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Solar Blog

The most comprehensive solar energy blog - providing solar energy and energy storage articles and videos for businesses and homeowners.

Latest Posts

Solar for Homeowners | 3 min read

The 5 Best Solar Panels For Your Home or Business

If you're trying to find the right solar panels for your new solar panel system, you’ve come to the right place. "What solar panels do you

Solar for Homeowners | 2 min read

Top Solar Energy Tech to Watch in 2023

New equipment and inventions aren’t as common in today’s solar industry as they were five to ten years ago. But there are still plenty of

Solar Equipment | 3 min read

Smart Electrical Panels Overview

Reliable energy backup systems offer peace of mind and protection against power outages. And as battery technology improves, many people

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

5 Common Solar Panel Maintenance Issues

Our 21st-century lives are full of household and business devices and appliances that need cleaning and maintenance. Frankly, we’ve got our

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

Q Cells vs. Tesla: Which Solar Panel is Best for you?

Q Cells and Tesla Solar are among the leading solar panel manufacturers. But which brand is right for your solar panel installation? In

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

Your Ultimate Guide to American-Made Solar Panels

As of June 2022, the United States' total installed solar capacity reached 130.9 GWdc — enough electricity to power 23 million homes.

Solar Equipment | 4 min read

Enphase IQ8 vs. IQ7: Which Microinverter is best for your solar system?

The Enphase IQ8 Microinverter has been in the making for several years and has now been released onto the market; how do you know if it’s

Solar Financing | 5 min read

How Much do Solar Panels Cost in Virginia?

Virginia’s electricity rates are the sixth highest in the nation. That means you could be paying more for electricity than 86% of the

Solar Equipment | 5 min read

What Are Bifacial Solar Panels

If you’ve ever driven past a building with solar panels lining the roof, chances are, they were single-sided or monofacial solar panels.

Solar for Homeowners | 5 min read

The Best Alternatives to the Tesla Powerwall

The Tesla Powerwall is one of the most popular solar batteries on the market. And rightfully so. Backed by a big-name brand, this battery

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

How Does a Grid-Tied Solar System Work?

A solar energy system can transform energy from the sun into electricity. With the proper setup, the electricity your solar panels generate

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

SolarEdge vs. Enphase: Which solar inverter brand is better?

Solar panels turn sunlight into free electricity, earning them all the glory in a solar energy system. But without inverters, that

Solar for Homeowners | 3 min read

Solar Inverter Clipping: What it is and when it could be a good thing

Inverters are the brains of a solar energy system. They’re charged with the critical task of converting the DC electricity produced by the

Solar for Homeowners | 5 min read

Axitec vs. SunPower: Which solar panel brand is better?

Ensuring you have the right type of solar panels is an essential step in the solar investment process. However, sorting through and

Solar Financing | 6 min read

The Cost of Installing Solar Panels in New York State

There’s no one-size-fits-all solar system, which makes nailing down the average cost of solar in New York a little tricky. Every solar

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

SolarEdge vs SMA: Which Solar Inverter is Best for You?

Inverters are an essential component of a solar energy system. They convert the DC electricity generated by your solar panels into AC

Solar for Homeowners | 5 min read

What’s the Cost of a Ground Mount Solar Panel System?

Ground-mounted solar systems are free-standing structures that support solar panels. Because they can be installed wherever conditions are

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

Guide to Solar Carports

If you’re looking for covered parking ideas and you’re interested in cutting one of your biggest monthly expenses, a solar carport could be

Solar Equipment | 5 min read

Ballast Mounted Solar Systems: Installation & Roof Requirements

Most of the solar energy systems we see in our community are installed on pitched roofs or as a ground mount, but what about flat roofs?

Solar for Homeowners | 5 min read

LG Solar Panels vs Q CELLS: Which Panels Are Best For You?

When you’re looking to install a solar energy system, an important step is comparing solar panel brands to find the one that is best for

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

Are Solar Batteries Worth It?

There’s no way around it -- a solar energy system requires a significant upfront investment, though it can save you a substantial amount of

Solar for Homeowners | 3 min read

Rapid Shutdown For Solar Energy: What It Is & Why You Need It

The National Electric Code (NEC) sets the standard for electrical wiring and equipment. Solar energy systems fall under the NEC and there

Solar for Homeowners | 5 min read

Axitec vs Q Cells: Which Solar Panels Are Better?

From how much energy your solar system produces to how much you pay, the solar panel brand you choose can have a big impact on your

Solar for Homeowners | 5 min read

Which Solar Panels Are Better?: Axitec vs LG Solar

LG Solar Update - since publishing this blog, LG has stopped manufacturing solar panels. Check out the video below to learn how this is

Solar for Homeowners | 6 min read

5 Things to Know Before You Install a Ground-Mounted Solar System

Are you thinking about installing a solar energy system?

Solar Equipment | 5 min read

What Type of Electric Meters Are Used With Solar Panels?

There’s more to a solar energy system than just solar panels. They’re the star of the show, producing emission- and cost-free electricity

Solar for Homeowners | 5 min read

How to Choose the Best Solar Panels

A lot bit hinges on the type of solar panels you choose to install. High-quality panels from a reputable manufacturer can last decades and

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

What Are the Most Efficient Solar Panels?

If you’re looking for the best solar panels, efficiency can be a good metric to consider. In this blog, we’ll explain what exactly solar

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

What’s the Lifespan of a Solar Battery?

Whether it’s to keep critical loads running during a power outage or to strategically offset demand charges for a less expensive electric

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

Avoid These 3 Costly Mistakes When Selecting Solar Panels

Solar panels can make up about 30% of your solar system’s cost. As a significant portion of your solar investment, it’s important to

Solar for Homeowners | 6 min read

Solar Energy Vs Wind Power: Which is Better?

Coffee vs. water. Renting vs. owning. Hitting snooze vs. Getting up on time.

Solar Equipment | 5 min read

How Green is Solar Energy?

A healthy bit of skepticism is important these days. From outrageous news stories with sketchy origins to grandiose claims made by

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

Understanding Home Solar Batteries

The house goes dark, and then everything quickly gets eerily quiet. You soon realize the power has gone out and the uncertainty of when it

Solar Equipment | 4 min read

What is the Best Solar Inverter Brand?

Inverters are the hardest working components of a solar energy system. They convert DC energy produced by solar panels into AC energy that

Solar Equipment | 3 min read

Can Solar Panels be Recycled?

Solar ownership is a long-term investment. Many manufacturers guarantee their solar panels up to 25 or even 30 years. And it’s very likely

Solar Equipment | 3 min read

Tier 1 vs Tier 2 Solar Panels

If you’re investing in solar panels, you want to pick a product that is built to last for 30+ years. You want reliable panels that you

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

How Much Can You Back-Up with Solar Energy Battery Storage?

It’s a snowy Saturday afternoon. You’ve caught up on all your household duties and errands. It’s finally time to sit down on your couch in

Solar Equipment | 4 min read

Will Solar Panels Work During a Power Outage?

What does solar energy mean to you? Saving the environment? Saving money? Or maybe it’s independence from the electric utility. Solar

Solar Equipment | 3 min read

Batteries & Generators: Can They Work Together With Solar?

No one likes to be unprepared. Whether it’s severe storms, downed trees, or even a car accident, power outages are unpredictable, and they

Solar Equipment | 5 min read

LG Solar Panels vs. SunPower Solar Panels

Update: Unfortunately, LG has decided to stop manufacturing solar panels. Watch the video below for a recap of what this means for the

Solar for Homeowners | 3 min read

All You Need To Know About Solar System Monitoring

One of the greatest attributes of solar energy is its transparency. Solar system owners can access their system’s performance at virtually

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

How Much Electricity Does A Solar Panel Produce?

Solar power is a great way to offset your energy bills. But just how much electricity do solar panels produce, and how many panels will you

Solar for Homeowners | 5 min read

The Cost and Frequency of Solar Maintenance

Do solar panels or PV solar systems need maintenance, and if so, how often and how much will it cost? If you’re considering installing a

Solar Equipment | 4 min read

Solar EV Chargers: Power Your Car with Sunshine

13,476 miles. That’s how much the average American drives each year, according to the US Department of Transportation. To put that in

Solar Equipment | 5 min read

How to Size Batteries for a Solar System

Grid-tied solar doesn’t work when the electricity goes out. While it is frustrating, having a grid-tied system gives you many other benefits

Solar for Homeowners | 4 min read

How Safe Are Your Solar Panels in Severe Weather?

On September 11, 2018, a hurricane with 1-minute-long gusts of wind at speeds of 150 mph raged off the coast of North Carolina. As the

Solar Equipment | 4 min read

Do Solar Panels Need to be Cleaned?

Pollen, dust, sea salt, or pollution - if it’s in the air, it’ll eventually end up on your panels. And as a solar owner, you know that what

Solar Equipment | 4 min read

The Best Batteries for Solar Power Storage

Whether you’re looking for a way to keep the lights on when the grid goes down or you want to help offset demand charges, continued

Solar Equipment | 3 min read

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?

How many solar panels do I need for a 1,200 sq. ft. house? People often ask us a similar question when they are first introduced to solar

Solar Equipment | 4 min read

Can You Add Batteries to Your Existing Solar System?

For years, batteries have been a way to store excess power for solar systems. But until recently, they only made sense for a few, mostly

Solar Equipment | 3 min read

Batteries vs. Generators: Which Energy Backup Option Is Best For You?

For many years, gasoline generators have been the primary option for consumers looking for a backup power source in case of an electric