Barry Cinnamon has been blogging about the Solar Industry since 2007.
Every week Barry hosts The Energy Show, a 30 minute informative talk show that covers a broad variety of energy related topics spanning technology, economics, policy, and politics that are shaping the future of how we generate and consume electricity, along with practical money-saving tips on ways to reduce your home and business energy consumption.
The Energy Show runs every Saturday on KDOW Radio AM in San Jose California.
Barry heads up Cinnamon Energy Systems (a San Jose residential and commercial solar and energy storage contractor) and Spice Solar (suppliers of built-in solar racking technology). After 10,000+ installations while at the helm of Akeena Solar and Westinghouse Solar, he’s developed a pretty good perspective on the real-world economics of rooftop solar — as well as the best products and services for homeowners, manufacturers and installers. His rooftop tinkering led to the development of integrated racking (released in 2007), AC solar modules (released in 2009), and Spice Solar (the fastest way to install rooftop solar modules).
Mankind has been in an energy transition ever since two cave-boy scouts rubbed two sticks together and created fire. Although the world’s economy is currently powered by fossil fuels, renewable power sources (primarily wind and solar) are now cheaper than fossil fuels...
I’m wading into an opinionated minefield. We’re not supposed to talk about religion or politics in polite company. But we already did a show on the Pope’s Environmental Encyclical. And politicians are blasting the airwaves with their energy views in the run up to the...
Even with the anticipated El Nino weather conditions on the west coast, the drought in California will continue. Experts say it will take three or four years of very heavy rainfall to replenish above ground reservoirs, and many more years of above average rainfall to...
A rooftop solar system is an expensive up-front investment. The typical 5 kw system costs about $20,000 – or $14,000 after the 30% investment tax credit (which expires on 12/31/16). Solar leases and loans have made it possible for hundreds of thousands of homeowners...
Headline: “Low Cost Rooftop Solar.” What’s not to like? If you’re a homeowner you can save thousands of dollars shopping around for the right installer and financing. If you’re an installer you are undoubtedly under competitive cost pressures -- and strive to find...
Toyota and Honda just announced their new fuel cell cars. Although these cars won’t be on the road for another year, their mere existence raises questions about the long-term future of battery-powered cars. Are battery vehicles just a temporary detour on our road to...
Recently, a solar worker in Hawaii fell off a roof to his death. Construction work is one of the most dangerous activities, and installing rooftop solar presents additional fall and electric shock hazards. It is up to owners and managers of solar companies to insist...
$0.25/kwh - what a typical California homeowner pays for electricity (based on current PG&E rates at the U.S. average of 12,000 kwh/yr) $0.12/kwh - what a typical California homeowner pays for Net Metered rooftop solar electricity (based on a 5 kw system installed...
I typed the words “free solar” into Google and got 747,000,000 hits in half a second. We all know that solar systems are not free. But the technology that is being marketed is still so new and complicated that it is easy to scam homeowners who are eager to save money....
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