Posts by West Coast Solar

While there are many benefits of going solar, including reducing your environmental impact, the biggest draw for homeowners across the greater San Francisco area continues to be lowered electricity bills. With bills piling up for everything from your wireless service and subscriptions, to your mortgage, it’s time you got a break — right? Thankfully, switching to…

By now you’re likely familiar with all the benefits going solar can offer. You’re interested in saving money and reducing your carbon footprint while also providing your household with greater energy independence. But where do you start? Is my home suitable for solar? How much will installing solar cost? No-Cost Home Solar Assessment All your initial…

Homeowners living in regions of the country such as the Bay Area often have to deal with mold and mildew growing in their walls and attic. Frequent rain fall, moist air and a lack of ventilation combine to create the perfect environment for spores to foster and grow, posing a health hazard to your family,…

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve used this blog to talk about how a surging demand for solar power is sweeping not only the United States, but the entire world. Since the manufacturing price for solar panels has declined by almost 100 percent over the past 30 years, consumer demand has risen and investors…

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has released its quarterly report on the U.S. solar industry, which surveys solar activity in 28 different states to provide a picture of how photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power are growing. Their third quarter report, which came out December 9, paints a very positive picture of the industry.…

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced on August 27 that it would be awarding 22 contracts to solar companies to provide renewable energy, specifically solar power, to the nation’s armed forces. The total value of the contracts is over $7 billion, and they represent a model for how institutions and companies can make the…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on December 11 that it would be distributing $13 million in grant funds to five companies for use in deploying new solar manufacturing technologies and methods. The goal of the grants, which were funded by the DOE’s SunShot Initiative, is to make solar module production more streamlined, efficient…

PV Magazine, a solar industry news site, reports that the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is getting ready to begin auctioning off Solar Energy Zones, which it defines as areas “well-suited for utility-scale production of solar energy where BLM will prioritize solar energy and associated transmission infrastructure development.” The auctions will…

Anyone who has followed the Northern California solar industry may be aware that there is growing interest in community solar gardens, which allow those who live in homes where rooftop solar PV systems are not an option to take advantage of the financial benefits of this technology. In an effort to promote investment in community…

Recently, the U.S. military announced that Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, would be installing a $120 million solar panel array with a 20 megawatt capacity, providing 14 percent of the base’s electrical needs. But something unique about the system is that it will be financed using a power purchase agreement with El Paso Electric,…

One of the biggest obstacles to widespread acceptance of solar energy is that people are unaware of their options for acquiring Bay Area solar power for their business, organization or institution. Many people have driven through a neighborhood and seen a home with solar panels affixed to the roof, and assumed the homeowner purchased the system…