Tag Archives: solar

Have you heard the one about the outrageous $39 billion in subsidies awarded to the solar industry? It’s in print, so it must be true…a new “report” from the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is getting lots of pick-up in the media since it was released on…hmm, the report isn’t dated. Well, the news coverage has…  Read the entire post »

I’ve been having an entertaining back-and-forth with the good people at the Massachusetts Solar Owners Association (MASOA) on their blog, about the current state of the market for energy-efficient trucks and vans. New England Clean Energy’s “fleet” includes 3 used hybrid Priuses for the sales team and 3 used, gasoline-fueled utility vans for our installation…  Read the entire post »

Is it better to buy or lease a solar electric system for your home? I think the solar industry has room for both models, just like the car industry does. Still, the debate rages on, fueled by new information about the pros and cons of leasing, and of purchasing, which are just coming to light…  Read the entire post »

Or, Why You Should Care What Solar Leasing Companies Charge Solar leasing companies have helped many consumers get solar on their roofs and reduce their electric bills without actually buying the solar energy systems and incurring those costs. Sounds good, right? But of late, leasing companies like SolarCity are coming under fire. (Read this informative…  Read the entire post »

Guest post by New England Clean Energy Customer Carl Howe Since my solar energy system was installed in Dec. 2013, and turned on in Jan. 2014, I’ve had a lot of questions from friends and neighbors about the process. Here is a summary of how I went solar through the Stow Solar Challenge in Stow,…  Read the entire post »

Guest Post by New England Clean Energy Customer Eric Richard   “You cannot manage what you cannot measure… and what gets measured gets done.” – Bill Hewlett Mark likes to say his customers become more energy-efficient after installing solar in an effort to zero out their electric bills. That definitely happened to us when New…  Read the entire post »

I’m back from our holiday break, with lots to write about, and more guest posts from our customers coming your way. Today, I ask you: Are you obsessed with monitoring your solar electric panels’ performance online, on a daily, hourly or even more frequent basis? It’s a common affliction with many solar owners, particularly new…  Read the entire post »

Despite the traction achieved by the solar industry in the past few years, naysayers still rear their ugly heads sometimes, raising bizarre and unsubstantiated claims about why solar is a bad idea. I remember reading an article a while ago that said solar systems were “failing” because dirt was collecting on the panels and reducing…  Read the entire post »

Often, people are crushed to learn their roofs aren’t solar-friendly — the neighbor’s towering pines cast too much shade, or the roof faces the wrong way to capture sunlight and convert it to electricity for your home. The good news is, more and more, home-owners, architects and builders are thinking solar before they design new…  Read the entire post »

Guest post by Roy Van Cleef, New England Clean Energy Technical Sales I generally tell customers that regular rain showers in New England keep solar panels clear of dust and pollen. But after a recent, particularly heavy accumulation of pollen on every exposed outdoor surface, I was curious as to the specific effect of the…  Read the entire post »