As you are likely well aware by now, going solar has many benefits including savings, convenience, and reduced environmental impact. In addition, using solar power for your home can help to increase your energy independence and future-proof your energy costs. The Variability of Electricity Costs Here in California, homeowners pay more for electricity than most other residents across the country. In fact, the electricity prices from the grid are about 40% more expensive here in the Brentwood area than…

The White House has issued an executive order that directs all federal agencies to derive 20 percent of their electrical power from renewable sources by 2020. The move is similar to the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that has been adopted by California, requiring utilities in the state to obtain one-third of the power they sell from renewables – including Northern California solar energy – by the end of the decade. Currently, federal agencies such as…

As environmental activists continue to promote the use of renewable energy across the United States, one question critics have raised is whether such alternatives would result in a less reliable electricity grid. However, a new report may help to dispel this apprehension. On April 17, the Civil Society Institute and Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. released the results of a joint study that revealed that if the United States stopped burning coal, cut back on the use of natural gas and shut…

As 2013 comes to an end, it’s important to reflect on the past year in the solar industry and figure out what we can learn from the last 12 months. The year was especially successful for the proliferation of Bay Area solar power, so it’s a good idea to analyze what made the technology so popular among homeowners and businesses in order to continue this progress in 2014. Greentech Media sat down with Nat Kreamer, CEO of Clean Power Finance, to discuss…

Back in March, we reported on the results of a year-in-review survey conducted by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) that detailed trends in photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) markets. The data revealed that 2012 was a record-breaking year for the industry. Solar panel installations increased 76 percent throughout the United States compared to the previous year, jumping from 1,887 to 3,313 megawatts. It’s understandable that such a huge surge in solar has prompted…

If you run a small business or organization, one of your objectives is always to keep costs low enough so that the company can make a profit. This isn’t always easy, as it can sometimes lead to a decrease in the quality of the firm’s product or service, particularly if these cost-cutting measures involve laying off employees and under staffing. But one way you can try getting around these difficult decisions is to improve the…

Growth in the U.S. renewable energy infrastructure accounted for 25 percent of new electrical generating capacity for the first six months of 2013, according to a report by the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission’s Office of Energy Products. The paper’s authors stated that 2,144 megawatts of renewable capacity was added, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total 8,601 MW installed. One of the most promising aspects of the report is that solar energy made up 45…

Part of creating a future in which Americans rely more on the planet’s renewable energy resources such as sunlight, wind and rain means educating today’s kids and teenagers about the benefits of solar power and other green technology solutions. Recently, high school and college students in the Sacramento, California, area participated in a series of workshops at Cosumnes River College where they learned how to build portable solar suitcases strong enough to light a whole room. According…

It’s well known among renewable energy enthusiasts and industry trackers that the cost of going solar has been dropping significantly over the last decade, and one reason for this has been the proliferation of Chinese solar panels, which are typically cheaper than solar cells produced by American manufacturers. This has been good for California solar energy customers, who have benefited from lower prices and installation costs as a result. But it has made it more…

A new report from market research firm NPD Solarbuzz predicts that manufacturing costs for integrated polysilicon and photovoltaic wafers, some of the principle components of a solar module, will drop 6 percent in 2014. While this represents a slower decline than the five-year average of 16 percent per year, it still spells good news for customers who are considering adopting Bay Area solar energy for their electricity needs. The report predicts that the price per watt of…

Prospective Bay Area solar energy customers may be slightly discouraged by the amount of paperwork required to even begin installing solar panels atop their roof. There are a lot of benefits to adopting solar power for your electricity needs, but to get to a point where you can finally install the photovoltaic (PV) panels and begin reaping the financial and environmental incentives requires applying for permits and tax forms that no one really wants to…