When people say they want to be off-grid, sometimes they mean they want solar to cover 100 percent of their electricity needs. Often, solar installers pair a battery storage unit like a Tesla Powerwall to store power from your system to use at night. Having all of your electrical needs provided by solar energy means that you are net zero. In...
We’ve received a number of inquiries from solar customers expressing confusion about the new state production incentive program that the Legislature passed this summer. We don’t have all of the details yet, but we've compiled what we do know. We will update this post as we learn more, so bookmark this page. The situation: The state Department of Revenue is transitioning management...
UPDATED: These workshops are completed. Interested to learn how solar works, especially here in Seattle? Join A&R Solar, Verity Credit Union, and your neighbors to learn about solar in a fun, no pressure environment. We will be holding Solar 101 workshops at three Seattle Verity locations: Thursday, Sept 21 at Verity's Wallingford Branch, 4545 Stone Way N, Seattle, WA 98103, from 6-7:30 pm Tuesday,...
NOTE: This information is possibly outdated. Please reference our incentives page for current information. The Washington State Legislature has approved a new solar production incentive, enabling thousands more homeowners and businesses to go solar during the program’s eight-year timeline. Homeowners Here are the program's highlights: From now until June 2021, homeowners who install a grid-connected solar photovoltaic system can receive up to $5,000...
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the regional wholesaler of federal hydropower, announced that it expects rates to increase 5.5 percent over the next two years. The BPA’s customers —there are more than 120 — primarily are electric utilities in the Northwest, which in turn sell the power to their customers. For example, Seattle City Light purchases about 40 percent of its...
We find that a lot of people are disappointed to learn that solar won’t offset all of their electricity costs. But they shouldn’t be. Only a fraction of people have the needed resources to offset 100 percent. Many of our customers fall in the 50-75 percent range. And plenty others only see 20-40 percent of their electricity offset by solar. Why is this?...
As the costs of renewable energy continues to come down--even passing coal and natural gas in some markets--solar developers are increasingly looking for land to host solar projects. Here are a few helpful tips to find out if your land is a good resource to become a solar farm. How much acreage do you have? One megawatt of solar typically requires 6-8...
NOTE: This information is possibly outdated. Please reference our incentives page for current information. UPDATED: A&R Solar is a Tesla Powerwall Certified Installer in Washington and Oregon. Learn more about Powerwall and battery storage. When the power goes out, will you be ready? The emerging battery storage market will offer solar homeowners peace of mind during outages and natural disasters, while safeguarding against spikes in...
We feel you. Ever since Elon Musk announced that Tesla would unveil a new solar roof, we’ve been all a-tingle. After all, who doesn’t love a big advancement in the solar industry? But, like you, we’re still waiting on the details, including how much these shingles will cost and when they will be available in Washington and Oregon (heck, we’re still...
Ten years ago, two guys (Andy and Reeves, hence the A&R) founded a company that was based on the crazy notion that people would want to install solar on their homes and businesses in the Pacific Northwest. It turns out that solar works really well here, just ask any of our 1,000+ customers. Like any emerging industry, solar has been through a lot of...