Author

David Belden

Renewable Energy Monitoring Systems – The Next Big Thing?

If micro-inverters are the current craze in the solar industry, then I predict that solar energy monitoring systems will be the next big thing.

Micro-inverters (and other parallel technology) are given lots of attention because they can increase the efficiency of a system by up to as much as 10%-20%. Similarly, solar electricity systems that are hooked up to monitoring systems have a 10% energy production increase over systems that are not hooked up to monitoring systems, according to Will Shortt, CEO of Deck

September 3, 2010 8 comments

Electric Cars and National Security – Are They Inextricably Linked?

written by David Belden

I recently attended a talk at Tesla Motors about the state of the electric car industry and the history of Tesla. Wow, was I impressed. Driving an electric car fueled entirely by solar power no longer is a dream of the future. It’s here today, it’s happening around the country, and I can’t wait to join in!

August 13, 2010 0 comment

Grid Alternatives Solarthon 2010 – The Gift That Keeps On Giving

written by David Belden

On Saturday July 31st, the Residential Solar 101 team joined about 150 other volunteers for Grid Alternatives’ Solarthon 2010. In the eight hours we were there, the teams worked to install solar panels on nine different houses in West Oakland. On average, each system was 2 kW in size. A total of 18 Kilowatts (kW) of solar generating capacity was installed

August 4, 2010 3 comments

Which is Right for You? Solar Lease or PPA

written by David Belden

How can companies like SunRun, Sungevity, and SolarCity provide a zero down or $1000 down solar lease while charging less per month than a utility company? Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Here’s a high level overview of how solar leases (and PPAs) work.

First, let’s briefly review how a homeowner would purchase and install a solar system without the benefit of a solar lease or PPA. A home owner purchases

July 13, 2010 6 comments