Although you may only use your clothes washer once every few days (or even less), it can still use an impactful amount of electricity. While not as power-hungry as appliances like air conditioners, it’s important to know how much electricity your washing machine uses when you’re looking at your whole home’s energy usage.
Continue readingTesla Powerwall: how much of my house can I run on it–and for how long?
If you’re in the market for a Tesla Powerwall, or any solar battery, your biggest question is likely, “how much of my house can I run using this battery, and for how long?” While the answer depends on a number of factors specific to your household’s energy use, we’ve outlined some steps you can take to make an estimation.
Continue readingSolar news: January 28th, 2022
In this week’s news update, we discuss two important changes to net metering in Florida and California, and what you can do to help.
Continue readingThe most popular solar panels on EnergySage in 2022
Before going solar, one of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make is which equipment to install. But there are hundreds and thousands of solar panel products – so where’s the best place to start? In this article, we’ll explore the most popular solar panels on the EnergySage Marketplace.
Continue readingHow long do solar batteries last?
Most people who install energy storage do so for the resiliency benefit: they’re looking specifically for backup power in the event of an emergency. That particular ability is what makes storage such an enticing purchase and an increasingly frequent pairing with solar. But the value of resiliency depends on how long you expect–or need–to run your home, leading to one main question: how long do solar batteries last?
Continue readingWe read APsystems’ warranty, so you don’t have to
We all know warranties aren’t the easiest (or most exciting) documents to read through. There are often a lot of details, and fine print included that can be hard to understand, leaving many to wonder: what does the warranty actually cover? Am I making sure my purchase is protected? And is there anything I might be missing?
To make it as easy as possible, we’ve read warranty documents for the top inverter equipment manufacturers–and talked to them to confirm what is and isn’t included–covering the most critical aspects of each in a series of articles. In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the warranty from one of the top global microinverter suppliers: APsystems.
Continue readingPG&E power outages: what you need to know
If you live in Northern California, you’ve likely been impacted by electric power shut-offs or outages from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) over the last couple of years. As wildfires and high winds become increasingly prevalent in the state, and as the link between utility infrastructure–like transmission lines–and wildfires becomes increasingly clear, that trend is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
With that in mind, we wanted to take a step back and look at PG&E outages: why are they occurring, what does the past timeline of outages look like, and what can you expect moving forward.
Continue readingComparing energy management systems: how to understand the differences between products
Energy management is a rapidly growing industry – and for good reason! Home electrification is a crucial step towards a clean energy future and more and more people are participating by upgrading their home setup with solar panels, battery storage systems, heat pumps, and electric vehicles (EVs)! Many of these people are looking for additional insight into their electricity usage, whether to reduce their carbon footprint, or to see savings on their electricity bills.
But energy management systems can vary significantly by product, making it difficult to compare the various options available. In this article, we’ll explain some of the top companies in the energy management industry and explain the differences between their systems.
Continue readingHow electricity rates impact solar savings
Have you heard that solar panels only make sense in sunny states? Well, don’t believe it for a second – while it’s true that solar panels typically produce more electricity in sunnier areas of the country, how much you can save from installing solar panels rests heavily on one major factor: the costs you avoid paying your utility company for electricity.
People all over the country–even those that live in cloudy areas–can reap solar savings. Generally speaking, the higher your electricity rates, the more money you can save by switching to solar.
Continue readingBest places to own an EV
Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular around the world. However, some places are more EV-friendly than others because of financial or convenience reasons. In this article, we’ll break down what factors make a place more or less suitable to own an EV, as well as call out some of the best states in the U.S. for electric car ownership.
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