Running automatically and virtually silently, it can be easy to forget solar panels are even there. As self-sustaining as they are, however, the efficiency of your residential solar panels can benefit from some basic maintenance you can do right at home. Here, we describe three tips to help your solar panels last.

On August 3 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the final version of its Clean Power Plan, which has solar energy advocates celebrating. The plan, which aims to phase out coal-fired power plants in favor of low or zero-emission sources, encourages states to utilize wind and solar growth over nuclear and natural gas, as they are completely non-emitting.

Last year California made impressive strides in solar energy, nearly tripling the output of its utility-scale plants in 2013 to produce a record-setting 9.9 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity in 2014. That was more than three times the output of the next-highest state, Arizona, and more than all other states combined. For all the records California set in ...

As of this moment, energy fathered from renewable sources amounts to 13 percent of all U.S. electricity, according to City Lab. For California, in Governor Jerry Brown's 2015 State of the State address, he set three significant goals to work on in regards to renewable energy for the next 15 years. Inside Climate News reports that the first newly adopted projection is ...

Three of California's largest cities – Fresno, Bakersfield and San Jose — recently were the cause of celebration for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), where each of these places helped them surpass 10,000 solar customers who were connected to its electric grid, according to the Business Wire press release. This exponential growth of solar panel adoption ...

In the past few years traditional utility companies and solar companies have fought over policies that seek to compensate rooftop solar systems through providing power back to the California energy grid, reports GreenTech Media. However, in recent months, these same foes have united to influence the bill, S.B. 350, which is set to broaden the state's present renewable ...

The California Energy Commission reported that nearly 19 percent of the state's electricity stemmed from renewable energy sources in 2013. This percentage is set to increase up to 50 percent by 2030, according to The Los Angeles Times. The U.S. Energy Information Administration also found that not only can photovoltaic (PV) solar panels lower your monthly utility ...

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) latest Clean Power Plan has set a new standard for green living and energy efficiency.

President Obama and his administration moving towards slashing greenhouse gas emissions through The Clean Power Plan is a stark reminder of how the issue of adopting renewable energy sources has been heavily politicized in the past few years. Many companies and environmental activist agencies have praised the president's movement towards clean energy sources, ...

According to the Manhattan Institute, by 2020, one-third of electricity used in California will be generated from renewable resources. The state also plans to reduce greenhouse emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.