Any strategies which reduce installation costs that are implemented by PV installers in the US will get a free boost from the falling price of modules. However there is no such bonus for solar thermal installers, which forces them to count more on selecting specific equipment and other strategies of labor to bring down the …

Many people would like to enjoy the benefits of solar PV, however, there are some situations that will stop solar integration dead in its tracks.  Obstacles to solar implementation include predominant shading over a building, lack of roof space, improper roof, and lack of landlord cooperation.   For these would-be consumers, virtual metering could be the …

Solar doesn’t work in darker climates and atmospheres. Fact: Ambient light is perfectly sufficient for solar panels, and they can produce significant amounts of energy on days with poor weather. Solar panels are more effective in these temperatures than in hotter temperatures. This may seem contradictory, take for instance, solar panels in Sacramento, which is …

There’s a NEW solar panel mounting system on the block, delivering engineered relief to the long bemoaned problem of “wire management” and grounding, as well as other key issues, like ease of installation, installer safety, profit margin, and insurance costs.  www.Concise DesignsInc.com based in Sonoma County, California has developed a game changing, state of the …

31 GW worth of worldwide photovoltaic installations took place in 2012, despite the fact that prices continued to decline and current supplies remained at over capacity.  It is forecast that growth in Q2 for 2013 will make up for losses in Q4 2012.  Although the prices of photovoltaic modules declined in the fall of 2012, …

Silicon oversupply continues to leave the solar industry in a quicksand glut, driving down the prices of cells and modules, thereby limiting margins and revenue across the globe. This, along with a combination of increasing module inventory and decreasing demand is threatening the financial stability and viability of some companies within the industry. The problem …

Privately owned residential rooftop PV installations are alive and well in the United States. According to research conducted by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, the capacity of traditional residential PV installations grew by 24% in 2011. Nevertheless, the residential solar model has some inherent physical drawbacks, thereby limiting the number of people who elect to …

Hi folks.  Today I’m writing a bit off topic of solar brokering, and instead, focusing for a moment on how I can donate a portion of my earnings from solar brokered sales to charitable non profits within my community.  While I usually write about solar and the benefits of brokering for reducing buyer costs, today …

Solar panel prices are influenced by industry consolidations just as much as they are by the production chain. It seems that in the past year, PV manufacturers are failing left and right, including scandals which affect solar panel prices, like the recent Solyndra loan debacle and the newly imposed tariffs on Chinese solar panel manufacturers. …

Twenty-five is a significant anniversary in the life cycle of a solar panel. Why? Because it’s the average lifespan of when a solar panel becomes insufficient at producing electricity, as well as, when the solar companies no longer warranty the output of their panels.  And that can mean only one thing; time for that hunk …