On this very fine Earth Day we are super excited to announce the kickoff of a major new initiative… The Philadelphia Solar Schools Initiative (PSSI): Mission Solar States will partner with ...
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Solar States owns and operates the largest rooftop solar array in the ...
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Solar States now offers residential solar installations! See why solar energy is ...
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Latest News
Investing green
In addition to reducing your personal carbon footprint, you can also use your investments to reduce the risks of climate change. Below, we will give some ideas for how you can green your portfolio and get a great return on investment. First, let’s define green investing. We’re defining green investing as having a low risk [...]
Earth Day: What to do and how to be part of the solution
Earth Day is Monday, April 22nd. Not only does the day provide opportunities to participate in events but it allows us to reflect on how we can play a part in reducing our carbon footprint. Here’s a few suggestions: Attend an Earth Day Event: For those in the Philadelphia area, Grid Magazine provides an excellent calendar [...]
Going solar without the panels
Unfortunately, rooftop solar is not an option for everyone. Perhaps, you live in a condo or your house’s rooftop doesn’t receive enough sunlight. Don’t despair! There are still ways to support clean electricity. Most states in the mid-Atlantic (including Pennsylvania) have what are referred to as “deregulated electricity markets”. What that means for you the [...]
Making solar affordable for all
The financial and environmental benefits of solar should be shared by all. Historically, a residential solar investment was only available to those who could make the upfront payment or get access to a home equity loan. While these are still hurdles, the cost of residential solar has gone down over the last five years. Furthermore, [...]
2012′s Top Ten Solar States: Where’s Pennsylvania?
The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) recently posted a great infographic on their website highlighting the top ten solar states as measured by installed capacity in 2012. Installed US solar capacity grew 76% in 2012! Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is not on the top ten states list. The Keystone State is the sixth largest state in terms [...]
PV America Review
PV America took place in Philadelphia Tuesday February 5th – 7th. As was the case two years ago the show had a lot of great information about new solar panels (dare I say AC solar panels, still not all the way ready, but showing promise), inverters, racking, and balance of system components. Additionally, there were [...]
Why the Chinese Solar Tariff is bad for America
Recently, the Department of Commerce announced it will place a 39% tariff on Chinese solar panels. The people celebrating this as a win for American manufacturers and jobs are misinformed about the solar industry. The Department of Commerce is foolish in this decision because it will result in a net loss of American jobs. The [...]
Solar panel tariff much smaller than expected
Good news for the solar industry came out of the Commerce Department today. The dark cloud of a major tariff on Chinese manufactured panels had been hanging over the head of the industry ever since Solar World filed anti-dumping claims with the International Trade Court (ITC). However, the Commerce Department wisely decided on a much lower tariff than had been rumored.
Solyndra – What’s really at stake
Recently the Solyndra bankruptcy has been grabbing a lot of headlines. Most of them are permutations of “Obama tainted by Solyndra scandal” or ”taxpayers money lost on Solyndra”. Mainstream media outlets are missing the point big time! The first misunderstanding is that a “failure” means that the government should not have made the investment. Instead, we [...]
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April 11, 2013 | 0 Comments
Great programs lowering solar costs
Customer awareness and marketing costs are a large component of residential solar installation costs. Large installers spend as much as $2500 per installation acquiring customers. Non-hardware costs (also called soft costs), which include marketing expenses make up a significant portion of the cost of solar installations. It’s these soft costs that are main driver why [...]