Underperforming solar panels: common causes and solutions

The number of solar panels installed worldwide increases substantially each year with advancements in technology, increasing environmental awareness, and decreasing costs. Solar is more accessible than ever, making it a more and more attractive energy option for businesses, residents, and utilities.  However, as more solar panels are produced, the chances of them malfunctioning or underperforming increases as well. In this article, we’ll explain why your solar panels may be underperforming and the actions you can take to mitigate and monitor your risk. 

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Low to moderate income community solar: what you need to know

For many electricity users across the country, rooftop solar panels don’t make sense – there are physical reasons (i.e. roof availability, home size), personal reasons (i.e. aesthetics), and financial reasons. Specifically for individuals who classify as “low to moderate income” (LMI), there are several reasons why community solar can be a great way to benefit from solar energy while not needing the traditional financial resources to install your own solar panels.

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Breaking down the LG Solar and Sense partnership

In May 2021, LG Solar and Sense announced their new partnership with the goal of empowering homeowners to make smarter energy decisions. LG has long been a household name due to their high-quality electronics and their subsidiary, LG Solar, has been no different. LG Solar is a leading manufacturer of solar panels with two residential series: the NeON 2 and the NeON R. 

Sense entered the energy space in 2016 with the launch of their Home Energy Monitor. Their energy monitoring system provides you with insights about your energy usage, allowing you to make informed decisions about what devices you’re powering and when you’re powering them. We sat down with LG Solar to learn a bit more about their new partnership, and its potential benefits. 

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Utility energy storage pilot programs: what you need to know

As the costs of solar batteries continue to decline, more and more homeowners are adding energy storage to their solar installations: in California, for instance, one in every twenty solar installations now also includes a solar battery. As utilities become more familiar with the benefits of distributed solar + storage on the grid, from added operational flexibility to decreased electricity demand, several utilities in the Northeast are now offering large incentives for home energy storage pilot programs. 

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Which community solar markets are heating up?

Historically, community solar has been the most popular–and most accessible–in four key states: Minnesota, Colorado, Massachusetts, and New York. But excitingly, more and more states are jumping on the community solar bandwagon, and new projects continue to pop up each year.

So, what markets are heating up for community solar? And which states can we expect to take the plunge next? 

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SRECs in D.C.: prices, projections, and program status

If you’re considering installing solar in Washington D.C., the most important solar incentive to be aware of are solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs). D.C. is one of the few governments that offers this performance-based incentive to people generating solar electricity. Even better, the District’s program is the most lucrative one in the country: when you buy and install a solar panel system in D.C., you can earn thousands of dollars each year just from selling the certificates your system generates.

This article describes how the District’s SREC program works, explores current prices for SRECs, and discusses the future of the SREC program so that you can make a well-informed decision about going solar.

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