Oakland, Calif. | 51 kW Education and renewable energy go hand in hand. The energy revolution we’ve seen the last few decades has come about because of some serious education and re-education of the public. If humans plan on sticking around awhile, growing an awareness of sustainability is as importantRead More

A whirlwind of new technology improvements are appearing in solar modules made by the world’s leading manufacturers, with common goals of improving performance and efficiency, while holding costs down to the bare bone. Many of these advances were touted during the recent SPI show in Anaheim, where manufacturers vied forRead More

Back in 2010, Snake Tray decided to install a PV system on its own roof. At that point, Snake Tray had been a manufacturer of trays for other industries for many years, with no ties to the solar industry. But after seeing a PV system installation up close, owner RogerRead More

The evolution of carport design has yielded a leaner, more cost-effective structure that can deliver both the duty of vehicle protection and the function of a solar power plant. While a fairly large number of solar and other companies have attempted to enter this promising carport market — as evidencedRead More

The updated 2014 National Electrical Code’s (NEC) manual, Section 690.12, says that a PV system needs to be able to reduce the voltage and current to 30 volts and 240 volt-amps, within a 10-ft perimeter of the array after rapid shutdown is initiated. It’s a straightforward name and concept, butRead More

After selecting all of the panels, wires, inverters and any analytic software or batteries or storage, you wouldn’t want to select the wrong combiner box and accidentally undermine the entire setup. Like with any product selection, the project’s type, size and scope mean everything when selecting a combiner box, andRead More

The solar industry is ripe with new opportunity, both in terms of previously underserved verticals and new technology, but getting the financials in place can still be a hurdle for mid-market customers. All of these storylines intersect with what’s going on at REC Solar. REC Solar is in growth mode,Read More

  Butyl rubber was first developed in the early 1930s, and its traditional applications are pool linings, flexible flashing for construction and lining tubeless tires. It has a unique combination of barrier properties, such as high damping, resistance to ozone, weatherproofing and heat aging that make it an ideal choiceRead More

The 2015 Solar Power International conference kicked off with a stellar panel discussion that covered all of the big picture issues facing the industry today: the ITC, the Clean Power Plan, financing and the new technologies that might best supplement the solar industry going forward. Here are some notes andRead More

  On its face, adding a storage component to a solar system just seems to make sense. Why not save up energy when the sun’s power is abundant and then use it at times of peak demand or at night when there is no sun? The idea is almost tooRead More