The Energy Show · Seismic Changes in the Solar and Storage Industry – Part 2 Welcome back to Part 2 of our interview with Scott Sullivan, my friend and one of the best networked executives in the industry. Earthquake excitement has diminished in the New Jersey area, but seismic changes in solar continue around the country. In Part 1 we discussed what happens in the solar and storage industry — really every industry — when company profits decline. It’s a tough adjustment to make, and many companies have not yet recovered from this high interest rate environment. Nevertheless, the majority of ..read more

The Energy Show · Seismic Changes in the Solar & Storage Industry Seismic changes in the solar and storage industry? Who would have thought that our friends in New Jersey would relate so viscerally? Their recent 4.8 magnitude quake in early April literally extended this metaphor across the country. Metaphors aside, the solar and storage industry is changing faster now than I have ever seen: Electric rates are soaring, along with utility profits Solar equipment costs — panels, inverters, batteries — are declining UL-3741 standards for rapid shutdown throw a monkey wrench into rooftop safe ..read more

The Energy Show · Installing Solar In The Big City March isn’t just about shamrocks and leprechauns; it’s also Women’s History Month, highlighting the incredible contributions of women in various fields. But have you ever wondered about their role in the energy transition? In general, women are just as involved as men — not just in solar, but also in batteries, hydrogen, policy-making, electrification, and manufacturing. However, there’s a glaring gap in representation when it comes to the construction side of energy systems. But not at Luminalt Solar under the leadership of Jeanine Cotter, t ..read more

The Energy Show · Questions to Ask Before Installing Solar The Learning Curve for understanding home batteries and solar systems is steep. Your battery system education will require mastering at least twice as much jargon, TLAs (that’s Three Letter Acronyms), specifications and industry gossip than ordinary solar systems. So if you don’t want to get bamboozled by an aggressive salesperson, this week’s podcast is a great place to start. Some of the topics and questions include: What is the best way for me to expand my existing solar system? What are the important assumptions — such as shading ..read more

The Energy Show · What To Do When Your Solar Installer Goes Out of Business The Utility Empire is striking back. As a result, the rooftop solar industry is experiencing its first decline in growth ever. In California alone the end of Net Metering has resulted in an 80% drop in rooftop installations and 17,000 job losses among passionate Rebel solar installers. Utilities in other states are following California’s lead, leveraging their Death Star-caliber monopoly powers and millions in lobbying money to further reduce competition. Even though we need rooftop solar more than ever, this solar in ..read more

The Energy Show · Why Is Solar Taking Over The World? This week we’re talking about World Domination. Domination of energy production, that is. In the re-scrambled words of the wise and infamous Dr. Evil: “Why make Gigawatts when we can make…Terrawatts!” Indeed, solar is on track to completely dominate electricity generation. Solar is growing faster than wind, nuclear and LNG ever did. Alternatives to solar such as nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS), and CO2 direct air capture (DAC) are way too expensive and very slow to scale to meet our needs. And with bat ..read more

 If you’re thinking about solar there’s something important you should know. It should be obvious, but just in case: there is no such thing as Free Solar. Getting solar — or a battery — installed on your house is not cheap and certainly not free. These projects are significant construction and electrical improvements. No company will install solar or a battery for free. I guarantee it. The Romans had a term for it: Caveat Emptor. Let The Buyer Beware. Unfortunately, disreputable companies still advertise Free Solar. I see these ads on the internet every day. Many states, including California ..read more

 The Energy Show · Which Solar Panels Should I Buy? It’s no surprise that this is the most common question, since the solar panels themselves are the biggest cost component of a typical rooftop system. But I’m not going to give you the single “Best Panel” answer you may be looking for. Sorry. With over 100 companies making solar panels worldwide — and vast differences in efficiency, aesthetics and reliability — there is no one answer. So instead I’ll focus on the factors and characteristics to help you make the best decision for your particular circumstances. When I think about my 20+ years o ..read more

The Energy Show · Blame California Politicians for the 28% Electric Rate Increases on 1/1/2024 As in year’s past, we in California greet the New Year with yet another electric rate increase. It’s almost impossible to believe this time — but on January 1, 2024, PG&E raised electric rates by another 28.4% according to the San Jose Mercury News. Just follow the money. Since 2017, Utilities and the IBEW spent over $111 million on politicians and ballot measures to maintain their monopoly. So it should be no surprise that our government passed laws that make California’s peak rates the highest ..read more

The Energy Show · 10 Home Energy Predictions for 2024 I’ve added electrification predictions for 2024 to my customary set of solar and storage predictions. Electrification incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are already starting to drive demand for heat pumps and electrical upgrades, just as tax credits accelerated the solar and EV markets in the past. So here I go again sticking my neck out with these predictions for 2024: EVs will be equipped with integrated 240-volt generators for home backup and evening power Heat pump sales will surge by 25% Fewer than half of the newly anno ..read more