Blog @ SolarBlvd.com!

A frequently asked question we get at Solar blvd, is whether or not a solar panel can withstand the pounding a hail storm can deliver.  While hail will damage roofs and car windows, solar panels are made of tempered glass and UL rated panels are able to withstand 1″ hail stones while mounted flat.  But since most solar panels are installed at an angle, they can even resist up to 2″ large hail stones because of the deflection angle!

 So to answer the question, solar panels are able to withstand much of the bad weather that mother nature has to dish out.  So whether you live in California or Montana, solar panels will hold up perfectly fine in any environment.

 What do you do when your tree or your neighbor’s tree has grown so tall that it casts a shadow on your rooftop solar panels?  This is a growing problem called ‘solar access.’  California is now passing new laws that restrict new tree and plant growth.  Solar panels are trees can work well together if there is more thought put into where and how to plant trees around housing areas.  So before you or your neighbors get stuck in a sticky situation, visit the link below to read more about California’s new laws and see diagrams on how to plant trees so that they don’t interfere with solar panels or future solar panels!

http://www.statesadvancingsolar.org/policies/policy-and-regulations/solar-access-laws

Solar cells are a great way to create energy, but can still be considered too costly for some.  Fortunately the next generation of solar cells that are being researched hope to use stronger absorbing materials like polymers, that can be cheaper to spread over large areas through a printing method.  Hopefully this will allow more charges to be extracted from the active layers on the cells.  The future can see us breaking the 34% efficiency limit of cells by possibly absorbing the blue and green parts of the solar rays that are usually wasted away.  This means that the future can hold more affordable and efficient solar panels for you, our customers!

Solar power is making its way down the income ladder through a couple of new California solar programs. The MASH program (Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing) and SASH (Single-Family Affordable Solar Homes) are making eligibility easier for home owners to get incentives through the state. These California programs are aiming to lower electricity costs for low-income housing.  They are funded through different public and private sources, which is great for the taxpayer! According to the latest trends, it wont be too far in the future that solar power becomes as available to everyone as air conditioning and heating.  Check out the SASH and MASH programs to see if you qualify today!

Our “very concerned about our country” Greg recently purchased some Made In USA Kyocera solar panels for his house. Greg is off the grid and we are guessing he put one of the Kyoceras on his fishing boat. He is selling the boat for $6995 (Solar Panel Included)! Thanks, Greg. Please keep those beautiful email forwards with wonderful pics of the world coming.

David - a customer of Solarblvd bought a full off-grid system from us and was so happy with the outcome that he decided to start his own website selling solar in the Phillipines. If you are in the Phillipines and are interested in Renewable Energy, please purchase your solar/wind gear from David! Here is his website:

http://dianterenergy.terapad.com

Green Trail Energy - a long time customer of ours, finally made their portable solar generator that can be used for power in places where acquiring electricity may be expensive or hard to get. Awesome!

Does anyone have this problem?

Jim, a customer of ours in Georgia purchased two Kaneka 60 Watt panels and installed it on his Electrical Vehicle. The car seems to be running great. Thanks for the pic, Jim!

Josiah, a customer of ours from Sunny California, decided about a year ago that he wanted to leave this material world of ours and settle out in a more sacred world of nothings in Bandon, Oregon. He decided to settle for two 200 watt 24 volt panels and see where that would leave him. We hope you are having a great time in Oregon, Josiah. Thank you for the pics!