solar-panel / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

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...

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...

What to consider before buying a home solar power system Update your appliances and get your demand down as low as possible. Convert any appliances that you are intending to convert (such as installing heat pumps to replace those that use fossil fuels).  Replace any incandescent bulbs with LEDs. Now you are ready to ...

Solar panels: a homeowner's & pro's guide As we move through 2026, installing residential solar panels has shifted from a niche interest to a mainstream home improvement strategy for achieving energy independence and long-term savings. With evolving government incentives - especially in Canada and the US, and incre...

How solar air heaters work: Solar air heater diagram © Ecohome The above diagram indicates the basic concept of a solar air heater, and while there are many designs, the basic principle is the same - a small fan feeds interior air into a south-facing wall-mounted panel. Air is heated as it passes behind a black surfa...

Solar panels on homes in Quebec has never been worth it - until now! For years, installing solar panels in Quebec has felt more like a passion project than a smart investment. With some of the cheapest electricity rates in North America, most homeowners (and as a Quebecker, I count myself among them) have never seen th...

There is a lot you can do in home construction to take advantage of the free energy provided by the sun. That can be passive solar, which is about home orientation and window design to passively heat your home, or active solar which involves mechanical solar panel systems. Solar panels can be either thermal (which tran...

How to save money on heating a pool Swimming in a warm pool is a wonderful feeling, and while we hear from many pool owners in the cooler states & provinces that they really enjoy the experience of a warm swim from late spring or early summer through to autumn, the cost of heating their pool can be a major downer. ...

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...

Recycling solar panels - a growing need The need to reduce carbon emissions to slow runaway climate change generates demand for renewable energy, and rooftop solar power generation is the most accessible option available to the average homeowner. In 2022, North America was predicted to rise to more than 400 GW by 2030 ...

The continuing drop in cost for home solar power generation has led to a dramatic increase in the rate of installations, for both residential and commercial use. Increasing the yield through reflection could make that an even more affordable energy supply option. Most of the advances in solar power production come from...