The Energy Show

Here’s a solar industry secret: all solar panels generate the same amount of electricity on a per watt basis. In other words, twenty 300 watt panels will generate exactly the same amount of electricity as twenty-five 240 watt panels. Indeed, there are objective differences in panel cost, efficiency, aesthetics and ease of installation — and now with the upcoming tariff, even availability. But differences such as brand, assembly quality, country of origin and projected degradation rates are much more subjective since they are based on manufacturer’s claims and not based on objective third party studies.

Solar panels pretty much all look the same, use the same basic construction techniques, have similar warranties, and are built with the same type of solar cells. I used to consider company size as a good indication of quality and industry staying power. But I was wrong. I looked at ten years of data, and none of the top ten solar manufacturers from 2001 are still in business in the U.S. today. 51 of the top ten companies from 2001 to 2010 went bankrupt, sold out, or were no longer in business in 2010. Country of origin is no indication of quality. And bizarrely, I have seen an inverse relationship between the claimed length of product warranties and the actual durability of equipment in the field. In other words, companies that claimed to have the longest or best warranties were often the first ones to disappear. I expect similar patterns over the next 10 years.

So how does a consumer decide which solar panels are best? Find a solar contractor who has been in business for a long time and trust their advice. These experienced contractors have seen equipment suppliers come and go. They select panels, inverters and mounting systems that are reliable from companies they trust. They strive to keep future maintenance work to an absolute minimum, and train their employees not to cut corners. For more practical tips about selecting solar equipment for your roof, Listen Up to the Energy Show.

Large companies are predominant in most industries. But when it comes to rooftop solar installations, small is beautiful. Although there have been several large national-scale solar installers, in the aggregate the smaller, local companies dominate. As with most other construction businesses, local companies generally understand their local markets better and have lower overhead -- enabling them to provide better customer service at lower prices.

On this week’s Energy Show we have the pleasure of speaking with Vince Battaglia, the CEO of Renova Solar. Renova started as Vince’s MBA thesis; eleven years later Renova is now the leading solar installation company in the Coachella Valley. Like many other local solar installation companies, Renova has expanded its residential solar installation business to include commercial installations, system maintenance and battery storage.

Granted, the Palm Desert area is blessed by an abundance of sunlight and high electric rates – a combination that is perfect for a thriving solar business. But dealing with the ups and downs of the Solar Coaster is challenging. For more about the challenges inherent in building a profitable local solar business, Listen Up to this week’s Energy Show on Renewable Energy World.

Millions of Americans were using cereal boxes, telescopes, and flimsy plastic solar viewing glasses to witness the Solar Eclipse on August 21. But for workers in the solar industry — as well as homeowners and businesses who are considering rooftop solar – an eclipse of the solar industry itself looms on the horizon.

The International Trade Commission (ITC) will be deciding in September whether or not to place tariffs on imported solar panels. Since virtually all solar panels are imported, the tariffs they are considering will effectively double the price of standard solar panels. In advance of these proposed tariffs, almost all available inventory of solar panels is being purchased by large installers. As we learned in economics 101, when demand goes up and supply is constrained, prices increase. Indeed, prices for popular rooftop solar panels have already increased by 20%.

The tariff issue being considered by the ITC is complicated. On the one hand we want to build a robust U.S. solar panel manufacturing industry – which employed about 2,000 people at the end of 2016. On the other hand we want to continue the strong job growth in the entire solar industry – which employed 260,000 people at the end of 2016. Since the vast majority of U.S. solar workers are focused on installations, increasing the price of imported solar panels is likely to cause overall solar employment to decline for the first time ever.

A decision to implement tariffs or other penalties on imported solar panels is likely to be made by President Trump towards the end of the year. It is my hope that his decision carefully considers ways to continue growth in the solar industry, while at the same time developing a long-term plan to improve U.S. manufacturing. For more about the upcoming ITC case and its implications on the solar customers and the industry as a whole, Listen up to the Energy Show on Renewable Energy World.

With much higher volume manufacturing, prices for solar panels have come down tremendously over the past 20 years — from about $1,000 each to less than $200. But solar panels are still very time consuming to install on a roof in a way that will last 25+ years without leaks. The majority of this rooftop work is on the flashings, roof hooks, and special roof mount components.

A few companies specialize in manufacturing solar roof mounts. As a solar contractor I like to try out new products in an effort to reduce my installation costs while still maintaining high quality installations. One of the leading roof mount companies is SolarRoofHook, with offices in Livermore, California and Rock Hill, South Carolina.

My guest on this week’s show is Rick Gentry, Executive Vice President at SolarRoofHook. Over the years Rick has been instrumental in developing new roof attachment products that are both reliable and easier to install. Please join me on this week’s Energy Show on Renewable Energy World as Rick explains the ways these roof mounts prevent leaks through the roof, the corrosion-proof fasteners that are used, and key considerations that homeowners and contractors should keep in mind when selecting roof attachment products.

Linh Tran - LG by Barry Cinnamon

Our local electric grid is not up to the 21st century demands of EVs, more air conditioning requirements, heat pumps instead of natural gas furnaces, and rooftop solar. In general, we have plenty of power, especially with inexpensive electricity from solar and wind. But this power, often generated in remote locations hundreds of miles away from customers, is not getting to the homes and businesses that need it.

There are two solutions to modernizing overloaded local grids. The “business as usual" solution is to pay the local utility for upgrades that include bigger transformers, wiring, control systems and battery storage. Unfortunately, ratepayers get stuck with higher electric bills for these upgrades. A much better solution is to encourage homeowners and businesses to install their own solar and storage systems.

Rooftop solar systems already have paybacks in the 4-6 year range. And new battery storage technologies are coming down in price so rapidly that they make good economic sense in many locations. So if you have encountered any power failures recently at your home or business -- and you are wondering what can be done about this problem -- Listen Up to this week’s Energy Show on Renewable Energy World.

Copyright 2017 Spice Solar.

Enphase Battery Storage System Review by Barry Cinnamon

In spite of the fact that it’s neither fast nor furious, the Chevy Bolt is currently the most practical and economical Electric Vehicle. Hybrids (like the Volt and Prius) and pure EVs (like the Bolt and Teslas) have seen phenomenal growth over the past decade. Their popularity will continue to grow as battery costs decline and EV charging infrastructure improves.

The two most important considerations for EV drivers are up-front cost and range. At about $30k (with the $7,500 federal tax credit) and 238 miles of EV range, the Bolt excels on both of these dimensions. The only car that comes close is the upcoming Tesla Model 3 – which is expected to have similar pricing and range. Compared to the Tesla Model 3 the Bolt is more spacious and less luxurious (Car and Driver calls it “dweeby”). But the Bolt is shipping now in volume, and is very likely to become the best-selling EV in the U.S.

EVs are clearly not for everyone. Where gas is cheap or electricity is expensive, a number of ordinary economy cars are more economical than the Bolt. And with gas engines there is no “range anxiety” that concerns almost every EV driver. Nevertheless, the benefits of EVs with 200+ miles of range that can be fueled by clean and inexpensive solar and wind are compelling. There’s no doubt in my mind that our grandchildren will be zipping around in cars that look more like the bubble cars in Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” than the rolling living rooms that have been on the roads for the last 75 years. For more about the inexorable trend toward EVs, Listen Up to The Energy Show on Renewable Energy World.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the home of the future will be solar powered. Intuitively it would be great if the roofing material provided that solar power. But historically it’s been a challenge to combine efficient solar cells with a durable roofing material at an affordable price. Tesla’s new solar roof tiles hope to solve these challenges.

Without a doubt Tesla’s solar tiles are the best looking solar roofing products I have seen. Using Tesla’s solar roof calculator and information for a 2,000 square foot home in California with a 2,500 square foot roof and $200 monthly electric bill, here is how their roofing tiles compare to an ordinary rooftop solar panel installation:

Tesla Roof Tiles Ordinary Solar Panels

Up front cost $58,500 $17,556

Tax credit $7,020 $5,267

Net cost $51,480 $12,289

Annual savings $2,002 $1,997

Simple payback (years) 26 6.2

Of course I expect the cost for Tesla roof tile installations to come down in the future, so their economics are likely to improve. Nevertheless, at these high prices it is clear to me that Tesla really has a product that only makes sense for new construction on high end homes. For the average homeowner considering solar, by far the best choice is a traditional rooftop solar power system. For more about Tesla’s solar roof tiles, Listen Up to this week’s Energy Show on Renewable Energy World.

The Solar Coaster by Barry Cinnamon