Another Solar Myth Bites the Dust

Way back in 1978, I installed my first solar water-heating system. I continued with solar thermal, installing new systems until tax credits expired in 1986, and I kept nearly all the local systems up and running for ...

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A Net Zero Energy Home Grows Up: Lessons and Puzzles from Ten Years of Data

Author: Bethany Sparn and Lieko Earle

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September 20, 2017

In 2005, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver teamed up with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to design and build a net zero energy (NZE) home in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. A main goal of the ... [continue reading]

The Big Bounce

Author: Elizabeth Grant

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May 29, 2017

When the sunlight bounces off the roof, where does it go? [continue reading]

Another Solar Myth Bites the Dust

Author: Larry Weingarten

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September 30, 2016

Why Don't We Build Better Houses?

Author: Anthony Denzer

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June 11, 2016

Did you know that the solar house was a popular concept in the 1940s, and that architects like Fred Keck, an American modernist architect based in Chicago, Illinois, could save their clients 30–40% on heating ... [continue reading]

ScanTheSun: A Tool for Solar-Panel Users

Author: Ernest Grodner

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August 23, 2015

In the ideal case of an individual installation, solar panels are mounted on the southern pitch of a roof of buildings with high insolation. (See “Vocabulary” for the definition of insolation and a ... [continue reading]

A Proposal for Expanded International Collaboration

Author: Chris Dorsi

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May 01, 2015

We can all benefit from the sharing of knowledge across the construction industries and among countries [continue reading]

Communities Discover Energy Independence

Author: Steve Canale

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July 01, 2012

Many residents today are looking for freedom from mounting electric bills and a way to help the environment. With Standard Solar, they can cut their electric expenses to a fraction of what they once were ... [continue reading]

My Experiences with Solar Electric and Solar Hot Water Systems

Author: Andrew Rudin

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September 01, 2011

An energy management consultant since 1974, Andrew Rudin shares his personal accounts, the good and the bad, with using solar panels to generate electricity and to heat water. [continue reading]