Solar Advocacy

They say that sometimes, it’s all about whom you know. But when you’re hoping to affect positive change within a long-established sector like the electric power industry, it might be more accurate to say that it’s really about advocacy.

Having an effective advocate by your side can make an incredible difference in opening minds, sharing information, and growing support for a burgeoning industry. In that vein, we in the Westinghouse Solar family were thrilled when we announced recently that internationally recognized environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be joining our Board of Advisors.

Extending his family’s longstanding legacy of support of the arts, human rights, and health care, Mr. Kennedy has devoted much of his career to environmental stewardship. His work with Riverkeeper, a clean water advocacy group in New York, and the Waterkeeper Alliance, dedicated to protecting water from polluters, has established him as a tireless supporter of environmental preservation efforts. In recent months he has also spoken out strongly on the Gulf oil spill, coal mining, and alternative energy sources.

So to our new friend and colleague we say, Welcome. We look forward to working together to bring solar to rooftops across America, and to help create new jobs through our industry’s continued growth.

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The Facts of Life (As They Apply to Better Performing, More Reliable Solar Power, of course)

We’ve already talked about how improved installation methods dramatically affect the value of your solar investment. Now, I’m going to give you just a few last facts on performance, safety and reliability:

FACT #1: Andalay AC Solar Panels improve system performance:

1. Panels connect directly into your home electricity meter, eliminating the need for the system to convert current from DC to AC
2. Each panel within the system maximizes its output―even in shade―for better productivity

FACT #2: Andalay’s integrated mounting and fully grounded systems reduce or eliminate safety issues:

1. Shorter wiring runs reduce system wear
2. Panels connected structurally reduce safety issues significantly
3. The mounting pans serve as a redundant ground path for all adjacent modules

FACT #3: Andalay’s factory-assembled systems provide better reliability:

1. Panel-to-panel electrical locking connectors provide higher overall system reliability and safety
2. Self-tightening connection rods eliminate exposed wires and pinched electrical joints

So there you have it. You probably haven’t thought this much about electricity since high school science class, have you? But when you are considering in a long-term investment like solar energy, it pays to understand how new advances have improved safety, productivity, and reliability ― and how it will protect your investment.

If you want to learn more about Akeena’s revolutionary new approach to solar, become a fan on our Facebook page and get all the latest news and updates and communicate directly with Akeena staff!

Traditional Solar System Installation: There’s Gotta Be A Better Way!

Traditional roof assembly processes are cumbersome and complex — and as too many have discovered, the end result is only as effective as the installer’s skills! With continued growth, the industry is seeing significant limitations in ordinary panels that can lead to problems that can impact reliability, safety, and industry reputation overall.

The accepted process for rooftop solar installations has remained essentially unchanged since solar systems were first put into use in the 1970s. It included site design, development of a parts inventory, assembly of the parts and tools, transfer of equipment to the roof, identification of rooftop anchoring points, bolting in roof brackets, and attaching aluminum racks to the brackets.

And all of this happens before any actual panel installation takes place!

Once all of this is completed, solar panels are attached to the racks via a clamping system, with the power and grounding wiring affixed to each panel separately. This multi-step, tiered approach to solar power system installation significantly impacts the safety and effectiveness of a system. The wiring becomes its own intricate, labor- and time-intensive process, and the potential for problems is high. Product and service quality is challenged further by the fact that all this detailed work is being done up on a roof, in all kinds of weather conditions.

The best way to eliminate these inefficiencies is through development of a design and assembly methodology that can be replicated easily across many different installations. Better overall assembly, electrical connection, and grounding design and processes are borne from robust product designs that provide simplified, consistently high-quality installations.

Hopefully all of this hasn’t put you off the idea of installing a solar power system, because in my next post, I’m going to let you in on a revolutionary way to install solar systems that dramatically reduces reliability and safety issues, and roof damage.

Sound good? Stay tuned!

Solar Rights Manifesto

Although equipment and direct labor costs have declined as solar systems become simpler and safer, the sad truth is that the paperwork and bureaucracy have become even more complicated. Our greatest savings as an industry will be to attack these bureaucratic costs at their source and simply eliminate them.

Please join with your fellow solar enthusiasts and stand up for these five Solar Rights.

Solar Right #1: Solar power shall be installed to provide the lowest cost for ratepayers on a whole, taking into account all applicable costs and externalities.

Solar Right #2: There shall be no restrictions on solar installations for any reason other than pre-existing health and safety concerns.

Solar Right #3: There shall not be any added paperwork for connecting a solar power source as long as it is comparably sized to the building’s existing electrical service. If there is no “interconnection” paperwork for a 3 ton air conditioner, there should be no paperwork for a 3 kw solar power system.

Solar Right #4: There shall not be any demand charges, standby fees or extra expenses for net metering. Net metering customers put power into the grid when the electricity is most needed.

Solar Right #5: There shall not be a separate inspection for building departments, fire departments, utilities and rebate administrators. One – and only one -- jurisdictional inspection shall be required for a solar installation.