Tag: Featured
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Home solar + storage is really a sale of software
Installers face a difficult task in educating and selling a solar + storage system to a prospective residential or commercial customer, but that task is becoming much more manageable, thanks to an evolving host of software programs and integrated software suites. “New and evolving solar and storage economic variables are going to make it very……
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Smart PV inverter overview: IEEE 1547-2018 and UL 1741 explained
What is IEEE 1547-2018? IEEE 1547 refers to “Standard 1547” as developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to safely and functionally integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) into the electric distribution grid. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established IEEE 1547 as the domestic interconnection standard for DERs. At a high level,……
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Building the solar workforce: Apprenticeships help EPCs get the most from IRA, market growth
The global solar industry is growing at a massive rate, which necessitates the need for a skilled workforce large enough to handle the increased demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) “Renewables 2022” report forecasts global renewable power capacity to grow by 2,400 GW in 2022-2027, with cumulative solar PV capacity to nearly triple to more……
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Sizing up shortfalls: Underperforming assets are plaguing the solar industry
When it comes to solar asset performance, the finance industry disclaimer sums it up: past performance is no guarantee of future results. But we can learn from the past, design for an uncertain future and minimize the losses if something goes awry. While accurately estimating production is a whole topic to itself and basic site……
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PV Hazard Control: Understand UL 3741 and new rapid shutdown solutions
Rapid shutdown requirements for PV systems have spurred innovations within the industry since the requirement first appeared in the 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC). The requirements imposed by rapid shutdown often seemed ahead of their time. So much so that the 2017 code provided an allowance to waive a specific subsection for two years to……