Solar Power May be the Key to Protecting Texans

After an unprecedented winter storm in mid-February, the state of Texas got a rude wake up call: The power system isn’t equipped to handle climate change.

The combination of soaring electricity prices and widespread outages following the collapse of the power system after the Feb. 15 storm is likely to be a turning point for the solar industry in Texas. The state already has about 800k households with home solar systems, second most in the country after California, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. But with only about 1% of households on solar, it is actually low in per capita installation.

Between the events in Texas and California’s limited rolling blackouts last year, there’s a common lesson: Extreme weather events are...

Can Solar Panels Withstand Winter Weather and Snowfall?

With snow storms hitting all over the United States this winter, you may be wondering how your solar panel system holds up during weather events like this. You shovel your driveway and get the snow off your car, but what about your solar panels? Do you need to be worried about the condition of your modules? Will productivity go down?

Well, as long as your solar panel system has been professionally installed, your array is built to handle circumstances like this.

Let me explain...

It’s not really worth it to clean them yourself

First of all, we do not recommend that you clean snow off your solar panels. The risk of injury to oneself or damage to your panels is not worth the small benefit. Your array is likely to be snow-free in a...

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) voted 4-1 in early December to reject Ameren Illinois’ proposed calculation of the number of solar net-metering customers in its territory. The vote resulted in the reopening of full retail net metering in its service territory, a decision that will allow new solar customers to participate in the net metering program, a widely used solar compensation system.

Net metering (also known as net energy metering or NEM) is a solar incentive that allows you to store energy in the electric grid. When your solar panels produce more electricity than you need, that energy is sent to the grid in exchange for credits. For example, if a residential customer has a PV system on their roof, it may generate more electricity than the home uses during daylight hours. If the home is...

PG&E is raising utility rates in California to help pay for safety measures

Pacific Gas & Electric’s household customers in California will be hit with an average rate increase of 8% early next year. This rate spike is occurring in an effort to help the utility pay for new safety measures and equipment improvements designed to reduce the risk of igniting wildfires in its Northern California service territory.

The higher prices will officially take effect on March 1st and could boost the bills of PG&E’s residential customers by an average of $13.44 a month.

This rate spike is hitting at an unfortunate time, as many people are struggling financially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As many people are forced to stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, their electricity usage is...

What are the components of a solar panel system?

At Green Solar Technologies, we make solar look easy. But have you ever wanted to hear a breakdown of all the components that make up solar panels? Even though it may seem like magic, it’s actually science and engineering. There are 5 key components in a home solar panel system: solar panels, an inverter, an electrical panel, the power grid, and the sun. In this blog, we'll walk you through how each component works together to create a complete solar panel system.

1. Solar Energy is harnessed from the sun Every solar system collects energy from the sun. A solar system does not create the energy, but instead converts energy from the sun into electricity your home can use. A standard solar panel consists of a layer of silicon cells, a metal frame, a glass casing, and various wiring to allow current to flow from the silicon...

Renewable energy, led by solar power, could make up 80% of the growth in electricity generation over the next decade, according to a report published by the International Energy Agency. Solar power is even being dubbed the "new king" of global markets by renewable energy experts.

With the International Energy Agency calling solar the cheapest form of electricity in history, now consistently cheaper than burning coal or natural gas in most countries, it's evident that Solar's new status as the dominant leader of the power markets is a global phenomenon.

Research shows U.S. solar installations increased 3,000% in one decade. In addition to the growth in renewable energy, utility-scale battery storage increased 20-fold since 2010. California, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada and Texas added the most solar energy between 2010 and 2019. In addition to taking first place for...

Could Solar Energy really be the cheapest source of electricity?

The answer, according to a new report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), is yes.

The IEA reported last week that in some parts of the world, solar power is now the cheapest source of electricity in history, thanks to policies encouraging renewable energy growth.

Sunshine is free, but the technology needed to turn it into usable electricity can be expensive. To encourage more people and companies to switch to solar power, countries can adjust their policies to make purchasing that equipment more affordable. Today, more than 130 countries have policies that lower the cost of building new solar installations. This is the first year that the IEA took such policies into consideration when calculating the cost of solar energy in its annual...