There are many $0-down financing options available for going solar, including both ownership (i.e. solar loan) or third-party-owned (i.e. leases) solutions. Many homeowners looking for an easy, low-cost, maintenance-free way to install a solar panel system move forward with a power purchase agreement (PPA). In this article, we’ll talk about what solar PPAs are and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this financing solution.
Continue readingTypes of solar panels
Most of the solar panel options currently available fit in one of three types: monocrystalline, polycrystalline (also known as multi-crystalline), and thin-film. These solar panels vary in how they’re made, appearance, performance, costs, and the installations each are best suited for. Depending on the type of installation you’re considering, one option may be more suitable than the others.
Continue readingSolar news: February 5th, 2021
In this week’s solar news roundup, major automaker GM plans to go all-electric, and California utility company PG&E announces a new initiative to reduce powerline maintenance costs in wildfire-prone areas with the help of microgrids.
Continue readingGel batteries: what you need to know
Gel batteries are a type of lead-acid battery that, in certain cases, can be a solid choice as an energy backup system or paired with solar panels. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the differentiating factors between gel batteries and other energy storage options, and the best use-cases for this technology.
Continue readingAn overview of utility-scale solar panel installations
The largest scale of solar projects is utility-scale solar (also known as solar power plants). Typically sized anywhere from 1 to 5 megawatts (MW), solar power plants can be massive projects, often spanning multiple acres of land. Utility-scale solar projects are usually ground-mounted arrays. Sometimes, these arrays include the use of solar trackers to maximize energy production.
Continue readingAll about solar battery maintenance
Whatever device you’re reading this article on likely has a battery in it, meaning that you are at least a bit familiar with battery performance and, whether you realize it or not, battery maintenance. Think about all of the rules around how and when to charge your cell phone to extend the battery’s life: you’re supposed to run the battery as far down as possible before plugging your phone back in, and you shouldn’t leave your phone plugged in all the time or else the performance of the battery will degrade. While your cell phone battery–hopefully–doesn’t require any maintenance over its lifetime, the decisions you make around how and when to charge it can be considered a form of maintenance to extend its life.
Continue readingCommon misconceptions about community solar
At EnergySage, we get a lot of questions about community solar. And that’s to be expected: community solar is a relatively new energy option for many states, and there’s a lot of misinformation about how it works. Well, we’re here to set the record straight – here are some of the top misconceptions about community solar:
Continue readingEnerBank USA solar loans: the complete review
Solar loans are the fastest growing method of financing a solar panel installation. Across the country, the majority of new solar installations are purchased with either a cash purchase or through a solar loan. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, EnerBank USA is a popular company in the home-improvement lending industry. If you’re comparing solar quotes from a few different solar installers, you may have received a loan option from EnerBank.
Continue readingSolar news: January 22, 2021
In this week’s solar news round-up, we discuss the performance of the renewable energy market in 2020 and a new project in Hawaii which will help the state realize its goal of having 100% renewable energy by 2045.
Continue readingThe best solar phone chargers in 2021
Keeping your phone charged on the go can be a hassle – hunting for an outlet isn’t the way anybody wants to spend their day. Whether you’re hiking, camping, or simply walking around, there’s an easy and environmentally-friendly solution to your charging problem: a solar phone charger.
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