Thinking about Batteries? 5 Things to Think About as You Get Started

Placards   Labels.Final Electrical Install Photo Group.Final Electrical Photo

 Decide What You Want Backed Up Home battery backup systems can keep the lights on and refrigerator running when the power goes out. With more battery capacity, such systems can also keep your air conditioning running. Decide which appliances are critical to your needs in a power outage, or plan for your whole home to […]

Why Are My Inverters And Solar PV Array Not The Same Size?

enphase m250

A common question in solar is “Why are you installing a 260 watt solar module on a 215 watt microinverter?” Or for central inverters, “Why is my system a 9,000 watt system on a 8,000 watt inverter?” Solar modules don’t produce their nameplate (DC) rating even with perfect sunlight that is perfectly oriented to the […]

Off-Grid + Solar

Off Grid Battery System

Off-Grid Solar Battery Systems March, 2014         Off-grid solar systems were the starting point for much of the solar industry years ago.  Now, the majority of solar arrays are connected to the grid with a relatively small percentage of those providing battery backup.  However, for certain, select customers, an off-grid system may […]

Batteries – DC Coupling

DC Coupling Graphic

Grid-Connected Solar Plus Batteries – DC Coupling February, 2014   DC Coupling is the standard method to combine a grid-tied solar system with batteries to provide power to your house when the grid is down.  In this approach, DC electricity is fed from solar panels to a charge controller and then to batteries.  The batteries […]

Batteries + Solar – Secure Power Supply

Sunnyboy

The Utility is Down and the Sun is Up – You’ve Got Power (Without Batteries)! January, 2014   As previously discussed, there are now numerous options to have safe, secure power when the grid is down.  In the past, this was essentially considered an “all-or-none” option – either you had the grid with no solar […]

Batteries + Solar – Options

Considering Solar and Batteries?  Welcome to Your Updated Options. January, 2014 The solar market continues to develop at a wonderfully rapid pace.  One of the primary reasons to consider solar has always been energy independence.  For some, independence was freedom from power outages – or, even more so, complete independence from the electric grid itself.  […]

Batteries + Solar – AC Coupling

Outback Grid Tie

Retrofit Your Existing Grid-Connected Solar System with Batteries   – AC Coupling – February, 2014   AC Coupling provides a mechanism to utilize an existing grid-tied solar system and inverter (no batteries / no power when the grid is down) combined with an additional battery-based inverter to provide power to your house when the grid […]

EV Facts

What You Need to Know About EV Chargers                                           Your Fuel Source 2014 WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Your Fuel Source 2013       Electric vehicles possess many advantages over internal combustion engine (ICE) cars:                 According to the DOE, electric cars […]

Considering Solar and Batteries? Welcome to Your Updated Options.

  The solar market continues to develop at a wonderfully rapid pace.  One of the primary reasons to consider solar has always been energy independence.  For some, independence was freedom from power outages – or, even more so, complete independence from the electric grid itself.  For others, independence meant creating clean power for a fixed […]