Solar in 2011 is expected to double over 2010 with renewable energy the pile driver to new jobs. Simply put, solar in this country is on the verge of blowing up. There is no substitute for experience when it comes to solar system design, installer jobs and solar sales, but the right training is a […] Read more

Our phones are ringing non-stop with homeowners who are thinking about off-grid living and how solar can make it happen. I really envy those people who cannot resist the pioneer pull most of us have from time to time. My best friend spends his weekends in an off-grid cabin in an Iowa hedge ball forest. […] Read more

California Sacramento’s Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has pioneered a community solar program called SMUD solar shares. Sacramento electric customers who want to buy solar power but may not have access say because they have a rental unit, can buy what the utility district calls SMUD SolarShares. This is a program that makes solar power available […] Read more

I was talking to a customer last week who was researching solar for her home, when she asked me where does the typical solar system fail? Easy question to answer, but not for the reasons most people might think. It’s not solar panel failure, and it is not inverter failure, the #1 failure of solar […] Read more

This is a lot of grumbling these days in the solar industry about the difficulty some solar installers have securing building permits. I am sure that California is among the worst in the country. Having said that, I don’t think it is fair to demonize building departments entirely over the process of securing a solar […] Read more

Many folks are turning to solar as a way to increase their household monthly cash flow often times by purchasing home solar kits. By lowering their utility bills and controlling costs families have more money to spend. Good for them, good for the local economy. Like all products and programs that become popular, there are […] Read more

California Edison is building a large solar plant at the North end of the central valley. With a footprint of nearly 1,000 acres it is not the largest solar installation being installed in California, but its a biggie! The plant is a godsend for SCE because it drives it closer to that magic goal of […] Read more

Residential solar installers are pounding out home and commercial solar installations across America, but let’s not forget what happened in the 80’s. Just 25 years ago the solar industry was dumped and all the government money pumped into the industry was lost when the government abruptly cut and ran. A lesson from history would suggest […] Read more

Recently several California solar companies have jumped across state lines and are taking advantage of manufacturing incentives offer by other states. Good for them! I don’t think that is a bad thing. We are all Americans and the more states that open the door to solar and its benefits, the safer this country becomes for […] Read more

Solar micro inverters are taking the solar home energy market by storm. A homeowner with some basic handyman skills can now purchase solar starter kits, install himself (mostly), and add additional solar panels as the budget will permit. Small solar systems are dramatically easy to design and install. Well maybe not dramatically, but doable for […] Read more

California will soon carry out its version of a solar feed-in-tariff. Up until now, the law of the land has been NET metering. That simply means when a homeowner invests in solar they can only zero, or net out their utility bill. Good deal for the utility company since up until now they have had […] Read more