Amy Beaudet has been in the solar industry at the altE Store since 2007. She’s been a sales rep, an instructor, and an all around solar evangelist, sharing her passion for solar around the world. When not at work, she’s either sailing or skiing, depending on the season, but odds are good she’s still talking about solar on the boat or on the slopes.
NEC 690.12 Rapid Shutdown of PV Systems on Buildings – Part 2 Charge Controllers Rapid Shutdown Recap When last we met, we discussed NEC 690.12 Rapid Shutdown requirements for inverters. For Part 2 of the blog, we are going to…
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Rapid Shut Down In 2014, the National Electrical Code included a new requirement. 690.12(1) through (5) A short requirement, only six sentences. PV system circuits installed on or in buildings shall include a rapid shutdown function that controls specific conductors…
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A Long History of Solar SolarWorld has been manufacturing solar panels in the USA since 1975. Back then, the price of oil was $13 dollars a barrel, and gas was $0.44 a gallon at the pump. Gerald Ford was president…
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The 120% Rule and Your Main Breaker Panel’s Limitations The altE Store started designing and selling grid-tied solar systems way back around the year 2000. Back then, a typical solar system was about 500W. Nowadays as the price of solar…
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Six months later in Puerto Rico It has been 6 long, hot months since Hurricane Maria decimated the island of Puerto Rico, and other islands in the Caribbean. While some progress has been made, a tremendous amount of work remains….
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How do you solve a problem like Maria? Wednesday, September 20, 2017 was a day that changed Puerto Rico forever. Hurricane Maria tore across the island, destroying almost everything in her path. Puerto Rico’s infrastructure was damaged beyond recognition. Homes, roads,…
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Solar Power International 2017 SPI is the largest solar trade show on the planet. How did we start each day? Well, to our pleasant surprise, each day started out with a smile, as every morning (and throughout the days of the show)….
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So, you just got a solar panel that has no polarity labels. How can you figure out the proper polarity, which terminal or wire is plus and which is minus? Here’s a couple of easy tips than can even be done…
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What does it cost to go solar? We get asked this question every day. And the answer? Well, it depends. “Going solar” means different things to different people. Some peoples’ definition costs a lot more than others’. It’s more than…
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Tiny is Huge! Tiny Houses are a big success these days. Cutting back your possessions to the bare minimum and fitting your new life into a tiny house has become a dream for many. With tiny houses generally comes tiny electric…
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