It’s evident Florida lawmakers and regulators are taking steps to ensure that the Sunshine State lives up to its nickname. As reported by the Miami Herald, the Public Service Commission (PSC) will increase the rate paid to owners of renewable-energy systems. At issue is net metering, the process by which excess electricity from such systems—called [...]

People often write us asking, “When does it make sense to buy a solar PV system?” We always write back, saying “There’s no one straightforward answer.”
There are at least a dozen factors that will determine whether PV panels are a worthwhile investment for your home: the angle and orientation of your roof; the amount of [...]

Given current concerns about rising prices, both at home and abroad, I thought I’d review how inflation plays into investment decisions.
If you’re reading up on solar, or other forms of alternative energy, you’ve probably come across the following rationale: One of the best reasons to install PV panels—or purchase energy-saving technologies for your home, or [...]

Since I’m always going on about solar thermal in China, it’s about time I sound off on the experience of using the technology. This is hardly a difficult task, as both my host family in Beijing and my uncle in Fuzhou, a massive seaside city in China’s southern Fujian province, are staunch supporters of solar [...]

For many around the country, the sub-prime housing crisis that began last summer now means one of two things. One: since early this spring, adjustable-rate mortgages have been resetting at higher rates, making it difficult for many individuals to keep up with their payments. In fact, foreclosures in May were up an unprecedented 48% from [...]

A couple of weeks ago, we discussed a hypothetical case study: the payback period of a 3.7-kW PV system for a PG&E customer in California. One of our readers pointed out that our analysis relied, perhaps too heavily, on a couple of overly optimistic averages, namely that California-based customers could count on 8.2 hours of [...]

California signs a new law into action that makes it possible for local governments to offer low interest loans for residential solar installations.

The past couple weeks, I’ve looked at various options for financing the purchase of a PV system. This week, we’re gonna dig a little bit deeper into the numbers. (Bear with me. I’ll try to make this as clear and as un-boring as possible…).
Bottom line: before buying a system, you’ll want to know what kind [...]

Last week, I sketched a simple picture of the costs involved in installing a 3-kW system in San Francisco. This week, as promised, I’m taking a look at three different financing options. Here we go.
(1) Buy. Obviously, this is the most straightforward option. If you’ve got a enough cash to cover the upfront costs, which [...]

A friend of mine living in the Bay area recently asked me how much he’d have to cough up for a PV system. While there are far too many variables involved to provide a spot-on estimate, I promised him I’d try to come up with something. So without further ado, I bring you the [...]