Recent Posts in Blog Category

Understanding rooftop solar in Santa Fe

The popularity of solar panels as a home renovation choice is on the rise in Santa Fe and across the country as homeowners seek ways to cut energy costs and contribute to a greener environment. However, before you take the plunge into solar energy, you likely have some essential questions to address. What is the value that solar panels can bring to your home? How long can you expect them to last? ...

Are Solar Batteries Worth It?

Enhancing your solar energy system's performance, whether by integrating a battery with a new solar setup or adding one to an existing system, offers a way to optimize your clean energy utilization both during the day and into the night. The combination of solar panels and energy storage allows you to operate in a self-consumption mode, allowing you to store surplus energy generated during the day ...

Can You Add Solar Panels To An Existing System?

Even with a properly sized solar energy system designed to produce all of your home’s power, it’s possible for energy needs to change over time and you may find yourself asking, “What happens if I need to expand my solar energy system later?". Adding more solar panels to an existing system can absolutely be done, but let’s explain some things to consider to ensure you get the best value and ...

When Is The Best Time of Year to Install Solar?

So you want to go solar but you may be wondering, what time of year is the best time of year to make the switch? Should you wait until the Fall or should you go solar in the Spring or Summer? Let’s take a closer look at the benefits each season has for going solar. By getting your solar panels installed in the Springtime or early Summer months (when the days are longer and solar potential is at ...

How Do I Claim My Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit

As of 2022, thanks to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, any homeowner who invests in solar energy for their home can receive a solar investment tax credit (ITC) from the federal government at a deduction up to 30% of the costs of their solar energy system. The 30% ITC will remain at 30% through the year 2032. It will decrease to 25% for any solar energy systems installed in 2033 and will ...

What happens when your PNM Small Solar REC Purchase contract expires?

If you were an early adopter of solar in New Mexico with the state's largest utility, the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), you may be accustomed to receiving a check from PNM in addition to not having an electric bill. This was part of a legacy program that paid for Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from the clean energy a solar system produced and put onto the grid. Many of these ...

Will Solar Panels Increase My Home Value?

So you want to switch to solar energy but you are not sure that your current home will be your ‘forever home’. Will solar panels on your roof be of benefit to you when it comes time to sell your house? When it comes to listing your home for sale, there are several factors that affect property value; the price of comparable homes in your area, the home’s age and condition, and the state of the ...

How we Generated Positive Energy throughout 2022

At Positive Energy Solar, we are all about making a positive difference in the lives of our employees and community members. We are driven by opportunities to invest dollars and time toward creating a more sustainable future for generations to come. At our company, we believe in the power of purpose-driven business. We also believe in the power of community. As a Certified B-Corporation, we ...

Is There Such a Thing as Free Solar Panels From the Government?

You have likely seen ads promoting “free solar”, “No-cost solar program”, “Free solar from the government” or something similar. With so many ads out there touting this, you may have asked yourself whether the government is really giving solar panels to homeowners for free – the answer is no, but keep reading to learn the truth about government incentives for solar and how financing options may ...

Going Solar Without Getting Burned: the Importance of Local Solar Service

The future is bright for solar in New Mexico – now more than ever – thanks to the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act which upgraded and extended the Federal Tax Credit to 30% for the next 10 years ! While this is a significant win for solar, not all of the recent NM solar headlines have been positive as an influx of solar companies coming into New Mexico have led to inconsistent client ...

Federal and Local Tax Incentives Supporting Solar and Energy Efficiency

The Inflation Reduction Act offers excellent incentives for adopting solar energy as well as preparing your home for better energy efficiency. In this blog, we cover some of the tax incentives you have to look forward to in the next decade. Keep in mind, these are just some of the tax incentives that support solar adoption, home upgrades, and electric vehicles. For a better understanding of what ...

Federal Initiatives Supporting Distributed Generation and the Grid of the Future

The Inflation Reduction Act seems to check most of the boxes necessary for making the U.S. electrical grid run on 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a zero-emissions economy by 2050 possible. There are incentives for solar, battery storage, wind, electric vehicles, and more! While this will undoubtedly bring more renewables to the grid, we’d be remiss not to point out that our current electrical ...

8 Tips to Understand and Compare Solar Energy Proposals & Find the Best Solar Company

So, you’re serious about having solar panels installed and making the switch to renewable energy. Although there are many potential advantages, it’s worth taking the time to consider your options as thoroughly as possible. Don’t let the complexity of solar proposals overwhelm you and your decision to go solar. While each solar company has their own unique proposal, there are several key pieces of ...

Solar tariffs & U.S. manufacturing needs – what you need to know

By now you’ve probably heard about the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) investigation into whether Chinese solar manufacturers had been improperly funneling parts through Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam; four countries that supply approximately 80% of the PV cells and modules used here in the United States. These solar tariffs, along with supply chain constraints and growing demand for ...

Looking for a New Career? Here’s Why the Solar Industry Could Be Right for You

What if we told you there’s an ever-growing industry full of purpose-filled work that you can feel good about at the end of the day, major career growth potential, and wages comparable to (and often higher than) industries of a similar vein? Sound interesting? Well, keep reading because we’re talking about the rapidly growing solar energy industry. Amidst our nation’s clean energy transition, ...

How Solar Advocates Are Driving a Decarbonized Future

Are you aware of how much influence you have on your neighbors by switching to solar energy? Your actions have more influence than you realize when it comes to decarbonizing our collective future. By your choice to go solar, your neighbors are likely to do the same according to research. Studies show that neighbors within 200 meters of one another are likely to influence the other to invest in a ...

7 Things to Consider Before Making the Switch to Solar Energy

The benefits of going solar are endless. From saving you money to creating a cleaner future for all, there’s no doubt that solar is a smart decision when it comes to powering your home or business. If you haven’t invested in solar yet, you likely still have questions about it. We’re here to dive into some things to consider before making your decision from the location of your home or business, to ...

What is a Certified B Corporation: Understanding a triple bottom line of People, Planet, Prosperity

Certified B Corporations, also called B-Corps, are a relatively new concept with a big mission: to champion business as a force for good. As defined by B Lab, the nonprofit network behind B Corp: Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B ...

Understanding Your Solar Battery Storage Options

As of 2021, more than 3 million solar energy systems have been installed across the United States, most of them being residential systems. With production tax credits and investment tax credits potentially getting a 10-year extension in the Build Back Better Act, which awaits passage by the Senate, homeowners have all the more reason to choose to make the switch to clean energy provided by the ...

In A Battery Operated Future - Recycling Is Required

The electric revolution is among us! With 145 million electric vehicles (EVs) expected to hit the road worldwide by 2030, we are quickly transitioning from relying on gas to batteries to help us get from point A to point B. While leaving the gas pump and dirty fossil fuels behind is exciting, it is important to plan ahead and start considering what we will do with the electronic waste on the ...

Can Solar Panels Be Recycled?

Solar energy is the fastest growing and most affordable energy source available. Over 3 million solar energy systems have been installed throughout the country in the past two decades with a third of those installations taking place in the past two years alone. Currently, there is enough solar energy capacity in the U.S. to power 7.7 million homes. So what do we do with those panels after their ...

Your Solar Supply Chain Matters - Consider the Source

When it comes to outsourcing the production of solar panels and equipment, a company must know its supply chain. Roughly 25 million people worldwide are victims of forced labor. Without consciously putting forth policies and practices to vet one’s supply chain, a business can unknowingly be complicit in labor abuse. The human rights abuses of hundreds of thousands of Uyghur Muslims in the Peoples ...

Solar Carports - Infrastructure for the EV Future

Meeting the Growing Energy Demands of Electric Vehicles With nearly 280 million cars on the road throughout the United States and as many as two billion parking spots across the nation, you could say the potential in the solar carport market is more than plentiful. According to the International Energy Agency, we can expect to have at least 145 million electric vehicles (EV) on the road by 2030. ...

Juneteenth - A Day of Freedom and Reflection

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers reached Galveston, TX to announce that Black people were officially free from enslavement and the Civil War was over. The announcement came almost two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and this is the day that we now recognize as Juneteenth, the end of slavery in the United States. Slavery would not be legally abolished until December 1865 and ...

Minimizing Soft Costs Associated with Solar while Keeping Consumers Safe

As the solar energy industry continues to expand globally, there will continue to be ways to streamline the process for customers who wish to make the switch to clean energy. As it stands, processes like permitting, inspections, and grid interconnection varies widely based on where you live. For example, in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho solar permitting is currently automated through email and can ...