About Ben Zientara
Ben Zientara is a writer, researcher, and solar policy analyst who has written about the residential solar industry, the electric grid, and state utility policy since 2013.
His early work included leading the team that produced the annual State Solar Power Rankings Report for the Solar Power Rocks website from 2015 to 2020. The rankings were utilized and referenced by a diverse mix of policymakers, advocacy groups, and media including The Center for American Progress, The Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the Solar Institute at George Washington University, PolitiFact, and The Guardian.
In 2020, Ben joined SolarReviews and now lends his expertise to the annual Solar Industry Survey, Top Solar Manufacturers list, Top 10 Solar States list, and throughout articles and pages across the site.
Ben holds a B.S. in Scientific & Technical Communication from the University of Minnesota, with special coursework in Environmental Science and a minor in Sustainability Studies. He spends his time away from the solar power world cooking and eating delicious food or spending quality time with his wife, kids, and big brown dog in the mountains, woods, parks, and playgrounds of the Portland, Oregon area.
Articles by Ben Zientara
On April 24, 2024, SunPower announced it would cease performing direct solar installations and lay off 1,000 workers but will continue to operate through partner installers.
Written by Ben Zientara
High electricity costs and smart appliances have made saving money and maximizing solar self-consumption easier than ever. Does net metering still matter?
Written by Ben Zientara
The Lumin Smart Panel provides manual and automatic controls over the power circuits in a home to help save money on electricity and extend the runtime of home batteries
Written by Ben Zientara
Time of Use rates change the price of electricity based on demand during the day. Electricity is cheapest when not many people are using it, late at night.
Written by Ben Zientara
Chinese solar panels seem to be everywhere nowadays. But are they high quality? And more importantly, should you get them for your home? We take a look.
Written by Ben Zientara
Canadian Solar is one of the 5 biggest manufacturers of solar panels in the world. How do they stack up against the competition? Let's find out.
Written by Ben Zientara
