The Energy Show

How can you tell when a "solar bro" salesman is lying? When his lips are moving.

It may come as a surprise, but I’m sorry to report that not all solar sales people are honest. On this week’s Energy Show we’ll dive into the shadowy side of solar sales that often gets swept under the rug. Inspired by a provocative Wired article: “The Spectacular Burnout of a Solar Panel Salesman,” we explore the highs, lows, and questionable sales practices that sometimes occur in the solar industry.

Instead of the traditional set of Frequently Asked Questions, this week’s show is a roundtable discussion with two very experienced solar salespeople. They’ll do a bit of role playing as they expose the lies that unethical salespeople spew as they seek to maximize their commissions, the tough customer questions that make salespeople squirm, and the right answers you should get from an ethical solar salesperson.

Curious about the lies and exaggerations that you may hear during a solar sales pitch? Get the straight scoop on this week’s Energy Show at  www.energyshow.biz.

Part 2 of our podcast with Greg Smith, author of The Battery Powered Home, goes into the intricate details of designing and installing the ideal home battery system. Some of the questions that Greg answers are: * What are the top mistakes homeowners and contractors make? * How can you ensure your system meets building code restrictions? * How can automatic load shedding and generator input capabilities improve the backup performance of your system? One of the most interesting features to me is the capability to connect to external backup power sources, such as a home generator or an EV. This capability provides the potential to partially or completely cut the cord with your utility — Grid Defection, as we say in the business. I think you’ll find that Greg’s wisdom in both Part 1 and Part 2 will help you sort through the battery system design choices offered by contractors. Part 2 of Tips for the Best Home Backup System podcast is at www.energyshow.biz.

Almost every solar system installed in California and Hawaii includes batteries. And for good reason. Daytime electric rates are low, evening rates are extremely high, blackouts are common, and utilities pay almost nothing for excess power you send back to the grid. But it’s not easy to design a battery system that takes into account homeowner power needs throughout the day, specific home wiring requirements, and building code restrictions on battery locations. Ironically, one of the biggest challenges is overcoming battery manufacturer hype that they can always back up your home for as long as you want during a blackout. My guest on this week’s Energy Show is Greg Smith, author of The Battery Powered Home. Because there is so much content to cover we’ve recorded two podcast segments with Greg. This first part focuses on battery system power and energy ratings — coupled with information about your home appliances — that will help homeowners make the right system design choices. Greg also delves into the three basic design approaches for a typical home battery system: arbitrage only, essential load backup, and whole home backup. So If you’re thinking about adding a battery to your rooftop solar system, or just getting a completely new combined solar and battery system, please tune into Part 1 of Tips for the Best Home Backup System with Greg Smith at www.energyshow.biz.

I have no doubt that we will need more electricity for EVs, building electrification and AI. But across the country — and particularly in California — electricity shortages are being artificially created by utilities as they actively stop competitive sources of power, such as rooftop solar and storage. At the rate our electricity demands are growing we need as much power as we can get from rooftop solar and batteries -- as well as remote utility power plants. However, due to political contributions made by utilities (using our money), California’s government has adopted a utility-only plan for our future power needs. The 40% of California’s electricity capacity historically provided by rooftop solar is almost completely off the table. Tune into this week’s Energy Show at www.energyshow.biz for the real reason California is facing a tremendous shortage of electricity — while at the same time electricity rates are skyrocketing, blackouts are becoming routine, and utilities are achieving record-breaking profits.

Demand for solar, storage and electrification is at an all-time high in the U.S. But economic and political uncertainties have clouded up my 2025 crystal ball. Nevertheless, here is what I see going into 2025. 1) No one knows what will happen with IRA tax credits and rebates 2) TPO system demand will increase if residential IRA incentives are reduced. 3) Utilities throughout the U.S. will increasingly exercise their monopoly power to suppress or outright prohibit customer-sited solar and battery systems 4) Electricity demand will increase more slowly than utilities predict 5) Heat pump rebate process was broken even before it started 6) Heat pumps combined with solar will shine in 2025 7) New UL-3741 solar rapid shutdown codes add price pressure to micro-inverter and optimizer component suppliers 8) Battery system shortages will continue in 2025, but newcomers will be hard pressed to meet this demand 9) Battery systems with integrated inverters will become the standard 10) “Grid Defection” will enter the energy system lexicon For the details on my Ten Solar, Storage and Electrification Predictions for 2025, please check out the Energy Show website at www.energyshow.biz

Did you know the 30% solar tax credit that fueled the industry’s explosive growth was partly funded by a sneaky deal allowing fossil fuel exports—raising gas prices in the process? Or that the long-term stability of these credits helped solar leasing and PPAs thrive? But there’s a storm brewing. With a potential Trump administration set to revisit the 2017 tax cuts, IRA incentives might be the first casualties. Imagine an immediate 30% hike in solar costs or the loss of your $8,000 heat pump rebate. For perspective on these potential changes I’ve turned to the smartest person I know about solar tax credit policy: Rhone Resch. As the CEO of SEIA from 2004 to 2016, Rhone led the charge on the first three rounds of tax credits in 2005, 2008 and 2014. Please listen to this week’s Energy Show at www.energyshow.biz for Rhone’s insights into the future of the IRA incentives, differences between the Section 25 residential credits and Section 48 commercial credits, and advice if you’re on the fence about installing solar and storage (hint: to be safe, get your system installed before 12/31/2025).