Solar Behind the Scenes: Meet the DIPP Team!
We think of installing a solar system like a James Bond movie–action packed, visually stunning….almost a magical experience. Well, maybe we won’t go that far. Yet, as beautiful as those solar panels look gleaming from rooftops, like a great James Bond movie, it’s truly the work behind the scenes that makes it all possible. The […]
Cooking with solar ovens in Haiti
How can you make a delectable dish of simmered chicken, seasoned goat, and rice and vegetables using only the sun? On his recent mission trip to Haiti, TruNorth Solar’s very own Mike Kampmeyer did just that. The tropical world’s equivalent of a crock pot, or slow cooker, the Solavore Sport solar oven uses the power […]
Go Solar with Dakota Electric!
Are you a customer of Dakota Electric looking to install solar? To assist members in recovering the costs associated with installing a solar system, Dakota Electric now has a performance-based solar rebate program. This program offers $0.50/watt for installed capacity, not to exceed $4,000 for systems 8kW or smaller. Payment of the rebate is based […]
The U.S. Installed a Record Amount of Solar in 2015
According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, in 2015 a total of 7.3 GW of solar was installed in the U.S. This is a huge amount of energy, and to truly understand its significance it needs to be further explained. Assuming the average American home would need about 10 kW of installed solar to offset their entire […]
An Average Minnesota Residential Solar System
What does an average residential Minnesotan solar system look like? According to the Energy Information Administration, the average Minnesotan home uses about 810 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity each month. This adds up to about 9,720 kwh of electricity that is needed each year. In Minnesota, taking into effect our northern latitude but great solar exposure, […]
Roseville, MN 8.12 kW: Made in Minnesota Incentive Profile
Janna, Roseville MN 8.12 kW roof mount residential installation in August, 2015. Our solar panels were installed in late August. The crew was conscientious about ensuring a good-looking installation. We were pleasantly surprised when the bill for September’s gas and electricity arrived – 13 cents! With the 30% federal tax credit and Made in Minnesota payments […]
Minnesota’s Solar Potential
The state of Minnesota has no fossil fuel reserves at all – no natural gas, no coal, and no oil. However, it does have resources of another kind. Solar energy is Minnesota’s largest energy resource. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates that Minnesota has enough solar “technical potential” to produce more than 150 times […]
Net Zero Buildings 101
Imagine being able to live your life in a modern dwelling, in an urban or rural setting, that produces zero carbon emissions. This is essentially what it means to be Net Zero. A Net Zero home produces its own renewable energy. The home also relies on energy conservation and efficient energy usage to avoid burning […]
A Brief Introduction to Micro-Inverters, String Inverters, and Optimizers
Like any electrical system, a solar array needs a way to manage the flow of electrical energy. In order to avoid damaging your household electronics, the electrical grid, and your solar panels themselves, a system of electrical inverters and optimizers need to be in place. Inverters change the DC current produced in solar panels to […]
Solar Panels and Minnesota’s Winters
There’s no doubt that solar production in Minnesota is different than in Arizona, or California, because of our long winters. Solar arrays in the American Southwest don’t get snow. Because snow disrupts the sun’s rays hitting the photovoltaic cells, there will be less electrical production when your panels are covered in snow. However, you’ll see […]
