In this week’s Solar News Roundup, we’ve got some local stories from our home in the Northeast: a strong endorsement of solar in Portland, Maine, and a roundup of the Solar & Energy Storage Northeast conference.
Continue readingAn overview of the 2019 National Solar Jobs Census
This week, The Solar Foundation released its annual National Solar Jobs Census. The report provides a comprehensive look at employment in the American solar industry for 2019, from how many solar jobs the industry supported last year to where jobs are located throughout the country and which segments of the industry employ the most people.
Continue readingSolar rebates 101
There are many different types of solar incentives out there – tax credits, performance-based incentives, and solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) to name a few. Solar rebates are some of the most common solar incentives, and some of the easiest to understand. While not available in every solar market, those who can take advantage of rebates can significantly lower the upfront cost of going solar.
In this article, we’ll give an overview of solar rebate incentives, provide sources for finding solar rebates in your area, and discuss how to apply for rebates for which you’re eligible.
Continue readingChecking in on the US solar tariffs
In February 2018, the Trump Administration’s tariffs on imported solar goods went into effect. Now, two years on, the US International Trade Commission (US ITC) just released its mid-term review of the impact of the solar tariffs. Pulling from that report, as well as a study from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and an analysis of our own data, here’s a look at how the tariffs have impacted solar shoppers and solar jobs over the last two years.
Continue readingElectriq Power Q&A
Installations of energy storage systems are skyrocketing throughout the country over the last couple of years. In fact, residential installs increased 500 percent from 2017 to 2018! A number of different companies are introducing batteries to help meet this increased demand, creating a crowded field of products to choose from.
In order to help you sift through the numerous options, EnergySage is interviewing storage manufacturers to learn more about their product offerings and company. Recently, we sat down with Electriq Power to discuss the history of the company, what differentiates their primary product for homeowners (the PowerPod), and where they see the energy storage industry evolving in the coming years.
Continue readingSolar news: February 7th, 2020
In this week’s Solar News Roundup, Californian tech company Ubiquitous Energy installs their new solar window technology for the first time, and the Department of Energy announces new funding for solar technology research.
Continue readingWhat you need to know about the electric vehicles in Super Bowl ads
If you watched this year’s Super Bowl, you may have noticed a number of different commercials for electric vehicles. Given the cost of each 30-second spot, it’s clear that companies are committed to making electric vehicles mainstream sooner rather than later. We’ll let others comment on the quality of the ad itself (feel free to do so in the comments), focusing instead on what we know about the electric vehicles introduced or teased during this year’s Super Bowl.
Continue readingImpact of the U.S. – China trade deal on solar
One of the primary stories in the solar over the last two years has been the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China. From tariffs on imported solar panels from China to a sharp decline in imported American polysilicon to China, the political back-and-forth has developed a sense of uncertainty around the solar industry in this country. However, with January 15th’s Phase 1 trade deal, the solar industry can breathe a partial sigh of relief. Here are a few of the immediate ramifications of the deal, and the ways in which this initial trade deal may ease future uncertainty for solar in the US.
Continue readingSolar news: January 24th, 2020
In this week’s Solar News Roundup, we highlight two stories from the corporate renewables space – one detailing InBev’s goal to brew Budweiser using renewable energy, and another on Microsoft’s goal to go carbon negative by 2030.
Continue readingMeet your Energy Advisor: Sam Hill
Solar can be complicated – 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 Sam: we sat down with him to learn more about his time at EnergySage and hear some inside tips for people shopping for solar today.
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