Solar resources

flowers and solar panels

Below is an initial list of some of the online sources on solar energy that the editors of SolarChargedDriving.Com have found interesting and useful. (Last update = March 2019)

American Solar Energy Society
Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Its aims to inspire energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy.

ARE Solar

ARE Solar is a Boulder and Denver area based solar installation company. In May 2022, ARE Solar installed the 6 kW solar system that is on my roof here at Highline Crossing Cohousing in Littleton, Colo. you can read more about that installation here ==>Ā https://solarchargeddriving.com/2022/05/19/6-kw-more-worth-of-home-solar-now-populating-the-world/

How Residential Solar Works: An Animation
This animated infographic offers a basic overview of how residential solar systems work. The infographic also covers how much energy residential solar systems can generate and the overall benefits of residential solar power.

LetsGoSolar.Com
This commercial website clearinghouse for solar actively promotes solar and consumers going solar. It offers a number of different resources, including an FAQ page and a drop-down list of 50 U.S. states and solar policies, information, etc. for each state.

National Council for Solar Growth
The National Council for Solar Growth is a non profit group with a mission to educate homeowners and businesses about the economic and environmental benefits of PV solar. Its primary objective is to influence a greater number of solar panel installations on homes, schools, and businesses across the US and the rest of the world at an accelerating pace. The Council does not accept advertising and while both national brands as well as regional and local installers are promoted on EvergreenSolar.com our aim is solely to connect the homeowner with the best possible manufacturers, suppliers, equipment, and installers. The Council’s “proprietary scoring system” ranks local solar installers by a combination of feedback from city inspectors, local utility companies, BBB, and customer surveys.

NREL Solar Research Pages
Produced by the nationā€™s premier renewable energy research organization, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NRELā€™s solar pages offer an array of information about various aspects of solar energy.

NREL Open PV Project Pages
This is an absolutely fascinating site devoted to chronicling the installation of all solar PV projects in all of the U.S. It’s got some great data and maps. For instance, you can see how many solar PV installations there are in each state in the U.S., you can watch a video map of the U.S. that lights up across time as more and more PV installations go up. Finally, you can add your own solar PV installation to the map and project! Highly recommended!

Solar Electric Power Association
The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is a non-profit resource for information about solar technologies, policies, and programs. SEPA focuses on working with electric utilities, but provides value to all businesses that have an interest in solar electricity.

Solar Industries Association
Founded in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is the leading national trade association for the solar energy industry in the U.S. It works to expand markets, strengthen research and development, remove market barriers and improve education and outreach for solar energy professionals.

Solar Living Institute
Established in 1998 as a spin-off from Real Goods Trading Company, the Solar Living Institute is a non-profit educational organization aimed at mission promoting sustainable living through inspirational environmental education. The Institute provides practical, education by example and hands-on workshops on renewable energy, green building, sustainable living, permaculture, organic gardening and alternative, environmental, construction methods.

SolarPowerRocks.Com
SolarPowerRocks.Com seeks to change the perceptions of legislators, decisionmakers, homeowners, and business-owners alike to get more solar technology on roofs. Activities include educating readers about their local subsidies and solar related legislation, as well as connecting them to solar installers in their areas to make their dream of renewable energy a reality. The site synthesizes solar data, maintain an updated state-by-state solar incentive resource with validated cost-impact analyses, and champions solar legislation and technology around the world.

solarnation
An interactive citizenā€™s activist site and online community devoted to promoting solar energy

Solar Today
Solar Today is magazine published by the American Solar Energy Society, and is sold on newsstands nationwide.

The Vote Solar Initiative
Similar to SolarChargedDriving.Comā€™s aim of helping solar-charged driving go mainstream, Vote Solarā€™s primary aim is to help solar, in general, go mainstream. To that end, Vote Solar works at the state level to implement the necessary policies to build robust solar markets ā€” and pave the way for a transition to a renewable energy economy.