It’s now been a full year since altE acquired Real Goods, the California-based purveyor of solar and off-grid living supplies – and what a year it’s been! 2020 has thrown a lot at us all, and the challenge of integrating…
Read more
Rapid Shutdown Recap When last we met, we discussed NEC 690.12 Rapid Shutdown requirements for inverters. For Part 2 of this topic, we are going to discuss options for Rapid Shutdown (RSD) for charge controllers. As there were initially very…
Read more
Rapid Shut Down In 2014, the National Electrical Code included a new requirement, 690.12(1) through (5). It was a short requirement – only six sentences. PV system circuits installed on or in buildings shall include a rapid shutdown function that…
Read more
What do you get when you cross one partner’s love for coffee and baking, with the other’s can-do attitude and draw to renewable energy? A solar-powered café on wheels. The Dream Years ago, Kathy Reinert pondered how best to channel…
Read more
Earth Day will be celebrated for the 50th time this year, with the theme “taking action on climate change“. We plan to celebrate by doing what we do every day – working to give everyone the opportunity to use clean,…
Read more
The 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has – to put it mildly – created a lot of uncertainty for people all around the world. By now, hopefully you are doing your part to practice the self-quarantining or “social distancing” behaviors recommended…
Read more
Solar installers and vendors gathered from across the world for altE’s 9th annual Solar Conference February 24th through 26th, at the Devens Common Center in Devens, MA. The solar conference was three days of learning, networking, and earning valuable NABCEP…
Read more
It’s no secret that the altE Solar Installer Conference is a destination event for, well, solar installers, from around the world. Did you know it’s also a great place to learn the basics of solar? Each year altE hosts two…
Read more
The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse in Upstate New York was first commissioned in 1874. It served as a guiding light for ships navigating the busy lanes passing by Hudson and Athens in the late 19th century, helping them avoid the Middle Ground…
Read more
Sunlight doesn’t just power your solar panels – it heats your batteries. With fewer hours of sunlight per day, winter is the time of year when it’s most important to make sure the energy storage component of an off-grid solar power…
Read more