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Solar Spotlight: New techniques for solar mounting and flashing can save time on rooftops Jun 14, 2021

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In this special edition of Contractor’s Corner, solar mounting and racking manufacturer SnapNrack talks about its new, Miami-Dade-approved mounting solution that does away with cumbersome metal flashing. Sponsored by SnapNrack.

Top Solar Contractors Roundtable: Community Solar Design & Installation May 26, 2021

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In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Top Solar Contractors list this year, Solar Power World was joined by representatives at Standard Solar, Nexamp and Pivot Energy to discuss the community solar market. One of the fastest growing solar segments involves the community solar model. Instead of one end-user, many customers are involved with the unique solar projects on landfills, townhomes and community fields. C&I contractors involved with community solar will discuss the design, installation and post-project considerations necessary for this quickly emerging market in the United States. Register for future roundtables: www.solarpowerworldonline.com/tsc-roundtables/ Watch the roundtable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp49LQZG_9s

Contractor's Corner: Cosmic Solar May 24, 2021

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It's no secret that utilities are having a difficult time in California right now. With wildfires increasing in intensity each year, more utilities are having to shut down power to save their grids. It's pushing even more people to consider solar and storage to create their own microgrids to keep emergency services online. So it's not especially surprising that the state's investor-owned utilities have cried that age-old claim that solar customers are not paying enough for grid upkeep. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is now considering a monthly charge for solar customers, and solar advocates have joined against this attempt by the utilities to "undermine consumer choice." It leaves installers like Cosmic Solar in a precarious position. In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, Solar Power World editor-in-chief Kelly Pickerel talks with Cosmic co-owners Bahram and Judith Shadzi about how they are supporting the "Save California Solar" campaign while also diversifying into roofing and maintenance services to ensure the 13-year-old business stays afloat in the worst-case scenario. https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/05/contractors-corner-cosmic-solar

The Case for Solar: Building an off-grid home May 19, 2021

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The term "off-grid" is often associated with small energy projects located off the beaten path, and while Derrick Zearley's home is remote, it's no small project. He teamed up with South Carolina contractor Firefly Solar to take his new home construction project off the grid with solar + storage technologies after utilities left the site without power. In the second episode of The Case for Solar, associate editor Billy Ludt narrates his case study written for the May 2021 issue of Solar Power World. Read the case study here: solarpowerworldonline.com MUSIC "Himalayas" by Mona Wonderlick — bit.ly/youtube-monawonderlick Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free download: bit.ly/himalayas-download

Contractor's Corner: Silicon Ranch Apr 26, 2021

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What started as being a nice neighbor to a regenerative farm has turned into a whole new way of building and maintaining solar projects for Silicon Ranch. With close to 1 GW of installed projects, the utility-scale solar developer and owner was seeing the real impact of using herbicides and pesticides to manage vegetation growth. After siting a new project next to one of the larger regenerative ranchers in the Southeast, Silicon Ranch (whose mission is to be a supportive community member) wanted to ensure it wasn't applying chemicals or contributing to soil erosion that may affect the rancher's mission. With some tips from the rancher, Silicon Ranch dove into regenerative land management practices that could improve the land at each of its solar sites. In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, Solar Power World editor-in-chief Kelly Pickerel talks with Silicon Ranch CEO Reagan Farr about the company's regenerative energy process, and how bringing more native plants and grazing livestock to solar sites can make a big impact on communities. Silicon Ranch is celebrating 10 years in the solar industry, and so is SPW's Pickerel, so listen in as they talk about the decade-club. https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/04/contractors-corner-silicon-ranch/

Top Solar Contractors Roundtable - Must-Have Power: Solar + Storage in the Age of Emergencies Apr 22, 2021

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In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Top Solar Contractors list this year, Solar Power World was joined by representatives at Mortenson, GenPro Energy Solutions and SUNation to discuss solar + storage installations across all markets. The rise of extreme weather has many homeowners concerned about keeping the lights and refrigerators on through extended power outages. And with more utilities looking at energy storage to improve the resiliency of their grids, the storage market has finally hit its tipping point. Panelists described how they’ve incorporated batteries into their service offerings along with the important installation considerations that come with storage systems. Register for future roundtables: www.solarpowerworldonline.com/tsc-roundtables/ Watch the roundtable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMOOu7Dr350

Solar Spotlight: K2 Systems on the evolution of solar roof flashings Apr 06, 2021

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In this special edition of Contractors Corner, solar mounting product manufacturer K2 Systems talks about the evolution of solar roof flashings from “goop and a prayer” to tried-and-true metal solutions and new plastic solutions. Sponsored by K2 Systems.

Top Solar Contractors Roundtable - Residential Solar Sales and the Desire for Mini Microgrids Mar 29, 2021

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In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Top Solar Contractors list this year, Solar Power World was joined by representatives at LightWave Solar, ReVision Energy and Semper Solaris to discuss the current residential solar market. Panelists discussed best business practices the installation community has adopted for the residential solar + storage market. While COVID-19 sent many in the United States to work and learn at home, utility bills increased along with the interest in solar and storage. Residential solar installers talk about their businesses and where they’ve found success — from sales software, mounting techniques, lead generation, inverter choice, battery backup requests and more. Register for future roundtables: www.solarpowerworldonline.com/tsc-roundtables/ Watch the roundtable: https://youtu.be/b8pBY-f1on4

The Case for Solar: A CEO demonstrates solar + storage at his home Mar 29, 2021

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Solar + storage technologies are a growing option for homeowners seeking additional energy security, especially in areas where grid outages are commonplace. Daren Goldin, CEO of Goldin Solar, a contractor based in Miami, Florida, has a solar + storage system installed at his home where he often invites prospective customers to see how it all works. For a state like Florida, where residents endure hurricanes annually, having electricity when the grid goes out is paramount, and Goldin is trying to ensure that it stays on. In this first episode of The Case for Solar, associate editor Billy Ludt narrates his case study written for the March 2021 issue of Solar Power World. Read the case study here: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/03/contractor-uses-ceos-home-to-demonstrate-reliability-of-solar-storage-technology/ Read the March 2021 digital issue of Solar Power World here: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/03/march-2021-issue-the-residential-issue/ MUSIC "Himalayas" by Mona Wonderlick — bit.ly/youtube-monawonderlick Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free download: bit.ly/himalayas-download

Contractor's Corner: Sunrise Power Solutions Mar 29, 2021

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A Generation180 report released in 2020 found that 7,332 public and private K-12 schools in the United States had solar power. Seems like a lot, but that's only 5.5% of schools across the country. Educational institutions are a segment of the commercial solar market ripe with opportunity. In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, Solar Power World talks with the leadership at Sunrise Power Solutions, one company taking advantage of the open K-12 market. The Long Island-based company works with a lot of schools because, as CEO Heather Ingebrigtsen says, they're the ideal customer. They usually have ample space for solar and the budgets to support energy projects. CFO Mike Ingebrigtsen also explains the next installation market ready for takeoff: electric vehicle chargers. SPW editors also talk about Women's History Month and representation in solar. https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/03/contractors-corner-sunrise-power-solutions/

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