MENU

Solar Blog

Solar Power World and “State of Solar” for U.S. 2015

We like to share good information about solar from other sources and this is a great article with good information about the solar market in the U.S. today. Residential and commercial solar installations have increased as costs have gone down, and the number of solar panel installations has increased dramatically as a result. It’s a good time to get into the market.

Read More »

Choosing a Solar Installer 101

The U.S. is growing in residential and commercial solar PV installations – and fast. If you’re a home or business owner, owning and paying for a solar PV system is easier than ever, but there are guidelines for potential solar PV owners to make the process successful – starting with who you choose to install your PV system. When you enter solar installer search criteria into your search engine you’ll get a long list to choose from. So how can a home or business owner tell who is, or isn’t, a competent professional installation company?

Read More »

SolarWindow Enters into Third Phase

SolarWindow Technologies, Inc., the leading developer of first-of-its-kind transparent electricity-generating coatings for glass and flexible plastics, announced that it has entered into Phase III of its Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The primary development goal of the Agreement is the commercialization of SolarWindow products.

Read More »

Converting Solar to Usable Energy

Photonic energy is a wave particle that travels at a speed of approximately 300,000 kilometers per second (186,000 miles per second). Almost everything reacts to this energy when contacted by it. The most common reaction is conversion to heat. Plants convert sunlight to chemical energy (complex sugar). The sugar is stored and used by the plant to live and grow.

Read More »

Solar Careers in a Galaxy Near You

There is no telling how many solar jobs there are in this galaxy given the probable billions of solar systems within it, but we do know that there are quite a few in this small sector. If you are thinking that you would like to build a career in the solar industry, it is an industry with an impressive growth rate and lots of room. If you’re trying to make a decision to shift your goals toward building a career in the solar industry, it is necessary to see the whole picture.

Read More »

Is Renewable Energy an Oxymoron?

In short, yes it is. Energy changes form, but it does not renew itself and an outside force cannot renew it, although it can draw energy from an outside source.

On the other hand, everything is energy and as far as we know, there is no less of anything now than there ever has been. Matter and energy are part of the same equation; energy changes form but it doesn’t cease to exist. In that respect, all energy is renewable.

Read More »

Does Certified Solar Training Make Cents

Does certified solar training make “cents” for solar PV design and installation companies? Spending money on training may seem questionable since there is so much free information on the internet these days. If you have the time, you can find just about anything you want or want to know about through the internet. The biggest problem with that approach is qualifying the accuracy of the information. A PV design and installation company that decides to self educate usually misses some key information. The cost for missing this information to save on quality training is usually much higher in the long run.

Read More »

Solar PV Training and Employment

Solar PV Training and Employment

It would seem logical to assume that since the Solar PV industry is growing at such a robust pace, there should be plenty of jobs available. That is a correct assumption, but there is a gap between the need for workers and the need for a well-trained work force. The old adage is; you need experience to get a job, but you can’t get experience without a job.

Read More »

Grid-tie Inverters and Generators

Grid-Tied PV Systems and Generators

The question keeps coming up; “Will a generator keep the grid interactive, non-battery based PV array operating during utility power outages?” In theory, it seems like a logical idea since the generator operates at 240 volt 60 Hz and this is what the inverter is looking for in order to continue operating.

Read More »

Multi-Credentialed Solar Installer-Trainer

What do you say about someone who was the first PV trainer in the U.S. to hold four credentials (IREC ISPQ Master PV and three NABCEP certifications)? An overachiever? Staying ahead of the competition?  Hip to the importance of credentials to maintain integrity in the solar profession?  All of the above?
Achieving any one of these credentials is an ambitious goal, but four?  I wanted to know what (or who) is behind Kelly’s drive to be multi-credentialed.  Here’s our conversation.

Read More »