Monthly Archive: August 2015

Remote Monitoring a Solar Power System with Outback Power’s OpticsRE

Outback Power has created a nice tool for remotely monitoring and configuring your solar power system from any Internet connected PC, tablet, or smartphone. OpticsRE allows you to log in to your system to view real time data, as well…
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Solar Power System Helps Power Lodge in Peru

One of the cool things about working at the altE Store is that we get to deal with customers all over the world. We actually have systems installed on every continent of the planet. We recently received some pictures from…
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New Solar Power Bill filed by Governor Baker in Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ previous Governor, Deval Patrick, had set a target for 1,600 megawatts (MW) of solar power in Massachusetts by 2020. We are currently at about 86MW. However, there is currently a restriction on installing any new solar power systems in…
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Micro Inverters, Optimizers, and String Inverters, Oh My!

The technology for grid-tied solar systems has changed rapidly since its start around the turn of the century. With many choices now available, it can be a bit confusing to decide which is right for you.

The Solar Lease vs. Buy Debate; A Question of Math

In an earlier blog, Financing Your Renewable Energy System, we made the statement, “The lure of no money down for leasing is tempting, but the economics show that owning your system offers much better payback over the life of the…
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Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC): Tick Tock, Time’s Running Out

The 30% Federal Tax Credit, the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), is scheduled to retire on December 31, 2016, dropping commercial incentives to 10%, and residential to zero. The ITC was first enacted as part of the Energy Policy Act…
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First Steps to Go Solar: Find out if Solar is right for you

If you are thinking about going solar, but aren’t sure if it makes sense for you, here are a few questions to help you determine if solar is right for you.