What's New

ITC Direct Pay will Change the Solar Game

Posted 10/27/2022 in Solar News
Inflation Reduction Act – Direct Pay is a Game Changer    On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law.  The IRA covers many topics including heavily incentivizing renewable energy generation as well as electric vehicles. While many of these incentive changes will kickstart a new wave of the “solar-coaster”, the addition of Direct Pay for tax-exempt entities to utilize the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) may have the biggest impact on the solar industry. Inflation Reduction Act Direct Payment The IRA introduced a new concept to the ITC structure by offering…
Read more

Climate Legislation Paving the Way for A Solar-Filled Future

Posted 08/25/2022 in Solar News
INFLATION REDUCTION ACT - H.R.5376 On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the inflation reduction act into law. The new law spans several topics from renewable energy to corporate tax reforms. Portions of the H.R.5376 bill focus on pushing the United States forward in terms of reducing greenhouse gases. The target reduction is to decrease emissions to forty percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The United States’ current path is a twenty-five percent reduction. There are two main strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act that will assist in reaching the goals outlined above: Increasing United States infrastructure to ensure…
Read more

MIT Humphrey Fellow to Join Zapotec for Spring Internship

Posted 03/28/2022 in Company News
MIT Humphrey Fellow to Join Zapotec for Spring Internship image
Oyun-Erdene Altan-Ochir has joined the Zapotec Energy team as a spring intern. Oyun-Erdene completed her B.S. in Renewable Energy Engineering at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology in 2011. She is currently attending a non-degree Professional development The Special Program for Urban and Regional Studies (SPURS) Program at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a Humphrey fellow. Before pursuing her education in the United States, Oyun-Erdene worked as an electrical engineer at a private energy company, Monhorus International LLC. During this time, she was involved in various renewable clean…
Read more

DC to AC Ratios: High, Low, or Just Right?

Posted 03/01/2022 in Solar News
The DC to AC ratio is a ratio of the rated nameplate DC power of the modules versus the rated nameplate AC power of the inverter. The DC value is based on the DC nameplate of the modules at a site and on Standard Testing Conditions, (Solar Radiation: 1 kW/m2, Temperature: 25 C, No wind). In an ideal world, the DC to AC ratio would be 1, however Standard Testing Conditions (STC) are important when considering the PV module output because the modules will rarely operate at these conditions, especially in the New England area. Operating conditions are often much warmer or…
Read more

Bifacial Modules: The New Trend in Solar

Posted 02/01/2022 in Solar News Company News
Background Bifacial modules are PV modules with solar cells on both the top and rear of the module. This allows for the ability to harness the power of the sun on both sides of the module and increases the amount of power that is able to be produced from one module. The top of the module received incident light from the sun while the rear side receives only albedo light, or light that is reflected off the ground or other surface on the back of the module. Bifacilaity Factor is defined by Pvsyst as the "Ratio of nominal efficiency at…
Read more

Zapotec Energy, Inc. Recognized as Top U.S. Solar Installation Company

Posted 07/27/2021 in Company News
Zapotec Energy, Inc. Recognized as Top U.S. Solar Installation Company image
The U.S. solar industry is on the upswing, thanks to a pro-renewables presidential administration and increased concern over climate change. Zapotec Energy has had a front-row seat to this action, with business increasing over the last year. Solar Power World has recognized the company's installation success by ranking Zapotec Energy at No. 322 on the 2021 Top Solar Contractors list. The Top Solar Contractors list is developed each year by Solar Power World to honor the work of solar installers in the United States. Solar firms in the utility, commercial and residential markets are ranked by the number of kilowatts…
Read more

Rising Junior from Worcester Polytechnic Institute feeds her Curiosity about Solar Energy with MassCEC Internship

Posted 07/01/2021 in Company News
Rising Junior from Worcester Polytechnic Institute feeds her Curiosity about Solar Energy with MassCEC Internship image
Maya Ellis is a rising junior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) working towards a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. After obtaining her B.S. Maya is considering pursuing an M.S. in Systems Engineering. Up until now, Maya has not been exposed to the renewable energy industry. Renewable energy and working with solar was one of three areas she was interested in as she began studying at WPI. The others being Embedded Computing & Firmware and Communication & Networks. This summer, Maya is also completing a research project with WPI in Wireless Networks as she carries out her…
Read more

Zapotec Partners with JPNDC to Complete Solar Installation Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted 04/28/2021 in Company News Project Updates
Zapotec Partners with JPNDC to Complete Solar Installation Amid COVID-19 Pandemic image
In March of 2021, Zapotec Energy finalized the installation of a roof-mounted solar array in Jamaica Plain, MA. The fully ballasted array was installed on top of the 47-unit multipurpose building that was constructed by Jamacia Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) as a LEED certifiable development near Heath Square in Jamacia Plain. JPNDC is a non-profit organization that focuses on providing affordable housing to Boston residents that “have been excluded from prosperity by an inequitable economic system.” JPNDC has several affordable housing units available throughout the Jamacia Plain area (JPNDC Website). The 16.8 kW DC system is expected to produce 20,090…
Read more

Zapotec’s Sanae Matsuki Receives PE Certification

Posted 04/20/2021 in Solar News Company News
Zapotec’s Sanae Matsuki Receives PE Certification image
Zapotec's Sanae Matsuki was able to complete her four year-long goal: PE Certification. She will join the ranks of the almost 2,000 other Electrical Professional Engineers ("PE") currently certified in Massachusetts.  A professional engineering license signifies that an engineer meets the required education, experience and professional competence for their field. A licensed engineer must maintain a working knowledge of best practices and regulations and abide by an ethical code of conduct. After almost four years of working at Zapotec, two degrees in engineering at an ABET-accredited (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) University and passing both the Fundamentals of…
Read more

Arc Flash in PV Systems

Posted 03/04/2021 in Solar News
Basics Arc flash events are a serious safety concern for all electrical systems, including PV. Arc flashes occur during an arc fault, when a short circuit is present that results in electrical current passing across an air gap. Arc flashes are the high levels of energy, heat, and light that can be released during an arc fault. Arc flashes can result in serious injury or death in persons near the incident area. The common effects of arc flash on the human body are outlined below. Effects of Arc Flash on the Human Body Burns ranging from first…
Read more

next →