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
The FranklinWH aPower battery system is a new whole-home solar backup battery system that could be the most complete solution on the market.
Written by Ben Zientara
Are Fortress Power batteries any good? Our experts reviewed the quality and functionality of the Fortress Power eFlex, LFP 10-Max, eVault, and Avalon ESS.
Written by Ben Zientara
The Anker SOLIX X1 is a new modular home battery with 6 kW of power output and up to 30 kWh in a single installation. Is it any good?
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
The Lumin Smart Panel provides manual and automatic controls over the power circuits in a home to help save money on electricity.
Written by Ben Zientara
The best solar panels for homes in 2025 combine efficiency and quality with great warranty coverage from companies like Canadian Solar, JA Solar, and Qcells.
Written by Ben Zientara
