Mandatory solar power: The wave of the future?

I recently read about two towns in California that have mandated the installation of grid-tied PV systems on newly constructed homes. This government legislation illustrates to me how far residential solar power has come. Just a couple of decades ago, solar power...

Some Net Metering News from Various States

“Net Metering” describes the relationship between a utility and its customer when the customer has rooftop solar that is sometimes feeding the grid in addition to supporting their own loads, and the customer is compensated at the same rate as they are...

Net Metering Limits – What is Reasonable?

I recently came across this interesting info-graphic.  It is a couple of years old now and does not apply to Washington State.  It mentions how different states look at determining a reasonable amount of power generation that can come from net metered solar, and uses...

Solar article from Port Townsend Leader

Our friends at Wild Birds Unlimited are featured in an article about solar, the PV / EV connection, and increasing attractiveness for solar among small businesses in Washington. Solar for Home and Business – Leader Home and Garden 2014
SolarWorld Manufacturing Process Information

SolarWorld Manufacturing Process Information

The other evening, my kids were asking me how photovoltaic modules are made.  I gave my best explanation on my own, and then also found several excellent resources on the web.  This was one of the best videos (23 minutes, trade-show-commercial-style presentation):...
Washington State’s Production Incentive – Part 1

Washington State’s Production Incentive – Part 1

Here in Washington, we benefit from a state program designed to promote the installation of pv which offers an annual payment based on production, rather than a one time up-front rebate or tax credit (as found in many other states.) I will explain this program in two...

Fields of Blue

The year 2011 was a good year for big solar in the US, in terms of large scale projects (1 megawatt and larger).  Utility-scale installations are on a dramatic upswing, surpassing the growth-rate and overall megawatt capacity of residential installations, and nearly...