We are often asked “will my solar panels stand up to hail?” The answer is YES.  A solar module or panel that is installed properly and tilted to face South should never break from hail.  Up until a couple weeks ago we would tell people, “we’ve never seen or heard of a solar module (panel) being damaged from hail”. That includes many hail storms over the years (we have had solar panels installed in Alberta since 2001), many of them bringing golf ball sized hail, like the ones from this Aug. 12th storm: (more…)

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory looked at the resale value of homes in California that have sold with Grid-Tied PV systems. They found that a recently installed PV system increased the resale value of the home by $3.90 to $6.40 per watt. (more…)

Online monitoring is now available for solar electric (PV) systems installed on EQuilibrium homes.  EQuilibrium, a national Sustainable Housing initiative led by CMHC, included 13 houses across Canada that were chosen for their cutting edge design, efficiency, and net zero energy consumption. (more…)