When a homeowner is considering a solar PV installation, they often keep certain points in mind when searching for the right contractor. Though some homeowners focus solely on the bottom line, most are savvy enough to know that other factors come into play if they want to have the bestRead More

Soft costs comprise 64% of a solar PV system’s total cost, which means installation methods and component selection are crucial elements of solar installer’s business model. Today on the Pitch, Jason Higginson, senior director of marketing with APsystems, tells us how multi-module microinverters can be a competitive advantage for solarRead More

The inherent nature of energy storage systems (ESS) can become an issue at the time of interconnection in cases in which it is not classified under “generator.” Without this simple addition to the interconnection rules of the utility, longer and costlier procedures for the interconnection of an ESS may beRead More

The interest in and adoption of residential storage in the US has grown at a healthy pace in the last few years. Guidance on how to size a system, particularly for AC coupled storage solutions, is a common request from installers with customers interested in adding storage. Few areas inRead More

SNMP and MODBUS are both components of the application layer in the OSI model. Where MODBUS is a protocol that can be supported by different physical and data link layers, SNMP is exclusively an IP standard. Unlike MODBUS IP, which typically uses the TCP transport layer, SNMP data is usuallyRead More

Developed by Emera Technologies LLC, a subsidiary of Emera Inc., the BlockEnergy Smart Platform is the world’s first utility-focused, front-of-the-meter, distributed renewable energy platform for new communities of all sizes. The first, truly plug-and-play energy system, BlockEnergy is comprised of a simple kit of parts, able to be installed byRead More

Though there are many specific definitions of a microgrid, at its core a microgrid means the ability of a distributed energy resource, typically solar PV and battery energy storage, to both interact with the utility grid and stand alone with no utility. From a technical perspective, what are the key elementsRead More

One of the big questions solar developers need answered when moving into a new market is how much to offer for a lease rate. Typically, landowners aren’t actively marketing their property for solar use, aside from a few national land exchange platforms and local real estate brokers aren’t familiar with thisRead More

Between COVID-19 and escalating trade tensions, especially between the U.S. and China, the global supply chain is experiencing a period of unsteadiness. But rethinking how the supply chain looks can be a challenge, especially for sectors in which the supply chain has been built up over the course of manyRead More

One of the most common questions asked by PV Installers, as well as customers, is how to properly size and charge a battery bank in places where ambient temperatures may vary considerably throughout the year. Temperature affects battery performance in two ways. The standard capacity rating of a battery isRead More