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ChatGPT-5 rumors: Release date, features, price, and more

ChatGPT-5 rumors: Release date, features, price, and more

26 March 2025 17 min read

What is ChatGPT? The world’s most popular AI chatbot explained

chatgpt 5 release

Based on the trajectory of previous releases, OpenAI may not release GPT-5 for several months. It may further be delayed due to a general sense of panic that AI tools like ChatGPT have created around the world. General expectations are that the new GPT will be significantly “smarter” than previous models of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer. These developments might lead to launch delays for future updates or even price increases for the Plus tier. We’re only speculating at this time, as we’re in new territory with generative AI. But rumors are already here and they claim that GPT-5 will be so impressive, it’ll make humans question whether ChatGPT has reached AGI.

Based on the demos of ChatGPT-4o, improved voice capabilities are clearly a priority for OpenAI. ChatGPT-4o already has superior natural language processing and natural language reproduction than GPT-3 was capable of. So, it’s a safe bet that voice capabilities will become more nuanced and consistent in ChatGPT-5 (and hopefully this time OpenAI will dodge the Scarlett Johanson controversy that overshadowed GPT-4o’s launch). In a January 2024 interview with Bill Gates, Altman confirmed that development on GPT-5 was underway. He also said that OpenAI would focus on building better reasoning capabilities as well as the ability to process videos.

Microsoft’s Bing AI chat, built upon OpenAI’s GPT and recently updated to GPT-4, already allows users to fetch results from the internet. While that means access to more up-to-date data, you’re bound to receive results from unreliable websites that rank high on search results with illicit SEO techniques. It remains to be seen how these AI models counter that and fetch only reliable results while also being quick.

The only potential exception is users who access ChatGPT with an upcoming feature on Apple devices called Apple Intelligence. This new AI platform will allow Apple users to tap into ChatGPT for no extra cost. However, it’s still unclear how soon Apple Intelligence will get GPT-5 or how limited its free access might be.

OpenAI has also been adamant about maintaining privacy for Apple users through the ChatGPT integration in Apple Intelligence. Before the year is out, OpenAI could also launch GPT-5, the next major update to ChatGPT. In May 2024, OpenAI threw open access to its latest model for free – no monthly subscription necessary.

These people, whose identities Business Insider has confirmed, asked to remain anonymous so they could speak freely. Others such as Google and Meta have released their own GPTs with their own names, all of which are known collectively as large language models. 2023 has witnessed a massive uptick in the buzzword “AI,” with companies flexing their muscles and implementing tools that seek simple text prompts from users and perform something incredible instantly.

What are the advantages of GPT-5 for businesses?

A ChatGPT Plus subscription garners users significantly increased rate limits when working with the newest GPT-4o model as well as access to additional tools like the Dall-E image generator. There’s no word yet on whether GPT-5 will be made available to free users upon its eventual launch. GPT-4 was billed as being much faster and more accurate in its responses than its previous model GPT-3. OpenAI later in 2023 released GPT-4 Turbo, part of an effort to cure an issue sometimes referred to as “laziness” because the model would sometimes refuse to answer prompts. “It’s really good, like materially better,” said one CEO who recently saw a version of GPT-5.

chatgpt 5 release

Users have complained of GPT-4 degradation and worse outputs from ChatGPT, possibly due to degradation of training data that OpenAI may have used for updates and maintenance work. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. OpenAI’s ChatGPT has taken the world by storm, highlighting how AI can help with mundane tasks and, in turn, causing a mad rush among companies to incorporate AI into their products. GPT is the large language model that powers ChatGPT, with GPT-3 powering the ChatGPT that most of us know about. OpenAI has then upgraded ChatGPT with GPT-4, and it seems the company is on track to release GPT-5 too very soon. Please note that the release of the ChatGPT app for Android is still on the way. In the meantime, you can use the web-based version of ChatGPT on your Android device by visiting chat.openai.com in a browser such as Chrome.

While Apple Intelligence will launch with ChatGPT-4o, that’s not a guarantee it will immediately get every update to the algorithm. However, if the ChatGPT integration in Apple Intelligence is popular among users, OpenAI likely won’t wait long to offer ChatGPT-5 to Apple users. An official blog post originally published on May 28 notes, “OpenAI has recently begun training its next frontier model and we anticipate the resulting systems to bring us to the next level of capabilities.”

An official ChatGPT 5 launch date hasn’t been announced by OpenAI yet, but experts predict a launch sometime in 2024 or early 2025. Overall, there’s no definitive answer on whether GPT-5 is undergoing full training. “I think it is our job to live a few years in the future and remember that the tools we have now are going to kind of suck looking backwards at them and that’s how chatgpt 5 release we make sure the future is better,” Altman continued. Now that we’ve had the chips in hand for a while, here’s everything you need to know about Zen 5, Ryzen 9000, and Ryzen AI 300. Zen 5 release date, availability, and price
AMD originally confirmed that the Ryzen 9000 desktop processors will launch on July 31, 2024, two weeks after the launch date of the Ryzen AI 300.

What is GPT-4o?

You can even take screenshots of either the entire screen or just a single window, for upload. But, because the approximation is presented in the form of grammatical text, which ChatGPT excels at creating, it’s usually acceptable. […] It’s also a way to understand the “hallucinations”, or nonsensical answers to factual questions, to which large language models such as ChatGPT are all too prone. These hallucinations are compression artifacts, but […] they are plausible enough that identifying them requires comparing them against the originals, which in this case means either the Web or our knowledge of the world. Like its predecessor, GPT-5 (or whatever it will be called) is expected to be a multimodal large language model (LLM) that can accept text or encoded visual input (called a “prompt”).

Unfortunately, there is also a lot of spam in the GPT store, so be careful which ones you use. However, the “o” in the title stands for “omni”, referring to its multimodal capabilities, which allow the model to understand text, audio, image, and video inputs and output text, audio, and image outputs. AI models can generate advanced, realistic content that can be exploited by bad actors for harm, such as spreading misinformation about public figures and influencing elections. SearchGPT is an experimental offering from OpenAI that functions as an AI-powered search engine that is aware of current events and uses real-time information from the Internet. The experience is a prototype, and OpenAI plans to integrate the best features directly into ChatGPT in the future. Generative AI models of this type are trained on vast amounts of information from the internet, including websites, books, news articles, and more.

In the exams mentioned, GPT-4 scored in the 88th percentile and above, and a full list of exams and the system’s scores can be seen here. By delegating these activities to GPT-5, businesses can free up their employees to focus on strategic and creative tasks, thereby increasing overall productivity. Integrating GPT-5 into operational processes results in cost reductions and accelerated workflows, allowing businesses to respond more quickly to market demands and enhance their operational efficiency.

ZDNET’s recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

Much of the most crucial training data for AI models is technically owned by copyright holders. OpenAI, along with many other tech companies, have argued against updated federal rules for how LLMs access and use such material. OpenAI is poised to release in the coming months the next version of its model for ChatGPT, the generative AI tool that kicked off the current wave of AI projects and investments. If OpenAI’s GPT release timeline tells us anything, it’s that the gap between updates is growing shorter. GPT-1 arrived in June 2018, followed by GPT-2 in February 2019, then GPT-3 in June 2020, and the current free version of ChatGPT (GPT 3.5) in December 2022, with GPT-4 arriving just three months later in March 2023.

Best features of ChatGPT 5

The release of ChatGPT 5 is around the corner, and with it comes the promise of great AI capabilities. This next-generation language model from OpenAI is expected to boast enhanced reasoning, handle complex prompts, and potentially process information beyond text. While the exact ChatGPT 5 release date remains undisclosed, keeping an eye on OpenAI’s announcements is key.

Amidst OpenAI’s myriad achievements, like a video generator called Sora, controversies have swiftly followed. OpenAI has not definitively shared any information about how Sora was trained, which has creatives questioning whether their data was used without credit or compensation. OpenAI is also facing multiple lawsuits related to copyright infringement from news outlets — with one coming from The New York Times, and another coming from The Intercept, Raw Story, and AlterNet. Elon Musk, an early investor in OpenAI also recently filed a lawsuit against the company for its convoluted non-profit, yet kind of for-profit status. AMD Zen 5 is the next-generation Ryzen CPU architecture for Team Red, and its gunning for a spot among the best processors. After a major showing in June, the first Ryzen 9000 and Ryzen AI 300 CPUs are already here.

When configured in a specific way, GPT models can power conversational chatbot applications like ChatGPT. At the time, in mid-2023, OpenAI announced that it had no intentions of training a successor to GPT-4. However, that changed by the end of 2023 following a long-drawn battle between CEO Sam Altman and the board over differences in opinion. Altman reportedly pushed for aggressive language model development, while the board had reservations about AI safety.

OpenAI’s GPT-5, the next-generation language model, is expected to be released sometime in mid-2024, likely during the summer. However, please note that these are based on rumors and speculations, and the actual release date may vary. The new model is anticipated to bring significant improvements over the previous versions. The desktop version offers nearly identical functionality to the web-based iteration. Users can chat directly with the AI, query the system using natural language prompts in either text or voice, search through previous conversations, and upload documents and images for analysis.

Stay informed on the top business tech stories with Tech.co’s weekly highlights reel. The short answer is that we don’t know all the specifics just yet, but we’re expecting it to show up later this year or early next year. For even more detail and context that can help you understand everything there is to know about ChatGPT-5, keep reading. Chat GPT “We are not [training GPT-5] and won’t for some time,” Altman said of the upgrade. There’s no public roadmap for GPT-5 yet, but OpenAI might have an intermediate version ready in September or October, GPT-4.5. Even if GPT-5 doesn’t reach AGI, we expect the upgrade to deliver major upgrades that exceed the capabilities of GPT-4.

On July 18, 2024, OpenAI released GPT-4o mini, a smaller version of GPT-4o replacing GPT-3.5 Turbo on the ChatGPT interface. Its API costs $0.15 per million input tokens and $0.60 per million output tokens, compared to $5 and $15 respectively for GPT-4o. Short for graphics processing unit, a GPU is like a calculator that helps an AI model work out the connections between different types of data, such as associating an image with its corresponding textual description. The report follows speculation that GPT-5’s learning process may have recently begun, based on a recent tweet from an OpenAI official.

Based on the human brain, these AI systems have the ability to generate text as part of a conversation. OpenAI is reportedly gearing up to release a more powerful version of ChatGPT in the coming months. Despite these, GPT-4 exhibits various biases, but OpenAI says it is improving existing systems to reflect common human values and learn from human input and feedback. Until then, however, there are plenty of ways to use the free ChatGPT-4o model, provided you have the right prompts or extra GPT-integrated apps. Just keep an eye out for AI hallucinations — which are yet another AI concern that OpenAI hopes to fix with GPT-5. We know ChatGPT-5 is in development, according to statements from OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman.

Is there a ChatGPT app?

GPT-5 is based on an improved neural network architecture, incorporating advances in the design of attention-based models. This architectural evolution allows GPT-5 to process data more quickly and efficiently, thereby improving the overall performance of the model. This next generation AI model promises to push the boundaries of what technology can achieve even further, opening new avenues for automation, personalization, and applied artificial intelligence. If Elon Musk’s rumors are correct, we might in fact see the announcement of OpenAI GPT-5 a lot sooner than anticipated. If Sam Altman (who has much more hands-on involvement with the AI model) is to be believed, Chat GPT 5 is coming out in 2024 at the earliest. Each wave of GPT updates has seen the boundaries of what artificial intelligence technology can achieve.

In doing so, it also fanned concerns about the technology taking away humans’ jobs — or being a danger to mankind in the long run. Beyond its text-based capabilities, it will likely be able to process and generate images, audio, and potentially even video. This multimodal approach will enable the AI to perform a wider range of tasks and provide more comprehensive, interactive experiences. Additionally, expect significant advancements in language understanding, allowing for more human-like conversations and responses.

OpenAI scraped the internet to train the chatbot without asking content owners for permission to use their content, which brings up many copyright and intellectual property concerns. The rumor mill was further energized last week after a Microsoft executive let slip that the system would launch this week in an interview with the German press. The executive also suggested the system would be multi-modal — that is, able to generate not only text but other mediums. Many AI researchers believe that multi-modal systems that integrate text, audio, and video offer the best path toward building more capable AI systems. This model can quickly synthesize complex information and provide relevant analyses that help decision-makers understand market trends, consumer preferences, and other critical variables. With GPT-5, business decision-makers can make informed decisions based on up-to-date data, thereby increasing their ability to proactively respond to challenges and opportunities.

ChatGPT is a large language model based on transformer architecture and trained on massive amounts of text data. The future of ChatGPT (including ChatGPT 5) is vast, with potential applications in education, customer service, scientific research, and more. OpenAI’s ChatGPT-5 is the next-generation AI model that is currently in active development. While specific details about its capabilities are not yet fully disclosed, it is expected to bring significant improvements over the previous versions. It should be noted that spinoff tools like Bing Chat are being based on the latest models, with Bing Chat secretly launching with GPT-4 before that model was even announced. We could see a similar thing happen with GPT-5 when we eventually get there, but we’ll have to wait and see how things roll out.

Over the weekend, a few engineers playing around with ChatGPT uncovered eight new voices within the AI chatbot that have yet to be made available to the general public. Half of the models are accessible through the API, namely GPT-3-medium, GPT-3-xl, GPT-3-6.7B and GPT-3-175b, which are referred to as ada, babbage, curie and davinci respectively. Neither company disclosed the investment value, but unnamed sources told Bloomberg that it could total $10 billion over multiple years. In return, OpenAI’s exclusive cloud-computing provider is Microsoft Azure, powering all OpenAI workloads across research, products, and API services. GPT-4 is OpenAI’s language model, much more advanced than its predecessor, GPT-3.5.

This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. We have no idea when or if any of these voices will ever see the light of day. As TestingCatalog points out, there isn’t even room for eight more voices in the dropdown menu as it stands. Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3.5 (GPT-3.5) is a sub class of GPT-3 Models created by OpenAI in 2022.

Though few firm details have been released to date, here’s everything that’s been rumored so far. Spokespeople for the company did not respond to an email requesting comment. It’s also unclear if it was affected by the turmoil at OpenAI late last year. Following five days of tumult that was symptomatic of the duelling viewpoints on the future of AI, Mr Altman was back at the helm along with a new board. In November, he made its existence public, telling the Financial Times that OpenAI was working on GPT-5, although he stopped short of revealing its release date. The first of those was during a talk at his former venture capital firm Y Combinator’s alumni reunion last September, according to two people who attended the event.

“It’s really good, like materially better,” according to a CEO who spoke with the publication. The new model reportedly still needs to be red-teamed, which means being adversarially tested for ethical and safety concerns. Claude 3.5 Sonnet’s current lead in the benchmark performance race could soon evaporate. There is no specific timeframe when safety testing needs to be completed, one of the people familiar noted, so that process could delay any release date.

ChatGPT-5 will also likely be better at remembering and understanding context, particularly for users that allow OpenAI to save their conversations so ChatGPT can personalize its responses. For instance, ChatGPT-5 may be better at recalling details or questions a user asked in earlier conversations. This will allow ChatGPT to be more useful by providing answers and resources informed by context, such as remembering that a user likes action movies when they ask for movie recommendations.

The enhancement of contextualization in exchanges is another key advancement of GPT-5. This model is designed to better understand and integrate the context in which interactions occur, thereby providing more relevant and targeted responses. It is clear that the tech community and professionals eagerly awaiting the extended capabilities of GPT-5 will likely not have to wait until https://chat.openai.com/ 2025 to explore its advanced features. Current information suggests that GPT-5 could be launched by the end of 2024 or early 2025. However, the exact date has yet to be confirmed, and further delays are not excluded due to ongoing comprehensive safety testing. OpenAI is committed to addressing the limitations of previous models, such as hallucinations and inconsistencies.

The app supports chat history syncing and voice input (using Whisper, OpenAI’s speech recognition model). Training data also suffers from algorithmic bias, which may be revealed when ChatGPT responds to prompts including descriptors of people. Both OpenAI and several researchers have also tested the chatbot on real-life exams. GPT-4 was shown as having a decent chance of passing the difficult chartered financial analyst (CFA) exam. It scored in the 90th percentile of the bar exam, aced the SAT reading and writing section, and was in the 99th to 100th percentile on the 2020 USA Biology Olympiad semifinal exam. In January, one of the tech firm’s leading researchers hinted that OpenAI was training a much larger GPU than normal.

If you are looking for a platform that can explain complex topics in an easy-to-understand manner, then ChatGPT might be what you want. If you want the best of both worlds, plenty of AI search engines combine both. The “Chat” part of the name is simply a callout to its chatting capabilities.

Our ChatGPT Level 1 Training is ideal for those who are beginners and want to discover the basics of this revolutionary technology. For those who already have basic knowledge and wish to deepen their expertise, to be able to use it effectively on a daily basis, our ChatGPT Level 2 Training offers a more advanced course. GPT-5 excels in the rapid production of marketing, advertising, and educational content tailored to the specific needs and target audience of each business. This capability to create personalized and high-quality content not only improves user engagement but also optimizes digital marketing campaigns and search engine optimization. Businesses can thus disseminate messages perfectly aligned with their brand and business strategy while effectively captivating their target audience.

Lambdalabs estimated a hypothetical cost of around $4.6 million US dollars and 355 years to train GPT-3 on a single GPU in 2020,[16] with lower actual training time by using more GPUs in parallel. The construct of “learning styles” is problematic because it fails to account for the processes through which learning styles are shaped. Some students might develop a particular learning style because they have had particular experiences. Others might develop a particular learning style by trying to accommodate to a learning environment that was not well suited to their learning needs. Ultimately, we need to understand the interactions among learning styles and environmental and personal factors, and how these shape how we learn and the kinds of learning we experience. In short, the answer is no, not because people haven’t tried, but because none do it efficiently.

OpenAI demonstrated the new model with use cases and data unique to his company, the CEO said. He said the company also alluded to other as-yet-unreleased capabilities of the model, including the ability to call AI agents being developed by OpenAI to perform tasks autonomously. In addition to web search, GPT-4 also can use images as inputs for better context.

According to some reports, GPT-5 should complete its training by December 2023. OpenAI might release the ChatGPT upgrade as soon as it’s available, just like it did with the GPT-4 update. I have been told that gpt5 is scheduled to complete training this december and that openai expects it to achieve agi.which means we will all hotly debate as to whether it actually achieves agi.which means it will.

What is ChatGPT used for?

OpenAI is actively working on GPT-5, the next technological leap in artificial intelligence. Initially announced for mid-2024, the model is still undergoing intensive testing, which could delay its release to the end of 2024 or even until 2025. Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, said that ChatGPT-5 represents a significant leap forward for AI.

Mr Altman said that GPT-5 and its successor, GPT-6, “were in the bag” and were superior to their predecessors. Eliminating incorrect responses from GPT-5 will be key to its wider adoption in the future, especially in critical fields like medicine and education. Since then, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has claimed — at least twice — that OpenAI is not working on GPT-5. One slightly under-reported element related to the upcoming release of ChatGPT-5 is the fact that copmany CEO Sam Altman has a history of allegations that he lies about a lot of things.

chatgpt 5 release

This is a great alternative if you don’t want to pay for ChatGPT Plus but want high-quality image outputs. If your application has any written supplements, you can use ChatGPT to help you write those essays or personal statements. You can also use ChatGPT to prep for your interviews by asking ChatGPT to provide you mock interview questions, background on the company, or questions that you can ask.

GPT-4 is currently only capable of processing requests with up to 8,192 tokens, which loosely translates to 6,144 words. OpenAI briefly allowed initial testers to run commands with up to 32,768 tokens (roughly 25,000 words or 50 pages of context), and this will be made widely available in the upcoming releases. GPT-4’s current length of queries is twice what is supported on the free version of GPT-3.5, and we can expect support for much bigger inputs with GPT-5.

This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. If you’d like to find out some more about OpenAI’s current GPT-4, then check out our comprehensive “ChatGPT vs Google Bard” comparison guide, where we compare each Chatbot’s impressive features and parameters. OpenAI is set to release its latest ChatGPT-5 this year, expected to arrive in the next couple of months according to the latest sources. Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.

This could lead to more effective communication tools, personalized learning experiences, and even AI companions that feel genuinely connected to their users. The goal is to create an AI that can think critically, solve problems, and provide insights in a way that closely mimics human cognition. This advancement could have far-reaching implications for fields such as research, education, and business. GPT-4, OpenAI’s current flagship AI model, is now a mature foundation model. With GPT-4V and GPT-4 Turbo released in Q4 2023, the firm ended last year on a strong note.

When is ChatGPT-5 Release Date, & The New Features to Expect – Tech.co

When is ChatGPT-5 Release Date, & The New Features to Expect.

Posted: Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

According to the report, OpenAI is still training GPT-5, and after that is complete, the model will undergo internal safety testing and further “red teaming” to identify and address any issues before its public release. The release date could be delayed depending on the duration of the safety testing process. We’d expect the same rules to apply to access the latest version of ChatGPT once GPT-5 rolls out. The new generative AI engine should be free for users of Bing Chat and certain other apps.

  • Significant people involved in the petition include Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, Andrew Yang, and many more.
  • The company does not yet have a set release date for the new model, meaning current internal expectations for its release could change.
  • Plus, users also have priority access to GPT-4o, even at capacity, while free users get booted down to GPT-4o mini.
  • With a subscription to ChatGPT Plus, you can access GPT-4, GPT-4o mini or GPT-4o.

Further, OpenAI is also said to have alluded to other as-yet-unreleased capabilities of the model, including the ability to call AI agents being developed by OpenAI to perform tasks autonomously. According to a report from Business Insider, OpenAI is on track to release GPT-5 sometime in the middle of this year, likely during summer. ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, a research and development company focused on friendly artificial intelligence.

If a user asks a question the system can’t process locally, it connects to a cloud server, where Cerence Chat Pro processes it and delivers a result. The integration will debut on September 6 in the 2025 Jetta and Jetta GLI and the 2024 ID.4 with the 82-kWh battery pack. Most 2025 Volkswagens will eventually get the feature, including the Taos, Golf GTI and Golf R, ID. Owners will have to sign up for a Plus Speech with AI subscription to gain access to the features, but the automaker is offering a three-year free trial for the two ID models and a one-year trial for some others. With the latest update, all users, including those on the free plan, can access the GPT Store and find 3 million customized ChatGPT chatbots.

With GPT-5, as computational requirements and the proficiency of the chatbot increase, we may also see an increase in pricing. For now, you may instead use Microsoft’s Bing AI Chat, which is also based on GPT-4 and is free to use. However, you will be bound to Microsoft’s Edge browser, where the AI chatbot will follow you everywhere in your journey on the web as a “co-pilot.” GPT-4 sparked multiple debates around the ethical use of AI and how it may be detrimental to humanity.

Cost of Solar Panels in Maryland

Cost of Solar Panels in Maryland

30 June 2023 5 min read

Maryland may be popular for its blue crabs and quaint beach towns, but there is one more thing that sets the Old Line State apart – its adoption of solar power. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Maryland claims the 18th rank in the national solar ranking. For a state that ranks 41st in terms of economic outlook, this is certainly impressive.

Thanks to enormous savings and an attractive bunch of solar incentives, an increasing number of Maryland homeowners are turning toward solar power. As a leading solar power company in Maryland, one of the most common questions we get is this – “What is the cost of going solar in Maryland?”

The short answer to that question is (somewhat disappointingly), “It depends.” But we know that you would like a better answer, which is why we decided to write this article and give you the best answer possible. 

The cost of a solar power system will depend on factors such as the size of the system, its complexity, location, type of equipment, and more. We do not quote a general price based on information such as “it is a three-bedroom house”, or “it is a small family”. The size, type, and required components of a solar power system depend greatly on many other factors.

Our design team meticulously analyzes a home’s energy consumption as well as its roof size, inclination, and orientation, before preparing a technical and commercial quote. Each system is different from the other, and that is why the cost of each system will be as unique as the system itself.

But wait, what if we told you that there is another aspect of a solar power system that is more important than the cost? Just as with any other purchase, the cost of solar panels is never the ultimate indicator of their worth. This is why, in the next section, we are going to talk about the “value” of a solar power system in Maryland.

Are Solar Panels Worth It in Maryland?

Any purchase is worth it only if its value matches or exceeds its price. Fortunately, the value of a solar panel system far exceeds its initial expense. Let us take an example. The typical, 5 kW system that we mentioned previously will generate an average of 20 kWh of energy every day. Over the lifespan of the system, which is a striking 25 or more years, the system will generate over 150,000 kWh.

In Maryland, the average cost of a kWh of energy is 15.76/kWh. Considering the previously calculated 150,000 kWh, solar panels can save about $24,000 in just 25 years. This is significantly higher than the purchase cost of a system. Hardly any other technology offers such an excellent return on investment.

But wait, that’s not all. The benefits of solar panels go beyond just financial returns. Here are a few other undebatable advantages of going solar:

  • Protection against rising power costs:

    Owing to infrastructure upgrades and fluctuating fuel prices, the cost of grid power in the U.S. is always on the rise, and Maryland is no exception. For instance, some customers saw an enormous hike of over 30% in their power costs within just a year. By offsetting most of your grid energy consumption, solar power also protects you from the brunt of rising power costs.

  • Environmental impact:

    Worldwide, the threat of climate change keeps getting larger and more menacing. Despite government policies and other measures, the climate monster can only be controlled if change occurs at an individual level. Going solar offsets enormous amounts of grid energy over its lifespan, thereby preventing thousands of pounds of harmful carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.

  • Security against power outages:

    According to the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, “power outages are common throughout Maryland”, caused by hurricanes, summer storms, high winds, winter storms, falling trees, traffic accidents, etc. Outages can be debilitating, and in some cases, dangerous. However, a solar + battery system is capable of running your essential appliances even through multi-day blackouts, offering much-needed resilience.

  • Increased home value:

    Here’s an often overlooked benefit of solar power – multiple studies have shown that homes with solar sell for a significantly higher price than homes without solar. A study by Zillow showed the average increase in price to be an incredible 4.1%. Considering Maryland’s average home price of $399,914, a 4.1% bump in price would mean an additional $16,396 in your pocket!

The Past, Present, and Future of Maryland’s Solar Power Costs 

The first solar photovoltaic cell was built in 1954, in neighboring New Jersey. Needless to say, even the tiniest power-generating panel around that time would cost a fortune. The prices of solar panels stayed ridiculously high for most of the 20th century, but plummeted in the last couple of decades. Here’s a graph that shows the tremendous drop in the price of solar power.

Drop in solar power pricing

From $100/W to less than $0.5/W, this is a massive, 99.6% decrease in costs. And this is exactly the reason why solar power has become the most wanted power source in recent years. In fact, the IEA predicts that solar will surpass coal by 2025.

A 99.6% drop in costs sounds truly astonishing, but what does this mean for the future of solar panels? Will the prices keep dropping further at the same speed? While the cost of solar may drop further in the future, it is unlikely that we will see any massive dip. In the past, the cost of solar decreased mainly because of large-scale manufacturing, coupled with technological advancements.

However, solar has already reached a big enough scale of manufacturing worldwide, and any more addition to manufacturing capacities won’t affect the pricing significantly. On the other hand, what makes the present the best time to go solar is the availability of solar incentives and rebates. 

Solar incentives are offered to promote the technology. As solar becomes more common, regulatory authorities will withdraw most incentives, resulting in higher net pricing.

Summing It Up

When it comes to solar power, answering the “cost” question isn’t always easy. But you could say that in the wonderful, solar-friendly state of Maryland, most systems will offer you savings that will far exceed your initial expense on solar panels. Moreover, the federal tax incentive and other available rebates lower the net cost of your system even further. These numbers are applicable to most locations – whether you live in urban areas like Baltimore, or in the countryside.

As for the next two- or five-year price prediction, most of the decrease in the cost of solar has already occurred, and we won’t see any serious price drops in the near future. This means that the best time to go solar is now; as the wise like to say – “There is no time like the present.”

What is climate change, and what can we do about it

What is climate change, and what can we do about it

21 November 2022 3 min read
  • Climate change has cost the U.S. more than $350 billion in the last decade.
  • Emissions of fluorinated gasses like hydrofluorocarbons released due to commercial, industrial, and household usage increased by 90 percent between 1990 and 2020, leading to drastic effects like increased pollution and global warming.
  • The U.S. experienced 20 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events in 2021

These alarming facts highlight the devastating physical and socioeconomic impacts of climate change.

What is climate change?

Long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns are referred to as climate change. Though these changes can be natural, since the 19th century, human activities have been the primary cause of climate change.

Most human activities like transportation, heating, manufacturing, agriculture and clearing land lead to emission of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane. These gasses wrap around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat leading to rising temperatures. Rising temperature leads to many adverse consequences –

Rising sea levels

The oceans absorb 90% of excess heat from the greenhouse effect. This causes a rise in water levels that can be threatening to islands. It also poses extreme risks for marine life and marine ecosystems.

Threat to life on Earth

Increasing temperatures lead to more natural disasters like heat waves, hurricanes and wildfires, threatening all life forms. It leads to changing landscapes like desertification, glacier retreat (loss of ice cover) etc. This can cause food and water scarcity, more diseases and economic loss.

Declining biodiversity

Forests are home to wildlife. They also protect the planet by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), a significant source of pollution that causes climate change. With rising levels of greenhouse gasses and clearing of forest land for human activities, animals and plant species lose their natural habitat. Forests also purify air and soil. Therefore, a loss of forest cover leads to ecological changes like soil erosion, desertification of land, increased heat, etc.

How can we combat climate change

It is reassuring to know that we Americans are trying to protect our planet, our home. For example, 69% of U.S. adults prioritize developing alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, over expanding the production of oil, coal and natural gas.

There are so many steps that people like you and me can do to take action on climate change –

Cut back on driving

Transportation accounts for 26 percent of emissions since 1990 in the USA. If possible, instead of getting into the car, walk or cycle. You will reduce your carbon emissions and also enjoy physical and mental benefits of the exercise. You will save money too.

If driving is unavoidable, either share car rides or trade in your gasoline fuelled car for an electric car or a hybrid vehicle so that you choose a more green lifestyle. Else you can take public transport if applicable.

Reduce your energy use

We can all make changes to our lifestyles to reduce energy usage. For example, buying energy-efficient appliances, switching off lights when not required and wearing extra layers of clothes during winter will lead to lesser energy usage. It will also translate to lower energy bills too.

Switch to cleaner energy

You will reduce dependence on traditional energy sources and decrease your carbon footprint. You can generate your own electricity, so you do not have to pay utility bills. If it doesn’t generate enough power for all your needs, you still reduce your use of traditional energy sources. And you can sell surplus power to the utility and get credits in your account. You will also be eligible for tax credits for yourself and your business. It is a win-win situation for you and planet Earth. You can switch to solar with GreenBrilliance. We offer end-to-end ‘Made in USA’ solar systems ensuring true turnkey delivery for homes, offices and government organizations.

As a human race, we can come together to slow down the effects of climate change with individual and collective action. So let us join hands for a cleaner, brighter future.

Solar batteries versus generators

Solar batteries versus generators

10 November 2022 2 min read

Generators and solar battery systems both provide backup power in the event of an outage. Generators can connect to your home’s electrical panel. They can either start automatically when the power goes out or be installed to be turned on manually. They run on fuel to keep your electricity on during an outage. On the other hand, when the grid goes down, a solar-powered battery backup system will draw stored energy from the batteries to power your home. Let us look at the differences between them and their advantages and disadvantages –

Generators Solar batteries
They generate electricity by burning fossil fuels like natural gas, diesel or propane. Solar battery systems store excess energy generated by a power source like solar panels and save it for later use.
Backup generators are of two types. Some turn on automatically when an outage is detected, and others can be manually turned on as required. When there is a power outage, the solar system will disconnect from the grid, and the solar batteries will start powering your home without interruption.
Usually, a 15-20 KW generator costs between $4,000 and $6,000.
But they have recurring costs like maintenance, refueling, etc. In the short run, generators are more affordable as their upfront costs are low.		 The current market price for most solar batteries ranges from $8,500 to $10,000 excluding installation costs.
Installing a solar solution with solar storage has higher upfront costs. But they need not be powered with fossil fuels. Maintenance costs are meager to zero.
Generators generate sound and exhaust while in operation, thus causing air and sound pollution. Solar batteries neither produce noise nor any polluting substances while in operation.
Generators do not qualify for tax credits. A solar system with batteries qualifies for state-level tax incentives and federal tax benefits.
Generators increase your carbon footprint. They run on fossil fuels and cause air pollution. You can further decrease your carbon footprint when you pair solar batteries with solar as your usage of renewable energy rises.
Generators are easy to connect to existing natural gas lines and get them up and running. Installing a solar system with solar batteries is highly technical and comprehensive. Therefore, it will help to go with an expert solution provider like GreenBrilliance so that you are assured of a high-quality solution and peace of mind.

If you are looking to

  • Power your home 24×7
  • Reduce electricity bills in the long run
  • Gain energy independence by reducing dependence on utility grids and fossil fuels
  • Switch to clean energy

It will be a bright idea to go for a solar battery with GreenBrilliance.

We offer high quality solar batteries or a comprehensive solar solution along with a backup system that will take care of all your energy needs. So, Book a meeting with us today.

Let us bust some myths about Electric Vehicles

Let us bust some myths about Electric Vehicles

21 October 2022 3 min read

The pursuit of sustainable living is driving innovation all over the globe. As a result, there are emerging technologies that are shaping newer ways of living. Perhaps the sector to undergo the most significant transformation is mobility. The vehicles of the world are going electric as countries endeavor to reduce their dependence on conventional vehicular fuels – petrol, diesel and gas.

But new technologies are often welcomed with much suspicion and skepticism, especially when they demand considerable investment. People want to be sure that the technology will indeed be a rewarding overall experience. It is also a time when one finds many myths doing the rounds. So has been the case with electric vehicles(EVs). The following are four of the most common myths around electric cars that need to be clarified to enable people to make an eco-friendly choice.

Myth #1: Electric vehicles are unsafe.

Fact: The advocates of this myth single out incidents to paint an imbalanced picture. Experts agree that EVs are as safe, if not more safer than conventional vehicles. They must adhere to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in the USA. When the car is in an adverse situation such as a collision or short circuit, emergency safety mechanisms turn off the electrical system. Most brands have crash-proof means, and their batteries are well-protected.

Myth #2: Electric vehicles don’t offer range for daily needs.

Fact: The EV range or the distance a car can travel on a single charge depends on various factors such as weather, vehicle handling, maintenance, age of battery and driving conditions. In the US, almost all electric cars deliver more than 100 to 200 miles on a single charge. The daily average commuting distance is around 50 miles. Technology evolution is also helping automakers increase the range of their vehicles. So EVs do not have any limitations for typical daily usage.

Myth #3: EVs have a higher carbon footprint than gasoline vehicles.

Fact: The proponents of myth argue that by adopting electric vehicles, the world is shifting the source of carbon emissions from the tailpipe of vehicles to the chimneys of power plants. While it is true that in the absence of greener alternatives for producing electricity, charging electric vehicles would increase electricity consumption, leading to a significant increase in emissions from power plants. However, power plants around the world are becoming cleaner. In addition, renewable power generation is becoming more robust with the passing of the day. Moreover, research shows that over a period of time electric vehicles account for lower greenhouse gasses emissions than conventional fossil fuel vehicles when you consider their manufacturing and usage.

Myth #4: Charging electric vehicles is a major issue.

Fact: Yes, EV charging takes more time than fueling your vehicle and charging stations are less ubiquitous than we would like them to be. But any charging point can help charge the EV battery – be it the toaster or the dryer charging point. You can also install an EV charging station in your house. Level 1 chargers are suitable for average daily usage of fewer than 50 miles a day. If the daily usage is higher than that, Level 2 chargers might be better. If charging your EV is a concern, GreenBrilliance has a solution. We can make EV Charging at your home greener, faster and cost-effective. Our portfolio of superfast EV charging stations which we can power with our solar solution, offer various options suited to your needs and make you a Sustainability Champion.

We can help you adopt a more green lifestyle so that you can support our country build a more sustainable future. Contact GreenBrilliance @ 703-657-0090 or gosolar@greenbrilliance.com to find out more.

Does residential solar storage make sense?

Does residential solar storage make sense?

14 October 2022 2 min read

Did you know that we can store solar energy and use it when the sun is not shining? Solar panels use sunlight and transform it into electricity. Whereas solar battery storage allows homeowners to store solar energy –

What is solar+storage?

Residential solar energy systems that are paired with battery storage are called solar-plus-storage systems. Solar batteries store the excess power produced by solar panels. The excess energy can be used as and when you need it irrespective of weather, time of the day and regularity of electricity supply from the grid.

Why should I get solar storage?

Solar storage provides many benefits that directly translate to savings. Let us see how –

Flexibility of time of usage

When you have solar storage, you can decide if you want to use power from your panels, the utility grid, or the battery. For example, when there is a blackout, you can make use of solar power stored. In the early evenings, the price of electricity from the grid is higher. You can choose when to use energy from the storage system, thus saving some money.

Net Metering

If you have solar panels that are connected to the utility grid, you can send the excess power that your solar panels have generated to the grid. It will help you earn credits that can be offset against your electricity bills. Here again, you will be putting money in your wallet.

Better usage of power

With the net meter and power generation, you will be more aware of the amount of power generated and used. You can track the energy usage that can help you take steps such as adjusting your activities to reduce usage at peak usage times. This will help decrease your electricity bills. Also, you can always keep some energy capacity in reserve so that fluctuations in the electricity supply do not affect you and your family.

How long can energy be stored in solar storage systems?

Solar energy can typically be stored for about 4-5 days.

How long-lasting are solar batteries?

The most popular solar batteries are Tesla PowerWall and LG Chem. Tesla Powerwall has a limited warranty of zero defects and an unlimited cycle warranty for 10 years1. LG Chem has a battery warranty of 10 years with a throughput clause that changes depending on the model2. The life of batteries depends on numerous factors like battery usage, battery maintenance, and installation. GreenBrilliance provides hi-tech ‘Made in USA’ batteries for long-lasting use.

What is the price of installing solar batteries?

As per the energy department3, a solar+storage system can cost between $25,000 -$35,000. It, of course, depends on various factors like usage, size of the house, etc. If you have solar panels installed, you can install storage separately. It can cost anywhere from $12,000 to $22,000. But solar makes financial sense as you will be eligible for federal tax credits and may also get additional solar battery incentives depending on the state you live in.

GreenBrilliance also offers a wide range of financing options making the switch to solar easier.

Solar+storage systems make a lot of sense as you can reduce your electricity costs and also gain energy independence. We at GreenBrilliance can help you go solar with our high-quality and cost-effective hybrid solar panel systems and backup power solutions that will ensure your peace of mind.

Sources
1https://news.energysage.com/tesla-powerwall-warranty/
2https://news.energysage.com/lg-chem-battery-warranty/
3https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/should-i-get-battery-storage-my-solar-energy-system

Why does it make sense to go solar in Pennsylvania?

Why does it make sense to go solar in Pennsylvania?

27 September 2022 2 min read

Pennsylvania may not be among the top states in the United States of America in solar yet but it has a lot of potential to utilize solar. Solar prices have fallen about 53% over the last ten years. The average solar payback period, i.e. the average duration it takes for property owners who install solar panels to recover their initial investment through electricity savings, is 10.40 years. Pennsylvania also offers a lot of incentives to invest in solar. And, the new Inflation Reduction Act makes it even more attractive. Let us find out how –

Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)

With the new Inflation Reduction Act, there have been changes to the investment tax credit (ITC), also known as the federal solar tax credit. A homeowner or business in Pennsylvania will get a deduction of 30 percent of the cost of installing a solar energy system from their federal taxes. The 30 per cent tax credit will be available until 2033. Post that, it will drop to 26 per cent, subject to other rulings. Do remember that this is applicable when you own a solar system. You won’t receive this benefit if you have signed a solar lease or PPA.

Net Metering

Net metering is the policy that allows people with solar to get a credit on their electric bill for the energy they produce from their system. Solar energy owners can generate power and store it in batteries. Then, they can use it later when needed or sell the excess energy back to the grid. At the end of the 12-month billing cycle, the utility company will compensate net-metered generators for the extra credit at the retail price of electricity minus the distribution component.

Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs)

Solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) are tradable certificates earned by home solar owners for every megawatt-hour of solar energy they produce. They are similar to carbon credits.

One SREC is generated for every megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity your solar energy system produces. The owners of solar panel systems – from individual homeowners to large-scale solar developers can sell SRECs to utilities through the state’s SREC market. As of September 2022, the price is around $40.

An SREC has a useful life of three years. So, for example, if you generated SRECs in 2021, they will be valid towards the 2021, 2022, or 2023 compliance periods.

Go with GreenBrilliance

It makes sense to go solar in Pennsylvania. GreenBrilliance operates in your state and can deliver high performance, quality solutions at the best prices. Contact us @ 703-657-0090 or gosolar@greenbrilliance.com to begin your solar journey. Soon, you will start saving money and contributing to a greener, cleaner planet.

Building a positive work culture in GreenBrilliance

Building a positive work culture in GreenBrilliance

12 September 2022 2 min read

“A company’s culture is the foundation for future innovation.” – Brian Chesky, Founder Airbnb.

Workplace culture is a sum of the values, beliefs and attitudes that define the organization and are inherent in its processes.

At GreenBrilliance, we aim to constantly develop and nurture a positive work culture to engage and motivate employees to do their best for our customers. We undertake initiatives to promote work-life balance, well-being, social connections, learning etc. to build a vibrant work culture that embodies transparency, trust and positivity –

Modern workspace

GreenBrilliance’s new office is an awesome place to work, collaborate, communicate and relax. With flexible working spaces, modern conference rooms, a gymnasium with cutting-edge equipment and an excellent cafeteria, the new office is a happy, supportive workplace that energizes people to give their best at work each day.

Learning and Development

Employees look for growth opportunities, and companies aim to build a competitive edge. A comprehensive learning and development program can help achieve these objectives. We regularly invest in training and development programs as they help in boosting the performance of our employees and move the organization forward.

We have conducted training sessions such as ‘Solar Sales and Customer Psychology’ – a training session on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) for the sales team and arranged for an in-depth training session by SolarEdge for our employees on solar technology,

Team Building

We believe that team building is an important investment we can make for our people. It improves communication, builds trust and increases collaboration. This can lead to a stronger company culture and boost performance. It is also good to let our hair down once a while. The GreenBrilliance team and their family members regularly go on our team picnics to have a wonderful time bonding over food, games and conversations.

The team at GreenBrilliance adds value to customers’ lives and contributes to a greener planet, and we ensure that we support them at every level. Check out our Careers page if GreenBrilliance sounds like an organization you want to work and grow with.

Inflation Reduction Act – What does it mean for solar consumers and producers

Inflation Reduction Act – What does it mean for solar consumers and producers

22 August 2022 2 min read

By signing the Inflation Reduction Act into law, President Biden takes a giant step towards setting our country on the path to reducing greenhouse gasses by 50%-52% below 2005 levels by 2030.

While the law has measures for health and taxes apart from energy, let us see how the Inflation Reduction Act will be useful to solar consumers and producers.

For Consumers

  • Homeowners and commercial organizations who adopt a solar system will be eligible for a tax credit of 30% of the cost of installed equipment for solar solutions till 2032. It will reduce to 26% in 2033 and 22% in 2034. The credit will be retroactively applied to anyone who installed their system in 2022. It is a welcome change, as, under the earlier provision, residents could claim up to 26% for installations in 2022 and up to 22% in 2023. Beyond that, there were no incentives.
  • Solar power projects eligible for the full 30% tax credit can increase their tax credit by an additional 10% – to 40% in total – by purchasing domestically produced hardware.
  • The law proposes a $4,000 consumer tax credit for lower/middle income individuals to buy used clean vehicles and up to $7,500 tax credit to purchase new clean vehicles.
  • The demand for batteries is on the rise. The new law ensures that energy storage projects are also eligible for tax credits. Even if they are stand-alone facilities, they will receive a 30% tax credit. Batteries connected to a solar power project will continue to qualify for the credit, even if they are not charged by solar power. Moreover, customers with an existing solar solution can retrofit a battery to it and take advantage of the credit.

For producers and manufacturers

  • Manufacturers of solar components are also eligible for Production Tax Credits (PTCs). Companies manufacturing thin film photovoltaic cells, crystalline photovoltaic cells, photovoltaic wafers, solar grade polysilicon, polymeric backsheet, and solar modules will get tax credits. These will be higher if they meet specific wage and apprenticeship requirements.
  • Solar power projects will receive 0.3 cents/kWh as PTC for 10 years. This will be adjusted for inflation. If the projects meet certain wage and apprenticeship requirements, it will receive a tax credit of 2.5 cents/kWh for the first ten years. Moreover, there are additional tax credits for solar providers that sell solar to low-income individuals via community solar projects.
  • The law proposes to provide investment tax credits to build facilities that make electric vehicles and retool existing auto manufacturing facilities to manufacture electric vehicles. This could be advantageous to the solar energy providers. With the ease of availability of electric vehicles, support for solar installations and incentives to buy electric vehicles, consumers have the opportunity to go green with electric cars that can be powered by solar energy.

Be part of the clean energy transition

The law, when implemented, will kick start the era of affordable clean energy in America. It will be a game changer for solar consumers and solar providers. We @ GreenBrilliance will make the most of the provisions while implementing solar systems, so our customers get the maximum benefits. Contact GreenBrilliance @ 703-657-0090 or gosolar@greenbrilliance.com to begin your solar journey and be part of this catalytic change.

I have installed solar panels. What comes next?

I have installed solar panels. What comes next?

10 August 2022 2 min read

Congratulations! You have installed a solar system. What’s next, you may ask. Here are some things to do once your solar PV system is installed –

Solar System Inspection

There will be an inspection process to ensure that the property’s electrical system can handle the generation of solar energy. In addition, there will be a structural inspection to see if the roofing can bear the weight of the solar panels, raking equipment etc. Once the utility company is satisfied with the system it will give permission for the system to be activated and be connected to the grid.

Check if meter installed can take care of net metering

The electric utility company is supposed to credit solar panel owners for excess electricity The electric utility company is supposed to credit solar panel owners for excess electricity generated through “net metering.” Therefore, ensure that your meter can track energy flowing into the grid and from the grid to your home electricity. This is important as when you are connected to the grid, electricity generated by the solar panels will be consumed first. Then if required, electricity provided by the utility company will be used.

Shift Load

Now that you can generate your own electricity, you can choose how to utilize it best. For example, it might be a good idea to turn on the dishwasher in the morning when it can be powered by solar energy. Charge devices or use energy-intensive equipment when the sun is shining to use electricity generated from your solar panels, which would mean lower electricity costs.

Maintain your solar panels

While solar panels are low-maintenance, keeping them clear of dust, dirt, and debris is essential. These can block sunlight which means the panels will generate lesser energy over time. You should also service the solar panels to ensure that the electrical wiring is not damaged or deteriorated. And, fittings, switches, fuse boxes, breakers and cables are in proper working order. GreenBrilliance provides service and maintenance offerings to keep your solar system in mint condition.

Monitor your solar system

Once you’ve installed solar, check your electricity bill to find details of your solar energy consumption. Keep an eye on monthly outgo and electricity consumption. Most installations work with apps like Enphase or SolarEdge that can help monitor the energy production of your solar. If usage is the same, the monthly outgo should typically be lower. If you have a battery system, you can store the energy generated. Use or sell it to the grid, making electricity consumption more efficient.

Go with GreenBrilliance

GreenBrilliance can deliver high performance, quality solutions at the best prices. Contact us @ 703-657-0090 or gosolar@greenbrilliance.com to begin your solar journey, and you will soon reap the benefits of solar energy and also play your part in fighting climate change.