In a week of breakthroughs for solar, utility-scale solar prices hit all-time lows and researchers in Australia confirmed a new ‘solar paint’ compound. These developments, in addition to the signing of a popular pro-solar bill in Florida, are the headlines from this week’s Solar News Report.
Continue readingIf the sun isn’t shining on your solar panels, they won’t be able to produce energy. When trees or other obstructions are shading solar panels, efficiency losses and reduced power generation may become problematic. In this article we will examine the effects of shade on solar panel production and efficiency.
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As President Trump’s Paris decision looms large, state legislative measures tackling solar accessibility are more important than ever. Nevada’s net metering bill, North Carolina’s solar reform bill, and a large solar array plan from IKEA are the headlines from this week’s Solar News Report.
Continue readingLike any outdoor equipment, solar panels are subject to the changing weather. Depending upon where you live, your panels may experience heavy rain, high winds, or even hail. In this article we’ll examine how solar panel systems stand up to intense weather conditions, and what government organizations and industry groups are doing to improve their products and protect consumers from weather-related solar panel damage.
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A controversial debate over solar’s impact on coal, a new report that shows rapidly falling solar prices and a major solar development for the world’s energy capital – these are the stories EnergySage has its eye on in this week’s Solar News Report.
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It was an active week in the solar industry with news of unprecedented solar job growth and the launch of a few sleek new products. A new IRENA report that revealed solar jobs are growing 17 times faster than the U.S. economy, SolarWorld’s newfound support of Suniva’s trade petition and Mercedes Benz’ new home storage product are the big headlines from this week’s Solar News Report.
Continue readingWhen homeowners are considering solar offers on the EnergySage Solar Marketplace, we often hear questions about a solar panel’s manufacturer origin and whether it’s a good idea to choose Chinese panels for an installation. This is a common question as the latest estimates indicate that China is manufacturing roughly 70% of the world’s solar panels today – a dominant market share and a clear indicator of China’s key role in the global solar industry. China has a significant impact over worldwide solar trends like pricing, warranties and manufacturing practices. For example, the 80% decline in worldwide solar prices between 2008 and 2013 occurred largely due to improvements in manufacturing costs in China. And because China is such a major player in solar, many U.S. homeowners are asking “should I choose Chinese solar panels and will it match the quality of other top brands?” In this article we’ll break down pricing, quality and brand influence of Chinese solar panels.
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It was an eventful week in the solar industry with Tesla releasing hotly anticipated pricing information for its new solar roof product. A number of major clean energy initiatives in Virginia, strong solar growth announced in Minnesota and the release of Tesla’s solar roof pricing are the headlines from this week’s Solar News Report.
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It was a week filled with scientific brilliance in the solar industry with a number of inventions and discoveries that could set a faster track for solar power’s future. Spray-on solar cells that could come to market as soon as 2018, chemical conversion from biomass to hydrogen through solar and the success of GE’s solar power venture are the headlines we’re discussing in this week’s Solar News Report.
Continue readingWhen weighing the decision of whether or not going solar makes sense for your roof or location, one of the first questions you may ask is “how many sun hours do I need for solar to be worth it?” The reason this question is important is because there is a significant range across the country for average peak sun hours. In this article, we’ll explain which states offer the best sun hour value and how much sunlight intensity in your state should impact your decision to go solar.
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