Solar Industry News

Understanding PG&E Avoided Cost Rates and Their Impact on Bay Area Solar Customers

October 10, 2024

If you’re a Bay Area homeowner considering solar energy, understanding PG&E’s avoided cost rates is crucial. These rates play a…

15 Ways to Conserve Energy and Reduce Your Electric Bill

December 11, 2023

In the Golden State of California, full of sunshine and warm weather, homeowners are always on the lookout for ways…

What is a Solar Array?

December 2, 2023

In the world of renewable energy, solar power shines brightly as a sustainable alternative, leading the charge towards a greener…

Golden Gate Bridge

Benefits and Drawbacks of Solar Energy for California Homeowners

November 3, 2023

In today’s environmentally-conscious times, solar energy shines as a top renewable solution, providing many benefits to the environment. With rising…

PGE-Rate-Hike

PG&E Requests a 22% Rate Hike: What California Homeowners Need to Know

October 25, 2023

On October 18, 2023, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) approached state regulators with a proposal for a staggering 22% rate…

Avoid Solar Scams: 6 Red Flags When Getting Solar Quotes

October 18, 2023

The transition to solar energy isn’t just a trend; it’s a significant movement towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.…

Powerwall 3

Powerwall 3: What to Expect

October 13, 2023

Tesla’s Powerwall 3 will be available in 2024 as the newest in their energy storage system lineup, promising to elevate…

Why Battery Storage is Essential with PG&E’s Net Billing Tariff (NEM 3.0)

October 10, 2023

When first established, Net Energy Metering (NEM) was a game changer for California residents interested in making the switch to…

Maximize Your Energy Efficiency With a Home Energy Audit

October 8, 2023

You might wonder what value there really is in conducting a home energy audit and if it’s worth exploring for…

Tesla Powerwall Or Generator – Which One Is Better?

October 5, 2023

With an increasing number of power outages in California, homeowners want more reliable backup power. Tesla Powerwall and traditional gas-powered…

Solar Industry News

Commercial Solar Battery Storage

Everything You Need to Know About Commercial Solar Battery Storage in 1,000 Words (and 3 Pictures)

By p15 | July 27, 2017

It’s not hard to see why the talk and excitement around commercial solar battery storage just keeps growing with each passing month. As the price of batteries continues to fall—and their performance continues to rise—more and more companies are taking a closer look at how battery storage can dramatically lower their monthly energy bills, especially…

Save on Your Electric Bill This Summer

Five Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill This Summer

By p15 | July 24, 2017

With summer heat waves in full swing, homeowners and business owners who rely on conventional power sources to keep cool are likely asking: “How can I reduce my electric bill?” While it takes plenty of power to run an air conditioner, with some parts of the U.S. hitting triple digit temps, we know running heaters during those…

Commercial Solar Panel Providers

9 Questions to Ask a Potential Commercial Solar Installation Company

By p15 | July 21, 2017

When you start researching solar for your business and interviewing commercial solar panel installation companies, you might not be sure where to start. What questions should you be asking? Who should you ask? How do you know if the answers you get are accurate, complete and unbiased? In other words, as with many new endeavors,…

Solar Technology Efficiency

Solar Technology Efficiency: More Breakthroughs are Coming

By p15 | July 19, 2017

When Bell Labs unveiled the world’s first silicon solar cell in 1954, it was estimated that the company’s new invention could turn 6 percent of the sun’s energy into electricity — a concept commonly referred to as efficiency. Fast forward to 1999. After nearly half a century of solar research, the University of New South…

How Many Solar Panels Do I Need for My Business

How Many Solar Panels Do You Need for Your Business?

By p15 | July 16, 2017

In very simple terms, figuring out “how many solar panels do I need” is a matter of dividing how much energy a solar panel can provide by how much your business uses. But you didn’t come here for “simple,” you want a real answer. Okay, let’s dig a little deeper and put some numbers into…

Home Solar Financing

Home Solar Financing Rates Are Heating Up

By p15 | July 13, 2017

July 2017 – Solar Technologies, a SunPower Master Dealer and one of the Bay Area’s leaders in solar panel technology, announced today that they’re offering homeowners the chance to go solar at a low financing charge of just 3.99%* with zero down. “If there was ever a time for Bay Area homeowners to consider going…

Building Your Own Green Home

3 Things to Consider if You’re Building Your Own Green Home

By p15 | July 11, 2017

As the world becomes more aware of how important it is to reduce our collective carbon footprint, so do those who design and build new homes. Architects and homebuilders agree that installing solar panels can have the biggest impact when it comes to significantly reducing or eliminating a building’s carbon footprint. Here are three things to…

Solar Panel Efficiency

Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency Isn’t Rocket Science… Except When It Is

By p15 | July 9, 2017

Be honest—if your kid came home beaming with pride for getting a 20% on a spelling test, you’d be questioning their understanding of math as well as language arts. 20% just doesn’t sound impressive. But what if your grade-schooler was being quizzed on a list of 500 doctoral-level vocabulary words? You may then be tempted…

Best Solar Panels

Want the Best Solar Panels? Choose the Right Solar Installer

By p15 | July 6, 2017

At Solar Technologies friends and family often ask us: “Where can I buy solar panels?” But what they’re really asking is: “How can I buy solar panels and get them installed on my house?” In general, consumers don’t directly buy their own solar panels. Instead, homeowners work with solar installers, such as a certified SunPower dealer, who will provide…

Energy Efficiency Programs

8 Steps to Build a Compelling Case for Energy Efficiency Programs

By p15 | July 3, 2017

When it comes to convincing a business’s decision makers and stakeholders that energy efficiency can contribute to a company’s success, the burden of proof may be somewhat daunting. This article by Smart Energy Decisions provides eight helpful steps in using and leveraging utility data to convince decision makers that a sustainability investment can provide a variety…