It’s Panel-Cleaning Season!
Over time, solar panels can get dusty, dirty, and covered in debris—just like the rest of your yard. This buildup can block those powerful photovoltaic cells, slightly decreasing your overall production. But here's the good news: a quick and easy cleaning can boost your efficiency by up to 10%. Spring is the perfect time to give your panels some TLC. And the best part? It's so simple, you can do it yourself! We just launched our NEW solar panel cleaning DIY tutorial that walks you through the process step by step. If you’d rather leave it to the pros, that's no problem. Contact us and we'll take care [...]
Best solar companies in the Bay Area
The Bay Area is a hotspot for solar energy. With lots of sunshine and new energy plans, many homeowners and businesses are choosing solar power. But with so many solar companies in the Bay Area, how do you choose the right one? This guide aims to help. We've analyzed the best solar companies in the Bay Area, considering factors like experience, reputation, and customer service. We will explore the benefits of using solar energy in the Bay Area. This includes financial help and its good effects on the environment. We will also wrap everything up on why doing your due [...]
What You Need to Know About Your True-Up Bill
You know the old saying knowledge is power, Solar Family? It’s never been truer than when it comes to your annual true-up bill. But understanding what it is (and how to read it) can be a bit puzzling—especially if you’re new to the world of solar energy. A true-up bill is an annual statement that you'll receive from PG&E once a year on the anniversary of your PTO. For each month, PG&E tracks how much electricity you used from the grid—and sent back to the grid—and totals it up at the end of the year. This summary appears on your true-up bill. Depending on how you [...]
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, [...]
Summer Weather Brings Peak Solar Production
The seasons are changing—and in California, that usually means warmer, drier, and sunnier days. But as the sun goes down on winter weather, it’s time to remember what this means for your solar system and how to keep producing energy efficiently. How does the change in weather affect solar power production? It’s simple: Solar performs best from spring to fall. Like it says in the name, solar panels convert solar radiation (sunlight) into electrical energy. Therefore, when there are more hours of sunlight, the panels will generate more energy. Dirt, dust, and other seasonal debris obscure your panels. Just like on the windows of your [...]
Get the Facts on Your True-Up Bill
DON'T BE LEFT IN THE DARK If you’re invested in home solar energy, you know that one of the best perks is not having to deal with a monthly power bill. And while going solar is easy, understanding your annual true-up bill can be intimidating. The true-up bill is an annual statement from PG&E showing how much grid power you used over the past 12 months—and how much power you put back into the grid. Depending on the difference, you may have to pay PG&E a reduced rate for the times you used their electricity… or, if you’ve sent excess power to them, they’ll [...]
From Signing to Savings: 5 Steps to Switch to Solar
So, you’ve made the decision to switch to solar. Congratulations! You are just five steps away from soaking in all of the benefits that solar power can bring. As your installer, Synergy Power will be coordinating and taking care of the majority of the project. But understanding the process yourself will give you a good grasp on what to expect along the way. Step 1: Site Evaluation Before you sign your installation contract, your home will be assessed for solar panels. The initial assessment will determine your daily electrical usage, the best location for your solar array, and the [...]
The (Solar) Train Is Leaving the Station
Get Your NEM-2 Status before It’s Too Late Big changes are ahead in the solar market... and they’re not good for consumers. NEM—net energy metering—is a program for solar owners to supply clean energy to the electric grid and sell over-produced power to the utility companies. But PG&E doesn’t like paying solar customers for stored power. The utility giant has lobbied for changes to this program, fighting to keep its stranglehold on consumers. The result is NEM-3, a new energy metering program that will alter PG&E's financial obligations to solar owners selling stored power. And, if history is any judge, [...]
Moving On: Transferring Ownership of Your Monitoring System
If you're buying or selling a solar-powered property, you need to transfer ownership of the monitoring system. Don't worry: transferring ownership of a monitoring system is simple when you have the know-how. Synergy Power can help you check this item off your to-do list. Each monitoring platform has a different approach to transferring ownership. Enphase, for instance, requires you to work directly with them, charging a $199 transfer fee and an additional $50 for an inspection report. SolarEdge, on the other hand, does not charge the homeowner a transfer fee. For Synergy Power customers, transferring ownership can be done directly [...]
Over time, solar panels can get dusty, dirty, and covered in debris—just like the rest of your yard. This buildup can block those powerful photovoltaic cells, slightly decreasing your overall production. [...]
The Bay Area is a hotspot for solar energy. With lots of sunshine and new energy plans, many homeowners and businesses are choosing solar power. But with so many solar [...]
You know the old saying knowledge is power, Solar Family? It’s never been truer than when it comes to your annual true-up bill. But understanding what it is (and how to read [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
The seasons are changing—and in California, that usually means warmer, drier, and sunnier days. But as the sun goes down on winter weather, it’s time to remember what this means for your [...]
DON'T BE LEFT IN THE DARK If you’re invested in home solar energy, you know that one of the best perks is not having to deal with a monthly power [...]
So, you’ve made the decision to switch to solar. Congratulations! You are just five steps away from soaking in all of the benefits that solar power can bring. As your [...]
Get Your NEM-2 Status before It’s Too Late Big changes are ahead in the solar market... and they’re not good for consumers. NEM—net energy metering—is a program for solar owners [...]
If you're buying or selling a solar-powered property, you need to transfer ownership of the monitoring system. Don't worry: transferring ownership of a monitoring system is simple when you have [...]
