Probably True Solar Stories

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we're going rogue for a midseason bonus episode! Instead of the strange and wonderful fictional solar stories that we usually tell, we're going to share some strange and wonderful REALLY True Solar Stories from actual solar workers and solar industry leaders.

There are around 279,000 solar industry workers today. And about 40,000 of those came to the RE+ conference in Anaheim, California in September 2024. And about 100 of those attendees came to my annual Social Views & Brews Happy Hour that I host with the support of the generous and beautiful people who run RE+.  

After a few beers, I gave people three prompts to boost their REALLY True Solar Story memories. In alphabetical order, you'll hear stories from:

• Gwen Brown
• Tom Cheney
• Ian Hoffbeck
• Nico Johnson
• Peter Kelly
• Ryan Mayfield
• Spenser Meeks
• Jigar Shaw and Jeff Wolfe (told together)
• Greg Smith
• Jeff Spies
• Sean White
• Jim Wood
• Ben Zientara

After all those stories, I'll tell you my personal story about the solar mentor that I'll always remember and appreciate. 

You can also watch this episode on the Probably True Solar YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/DSqi-MQinAE

I hope you enjoy these REALLY true solar stories. If you've never heard our fictional solar stories, explore the last three seasons at ProbablyTrueSolar.com or on your favorite podcast app. 

Season Four is coming up this summer!

True Solar Takeaways

• IREC stands for the Interstate Renewable Energy Council
• NABCEP stands for the The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
• Listen to Nico Johnson's Suncast podcast here or on your favorite podcast streaming service.
• Listen to Jigar Shah, Katherine Hamilton, and Stephen Lacey on the Open Circuit podcast.
• Brands mentioned in people's stories were Aurora Solar, Trina Solar, and SEG Solar, Planet Plan Sets, and Solar Reviews.
• Solar publications mentioned in this episode included PV Tech, Solar Power World, and Renewable Energy World (aka Factor This).

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On the next encore episode of Probably True  Solar Stories, a semi-sweet retired teacher gets inspired by Greta Thunberg to advocate for solar energy. But when her neighbors make excuses for not getting a solar quote, she starts a radical social media campaign that almost gets her arrested by the local Sheriff.

True Solar Takeaways

• This story is fiction, but Greta Thunberg is very real and a true climate action activist. You can follow her on Twitter and on Instagram, and you can follow her campaign here. 
• Here's a link to her "How Dare You" speech. 
• Here's a link to her "Blah, blah, blah" speech, which includes "words that sound great, but led to no action."
• It's very, very simple to get a solar quote today. You can search the web for solar installers in your area, but please compare prices. Get three estimates and compare online reviews. As The Naked Solar Lady says in this story, if solar doesn't make financial sense for you, don't do it.  At least you now know what it costs today and you'll be able to benchmark for another set of solar quotes in another year or two. It just takes an hour of your time. And if it does work, what are you waiting for?
• There are also several websites that will compare three online quotes for you after inputting some information about your home and energy usage. 
• While it's true that solar does not work by itself at night, that's okay. Almost every solar home remains connected to the local grid to keep the lights and fridge on at night.
• Despite some recent blackouts and brownouts in California and Texas, the grid rarely goes down. In 2018, the latest data available, the entire U.S. grid was up and running 94% of the time, but that's in specific areas. Your utility may be more stable than others. If you're concerned about being without power for a few hours or, at most, a day or two, then you can install batteries with your solar panels.
• Batteries have other advantages besides rarely used backup power. In certain places like California, Hawaii, and other states, batteries can be used to save more money by storing your extra solar power for use later when evening and nighttime utility rates are higher. As mentioned earlier, get three solar+battery quotes from three qualified and well-reviewed installers. They'll let you know if installing a battery makes financial sense for you.  Perhaps it makes sense to only install a small battery that will be programmed for energy savings and not backup power. 

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we conclude "A Murder of Solar Crows." Four thieves have tried to strip two solar farms of their expensive copper wires,  solar panels, and other equipment. But a brown tabby cat and her animal friends keep getting in their way. Will the gang finally beat her on their third and final job?

True Solar Takeaways

• Listen to Part 1 here: https://www.probablytruesolar.com/murder-crows/
• A line of crows on a tree limb or electrical wire is called "A murder of crows."
• Kelptovoltaics is the term for the act of stealing solar equipment from a solar project.
• Theft of solar modules, inverters, copper cabling, and other valuable equipment from solar installations is a real phenomenon.
•  Sinovoltaics, a global solar quality assurance company, wrote an article about Kleptovoltaics in 2020, which discussed security methods for preventing solar projects from theft. The article cited several kleptovoltaic news reports from around the world, so it's probably more common than what's reported in city and national crime statistics.
• Instead of traditional mowing equipment, solar project owners often hire ranchers with sheep, goats, and other grazing animals to naturally mow the project's ground cover. None have attacked humans at a solar project, as far as I know. 
• Local mammals, reptiles, and insects are always present at solar projects. These include mice, rats, rabbits, squirrels, coyotes, foxes, deer, snakes, wasps, and even stray cats. Birds can also fly over projects and poop on the panels.  

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Four thieves break into three solar projects during long holiday weekends, trying to steal the solar panels, copper wire, and other equipment. But each time they try, a brown tabby cat stops them with deadly consequences.

True Solar Takeaways

• A line of crows on a tree limb or electrical wire is called "A murder of crows."
• Kelptovoltaics is the term for the act of stealing solar equipment from a solar project.
• Theft of solar modules, inverters, copper cabling, and other valuable equipment from solar installations is a real phenomenon, but there are no statistics about how common it is.
•  Sinovoltaics, a global solar quality assurance company, wrote an article about Kleptovoltaics in 2020, which discussed security methods for preventing solar projects from theft. The article cited several kleptovoltaic news reports from around the world, so it's probably more common than what's reported in city and national crime statistics.
• Adding a 1 MW to 2 MW solar power project to land adjacent to vineyards is common in California.
• Local mammals, reptiles, and insects are always present at solar projects. These include mice, rats, rabbits, squirrels, coyotes, foxes, deer, snakes, wasps, and even stray cats. Birds can also fly over projects and poop on the panels. 
• Some solar project owners consider wild animals as pests, as they can sometimes damage cables and modules. Other owners welcome animals and create holes in project fences to allow creatures to pass through to the surrounding habitat. 

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Bob is a winemaker who is having a mid-life crisis. Trying to pull it together, he converts the oldest part of his vineyard into a solar farm, adopts a lost dog, and tries to make great wine. But nothing goes as planned, so he decides to take a psychedelic trip that takes him on a solar magical mystery tour that sparks joy in everyone—especially the dog.

True Solar Takeaways

• Vineyards use a tremendous amount of energy for irrigation pumps, refrigeration, bottling operations, and resort energy costs. Consequently, many wine companies are now converting a part of their acreage to a solar farm that reduces the energy costs of the vineyard's operations.
• 1 MW of solar can be installed on about 5 acres of land.
• Solar trackers can be installed on a vineyard's rolling hillsides and use AI to precisely track the sun and generate the most energy throughout the year.
• The acreage will always be cleared of vegetation, so a vine would not survive, even a hardy one. But this is a fairy tale, so please roll with it.
• "Piles" are the posts that support the trackers.
• While it's true that solar panels don't talk, inverters are like "solar energy translators." They convert the solar's direct current (DC) energy into alternating current (AC) that is used by homes and businesses in the U.S.
• Here are some solar-powered vineyards. If you drink enough wine and use your imagination, you might taste a bit of the sun! Cheers.

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Rufus, a pet and mascot of a solar installer, is dognapped out of the installer's truck while on the job.  A chase ensues, but we learn that the dog, the solar installer, and the dog napper aren't quite what they seem.

True Solar Takeaways

• As of 2020, there are 20,000 military veterans in the solar industry, making up about 9% of the solar workforce.
• IREC, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, supports veteran training programs. Get more information on these programs here.
  • The Solar Ready Vets Fellowship connects mid-to-senior level transitioning service members with on-the-job training in leadership and management roles in the civilian solar workforce.
• The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has more information for solar veterans.
• GRID Alternatives is another solar job training organization that supports both veterans and non-veterans.
• The U.S. Department of Energy also has job training information and programs for military veterans.
• Here's a photo of the original Rufus with my real cat--for size comparison.

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories, a feisty senior citizen is determined to haggle with a solar salesman to buy the solar system of her dreams. But her haggling plans fall through when an honest salesperson refuses to sell an installation at any price. Can they find the solar win-win?

True Solar Takeaways

• Not every home is a good fit for solar. 
• The home may have too many trees or other obstacles that block the sun--and solar production. The home may need a new roof. The home's wiring or service panel may need an upgrade. A good installer will make an evaluation and let you know these things in advance of signing a contract.  You can always make these upgrades and go solar in the future. 
• In general, solar installed on North-facing roofs will generate very little solar power, but in some areas, such as Southern California, it can make financial sense. However, for most of the U.S. and Europe, a South-facing roof is ideal. West and East are okay, and in some cases, may be better. 
• If you live in Australia, a North-facing roof is great.
• Your solar installer should design the best system based on your roof and many factors. 
• To find a good installer, get a referral from a friend who's already gone solar.
• Even with a friend's referral, always check out solar installer reviews on the internet. Yelp, Google Reviews, Angie's List, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) will usually reveal the bad and good installers.
• After reading reviews and doing your homework, always get at least three quotes. You'll learn something about solar and your home's electricity usage with every quote.
• Beware of the installer's utility inflation rate when a proposal estimates your payback period and ROI. No one can predict utility rate inflation over the next 25 years. Just because your bill went up 10% for two years in a row does not mean it will go up 10% every year for the next 25 years.  
• You can find more buying tips on the internet. The most important thing is to get at least three quotes and compare them. If you're confused, ask the installer questions. If they get frustrated or pressure you to just sign without understanding the proposal, costs, and payback period, walk away. 
• If you're not familiar with computers and the internet, find someone who is. Shopping for solar is complicated. 
• You can't properly shop for a solar installer from ads in the Yellow Pages, no matter what special discounts are promised. 
• If you can't go solar, your state may have community solar programs that allow you to go solar by "subscribing" to a large solar farm in your area. Search Google for "community solar in YOUR STATE" to learn about the available programs. 

Hope that helps!

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Once upon a time, there were honest and friendly dragons who heated the boilers for steam-powered electric turbines. But due to the high cost of dragon energy, the King decided that the dragons needed to be replaced, sparking a bloody dragon war that led to the invention of solar power.

 True Solar Takeaways

• Fossil fuel-based generators work by burning fossil fuels, which boil water to high temperatures. The boiled, high-pressure water produces steam that spins an electric turbine, generating electricity.
• Unionized labor dominates the energy industry, including solar. 
•  All utilities contract or own stand-by power plants known as "spinning reserves" or "Peaker plants." Peaker plants run 24/7 to provide backup power for when the grid is overloaded--typically when it's a hot summer day and more homes and buildings are using air conditioning.
• Utilities, states, and kingdoms pay a significantly higher price for Peaker Plant energy.
•  The photovoltaic effect is how solar power is produced. When sunlight shines on a special semiconductor material, the sunlight excites electrons and creates a flow of electricity into a direct current. 
• Tandem perovskite solar cells are coming soon. They promise higher solar cell efficiencies (more generated solar power) at a lower price, but as of July 2023, they haven't been commercialized yet.
• Wind power is one of the least expensive forms of energy today.
• Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries are increasingly gaining market share for backing up solar power. 
• Energy wonks often refer to the cost of energy over time as the "Levelized Cost of Energy" or LCOE. It allows them to compare the total cost of a solar plant to, say, a gas or coal plant. Today, solar has the lowest LCOE. 
• Milanium is an imaginary rare-earth metal. However, solar and clean energy is in great need of many rare-earth metals and not-so-are minerals. These include silicon, the base element for making solar cells for solar panels, and lithium for making rechargeable batteries. 
• For all the True Solar Takeaways in this dragon story, read the episode notes of Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

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Gather around the fireplace, solar friends. Pull up a seat at the bar. On the next, Probably True Solar Stories, we're going to tell a solar fable. It's a fairytale. A hero's journey sort of thing. With a Texas accent. (Forgive me in advance.)

It's about a young, ambitious solar installer who seeks her fortune to be the most successful solar installer in all the land.  And like many fables, our ambitious installer meets a wise guide--or in this case, a wise couple--who teaches her about The Solar Way, a solar-inspired guide to living life on The Solar Coaster.

True Solar Takeaways
This episode doesn't have many solar facts about the solar industry. The main takeaway is that the solar biz has many ups and downs and policy twists and turns that people have called it "The Solar Coaster." 

The people riding the solar coaster can get discouraged, including me. To help smooth out the ups and downs, I've read  some Taoism and Stoicism text and turned some of my  learnings into" The Solar Way":

• Be warm. Shine like the sun.
• Let go of broken solar panels. 
• Be interconnected. 
• The sun rises every day. Be as consistent.
• The sun sets every day. This too shall pass. 

If you're interested in learning more about Taoism and Stoicism, here are a  few audio and text resources:

• The Daily Stoic. Through his website, podcast, and books, Ryan Holiday offers modern insights through ancient Stoic wisdom. Although the Stoic philosophy is very old, Holiday keeps it simple and relevant to the way people live today.  Check out his free daily podcast and daily email. Of course, his books are a great resource, as well.
•  The Tao of Daily Life by Derik Lin is a well-deserved bestseller. It teaches the principles of Taoism through the classic Taoist and Buddhist fables. Although the stories are still set in ancient China, Lin translates these stories in a way that is very accessible for our modern world. Then he cites a passage from the Tao te Ching and explains the wisdom behind each story. This book and other David Lin books are also available in audio and digital forms.
• Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine by Derren Brown. You may know Derren Brown as an international illusionist, but he's also a professed Stoic. Happy is his easy-to-read guide to happiness using examples from his shows, his illusions, and from his own life. He often cites Stoic texts, but it's not a book about Stoicism. Check out his many YouTube videos to see his stage performances and British TV shows. 

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On the next Probably True Solar Stories, we have a pigeon problem. When a new solar owner sees that a pigeon is unrelentingly shit-bombing her brand-new solar array, she calls in a critter pro to do the dirty work. But then she discovers that her pigeon also has a problem, and the solution becomes complicated...

Indeed, it's a probably true solar panel pigeon poo-poo problem that's probably more problematic than precisely pronouncing this preposterous sentence 10 times fast.

But instead of doing that, just listen all the way through. Then ask yourself, "What would I have done in the same situation?"

Two small warnings about this episode: 1) Characters say some naughty words, so keep your earbuds on in front of the little ones. 2) I sing part of a Rolling Stones tune, so I beg your forgiveness in advance. It's brief, but it still might be painful for both Stones fans and non-Stones fans.

True Solar Takeaways:

• Cleaning solar panels can be dangerous, even if it's simple. Hire a pro to clean them once every few months. Bonus: They may find other problems that need attention.
• Critters may make a home under your solar panels. Once again, hire a solar O&M pro to prevent nests and warrens from being set up. 
• If you clean your own, use a mild soapy water solution with a soft cloth or brush. Never use anything sharp. You may cause damage to the solar panels--or even yourself.

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