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Jan 23 2018
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How Blockchain And Solar Can Work Together

By Solar Panel Installation Process No Comments

Many would consider 2017 to be the year of cryptocurrency. Coins like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ripple and dozens of others have shot up 1,000%+ and do not seem to be slowing down.

What really happened in 2017 was the year of the blockchain. Blockchain is the technology that all of these cryptocurrencies are built on top of. Blockchain technology can be applied to almost every sector, including solar! Before we go into how they can be used together, let us go over a high-level definition of what blockchain is.

What is Blockchain Technology?

On a basic level, blockchain technology is a secure and distributed database, also called a ledger. On a practical level, blockchain technology allows the currency to be sent all across the world without needing the validation of a bank. This is simply because of the network’s distributed nature. The blockchain is also not just for coins and can include games, such as Cryptokitties, among others. To get a deeper dive on what blockchain is, feel free to read about it here or here.

Now, you may be wondering what in the world can a distributed ledger do for the solar industry? As it turns out, it can do quite a lot.

The Conventional Energy Problem

Right now, most of the world’s energy is predominantly powered by large generation plants. Unfortunately, the world relies on these plants and the grid that they are connected to, to distribute power to all of its consumers. While the model has sufficed in the past, as more and more people go solar and produce their own energy, this one-directional structure begins to fail, requiring a more flexible solution.

In the past, hotels used to be the only place where people stayed when traveling, and taxis were the only option when people wanted to get around town without their own car. Then Airbnb and Uber came in and created a distributed network that changed everything. Right now, the power plant controllers are in the same position as the hotels or taxi companies were, and the blockchain is the technology that can change the way things work.

Solar Energy Exchanges

There is a slew of companies that are looking to create exchanges for people to buy solar panels or clean energy and sell it around the world. This model uses multiple sources to produce power. In other words, instead of having one plant powering a whole neighborhood, a few houses in that neighborhood with solar roofs can share their energy with other houses in the neighborhood, AND get paid for it. This is what the blockchain can enable homeowners to do.

How is this possible?

The only reason that our energy systems have gone through power plants up until this point is that there was no other option. They are also a generally trusted source, whereas before blockchain was invented, there was no mechanism that allowed for diverse, distributed sources to provide power. With blockchain, people can send energy to other households, track that on a public ledger, which can also be validated by other nodes to make sure that there is no corruption in the network.

Transparent And Secure

The most useful aspect of blockchain is that it is 100% transparent to anyone who views the ledger, and it is immutable, meaning once a transaction or event occurs, it becomes very challenging for anyone to change the record of that event. The ability to prevent duplication is one reason why the blockchain is so lucrative.

When energy is passed from one household to another, everyone on that network will be able to see that, and how much they should be compensated for that as well. Pretty cool!

Companies On The Move

Right now, there is a rush to build out the ideal energy grid. From that, money is flying everywhere to fund companies that want to to take on this challenge. The Sun Exchange is one of the frontrunners, and they label themselves as “The Solar Panel Sharing Economy”. Another juggernaut that is working on applying this model in Australia is PowerLedger, who recently raised a massive $27 million USD Initial Coin Offering (ICO) to start production.

What Is In Store For The Future?

Blockchain technology will likely disrupt every industry at some point in time. As for solar, the application and benefits of putting solar energy on a peer-to-peer grid are more apparent than ever. The great thing is that while dozens of companies compete to win over this market, the everyday consumers will be the ones who benefit for years to come.

Jan 11 2018
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Snow Harm Done! Solar in Cold Climates

By Solar Panel Maintenance : Everything You Need to Know No Comments

With the Cyclone Bomb bringing record low temperatures to the East Coast this month, many homeowners have had snow on the mind.

Though it might seem counter-intuitive, solar panels are actually a great investment in snowy regions because colder temperatures will generally increase productivity. Heavy snow buildup may temporarily reduce solar array electricity generation, but a well-designed system will optimize production and lead to lower electricity bills.

Solar Panels Actually Produce More Electricity in Cold Temperatures

Homeowners with solar in snow states actually benefit from their panels’ increased productivity. As temperature decreases, the efficiency of the modules actually increases because the material properties in the panels operate more effectively. In fact, the increased reflection of light off white snow can also result in increased output from panels in the winter.

Is snow covering your solar panels? No problem! Panels will still generate electricity with a thin layer of snow. Heavy snow build up that completely blocks light will prevent the generation, but a well-designed system that effectively uses panel angle will efficiently use reflected light and reduce snow buildup.

Solar.com’s PV designers are experienced at optimizing solar systems for homeowners in snowy states. We’re so confident in their ability to create systems that accurately electricity needs that we guarantee them with the Solar.com Production Guarantee, which is part of our TriGuard Guarantee.

Snow Cleans Your Panels as it Melts

Beyond the potential for increased panel productivity and light reflection, snow can also clean your panels as it melts off. This free cleaning is great for homeowners, as dirt and debris on modules can reduce their productivity. The dark solar cells will attract heat and usually, in a few days the snow will melt right off. However, if the snowpack is so thick that it doesn’t thaw in a few days, homeowners have few different options to remove snow from their roofs.

Ways to Remove Snow from your Solar Panels:

  • Spray lukewarm water on the panels
  • Toss a football at lighter snowpack to loosen it
  • Hire a professional
  • Use a long-handled squeegee or a snow rake like this  (but be careful that snow doesn’t fall on you!)

Never:

  • Use RainX or car wax
  • Spray hot water at the panels
  • Try to walk on the panels, you could damage them or hurt yourself!

Use Snowguards on Your Solar Panels for Extreme Snow Areas

Homeowners in areas with extremely heavy snowfall may want to consider snow guards for their solar panels. Normally the textured tiles or shingles on roofs causes snow to melt slowly. The glass on solar panels has very low friction, however, so heavy snow can slide right off the smooth surface.

Snow guards all relatively inexpensive pieces of equipment for roofs that help break up snow, rather than letting it fall to the ground as a large sheet. Snow guards can prolong the amount of time that heavy snowpack remains on solar panels, but the risk of a sheet of snow falling on a walker or damaging property is enough to compel some homeowners to invest. In most regions, however,  snow guards are not necessary as the dark solar panels will attract heat and slowly melt off snow.

Want to know more about snow and solar? Reach out to one of our Energy Advisors! Contact us to learn more about snow guards, panel efficiency, and rebates available in your state.