What do growing cannabis in Colorado, greens in South Korea, and sustaining life in space all have in common? While it may sound like the setup to a bad joke, all three are actually related to the future of modern agriculture. Indoor agriculture enables individuals to control all of the variables that go into farming, but it also means that the farmer has to recreate all of the natural conditions on earth — from the soil in the earth to the sun in the sky. Solar power can and will play a big part in making this all achievable.
Continue readingSolar news: 40+ cities commit to 100% renewables, colorful solar panels, and how the solar eclipse will impact solar energy generation
More than 40 cities committed to 100% renewable energy, a unique colored solar panel breakthrough, and the impact of the coming solar eclipse on U.S. solar power generation are the headlines from this week’s Solar News Report.
Continue readingSolar news: First Tesla solar roofs installed, JPMorgan Chase makes commitment to renewables and solar, Ikea starts selling solar panels and batteries
Tesla’s first solar roof installations, JPMorgan Chase’s entry into the growing community of major companies pledging to 100% renewables, and IKEA’s foray into solar panel and home battery storage installations are the headlines from this week’s Solar News Report.
Continue readingWhat is the average solar panel failure rate?
A common concern for many homeowners installing solar is their solar panel failure rate. Going solar is a financial investment, and it is important to know that your panels will continue to work reliably well for many years. In this article, we will examine solar panel reliability and possible reasons why a solar panel could perform below expectations.
Continue readingSolar and time-of-use electricity rates: what you need to know
California’s new net metering policy, commonly referred to as net metering (NEM) 2.0, brought some big changes to the Golden State’s solar market in 2017. NEM 2.0 is now active for customers of all three investor-owned utilities in California: Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison.
Continue readingWhy are solar panels blue?
Most solar panels you will see have a blue hue to them, although some panels are black in color. The source of this color difference comes from the way light interacts with two different types of solar panels: monocrystalline and polycrystalline. In this article, we will examine what the color of a solar panel can tell you, and what makes solar panels blue.
Continue readingSolar News: Mandatory Solar Panels on New South Miami Homes; Floating Solar Fields in China
In this week’s Solar News Roundup, a South Miami ordinance requiring all new houses to have solar panels installed, a new highly efficient solar panel material, and a massive floating solar array in China.
Continue readingWhy consumers should get multiple quotes for solar panel systems
When shopping for airline tickets or other big-ticket items, people generally shop around. For airline tickets you might compare: How much will it cost? When are the flights? What are the baggage charges? What’s the airline’s safety record? What’s their “on-time” percentage? How much leg-room will there be? Etc. People use a comparison shopping approach because it gives them all the information needed to make the right choice. The same is true when shopping for solar power systems for your home or business. If you take the first offer that comes your way, how will you ever know if you got the right system or the best price or terms for your property?
Continue readingWhat are the fastest growing states for solar power in 2017?
In an industry that has continued to grow at an impressive rate nationwide (4.4x over the past 5 years), details on solar hot spots in the U.S. can be elusive. Though there are a few states that are known for having plentiful sunlight (California, Florida, Arizona), there are many states leading the U.S. solar revolution that are flying under the radar. In this article, we’ll break down the top five solar states to date by cumulative solar capacity as well as the states with the fastest growing solar markets in 2017.
Continue readingSolar news: New Hampshire’s net-metering cap removed, Oregon steps closer to widespread community solar, solar power-generating windows
In this week’s Solar News Report, New Hampshire removes their solar net-metering cap for consumers, Oregon approves new rules for large community solar undertakings, and a new way to generate power from the sun using solar windows.