SMUD Proposing ‘Grid Access Charge’ Costing Solar Customers $1000s
Update: On April 22, 2019, SMUD withdrew the Grid Access Charge proposal, which was the focus of this article. SMUD also withdrew their proposed Net Energy Metering (NEM) 2.0 rate schedule. SMUD has stated that they are committing to establishing a process where they can work with public stakeholders to find service solutions that best […]
Your Next Car May Be Electric – Why Not Fuel It With Solar Power?
Whenever news stations and magazine articles cover the topic of electric vehicles (EVs), the conversation is typically centered around Tesla. The automaker seems to be perceived as the only major electric car manufacturer of note. But the truth of the matter is that most mainstream automakers are currently adding electric vehicles to their lineups, even […]
How Much Does Electricity Cost from Solar Panels vs. Your Local Utility?
Our customers are often concerned about the upfront cost of buying a solar power system. This hesitation is completely understandable. After all, solar is a significant long-term investment. But that’s just it—it’s an investment. There’s an analogy we’ve used with customers on occasion: Imagine that back in 1994, when gas was about $1.15 a gallon […]
How Many Solar Panels Do You Need For Your Home?
When customers ask us about installing a new solar power system, they’re often thrilled at the idea of completely zeroing out their yearly energy bill. After all, how great would it be to not have to worry about paying anything but your utility company’s monthly maintenance fees? But deciding how much roof real estate to […]
Building Solar Panels is a Dirty Business – Why Sustainability Matters
Solar power’s popularity has continued to increase for the last several years, despite costly tariffs and other efforts to bolster traditional fossil fuel industries. There’s a key reason for this. With old forms of power, you consume a finite resource every time you need electricity. Every time you flip on the light switch, you burn […]