The Energy Show

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Ten Tips For The Best Home Solar and Battery System Sep 10, 2024

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Unfortunately, there are a few "quick buck" solar companies that take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners. These ten tips will help you avoid these scam artists -- and get the best solar and battery installation for your home or business. 1. Beware of the word “Free” 2. Beware of TGTBT pricing and financing 3. Don’t sign up on the spot 4. Do not trust quotes generated completely online 5. Beware of “free maintenance and cleaning” commitments 6. Beware of optimistic system savings 7. Research the company that manufacturers the solar panels you will install 8. Research the company that manufactures battery SYSTEM you will install 9. Understand your backup power strategy 10. Do your own research on applicable incentives, credits and financing options Don’t let a bad deal or poor installation quality ruin your solar investment. Tune into this week's podcast at www.energyshow.biz

Bernadette Del Chiaro - The Brains Behind California’s Solar Defenses Aug 27, 2024

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California’s clean energy future is on a collision course with profit-oriented monopoly utilities. From the Governor’s office to the California Public Utilities Commission to the Legislature, policies are being implemented that are leading to skyrocketing electric rates and record utility profits — while at the same time crushing California's rooftop solar and storage industry and knocking the state off track in meeting its own clean energy goals. It’s a classic David vs. Goliath story. Only, instead of “David” being one person standing up to the powerful utilities, given the unique power of solar energy, here, it is every ratepayer, every solar worker, every solar business fighting to protect the right for consumers to generate energy from the sun. And Bernadette Del Chiaro, as the Executive Director of the California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA), is leading the fight for affordable, safe and reliable power for homes and businesses.

The Revolution in Home Battery and Solar Electronics - An Interview with FranklinWH Aug 20, 2024

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I bet you didn’t know that the “WH” in FranklinWH stands for "Whole Home." The Jersey Boys from Franklin designed their battery system from the ground up to help people back up their whole home without adding extra batteries or expensive load shedding subpanels. This capability has made Franklin one of the best selling battery systems on the market. Founder Gary Lam and Product Manager Doug Amarhanow — both Rutgers graduates — are my guests on this week’s Energy Show. In addition to integrated load shedding, the FranlinWH system also allows homeowners to expand their rooftop solar systems without triggering the Net Billing Tariff (or NEM3). On the near-term horizon is a capability that will allow EVs with a 240 volt generator output (such as the Ford Lightning and Tesla Cybertruck) to power a home independent of the grid. To learn more about these unique Whole Home backup features from FranklinWH, please tune into this week's energy show at www.energyshow.biz.

SunPower – Requiem for a Solar Leader Aug 13, 2024

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“SunPower” and “bankruptcy” are two words I never thought I’d see in the same sentence. But we should temper our schadenfreude. The solar industry owes SunPower and their employees tremendous gratitude. Without a doubt, our industry would be much smaller without SunPower’s early and determined leadership. So rather than dance on their potential grave, this week’s Energy Show will focus on SunPower’s accomplishments that I’ve witnessed first-hand over the past 20 years. Think about back contact cells; best dealer network; utility-scale installations on five continents; horsepower behind CALSSA and SEIA; Million Solar Roofs; uncapped ITC; Swanson, Werner, Shugar, Wenger, Blunden, Starrs; NexTracker and Renova. The list goes on. There’s plenty of news about SunPower’s demise. For the other side of the story, please tune into this week’s Energy Show at www.energyshow.biz.

The Revolution in Home Battery and Solar Electronics - Enphase Interview Part 1 Aug 06, 2024

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Who would have thunk that you could put a 240 volt split phase inverter on the back of every solar panel? The gurus at Enphase and Akeena did, and I've been a fan ever since their first prototypes in 2008. In fact, I still have Enphase M-190 microinverters on my San Francisco home. Time for an upgrade? Probably! Our special guest is Raghu Belur, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Enphase. We've discussed microinverters for 16 years, witnessing Enphase's rise in the solar industry. Raghu shares insights on their product lineup, market segments, manufacturing hubs, and how they're leveraging IRA incentives. We explore open vs. closed home energy ecosystems, and the integration of battery, inverter, software, and EV charging technologies. We also cover whole home backup designs, industry challenges, and Enphase's influence on energy policies. Don't miss Part 1 of this insightful interview with Raghu on home electricity costs and reliability. Dial your browser to www.energyshow.biz for the inside scoop on Enphase and their latest products.

The Revolution in Home Battery & Solar Electronics - SolarEdge Interview Prt 1 Jul 25, 2024

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You don’t have to be a Boomer to remember the days of simple DC wire connections to string inverters. For the most part, these times are long gone. Since 2010, module-level power electronics (MLPE) have taken over — and now, with batteries and advanced load control, solar systems have evolved into the energy focal point for homes. This Energy Show podcast highlights new capabilities from SolarEdge, broken up into two segments. Today’s podcast, the first SolarEdge segment, is focused on interests and needs for homeowners. We saved the geekier deep dive for installers in the second segment, which will be released in a few weeks. Joining us on these two SolarEdge podcast segments are Bertrand Vandeweile, SolarEdge’s new GM for North America, and John Ahlman, their Chief Marketing Officer. We dive into the benefits of optimized string inverters, batteries, and load control of multiple home devices. Discover why homeowners should care about lifetime system “energy harvest,” as well as the tradeoffs between open versus closed home energy ecosystems. Please listen to this first of two Energy Show podcasts with SolarEdge on www.EnergyShow.biz

My AC Broke - Is a Heat Pump Cool? Jun 24, 2024

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Yes, definitely. Heat pumps are literally and figuratively cool. And without a doubt, the best time to consider installing a heat pump is when your AC (or furnace) dies. Heat pumps do double duty, providing both heating and cooling. They offer significant savings and improved comfort -- which I confirmed first hand after my old outdoor air conditioner compressor died. Replacing both my old AC and gas furnace with a heat pump was one of the best home improvements I’ve ever made. The system operates almost silently, has better temperature control throughout my house, and my heating and cooling bills are down significantly. New heat pump models use inverter-based variable speed compressors with efficiencies in excess of 350%. These high system efficiencies mean that your total heating and cooling costs will almost always be lower with a heat pump than an ordinary AC and gas furnace. And from a comfort standpoint, with mini-split models you can even heat/cool individual rooms in your house! Sure, a basic AC replacement might seem cheaper initially. But keep in mind, federal tax credits and state rebates (part of the Inflation Reduction Act) will bring down the cost of your heat pump installation by $2k-$10k. So in most cases it makes sense to price out a heat pump when your AC fails in the summer, or your furnace fails in the winter. Want to learn more? Tune in to the full podcast at EnergyShow.Biz and discover why heat pumps are the smart choice when your AC can longer stand the heat.

Save the Photons Jun 18, 2024

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Consider the poor photons! If your panels are dirty you are causing trillions of premature photonic deaths when they collide with dirt molecules. Please give those photons the chance to knock an electron loose from an eager semi-conductor. Instead of being converted to heat and banished to quantum hell. Save The Photons. Clean Your Solar Panels After just a week, your panels might look slightly dusty. But a light coating of dust doesn’t significantly block sunlight. However, severe grime, especially on low-tilt panels, can slash your output by over 25%! You can’t save all the photons all the time, but by watching your solar monitoring system you can tell mathematically — as well as visually — when your panels should be cleaned. If you have a larger system in an area with high electric rates and a dry climate, the economics of cleaning become more favorable. When it comes to cleaning solar panels there’s lots of bad advice on the internet…and even from manufacturers. On this week’s podcast we address WHEN you should clean your solar panels, as well as HOW. Please listen to the full “Save The Photons” podcast on The Energy Show at www.energyshow.biz. And keep these three things in mind: safety, the type of water, and the best cleaning agents.

5 Reasons Not To Install A Heat Pump Jun 04, 2024

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Are you sick of all the heat pump hype? Skeptical about why you should buy one right away? Don’t mind paying huge bills to your utility for methane (natural gas)? Even heat pump enthusiasts like us agree with you — they are definitely NOT for everyone. Here are five reasons why heat pumps may not be the right thing for your house: 1. You don’t believe in global warming and prefer to burn fossil fuels 2. Heat pumps are too expensive 3. It's too complicated to install a HPWH or HP HVAC 4. You rent your house or plan to move 5. Your existing HVAC and water heater works fine With all the tax credits, rebates and financing options, heat pumps are more affordable than ever. They deliver significant energy savings, offer better comfort and provide superior indoor air quality — even for complicated installations. With efficiencies over 300%, heat pumps are almost always less expensive to operate over the long term, and can be installed in almost all existing homes. On the other hand, from an economic standpoint it often makes sense to wait until your existing heating equipment dies before replacing it with heat pumps. If you don’t believe in the science of global warming, maybe saving money with a heat pump will change your mind. For the full scoop and a heat pump reality check, please tune in to the full podcast at EnergyShow.Biz.

Limits of Growth in the Clean Energy Industry with Jon Semingson May 13, 2024

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This week's Energy Show dives into the tumultuous landscape of the clean energy industry, painting a picture of contrasting fortunes akin to the classic “Tale of Two Cities.” On one hand, we witness a surge in demand for clean energy, driven by improving economics, lower equipment costs, and rising electric rates, alongside enticing incentives. Yet, on the flip side, California experiences its first-ever decline in rooftop solar installations, coupled with a slowdown in electric vehicle growth and a resurgence of incumbent fossil fuel companies. Amidst this dichotomy, our guest, Jon Semingson, President of Peak Demand, Inc., sheds light on the critical challenges plaguing the industry's infrastructure and human resources. From a scarcity of skilled construction labor to a dearth of executive-level talent, the hurdles to industry growth loom large. Moreover, financing remains a linchpin, with uncertainties surrounding tax equity and interest rate trends. The urgency of these issues is underscored by the grid's perilous state, with transmission and interconnection queues adding to the mounting backlog of energy projects. As California grapples with policy-induced setbacks in residential, commercial, and community solar segments, the looming question remains: can utility-scale solar bridge the gap as electricity demand escalates, fueled by the surge in electric vehicles, AI, and heating needs? This podcast doesn't just highlight the industry's challenges but offers a platform for critical discussion and solutions. For a deeper dive into these pressing issues and insights from industry experts like Jon Semingson, tune in to the full episode at EnergyShow.Biz.

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