Spring Cleaning for Your Solar Panels
The sun is returning to California… finally. If you want to make sure your solar panels are ready for summer, schedule a cleaning with us or do it yourself. Watch this instructional video to see how it works—it’s easier than it looks! We recommend cleaning your solar panels every one to two years. If your system is due for a scrub (and you want us to take care of it for you), contact us today. Schedule a Cleaning 3 Energy-Saving Tips for Homes & Small Businesses With your solar panels working at peak production levels, the [...]
Battery Backups, Generators, or Both? Here’s How to Decide
Power outages used to come without warning and wouldn’t last more than a day, but now they’ve become a regular part of Bay Area life. Natural disasters, brownouts, and planned power outages mean we need to be ready to keep our homes running with a backup power source. Battery backups and generators are the two main backup power sources on the market right now. Let us walk you through the benefits of each one. Comparing Battery Backups and Generators Battery Backups Can store grid or solar panel energy Runs on electricity produced by solar energy Can schedule usage Good for [...]
How the New CA Solar Policies Affect Your Savings
On December 15, 2022, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously voted to approve a new Net Billing tariff (NBT), the latest policy for Net Energy Metering (NEM) for solar. If you are or plan on being a California solar owner, you need to understand how the NEM 2.0 and NBT policies affect you. The Purpose of Net Energy Metering Net Energy Metering was introduced to reduce costs for energy companies and to maximize the energy produced by solar owners. A solar array will generate energy during sunlight hours. An owner wouldn’t need that energy until getting home from work, [...]
Apply for NEM-2 Before It’s Too Late
Hurry, Solar Family—time is running out to be grandfathered into NEM-2 benefits before it's gone forever. Let us help you submit the required documents to PG&E by April 14, 2023, to get you locked in and maximize your savings. Here’s what is required from PG&E to begin: Signed solar contract Submitted NEM-2 application That’s it! You don’t need a permit, final inspection, or full installation to get NEM-2. In fact, you have until April 15, 2026, to complete the project and retain NEM-2 eligibility. We're dedicated to helping you complete these steps before the clock runs out. If you’re ready to start your solar future, get a [...]
Electric Vehicles and Solar: What You Should Know
Solar Family, are you thinking about buying an electric vehicle (EV)? Or maybe a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)? EVs are becoming more and more popular, and they’re only going to get more prevalent as time goes on. But if you’re considering going electric, there’s one thing you need to know: an EV or PHEV will save you money on gas… but it will increase your electric bill! While an EV may reduce or eliminate your gasoline bill, it still needs a power source to drive it. If your home's power system isn't prepared to take on the added [...]
News Alert: The NEM-3 Deadline Is Approaching
New solar legislation is officially on its way. On December 15, 2022, California legislature signed off on the new net energy metering (NEM) deal—and now, the clock is running out to be grandfathered into NEM-2. Here’s what you need to know: NEM-3 will begin on April 15, 2023, for all new solar customers who submit a completed NEM application on or after that date. (Current customers will remain on NEM-2.) Current NEM-2 customers who want to add more panels to their system before the April 15 deadline should reach out now to avoid losing their NEM-2 status. Monthly fees will be higher under [...]
Thank You for Shining With Us
We’ve put in a lot of work together this year, Solar Family. As 2022 draws to a close, we wanted to take a minute to thank you for being in this thing with us. We’ve arranged solar panels, installed battery backups, and helped so many people generate more clean energy—people like you. And it’s been well worth it. This year, we surpassed 10 gigawatt hours of generated power across all systems. That's over 10 billion watt hours! Thanks again for being part of our solar family. Your business is greatly appreciated, and we hope to see you on our next [...]
How Does Winter Weather Affect My Solar?
Fall is in full swing, and our days are getting shorter—even in sunny California. That means your solar panels are likely generating less energy. And that’s perfectly normal! Why? Instead of our typically bright 15-hour summer days, we’re barely seeing nine hours a day in the winter. Plus, many of those daylight hours are dampened by overcast skies and rain. Less sunlight means less solar power. (That’s the basics of solar power production, of course.) The good news is, because your panels are generating so much energy during the summer hours, your true-up bill at the end of the year will [...]
Ditch the Power Outage Alerts
If you’re living in the Bay Area, chances are you've received these alerts from PG&E either by text, email, or phone, letting you know that your power will be out. And unfortunately, between extreme heat, record-breaking droughts, and limited resources, these outages won’t be stopping anytime soon. The good news is that you don’t have to wait and worry about the next outage alert. A solar system paired with a battery backup is the ideal solution to free yourself from reliance on the grid. With a custom design engineered by Synergy Power, northern California’s solar energy experts, you can become [...]
Pointing Your Solar in the Right Direction
There are many factors to take into account when planning out the placement of your solar panels—and at Synergy Power, we consider every factor under the sun. That’s why we often arrange your solar panels in a south-facing direction. Why south? We live in the northern hemisphere. That means the sun’s peak is always slightly south of center. And although west-facing panels get more intense sunlight in the afternoon, south-facing panels generate electricity all day long—even at the height of summer. In fact, studies show that south-facing panels produce about 20% more power than those that face directly east or west. However, depending [...]
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