Produce and store your own power, defy grid outages and blackouts or simply be independent from the utility power grid and conventional energy supply. With SMA off-grid systems technology you can set up a solar off-grid power supply with a few clicks of the mouse. Grid interactive and off grid solar both with battery backup provide cost-effective solution guaranteeing a stable power distribution grid at all times. Continue reading Self-sufficient with Off-Grid Solar Power
All posts by Cliff
Emergency Solar Generator You Home’s Hedge Against the Dark
Frequent utility blackouts are the ever-increasing evidence of our changing climate and raises the awareness for having emergency solar backup power in the home. Utilities are having a difficult time repairing what nature can dismantle in a matter of seconds.
Using the battery bank in an emergency solar power center is some of the best technology a homeowner can invest in today. A backup solar generator can keep you out of the dark when the grid goes down. Solar powered generators with battery backup do not rely on fossil fuel to keep electricity flowing to your critical home loads. A solar-powered generator in your home is the ultimate security in emergencies. Continue reading Emergency Solar Generator You Home’s Hedge Against the Dark
Solar Panel Maintenance, a Necessary Chore
When a homeowner purchases a home solar kit or SunPod, solar panel maintenance is often viewed as an unnecessary evil, a task that often gets overlooked or delayed in order to save money. But at what cost to the homeowners investment and company’s reputation? I recently was at a homeowners installation of a one of our SunPods and the owner told me that simply by cleaning the panels, the output rose by 10%. Continue reading Solar Panel Maintenance, a Necessary Chore
Ethics of Small Wind and Solar, a Road Less Traveled?
Next to my coffee maker this morning, my wife had placed a copy of the Sacramento news paper which had an article about a fraud probe that had been launched against a California based small wind manufacturer and a coupon for a cheap solar panel kit that was being advertised. The article about the small wind rebate program was titled “Fraud Probe Causes Pain for Small Wind Sites”. As a result of the small wind turbine companies fraud probe, the California Energy Commission suspended the entire rebate program while it’s probe is conducted.
The minute I read the article chills went up my spine. Why? A couple of months ago we came about an inch away from picking up the company’s small wind generator product line but backed off at the last moment. I don’t recall if it was luck or instinct but something did not feel right or it just was not in the cards. Continue reading Ethics of Small Wind and Solar, a Road Less Traveled?
Solar Farming in India is a Game Changer
Imagine a crop that can be harvested daily on the most barren desert and arid land, with no fertilizer or tillage, and that produces no harmful emissions. Imagine an energy source so bountiful that it can provide many times more energy than we could ever expect to need or use. Imagine that an hour’s worth of sunlight bathing the planet holds far more energy than humans worldwide could consume in a year. You don’t have to imagine it — it’s real and it’s here. Solar energy is an abundant enormous resource that is readily available to all countries throughout the world, and all the space above the earth. It is clean, no waste comes from it, and once a system is in place, it’s “free.” Continue reading Solar Farming in India is a Game Changer
Bipartisan Congressional Attempt to Restart PACE Home Solar Financing
Considering the daily blow hards we see elbowing each other for their 15 min of fame on TV it’s hard to believe there is any agreement from Washington on anything let alone helping solar. It still doesn’t mark the Age of Aquarius, but two Republicans and a Democrat have joined forces to introduce legislation to revive a popular home solar financing program scuttled by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last year. Continue reading Bipartisan Congressional Attempt to Restart PACE Home Solar Financing
Solar Installation Boosts Home Resale Prices in California
In the midst of the catastrophic housing market collapse comes a bright spot for residential solar installers. A new study found that home solar systems boosted the resale prices of homes in California and other markets around the country.
A study at the U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have found that homes with solar systems installed sell for a premium compared to homes without solar. The study is one of the first comprehensive looks at the impact of solar systems on home sale prices in the country. Continue reading Solar Installation Boosts Home Resale Prices in California
Squeeze More Power From Your Grid-tied Home Solar Kit
One of the most important considerations when you are planning your installation is locating your home solar kit to maximize solar exposure. You should start your planing by positioning your solar panels so they are not shaded from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Many installers and homeowners alike fail to consider the impact of even negligible shade caused by overhangs, second stories, trees, exhaust vents, power lines and chimneys.
Each solar panel consists of dozens of cells that, when even partially shaded, will result in decreased performance, which is like throwing KWH and money down the drain. Lower performance means more electricity purchased from the utility, and less financial return on your solar investment. For those grid-tied home solar systems that qualify for performance-based incentives, even more revenue is lost with poor performance. Because of the resistance caused by an inactive portion of a series circuit, the impact of shading across a series of cells can be severe. Continue reading Squeeze More Power From Your Grid-tied Home Solar Kit
Solar Installers Continue to Battle PV Installation Fees
There is some controversy among solar companies that PV installers permitting process is unnecessarily complicated and bureaucratic in many cities. I am sure that may be true in many cases, but our experience most of the required information is based on a fundamental principal of local government protecting the interests of the community.
Most municipalities in California are working to streamline the solar installation permit process and lower costs but they are faced with the same challenges as most households. If solar installers do a complete job of submitting the permit application including an electrical design that meets code requirements, the process is greatly expedited. Continue reading Solar Installers Continue to Battle PV Installation Fees
Wind Turbines With Spinning Solar Blades, Renewable Technology Picking Up Speed
Solar panels embedded into the blades of wind turbines? It seems the argument of solar power Vs wind energy is merging, or at least the technology is. Solar installers have teamed up with scientists from the University of Liverpool and are developing solar PV on the blades of wind turbines.
Why settle for one form of renewable energy when you can produce power with solar and wind combined? That’s exactly what scientists from the University of Liverpool have done by upgrading an everyday wind turbine with a new set of spinning solar blades. Continue reading Wind Turbines With Spinning Solar Blades, Renewable Technology Picking Up Speed