Category: Consumer Guide

Make sure your solar panels are doing their job with some preventative monitoring. We asked solar industry veteran Al Rich of ACR Solar for some tips. Here’s what we learned: 1. Why is it important to learn how to monitor your own system? Even though many solar installers have a monitoring service, they usually can only look for “red flags” …

Get answers to the most common questions about solar energy. We’re constantly updating this post based on your questions and feedback. Message us on Facebook or email us at info@solarrights.org.  REBATES & TAX INCENTIVES Q: What is the federal tax incentive for solar and how does it work? A: There is a federal tax incentive called the Solar Investment Tax …

This summer, give your panels a rinse. It doesn’t have to be hard, and can improve your system performance. Get the quick tips, courtesy of solar pioneer Al Rich, President and Founder of ACR Solar. 1) Make sure your panels get one good cleaning every year for best performance. “My experience is that cleaning solar panels when they get that …

Besides the savings, independence and freedom, solar systems also tend to be relatively low maintenance. Here’s four tips to help to ensure that your solar panels perform well for a long time. 1) Keep Your Panels Clean Since the panels are exposed and most likely on your roof, dirt, dust, bird droppings and pollen will accumulate. However, rainfall in most …

Solar is typically a low-maintenance investment, and that’s great. But maybe your inverter went out. Maybe you just want someone to check your system out and make sure it’s working properly. You call your installer and learn they are no longer in business. What then? You could try calling some other area installers to see if they can help. The …

You’ve decided to get serious about going solar for your home or business. You’ve completed your initial homework, including the recommendations in the Solar Energy Industry Association’s handy consumer guide. You are ready to find an installer who will do a great job at the right price. Now what? We asked solar consumers and experts what advice they would give …

A great tool for homeowners is the Solar Residential Consumer Guide, written by the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA). This article will offer a short overview of what the guide is, how it can be used, and a few important topics to dedicate extra time to exploring. While making the decision to go solar might be easy for some, many …

Here’s some tips to troubleshoot your inverter and ensure continually high energy production of your solar panels. Quality solar panels are typically built, designed and installed with the guarantee the panels will produce energy for 25 years. Due to their very low maintenance design, most problems that you find with your system are not caused by the panels. Instead, they …

The True-Up Statement can sometimes be confusing to new solar owners. If you are a new solar owner, hopefully this article will help. Homeowners who go solar will see some changes to their utility bill. You will still get a monthly statement from your utility, but won’t be actually billed for your electricity usage until the end of the year, …

Thinking of getting battery storage for your solar system? Here’s six tips to help you figure it all out. Batteries can let you keep — and use — all of your solar energy. Depending on its size, a battery storage system installed at your home or business stores all that extra solar energy you make during the day. When the …