompassing energy efficiency campaign, and is sponsored by both your electric utility and energy efficiency providers. The program is available to renters, homeowners, and businesses across Massachusetts. Here’s the complete breakdown of all the different measures that you can take to reduce your energy use and resultant utility bills through the Mass Save program in 2019.
Solar camping gear: on-the-go electricity and heat from the sun
With advancements in the efficiency of solar equipment and technology, solar panels are no longer just capable of powering your homes. In fact, from RVs to boats to sheds, solar on a smaller scale can keep many things running outside of your home. One way that this smaller-scale solar technology is being used today is in solar-powered camping gear.
Continue readingCharging your Tesla: how many solar panels does it take and how much does it cost?
Following the news of Tesla’s acquisition of U.S. solar installer giant SolarCity, the world has been keeping a close eye on Elon Musk and his two prosperous clean energy ventures. Tesla and SolarCity, electric cars and solar panels – a two-front war waged against grid reliance and energy dependence. In 2019, Musk-owned companies are both expanding and constricting as two of the tech entrepreneur’s five companies are joining forces around one common goal: eliminating your carbon footprint.
Continue readingTesla Powerwall 2: an upgraded battery for your home
Tesla brought solar batteries to the forefront of home energy technology with the launch of the Powerwall in 2015. A year later, Elon Musk announced the new and improved Tesla Powerwall 2, an industry-leading product that takes solar-plus-storage to the next level. The Powerwall 2 offers a few much-needed improvements over the original Powerwall product, including a larger storage capacity, a lower per-kilowatt hour cost, and a built-in inverter.
Continue readingHybrid energy systems: combining wind plus solar
Renewable energy resources are an easy, cost-effective way to reduce both electricity costs and carbon emissions. However, a common criticism leveled at renewable energy resources like wind and solar is: what happens when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining? There are many options to solve for this criticism, from net metering policies to pairing solar with energy storage. One additional new method for combating this critique is through hybrid energy systems: by installing wind and solar hybrid systems, renewable energy developers are finding innovative ways to produce more energy with even greater consistency.
Continue readingTesla Q3 2019 earnings call: what you need to know
As a publicly-traded company, Tesla presents quarterly reports to shareholders, analysts, and the media about the state of the company. While most coverage of these quarterly earnings calls focuses on the company’s electric vehicle business or their financial standing, we want to provide an analysis of what their reports reveal about Tesla’s solar and storage business. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know from Tesla’s Q3 2019 earnings call:
Continue readingBehind-the-meter: what you need to know
The electricity system is changing, from the way we generate power to the way we distribute and use it. All grid-tied energy systems are situated either “in front of the meter” or “behind the meter”, and as more and more electric customers take control of their production and usage, it is important to understand the fundamental differences between these two positions on the larger electric grid.
Continue readingCan you buy solar panel cars?
Solar panels can produce electricity wherever the sun is shining. As electric cars continue to increase in popularity, some companies have begun exploring the possibility of integrating solar panels directly into cars to provide power on the go. In this article, we’ll take a look at how feasible solar panel cars actually are, and if you should consider buying one once they’re available.
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