Tag Archives: residential
Solar: Leasing vs. Buying
Look out! The Solar Leasing Police are on the prowl and they think you’re an idiot for leasing a solar system instead of buying it. Are you? Well, first, we absolutely detest the condescending paternalism of the anti-leasing crowd many of whom we’re guessing probably don’t even have solar themselves (could it be because they [...]
The New York Power Authority Goes Solar
The New York Power Authority announced this week that it is dedicating $30 million to research and development work aimed at reducing the cost of solar energy. The authority’s new Solar Market Acceleration program will spend $30 million over five years in a first-of-its-kind statewide program. “This is in response to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s push [...]
Top 5 Reasons People Go Solar
Did you know that most solar customers are not rich? Most have an annual household income under six figures, and way below that $150,000 mark many consider wealthy. What’s more, 70 percent say they’re actually penny-pinchers, or, to be polite about it, “savvy spenders.” These are just two observations reported in a new infographic released [...]
Nest Updates Software; Now Even More Energy Efficient
Nest Labs has released new software that delivers detailed information on heating and cooling units in the house, when they were switched on, how much energy was used, and so on. The software is meant for Nest Learning Thermostats and helps users realize how changes to the device can affect power usage. With Nest’s Learning [...]
Generating Your Own Home Electricity
Living off the grid, away from power lines, requires setting up a self-sustaining electrical system. If wanting freedom from the power company, there are three basic ways to generate your own home electricity. Solar Electrical Systems Photovoltaic (PV) cell technology, most commonly referred to as solar panels, converts energy from the sun into electricity. PV [...]
Interview: Creator of the SolarPod
This new solar panel kit might change everything for homeowners. It’s a new system that simply plugs into a 230V wall plug and provides power for your home. We interviewed Mouli, founder of Mouli Engineering (the company that’s created it), to learn more about this exciting new development. Briefly describe the SolarPod The Mouli Engineering SolarPodTM is [...]
FUTUREWATCH: Residential Fuel Cells
As CO2 is directly linked to global warming, there’s been a rush of efforts to find ways whereby people can receive power without putting a strain on the environment. If renewables can be harnessed efficiently and used through smart grids, then the burden on natural resources and the environment as a whole will be significantly [...]
Solar Leasing: Taking Off
We’ve been hearing about this trend for awhile – the solar leasing model is really picking up steam, making solar easily affordable to people. Rather than buying solar panels upfront – which is still unaffordable for many people – and saving money on electricity in 5-10 years after they’ve been paid off, they simply lease [...]
Top 5: Green Materials for Home Improvement
Trying to change your shopping habits can be an uphill struggle these days with the growing prevalence of ‘greenwashing’ and the already astounding array of products in all markets. Add this problem to the DIY sector and you find an area in which most people know even less about; when was the last time you [...]
Preparing for a Solar PV Installation
As our co-founder and president Raina Russo talked about in her post on what to expect during a solar PV installation, there’s not a lot of legwork that goes into it from a customer’s perspective. We’ve broken it down into three easy steps so future solar customers can get ready for the big day when [...]
Kyocera’s PV Power Generation System
If you want a little solar charger for your smartphone or a solar bulb that will help you in the backyard, then many of those are available with new ones coming forth every day. But units like the ones Kyocera is offering are not going to be launched all too often and this Solar Power [...]
The Advantages of Solar Power for UK Homes
Solar energy have been dubbed the future for energy. There are so many advantages to using solar energy that it is really worth considering it as an option for your home. One major advantage of using solar energy in the UK along with other renewable sources of energy is the incentives that have been created [...]