Solar developers: what you need to know

In 2021, the U.S. installed more solar than ever before – with one out of every 600 U.S. homeowners installing solar each quarter! And impressively, more than half of those additions came from utility-scale projects. The companies that build these projects aren’t the same type of installers you receive quotes from on EnergySage – while they technically install projects like residential solar companies, we in the industry most often refer to them as solar developers.

In this article, we’ll give you a quick overview of solar developers, the role they play in the solar industry, and highlight some of the top solar developers today.

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CertainTeed solar panels: the complete review

CertainTeed is a large North American manufacturer of building materials, including solar panels. Established in 1904 as the General Roofing Manufacturing Company, it is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain SA, a 300-year old materials company based in Paris. They typically manufacture their solar products in either Vietnam or the United States. 

Whether you’re debating the merits of CertainTeed vs. SunPower panels or simply trying to evaluate your solar PV options, a thorough review of solar panel product specifications is the best way to be confident in your solar investment. EnergySage’s CertainTeed solar panel review breaks down all of the details to evaluate how CertainTeed compares to other solar panel brands on the market.

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Panasonic solar panels: the complete review

Panasonic is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of consumer electronics and an increasingly popular choice for U.S. homeowners installing solar. Panasonic’s heteroinjuction technology (or HIT) is included across their product lines, providing a unique take on the solar cell. Their HIT, HIT+ and HIT AC series are all high performers on EnergySage, with Panasonic the most quoted solar panel brand on EnergySage in 2019.

Whether you’re trying to decide between SunPower and Panasonic solar panels or simply evaluating your solar PV options, thoroughly reviewing the product options available to you is the best way to be confident in your solar investment. EnergySage’s Panasonic reviews take a look at the technical specifications of Panasonic solar panels to evaluate how they compare to other manufacturers on the market.

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SunPower solar panels: the complete review

SunPower solar panels are one of the most frequently requested solar panel brands on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace, and for good reason. SunPower panels are often the most efficient (read: powerful!) products on the market today, and they offer an industry-leading warranty. For many years, SunPower has been a fully-integrated solar shop: manufacturing solar cells & panels, and then offering sales and installation services for residential and commercial applications as well. Recently, SunPower announced that they’re spinning off their manufacturing arm into a new company–Maxeon–to focus on installing solar panels.

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What is electrification?

As more and more homeowners make the switch to both solar panels and electric vehicles in the US, the clean energy transition is now about more than just increasing clean energy. Increasingly, an important piece of the clean energy transition is electrification. Electrification is a vital piece of any carbon reduction plan, and could have some big implications for the appliances in your home–and your garage!  

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Q CELLS solar panels: the complete review

Q CELLS is one of the world’s largest solar panel manufacturers, and is headquartered in Germany. Q CELLS has a number of different product lines in the Q.PEAK DUO series: from the G5 up through the G7, and including a number of sleek, all-black panel options. The combination of aesthetically pleasing and high performing panels at a low cost has made Q CELLS an increasingly popular choice for 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 Q CELLS reviews. As the leading online marketplace for homeowners considering solar, EnergySage is uniquely positioned to evaluate the technical specifications of Q CELLS solar panels and help you compare them to other manufacturers on the market.

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REC Solar panels: the complete review

REC Group is Europe’s largest manufacturer of solar panels, and has offices in Europe, the United States, Asia, and Australia. The company was founded in Norway in 1996 and manufactures its solar panels in Singapore. With their Alpha and Alpha-black series of solar panels, REC has introduced a high-powered solar panel that competes with other excellent brands in the market. As a result, REC solar panels are an increasingly popular option in quotes to shoppers comparing solar offers on the EnergySage Marketplace.

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Q&A with GoodWe

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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How much does a Tesla cost?

Tesla’s constantly innovating and releasing new electric car tech to the market, and today can boast of four commercially available car models, each with its own unique set of perks: the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, the Tesla Model 3, and the Tesla Model Y. In this article, we’ll break down the car prices for each of the different Tesla EV models, and explain how you should compare them.

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