In this week’s Solar News Roundup, solar dominates New York’s latest renewable energy procurement, and Washington takes an important step to address the problem of solar panel recycling.
Continue readingSaving energy with EnergySage, part 1: What’s on your bill?
This post is the first in our series about how to save on your energy bills even when you’re spending more time at home, as the entire EnergySage team is, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue to check our blog for more ideas for how you can take control of your energy bills in the coming weeks.
You may have heard that the world is basically on pause right now. The impact of the global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus appears to be vast, far-reaching, and multilayered, including in some ways that you may not anticipate. For instance, with so many Americans now working from home or sheltering in place, one way you may see the impact of the pandemic personally is in how your energy bills change now that you’re spending more time at home.
Continue readingHow to go solar in three steps
Going solar can seem like a daunting and complicated process, but to simplify things, you can break it down into three main steps: deciding if solar is right for you, comparing real solar quotes, and ultimately making a smart decision. Here’s an easy framework to walk you through the process:
Continue readingHow to decide if high-efficiency panels are worth the cost
High-efficiency solar panels are becoming increasingly popular, and can impact how much solar power you can produce on your roof or property. Given all of the options for high-efficiency products, though, it can be hard to get a feel for how the efficiency of your panels influences the costs you pay for solar. Here’s a quick guide to help you determine if high-efficiency solar panels are worth the added cost when comparing your solar options.
Continue readingSolar news: March 6th, 2020
In this week’s Solar News Roundup, we’re covering two topics in the broader energy industry with ties to solar: electricity generation trends in 2019 and new projections in New England for electric vehicle and electric heating adoption.
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 readingMeet Your Energy Advisor: Aliza Vaida
Finding the perfect solar solution isn’t always easy – that’s why EnergySage has a team of Energy Advisors here to help answer any and all of your solar questions. One of our expert advisors is Aliza: we sat down with her to learn more about her time at EnergySage and hear some inside tips for people shopping for solar today.
Continue readingNavigating the California Solar Mandate: a helpful guide to buying a new home with solar panels in California
Buying a home is one of the most significant and rewarding decisions you can make. As of January 2020, Californians will have the added exhilaration – and potential stress – of acquiring a rooftop solar panel system at the same time.
That’s because the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) approved a state-wide mandate requiring most new single-family homes, including multi-family residential buildings up to three stories, to install solar panels. The first-of-its-kind California solar mandate is designed to make new homes in California far more energy-efficient while saving homeowners tens of thousands of dollars on electricity costs.
To help people understand what it means to buy a new home with a solar energy system, EnergySage created the California Solar Mandate Guide: an educational resource for knowing what questions to ask prior to buying a solar-powered home. But before we dive into our tips and suggestions, let us first explain why paying a bit more for your new home just to have solar on it makes a ton of sense.
Continue readingPika Energy Harbor Smart Battery system: the complete review
Pika Energy is the U.S.-based manufacturer of the Pika Energy Island™ home energy management system. This includes powerful smart batteries, islanding inverters and solar optimizers in one. Notably, Pika Energy partners with Panasonic to produce the Harbor™ smart lithium-ion battery. The Harbor™ is designed to provide extended backup power and maximize your on-site solar energy use.
But how does Harbor Smart Battery measure up against all the other home energy storage options? Read on to learn more about the Pika Energy Harbor Smart Battery’s cost, technology, and warranty coverage.
Continue readingHow to review solar quotes
So you’ve got a few solar quotes from different installers, each with different pricing, equipment and savings estimates – what’s next? With all the information available, comparing solar quotes can be overwhelming, but we’re here to make it as easy as possible. If you’re sitting down to review multiple solar quotes for the first time, here are the most important questions to ask yourself, and the factors to consider as you’re evaluating one solar quote against the another:
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