What is commercial solar? This question may seem simple, but it has a complicated answer. Commercial Solar refers to any type of system that converts sunlight into electricity for commercial use. It includes both photovoltaic (PV) systems and concentrating solar power (CSP). The main difference between PV and CSP is the type of technology used to create steam or heat energy from the sun’s rays. A typical commercial PV system consists of multiple panels on a roof, tilted so th

For those of you who have been following the development of solar power production, there is a new trend in forecasting– machine learning. Machine learning has become popular for all kinds of purposes; from predicting movie box-office success to identifying spam emails. So what can it do for a solar forecast? The answer may surprise you: actually predict how much solar power will be produced. You can’t predict with certainty what the weather will be, but you can make an educa

With solar power becoming a more affordable source of energy and in states like Hawaii where the cost of solar power already equals that of other sources at current electricity prices (grid parity). Grid parity is expected to become the trend for many places across the US by 2020. As a result, local governments, states and the federal government as well as the private sector have developed online solar tools or solar maps that combine topographical data, meteorological data

Who are solar developers? Solar developers assist project owners to develop their commercial solar projects. These professionals are versed with technical, business/finance, legal and project development skills necessary to develop commercial solar projects for the industrial or utility sectors. Some common uses of commercial solar power Commercial solar presents the industrial sector with opportunities to save money, reduce their carbon footprint as well as improving a co

Solar developers come handy when it comes to developing complex solar projects such as commercial solar projects. With regards to project financing, their role is to assess project costs and determine project-financing schemes that are suitable to make a specific solar PV project bankable. Solar developers conduct various solar feasibility studies to assess the technical, economic and financial aspects of the commercial solar project. These studies also capture the project co

When it comes to the development of ‘big solar’ or commercial solar you perhaps need more technical research and more investment in terms of money and time. Since solar development may not be your core business, you probably need to hire solar consultants or solar developers to advice you whether solar energy will be the right thing to do based on various factors. These factors could range from solar panel financing, return on investment (ROI), solar PV system performance, in