Recent Posts

We can all rest a bit easier now that the Polar Vortex has come and gone. The cold was not only deadly, but it most certainly left in its wake frozen pipes, spiking heating bills, and other issues for homes, properties, and sadly several unfortunate people that died in the cold. For most of you,…  Read the entire post »

Recent polling shows that 89% of Americans support solar power. So when a chance comes up to mention solar, you can pretty much assume you’re on solid “no conflict” ground regardless of all parties political affiliations. But it’s also true that it is usually best to get right down to the key details. Here’s our current list:…  Read the entire post »

It’s been a busy last month or so for climate change news. The biggest of the published findings was the Fourth National Climate Assessment from the US Government released over the Thanksgiving weekend. And the media coverage has been pervasive, covering everything from the fires in California to those few that still believe it isn’t…  Read the entire post »

SMART Highlights  The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, which pays homeowners and businesses in Massachusetts to generate solar energy, is finally here with the official start date of November 26, 2018. If you haven’t yet gone solar the time to sign up is now. And the SMART program is aptly named. The three best…  Read the entire post »

Well, this was an unexpected honor. New England Clean Energy has been named Best of the Best for solar by eight-time Emmy award winning investigative journalist Rich Noonan. As Noonan says in his news story, he did not tell anyone here at Clean Energy that he was researching our company. We knew nothing about this…  Read the entire post »

Taxes may be a dry topic, but if you want to save money with solar, this is a very important post. Please read on. I’ll start at the beginning. Jump ahead if you don’t need answers to the first few questions. And see the glossary of tax terms at the bottom of this post if…  Read the entire post »

Every year, trade magazine Solar Power World compiles a list of the top solar contractors in the country. New England Clean Energy ranks very high nationally for a small, regional player. And we’re #14 in Massachusetts based on megawatts installed in 2017, among all solar installers including huge developers. But truth be told, that’s not what I care…  Read the entire post »

I do not believe in bad-mouthing other solar companies. I do believe in helping homeowners make good choices. (Sorry to sound like the mother in Freaky Friday for fans of the film). That means talking to you about some of the bad practices we see in the industry. Earlier this summer, our solar consultant Todd…  Read the entire post »

The MassSolar website has an intriguing analysis on its blog today about the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, where new units are under construction. A higher than anticipated cost for the project has just been announced, pushing the total price to $18.4 billion. Our friends at MassSolar ask: “How much electricity could you generate…  Read the entire post »

Skeptics scoff when told that solar electric systems pay for themselves. I understand the skepticism because very few purchases in life truly pay you back. But most people do get the concept of a purchase that saves money, like LED light bulbs or a more efficient water heater. Solar is like that, but better. You…  Read the entire post »