General Background
Solar Power Your Home for Dummies
This is a good primer on residential solar.
Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar
Basic overview provided by the U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
Look up your state and see all the state and Federal incentives available for renewable energy investments. Great resource provided by the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center.
System Design
PV Watts Calculator
Estimates the amount of electricity produced by a solar energy system annually, broken down by month, based on your geographic location and the basic design of your proposed system. Also provides the dollar value of that energy based on the current rates of your provider. Excellent tool for assessing the financial return on your investment. Developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
String Sizing Tools
Sizing your solar panel strings correctly is a key part of planning a dependable system: many equipment manufacturers offer online sizing tools that do all the math for you:
Midnite Solar String Sizing Tool
Outback Power String Sizing Tool
Morningstar String Sizing Tool
Retail Suppliers
AltE
New England
EcoDirect
West Coast
Northern Arizona Wind & Sun
Southwest
Photon Electric
Midwest
Sentinel Solar
Canada
The Solar Store
Northwest