One of the main reasons homeowners choose to have solar energy solutions installed – aside from the fact that these systems help them save money on their utility bills and pay for themselves over the course of several years – is for the environmental benefits. In recent years, reports Media Matters for America, a progressive research center, people have come forward trying to claim that solar energy is “dirty” due to the amount of power…

Residents of San Diego received good news on October 24, when the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) agreed to extend the residential rebate program under the California Solar Initiative (CSI) for customers of San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), which administers the San Diego rebate program for SDG&E, reports that $5 million will be allocated for the program, representing about 25 megawatts (MW) of solar generating capacity that will be added…

Recently on this blog, we’ve tackled some of the most common misconceptions about solar energy solutions, using data and statistics to support the fact that this alternative power option is cost-effective, good for the environment and able to successfully operate even in cloudy climates. Another myth that has been perpetuated over the past few years is that solar energy requires a significant amount of land. Opinion pieces in publications such as The Wall Street Journal…

Recently on this blog, we’ve been reporting on the plethora of exciting solar energy initiatives happening in the Golden State, and as of yesterday, there’s another bit of exciting news to add to the growing list. Clean Power Finance (CPF), a San Francisco-based financial services and software provider for the solar industry and capital markets, announced in an April 9 press release that it had secured $37 million in funding from investors such as Edison International, Google…

A retiring California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) member has issued a final address in which he warns his fellow members to protect the state’s solar assets. The San Francisco Gate reports that Mark Ferron, who will be retiring due to a prolonged battle with prostate cancer, stated in his address that it was up to the CPUC to protect the interests of solar customers and self-generators rather than those of the utility companies. The CPUC, which sets electricity…

Construction has started on a solar energy project in Calipatria, California, near the Mexican border. The new plant will provide enough power for 60,000 homes while employing 800 people during the construction stage. Located a few hours east of San Diego, the developers will be selling electricity to San Diego Gas & Electric under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). Called Solar Gen 2, the site consists of three separate arrays of photovoltaic (PV) panels, which…

Most people tend to think of solar power as something only wealthy and upper-middle class homeowners are able to take advantage of, but that simply isn’t true anymore. Several economic conditions have converged to make this renewable energy source more accessible to low-income residents. One of those factors is the availability government subsidies specifically set aside to encourage solar panel ownership for low-income families. As part of the California Solar Initiative (CSI), the state government created the…

Summer is here, and Californians are going to be turning their air conditioners on en masse to keep their homes livable. This is an understandable impulse, but it’s one that is fraught with consequences. Air conditioners are one of the most energy-intensive appliances in the home, which means power consumption skyrockets in the summer months along with the associated expenses and pollution from burning fossil fuels. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) states that air conditioning…

The Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) in Clovis, California, will soon complete construction of a 5.86-megawatt (MW) solar installation that will provide electricity for nearly 38,000 students. The system was financed by a voter-approved bond initiative that will ultimately save the district $2.7 million a year in energy expenses. The CUSD solar installation is expected to deliver 8.4 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually, and will serve as an educational opportunity that will demonstrate to students the viability…

Every year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) takes a reading of the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the top of Mauna Loa in Hawaii. This test was carried out last week, and the results were troubling for those who are concerned about the economic and ecological effects climate change. NOAA reported that carbon dioxide had hit a “milestone” of 400 parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere, which hasn’t happened…

One piece of conventional wisdom that gets passed around among Bay Area solar circles is the notion that solar panels need to be routinely cleaned, or homeowners who have rooftop PV systems will experience a loss of efficiency. The idea is that dust and dirt accumulating on the surface of the panels blocks sunlight, thereby decreasing the amount of electricity that you get out of the system. Therefore, it may be necessary to contact a…

Thermophotovoltaics are seen by many in the solar community as having huge potential for increasing the efficiency of solar cells. With commercially available photovoltaic modules, a semiconductor absorbs infrared light and converts it into electricity. Because infrared rays represent only a fraction of the energy emitted by the sun, this means that solar panels generally only convert about 20 percent of the sunlight that hits them into usable power, while the remaining energy is either…