In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, pv magazine reviewed the productive lifespan of residential solar panels and inverters. Here, we examine home batteries, how well they perform over time, and how long they last. Residential energy storage has become an increasingly popular feature of home solar. A recent SunPower survey of more
All Tesla vehicles are now capable of bidirectional charging (V2X) thanks to an impressive Powerwall competitor, Sigenergy, which can include a universal bidirectional DC charger. V2X, or bidirectional charging, is becoming a fairly common feature for electric vehicles. Whether it’s in a reasonably low capacity to power tools and other equipment on the go
Congratulations, you’ve installed one of the smartest upgrades available to your solar system – a battery. But if you’re treating it as a set-and-forget solution, experts say you’re leaving big savings on the table. As a long-time solar energy expert, Huglo Solar director Tim Sturgiss gets a buzz from finding ways his clients can
When Britain’s water and sewage industry was privatised in 1989, the promise was that private investment would result in a massive expansion of the infrastructure to overcome some of the problems with droughts and leakage that had emerged in the 1970s. The real reason for privatisation – based on the actual outcome – was
Octopus Energy has partnered with Uber to install free electric vehicle chargers at the homes of 1,000 Uber drivers across the UK. The move is expected to save drivers a total of nearly £ 1 million, with each individual saving more than £700 a year on charging costs. To qualify, drivers need to sign
There are now around 1.5 million UK households fitted with solar panels Money expert Martin Lewis has shared how households can save hundreds every year on their energy bills by taking advantage of an often misunderstood green technology. Solar panels are becoming an increasingly common sight on UK homes, but many people are still
A quiet energy revolution is underway, and it could mean extra cash for over 850,000 UK homes Solar homeowners still on the government’s Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme could be missing out on significantly higher earnings by switching to the Smart Export Guarantee, according to a recent report. The analysis highlights that many households can
Picture this: a storm knocks out the neighborhood power. Your lights flicker and die. You relax, knowing your fancy Tesla solar panels and big Powerwall battery should kick in. But nothing happens. Silence. Darkness. Heartbreaking, right? Why did your expensive backup system fail you? Let’s figure it out. Your Tesla solar system isn’t magic.
I reckon that over the last five years I’ve driven about 50,000 miles in my all-electric Nissan Leaf. Given that it only goes 100 miles – less on the motorway – without needing to charge (despite the range given being 150 miles), at a conservative estimate, that means I’ve spent 250 hours in service
Increasing frequency of heatwaves and flooding raises fears over health, infrastructure and how society functions Record-breaking extreme weather is the new norm in the UK, scientists have said, showing that the country is firmly in the grip of the climate crisis. The hottest days people endure have dramatically increased in frequency and severity, and