In this post, we highlight some of the most important breakthroughs of the last 176 years in solar energy technology and policy: 1839 : Edmond Bequerel, a budding 19-year-old Parisian scientist, discovered the photovoltaic effect when he realized that two electrodes in an electricity-conducting so... Read More
Solar energy was first idealized as an unlimited resource that would require little maintenance and produce zero-emissions. As the cost of solar panels has dropped since those early days, making residential solar panel installation not only realistic, but marketable, even more benefits have become a... Read More
The first question you, as a homeowner, must ask yourself is, "Is solar power worth it for me?" For a vast number of Americans, this answer is a loud and resounding yes. Not only can you work towards saving the environment through less dependence on fossil fuels to power your home, but you can also... Read More
It has long been known that energy conservation efforts save companies money every year. Not only does energy efficiency save building owners and tenants money, it also strengthens the overall economy, according to a new report published by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC). The repor... Read More
There are several factors that determine how many solar panels you will need for your home. In this post we will explain how your historic electricity consumption, available roof space, the azimuth of your home, shading, soiling, and equipment selection effect the number of panels you need. How Man... Read More
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has just approved spending as part of its Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to fund grants and loans for 264 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects nationwide, according to Fox News. This funding amounts to around $63 million and will be distributed... Read More
Running automatically and virtually silently, it can be easy to forget solar panels are even there. As self-sustaining as they are, however, the efficiency of your residential solar panels can benefit from some basic maintenance you can do right at home. Here, we describe three tips to help your sol... Read More
On August 3 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the final version of its Clean Power Plan, which has solar energy advocates celebrating. The plan, which aims to phase out coal-fired power plants in favor of low or zero-emission sources, encourages states to utilize wind and solar growt... Read More
Last year California made impressive strides in solar energy, nearly tripling the output of its utility-scale plants in 2013 to produce a record-setting 9.9 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity in 2014. That was more than three times the output of the next-highest state, Arizona, and more tha... Read More
As of this moment, energy fathered from renewable sources amounts to 13 percent of all U.S. electricity, according to City Lab. For California, in Governor Jerry Brown's 2015 State of the State address, he set three significant goals to work on in regards to renewable energy for the next 15 years. I... Read More
