Recent Posts

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 »

If the extremely hot July we’re having has you cursing the sun, think again. Because solar energy systems in New England, powered of course by the sun, are having a real, measurable and positive impact on electricity prices and the planet in this oppressive heat wave. The evidence of this will turn you from a…  Read the entire post »

Enough sun reaches the Earth to power the entire planet, as you may have heard. But can your home or business produce enough solar to meet your electricity needs? It depends on your roof size, and its TSRF. My what? you ask. Let me back up. The “solar-friendliness” of your roof depends on factors including…  Read the entire post »

I admit I get a little up in arms when fossil-fuel industry lobbyists and utilities disguised as non-profit organizations spout unsubstantiated, anti-solar propaganda that confuses and misleads people. So when an Opinion piece called Hey solar industry, why the subsidy? appeared in New Hampshire Business Review, I felt compelled to respond. I appreciate that the magazine’s…  Read the entire post »

“Haaayyyy” horse lovers: We’ve put solar on so many New England horse barns that Holistic Horse magazine made us their “mane” source for a recent article on how equestrian facilities can benefit from solar energy, whether you have a sophisticated breeding farm or a small private barn. We enjoyed our talk with award-winning equestrian journalist…  Read the entire post »

The Massachusetts SMART (Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target) program is inching closer to reality, and we are quoting systems assuming the home or business owner will be in SMART as opposed to the previous program called SRECs. The “base compensation rates” have been set and the results are actually very encouraging. In some cases, particularly for…  Read the entire post »

I rarely use The Energy Miser to encourage outreach by solar supporters to government leaders. There are plenty of solar advocacy blogs (Mass Solar, Vote Solar, SEBANE, etc.) doing that job very effectively. But Massachusetts is at a crossroads as I write. The solar progress of the previous administration is being trampled on by current…  Read the entire post »

Guest post by Mike Gonet, Senior Partner at Classic Metal Roofs. New England Clean Energy and Classic Metal Roofs have collaborated on many successful metal roof/solar projects.   If you are considering having a solar electric system added to your roof, why install it on a roof that won’t last as long as the solar…  Read the entire post »

If you’re a video viewer, watch this 45-second explanation of our approach to sales. For more detail, read on. If high-pressure salespeople make you want to explode, or crawl and hide, try us. New England Clean Energy’s low-pressure sales approach is the #3 reason* customers choose us to install their solar. I was our first…  Read the entire post »