Smartphones may usher in a new era of solar power

Smartphones may usher in a new era of solar power

Smartphone cameras may be doing more for the world than originally thought. Now, in parts of the U.S., they're helping to speed up solar panel approvals by turning long, in-person inspections into fast virtual reviews. That shift could make home solar cheaper and easier to install at a time when many households are looking for relief from rising utility bills and energy inflation.  A growing number of local governments are allowing remote virtua…