photovoltaic / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Solar panel installation
Solar photovoltaic

Ten questions to ask a solar panel contractor

Diligent research is absolutely essential for any homeowner looking to install a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel system on their home. But at some point, you need to hand the reins over to a trustworthy contractor. To get to that point of trust, you need to ask questions to confirm you’re getting the best equipment and s...

Solar panel reflectors
Solar photovoltaic

Using reflectors to increase the yield of solar panels

...photovoltaic cells; the goal being to increase the watts produced per panel. Joshua M. Pearce, professor of engineering at Michigan Technology University, recently published an article in Green Building Advisor that demonstrates the results of his research on this. Working in conjunction with a study group in Canada, h...

Lithium-ion solar home battery
Solar photovoltaic

Lithium-ion solar home batteries

...photovoltaic solar over the last 10 years Now you know about Home Batteries and Power Storage. Read more moving away from fossil fuels and how to reduce your carbon footprint in the following pages and in the EcoHome Green Building Guide. Tesla Solar Panel Special Offer Building a Near Zero Energy Home on a Bud...

Tesla Solar Roof Cost Comparison, Competitors & Reviews
Solar photovoltaic

Are Tesla solar roofs worth the money? Are there any competitors? Our take on the future of BIPV

...Photovoltaics (BIPV)? Standard photovoltaic solar panels are typically large panels that protrude from roofs by several inches. Contrary to that, the low-profile rooftop solar roof option, which is also known as BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaics), are solar shingles or tiles that are installed directly onto roof ...

Tesla Solar Roof Tiles installation just got easier
Solar photovoltaic

Tesla solar roof gains ground with target of 1000 solar roofs / week

The Telsa solar roof tiles are in the news again. They now have solar panel shingle installations going in 8 states so far - with what's becoming competitive pricing. If news of these PV roof shingles is also news to you, check out our Tesla solar roof review from when it was first announced in 2016. What was missing b...

Dual axis solar tracker
Solar photovoltaic

Choosing between solar trackers and fixed solar panels mounts

...photovoltaic panels here, or if you're looking to build soon, look for inspiration for building a near zero energy home on a budget here, or find out all about Passive House certification & design in North America here - from The EcoHome Green Building Guides...  Solar tracker © Ecohome STORY UPDATE: In Canada, t...

Flexible 'solar glitter' from Mpower Technologies
Solar photovoltaic

Flexible PV 'solar glitter' panels coming soon

Standard solar panels are rigid, relatively heavy and fragile. A new product on the market called Microsystems Enabled Photovoltaics (MEPV) from mPower Technology may change that. The cells in these pliable sheets are made from high-efficiency silicon, and if one cell is damaged or loses power, the rest will continue t...

Tesla Solar Roof shingles
Solar photovoltaic

The Tesla Solar Roof: we love the hype, but we'd like to see some actual facts.

...photovoltaics (BIPV) has been around for over a decade.  It's a great idea on paper, but because each shingle has to be connected individually it's quite a headache to install, so hopefully Tesla has something new to offer and isn't just repackaging old technology that never got far beyond being just a gimmick. If ther...

How solar panels work
Solar photovoltaic

All about solar panels - the different options and how they work

...photovoltaics (PV) as they are technically called - generate an electric current by catching light particles from the sun called photons. These photons then knock free the electrons in the panels’ solar cells and produce an electric current. This current is transferred to wires that lead to an inverter. The inverter co...

Transparent solar power producing windows
Renewable energy

transparent solar panels

When considering solar cells as thin as laminate and completely transparent, the possibilities seem endless. Imagine every glass or laminant surface in our built environment and all of our devices, large and small, harvesting solar energy. In a world of passive, self-sustaining mini-power stations, would the need for f...

Solar panels power the Kenogami House in Saguenay, Quebec
Off-grid and Net-Zero Housing

The Kenogami House: Energy systems in Net Zero Energy Home Design

...Photovoltaic systems in the mechanical room of this Net Zero Energy Home © Ecohome When initially installed, Alain Hamel's off-grid standard photovoltaic system was designed to supply only the electrical appliances in the home. As advised later by Patrick Déry, member of GREB (Group Ecological Research of the Bay), Al...