Solar Garden in CO Shines Spotlight on Efficient Agriculture

coloradodaily.com, 10/6/2020. Jack’s Solar Garden LLC, a solar energy company, celebrated the opening of its five-acre, 1.2-megawatt solar panel and agriculture farm Friday near Longmont. Art, music and conversations about renewable energy occurred underneath the farm’s 8-foot-tall panels. The family-owned and operated company has been working on this project for several years. It’s owned by … Read more

Snow Buildup No Longer an Issue for Solar Panels

This article was originally published on energynews.us on 3.10. 2020. A Minnesota couple’s idea for keeping solar panels clear of snow is gaining traction after winning a $50,000 federal innovation prize. Solar panels work well in cold weather, but not as well if they are covered even partially by snow. The tilt of panels helps … Read more

Microgrids Keeping Airlines Ready for Takeoff

This article was originally published on cnbc.com on Nov. 3, 2019. Should airports go off the grid? Pittsburgh International Airport — and others — think so. Remember that 11-hour power outage at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in December 2017 that canceled hundreds of flights, stranded thousands of passengers and cost Delta Airlines alone an estimated $50 million … Read more

Thinking of Going Solar? Solar PV – Paintbrushes and the Poop

solar evaluation

Brian McCowan, ERS, for Zondits When inspecting solar photovoltaic (PV) systems we often encounter the typical problems such as excess shading from trees, loose wires, and module or cell physical damage. During a recent evaluation we discovered something unusual that provides an interesting opportunity to consider the effects of partial shading on PV panels – … Read more

Thinking of Going Solar? Part Two

Key Considerations for Installing Solar Mark D’Antonio, ERS, for Zondits Last month we embarked on a multi-part series about solar photovoltaics (PV) and started with a discussion of five residential systems installed by ERS engineers in their homes. Several different selections were made related to system specifics as well as with economic approaches. The systems … Read more

A Tesla Master Plan Part Deux Breakdown

Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits All right, folks: Elon Musk of Tesla Motors has let us in on the big ideas once again. Most blog posts don’t tend to cause this much stir, but seeing how 10 years later his first one turned out to be true nearly line for line, it might be worth … Read more

Cutting-Edge Technology for a Greener Home

greener home

Top 3 Innovative Solutions for Greener Houses Tech.co, December 14, 2015. Image credit: Thomas Hawk Given that residential emissions – estimated at 89.9 million tonnes in 2010 – account for more than passenger cars (68 million tonnes) and every other sector apart from power stations, it makes sense to reduce first and foremost your household’s carbon … Read more