GOING SOLAR PROGRAM

Thanks To The New American Vision Solar™ Power Purchase Agreement

Solar panels create a ‘green’, pollution-free source for heat, light and electricity. The technology has been around for a while, in fact, because satellites utilize solar panels, we already rely on solar power for many of the gadgets we use everyday from cell phones to GPS systems to satellite TV. Large corporations are now relying on solar to power their plants and factories while major league ballparks use it to power LED scoreboards. So what has been keeping the average homeowner from installing solar panels on their home? Hands down, the answer is the upfront cost to install the solar panels.

Thanks to leaps in technology over the years, solar panels are more within your financial reach than you may think. The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) from American Vision Solar™ is a brilliant, cost-effective program that helps homeowners take advantage of solar panels with little to no upfront costs. By signing an American Vision Solar PPA, qualifying homeowners will get professional installation of the highest quality solar panels on their home, and immediately reap all of the amazing benefits solar has to offer.

“A lower carbon footprint, significant monthly cost savings and added home value are just a few significant reasons why homeowners are taking the plunge to go green with solar,” says Bill Herren, President and CEO for American Vision Solar. “And the new PPA from American Vision Solar now makes it possible for virtually every homeowner to benefit from solar panels, with little to no money down as well as no hassle with ongoing maintenance.”

How does it work? American Vision Solar works with Solar PPA Companies who literally purchase the solar panels for you, and in turn act as your ‘local energy company’ –
collecting your monthly utility bill (PPA Payment), as well as any applicable state/local incentives. There’s no initial investment by simply letting someone else pay for the system, handle all the paperwork involved, plus the PPA Company will pro-actively monitor the system and be responsible for any repairs and maintenance over the 20 year term. Production guarantee, inverter replacement and full-system insurance are also included. And the biggest benefit of all, your PPA payment is guaranteed to be LESS than your local Southern California Edison (SCE) bill without solar. Over a period of 20 years, the solar panels will provide a huge rate of return on investment!

Husband and wife team Bill and Kathleen Herren began providing homeowners with
energy-efficient solutions with their window sales and installation company, American Vision Windows™. Now, more than ten years and 30,000 satisfied customers later, the company has expanded its unmatched service to its other brands that will help revolutionize the home improvement industry: American Vision Solar and American Vision Garages™.

To learn more about American Vision Solar, and to find a showroom near you, visit the company online at http://www.americanvisionsolar.com • Call toll free: (888) 635-2579.

New Energy Generates Electricity on Flexible Plastic Using Novel See-Through SolarWindow(TM) Coatings

Columbia, MD – August 3, 2011 – New Energy Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: NENE) today announced that researchers developing its SolarWindow(TM) technology, capable of generating electricity on see-through glass, have now successfully generated electricity on flexible plastic using the Company’s ‘spray-on’ coating methods – an important technical achievement necessary for the development of electricity-generating window films.

“Today’s breakthrough supports a brand new commercial application for our core SolarWindow(TM) technology and is the direct result of numerous patent-pending methods, materials, and processes we have worked hard to invent and develop,” explained Mr. John A. Conklin, President and CEO of New Energy Technologies, Inc.

“These important technology breakthroughs have already resulted in a successful public demonstration last year of our SolarWindow(TM) application on glass, able to generate electricity while remaining see-through. Since then, New Energy’s product development group has worked aggressively to advance our SolarWindow(TM) application for glass windows towards commercial manufacturability. Concurrently, our research scientists have been working to create new and exciting SolarWindow(TM) products which reach beyond glass. The result is today’s announcement regarding our ability to generate electricity on flexible plastics.”

Scientists anticipate that commercially developed electricity-generating flexible plastic could be deployed as tinted window film, which remains see-through while generating electrical power. Traditionally, the prospect of creating see-through flexible plastic which generates electricity has been limited by numerous technical challenges, including the need for cumbersome temperature-specific, pressure sensitive, and expensive process methods for applying coatings to plastic surfaces.

New Energy researchers achieved today’s breakthrough by spraying the Company’s electricity-generating coatings onto flexible, lightweight lab-scale plastic (polyethylene terephthalate or “PET”) at room temperature and at low pressure, which may result in reduced manufacturing costs. While developing the first working PET prototype, researchers also overcame conventional issues with surface preparation, considered vital to achieving maximum strength of the coatings’ bond to the surface, and for optimizing product durability and lifespan.

Notably, researchers were able to maintain the working ‘architecture’ of New Energy’s SolarWindow(TM) while achieving flexibility. The SolarWindow(TM) architecture enables various important functions such as generating electricity on the surface of plastic and distributing electricity to the circuit.

Currently under development for eventual commercial deployment in the estimated 85 million commercial buildings and homes in America, SolarWindow(TM) is the subject of ten new patent filings and is the world’s first-of-its-kind technology capable of generating electricity on see-through glass windows.

Trade-off between Profitability and Inventory Clearance Becomes the Biggest Challenge for Solar Cell Manufacturers

July 27, 2011 — According to the latest survey conducted by EnergyTrend, manufacturers indicated that they are conservative about September orders and the PV market of 3Q11. On the other hand, the spot price of polysilicon remained at a high level. The Chinese market demand still stayed high while other markets showed signs of slowing. According to EnergyTrend, downstream manufacturers are conservative about spot price trend of polysilicon, primarily because most orders from large manufacturers are signed on contractual terms, and few make purchase on the spot market. The second tier and third tier manufacturers are the main active participants on the polysilicon spot market, but their combined purchase volume is much less than top tier manufacturers’. Therefore, it is estimated that the current spot market situation can not support polysilicon manufacturers to raise the price.

Source: EnergyTrend

This week’s survey shows that the polysilicon price remained stable with the main trading price between $52/kg and $54/kg. Notably, the trading price in the Chinese market is slightly higher than other areas, ranging from $55/kg to $58/kg with the average price of polysilicon remaining at $54.55/kg. In terms of Si wafer price, the average market spot price of mono-Si wafer stayed stable, and the main trading price stayed between $2.6/piece and $2.65/piece. The current trading price of multi-Si wafer remanded between $1.95/piece and $2.1/piece, but the top tier manufacturers’ price has increased to $2.0/piece. Comparatively speaking, the average price of multi-Si wafer has slightly risen by 0.05% to $2.051/piece while that of mono-Si waver has increased by 0.04% to $2.632/piece.

As for solar cells and modules, due to strong demand for high conversion efficiency solar cells, the price remained relatively high with the highest price above $0.9/Watt. In addition, from perspectives of the production line, the output volume of solar cell with conversion efficiency under 16.4% accounts for 10%~20%. Although the demand for high conversion efficiency solar cells stays strong, manufacturers still need to take selling lower conversion efficiency product into consideration. Therefore, with the pressure of trading price adjustment for lower efficiency products still remaining, trade-off between profitability and inventory clearance is the biggest challenge for solar cell manufacturers. According to EnergyTrend, cell prices fluctuated this week and lower priced products has dragged down the average price by 0.62% to $0.797/Watt. On the other hand, the average price of module, affected by Chinese manufacturers’ price quotation, has continuously decreased by 0.78% to $1.265/Watt.

According to current market situation, manufacturers indicated that they put much focus on the Chinese local governments’ subsidies. To date, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Qinghai provinces have announced their local subsidies. Among those, the subsidy of Qinghai government attracted wide attention of Chinese PV manufacturers. However, EnergyTrend believes that fund availability is the key determinant factor for the subsidy program’s future success. Furthermore, subsidy releases show the Chinese local governments’ support for local PV industry developments. In particular, Jiangsu and Shandong, their PV industry developments have reached a certain scale. EnergyTrend indicates that the subsidy release can help locally based manufacturers to overcome challenge of the oversupply market.

Notably, the Qinghai government attempts to support its PV industry growth through the new subsidy in the hope of making Qinghai province become a big PV production base and market place. Currently, the Qinghai government has achieved the fundamental goal. However, the Chinese market is now the world’s biggest PV production base. At this stage, the accumulated production capacity in the southeast China can fully already meet the projected annual domestic market demand through 2020. Additionally, the northwestern China has also released new subsidy policy that might further spur the production output. Therefore, EnergyTrend believes that the risk of Chinese PV industry forming a bubble may increase, if the oversupply situation continues or even worsens without guidelines.

Thanks To American Vision Solar’s New ‘Solar as Service’ Program

One of the biggest hurdles that keep homeowners from taking the solar power plunge is the large amount of cash needed for the initial solar panel purchase. This is why American Vision Solar™ is now offering its customers a unique opportunity under its new Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), to install solar panels onto their home with little to no money down, allowing them to immediately reap the incredible cost savings.

“American Vision Solar is dedicated to enhancing home energy efficiency, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer our customers such a unique PPA,” said Bill Herren, President and CEO for American Vision Solar. “We pride ourselves on providing impressive customer service, which is why it was our priority to create an agreement that would truly benefit the homeowner.”

Just imagine, what if you didn’t have to purchase your power from Southern California Edison (SCE)? What if you could choose to pay less? The new ‘Solar as Service’ program from American Vision Solar puts this ‘power’ in the palm of your hands — providing qualifying homeowners with a choice to pay less for clean energy generated through solar panels — too good to be true? Here’s how it works. American Vision Solar works with Solar PPA companies who literally purchase the solar panels for you, and in turn act as your ‘local energy company’ – collecting your monthly utility bill (PPA Payment), as well as any applicable state/local incentives.

Benefits to the homeowner are overflowing — no initial investment by simply letting someone else pay for the system, handle all the paperwork involved, plus the PPA Company will pro-actively monitor the system and be responsible for any repairs and maintenance over the 20 year term. Production guarantee, inverter replacement and full-system insurance are also included. And the biggest benefit of all, your PPA payment is guaranteed to be LESS than your local Southern California Edison (SCE) bill without solar. Over a period of 20 years, the solar panels will provide a huge rate of return on investment!

So why not ‘go green’ if it doesn’t cost you any ‘green’ ($)? Utilizing the clean energy brilliantly generated from the sun’s rays makes you a friend to the environment. In fact, there’s enough free and pure sunlight shining on America every hour of every day to power the world for a year. So the right question is, why not ‘go green’ if it actually saves you ‘green’? The answer: there’s no reason not to, it’s time to go solar!

Husband and wife team Bill and Kathleen Herren began providing homeowners with energy-efficient solutions with their window sales and installation company, American Vision Windows™. Now, more than ten years and 30,000 satisfied customers later, the company has expanded its unmatched service to its other brands that will help revolutionize the home improvement industry: American Vision Solar and American Vision Garages™.

To learn more about American Vision Solar, and to find a showroom near you, visit the company online.

The Solar Decathlon: Housing’s Bright Spot

Teams design and build homes powered by the sun

This past October, taking a walk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., might have been more like taking a walk into the future. Twenty solar-powered homes were sprawled across the mall’s west end, transforming it from a park into something that resembled an innovative new housing development. Park purists take note: the transformation was only temporary. The homes were part of a competition.

“The Solar Decathlon is a competition for university schools of engineering and architecture to design, from the ground up, a solar-powered, high efficiency, self-sustaining house,” says Solar Decathlon Director Richard King.

more

There is this very intriguing post over at One Block Off The Grid that discusses what and who it will take to get solar power adoption off the burner and mainstreamed in the USA. They postulate that it will take a personality like Sarah Palin to endorse it before it happens. All the big name green celebs will only be preaching to the choir so to speak. I find this notion quite interesting. Now I would rather see some other name step up but I think you should read this post and comment below.

What the $%& does Sarah Palin have to do with this?

She’s the perfect example of the “game changer” crew of champions. I mean, how did solar become 100% stuck in the liberal and greenie bucket?

Let’s look at her political stance and how solar speaks to them:
# We should not reward poor financial decisions. (Sep 2008). House flipping and predatory lending put us in a bad spot. What about instead investing in your home for years by improving it with something that saves you money on your power bills? It’s forced savings, it’s frugal and it’s the most stable, low-risk investment out there (solar panels are essentially made of sand. They’re silicon. They don’t break. There are panels that were installed in the 1960’s that are still pumping out money).

They make an interesting case. What do you think? Comment below and let me know your thoughts.

AKRON METRO REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY UNVEILS STATE’S LARGEST ROOFTOP SOLAR ARRAY

2000 Sharp® Solar Panels Used In Project Designed and Installed By Third Sun Solar

AKRON, OH September 30, 2010 – The Akron Metro Regional Transit Authority (RTA) today unveils the largest solar rooftop array in the state of Ohio. The solar rooftop of the RTA bus garages at METRO’s headquarters is rated at 488 kilowatts DC, and is expected to produce around 486,760 kilowatt hours of solar power a year. Third Sun Solar of Ohio installed the system, which is comprised of 2076 of Sharp 235-watt solar modules.

The clean energy produced will prevent the emission of 350 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, an amount equal to the use of 39,322 gallons of gasoline (source: www.epa.gov). The $2.5 million project — the largest rooftop solar array in Ohio — was funded in part through a state grant with funds provided by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Sharp has also been selected to provide solar panels for an additional phase of the project which will begin construction in late 2010. This phase, a second roof array on the same complex, will supply another 355 kilowatts DC and utilize an additional 1477 Sharp panels and will also be installed by Third Sun Solar.

“In collaboration with Third Sun Solar, we are so pleased to be helping Akron Metro reach its goals of sustainability by harnessing the power of solar energy.” said Eric Hafter, senior vice president, Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group. “This project contributes to the same mission as Akron Metro in helping reduce the use of fossil fuels. Akron Metro reduces emissions by transporting people using efficient public transportation and now adds emission-free power to provide energy for their operations.”

“Taking public transportation has always been a great way to reduce your personal carbon footprint. But Akron Metro goes way beyond encouraging Akron residents to leave their cars at home,” said Robert Pfaff, Executive Director at Akron Metro. “In addition to solar power, we also use diesel/electric hybrid and natural gas buses in our fleet, and we recycle rainwater for use in landscaping and restrooms. We’re so proud that Ohio’s largest rooftop solar array is right here in Akron,” he said.

“We are pleased to help Akron Metro further their commitment to protecting our natural resources by investing in the energy solutions of tomorrow,” said Michelle Greenfield, CEO at Third Sun Solar. “Investments like this one in alternative energy solutions are helping drive the transformation of Ohio’s economy to clean, renewable energy and creating new green jobs,” she said. Twenty-nine green jobs were created or retained in Ohio as part of the Akron Metro solar project.

Using breakthrough technology, made possible by nearly 50 years of proprietary research and development, Sharp’s solar panels are designed to withstand rigorous operating conditions, while offering high power output per square foot of solar array.

Eurus Energy and NRG Solar Partner to Build California’s Largest Solar Photovoltaic Generating Facility

Full Notice to proceed issued today; Construction to start by end of September

PRINCETON, N.J., Sep 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Eurus Energy America and NRG Solar, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) , have joined forces to build what will be, upon completion, the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) generating facility in California. When operating at full capacity, the three Avenal zero-emission solar projects–Avenal Park, Sun City and Sand Drag–will generate a total of 45 megawatts (MW), enough power to meet the needs of 36,000 homes cleanly and efficiently. The Avenal projects, located in Kings County, CA, were developed by Eurus and are owned jointly by Eurus and NRG.

Eurus and NRG have completed construction financing on all three projects, and given full notice to proceed on Sun City (20 MW) and Sand Drag (19 MW) to the Ryan Company, Inc., the engineering, procurement and contracting firm that will construct the Avenal projects. Ryan Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quanta Services (PWR), will begin mobilizing immediately to start construction, with the projects expected to achieve commercial operation in mid-2011. The California Public Utilities Commission has approved the 20-year Avenal power purchase agreements with Pacific Gas & Electric.

NRG Solar and Eurus’ expertise developing solar power, utility construction and operation, backed by their corporate resources, will ensure the Avenal projects are brought online and on schedule to help the state achieve its short-term goals for greater renewable power–and advance California’s progress significantly toward achieving its stated target of 33% renewable power generation by 2020.

“We believe Avenal represents not only a bold new chapter in developing clean, zero-emission solar power in California, but also is a key piece in helping the state meet its ambitious renewable portfolio standard by the end of the decade,” said Tom Doyle, President of NRG Solar. “California continues to lead our nation in mandating the increasing use of renewable power, and, as the owners of the largest PV site there today, we look forward to continuing our partnership with California and our leadership as a developer of this bountiful, sustainable power source.”

“The Avenal projects are just the first of many utility-scale PV solar projects that we expect to be developing, building and owning in the State of California. We are very pleased to be adding these solar power projects to our portfolio of wind projects helping California reach its nation-leading goals to increase the utilization of emission-free power generation,” said Mark E. Anderson, President and CEO of Eurus Energy America.

Along with the clean power it will bring to California, the projects also will bring much-needed jobs to an economically distressed area.

Avenal will be built with thin film solar panels provided by Sharp Electronics, solidifying Sharp’s presence in the California utility scale market and bolstering diversity of supply for California’s growing solar infrastructure.

New, Solar-Powered Affordable Housing opens in Healdsburg, California

The non-profit Eden Housing and its supporters dedicated the Healdsburg Family Housing, on Friday, August 20 at 2 PM.

This sustainably-built new development is designed for families earning 30% to 50% of the Area Median Income. Currently, that limit is $32,100 for a family of two, $36,100 for a family of three, and up to $40,100 for a family of four.

The property is comprised of 64 apartments of family rental housing near downtown Healdsburg. The apartments are arranged in 11 residential buildings with one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units configured as both flats and townhouses. The community building has a large community room with kitchen, computer lab for the residents and administrative offices. All units have excellent open space access, and are landscaped gardens and safe play areas for the children living at the property.

Solar from Sun Light & Power and Sustainable Building

Healdsburg Family Housing was developed utilizing the latest green building techniques and materials in its construction, site layout, architectural design, and landscaping. The development is designed in accordance with the GreenPoints rating system and is designed to exceed Title 24 energy standards by a minimum of 15%. The property includes drought-tolerant landscaping as well as energy efficient hydronic heating systems in all units.

The 45.12 kW solar electricity system installed by Sun Light & Power based in Berkeley, CA is comprised of 192 Sharp-235 solar modules and are estimated to produce 62,300 kWh of electricity every year (avoiding the equivalent of emissions from 9 passenger cars or 5,000 gallons of gas consumed every year, with a system life expectancy of at least 25 years).

Solar and Healdsburg as an Independent Utility Municipality

This is one of the first commercial solar installations for the City of Healdsburg as an independent utility municipality. “Sun Light & Power would like to commend the City for being actively solar supportive. City officials were great to work with, and the results will benefit residents for years to come” said Shon Flemming from Sun Light & Power.

Solar and Affordable Housing in Healdsburg

“The City of Healdsburg is committed to expanding affordable housing options for our residents,” stated Healdsburg Mayor Jim Wood. “We want to provide high-quality, healthy green communities such as Healdsburg Family Housing for our low-income residents. Our partnership with Eden Housing helps us to achieve our affordable housing and green building goals.”

“Healdsburg Family Housing is our fifth affordable housing development in Sonoma County. In addition to creating homes for low-income families, it will include some units for families transitioning from homelessness as well as some units for special needs populations,” said Kathryn Schmidt, Project Manager of Eden Housing. “Through collaborations with local organizations and direct service by Eden staff, our resident services program will support our residents to succeed and live more stable, productive lives.”

Funding for Healdsburg Family Housing is provided by the City of Healdsburg, Silicon Valley Bank, U.S. Bancorp as the syndicator of the 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and Federal Home Loan Bank AHP funds.

El Segundo, Calif., Aug. 4, 2010—Chinese government policies intended to promote the adoption of green technologies are having the desired effect, with the country enjoying a boom in wind power capacity and Photovoltaic (PV) installations that is fueling the establishment of a new generation of global green energy suppliers, according to iSuppli Corp.

“Thanks to assiduous government support, the China markets for wind power and photovoltaic solar energy— two major green industries in the country—climbed to new highs in 2009, the latest year for which statistics are available,” said Isaac Wang, senior analyst for China research at iSuppli. “Overall, the newly energized green initiatives come in the wake of a pledge from Beijing, announced in December 2009 at the Copenhagen World Climate Conference in Denmark, to cut China’s carbon emissions in 2020 by about 45 percent from their 2005 levels. To achieve the target, China has indicated willingness to reduce reliance on noxious coal sources while also bolstering its fledgling renewable energy industries in order to produce cleaner power.”

Wind power gusts to favorable conditions

For the wind energy market, new wind capacity generated in the country amounted to 25,100 megawatts (MW) in 2009—more than double the 12,100 MW of power posted in 2008. China’s output last year accounted for nearly one-third of new wind capacity generated worldwide during the same period, iSuppli data show, and continuous growth in the sector over the past five years propelled China to surpass Spain in 2009 and become the world’s third largest provider of wind power. Only three years ago, China had ranked 10th globally in wind power, with 6,100 MW.

A bastion of support for the Chinese wind power market comes from local sourcing regulations. In particular, the state-run National Development and Reform Commission of China has ruled that domestic sourcing rates should make up at least 70 percent of wind power mills for facilities to gain construction approval.

As a result of the policy, locally manufactured wind turbines now account for more than 76 percent share of new orders, while also making up 62 percent of the total wind market in the country. Together, the top Chinese players in 2009—Sinovel Wind Co., Goldwind Science & Technology Co., and DEC—account for 55 percent share of the market, iSuppli figures show. In addition, more than $900 million in new business related to the sector is expected to be created annually over the next three years.

Photovoltaic market heats up

Photovoltaic (PV) power installations grew faster in China during 2009 than the government had planned. While official forecasts had originally expected PV power installations to reach 300 MW in 2010, projections indicate that the local industry will generate 580 MW this year—fully exceeding the initial government targets.

China is currently the world’s largest PV cell manufacturing country as well as the leading global exporter. China in 2008 produced approximately 2 Gigawatts (GW) of PV cells—with more than 90 percent shipped outside the country. Among the world’s top 10 PV cell manufacturers are five Chinese firms, including No. 1 Suntech Power, as well as JA Solar, Yingli Green Energy, Ningbo Solar Electric and China Sunergy.

To encourage the development of the local PV industry, the Chinese government in March 2009 launched Solar Roof and Golden Sun, twin projects subsidizing domestic investment in PV power stations.

Over the next three years, the two stimulus programs will support 3 GW of new PV power stations in the country, expanding the roles of local firms in the entire PV supply chain. The programs are further expected to provide valuable experience for government policy makers while laying the groundwork for larger subsidy plans to follow.

Learn more about the China’s green industries in Wang’s report: China’s Green Energy Industries Are Ready for Takeoff.

Source

Philadelphia Homeowners Now Eligible for Group Discounts and Support Buying Solar Power

One Block Off the Grid (1BOG), the nation’s largest solar group discount company, today announced the launch of Philadelphia’s first solar group purchase program. Designed to reduce the cost and confusion typically associated with buying solar, 1BOG offers free impartial advice and a group discount rate for installation. Mercury Solar Systems was selected as 1BOG’s program partner and will service all member installations for the duration of the three-month program.

After a month-long process of vetting local installers, 1BOG selected Mercury Solar Systems for their excellent group pricing, knowledge and proven success in the local marketplace, extensive product offering, and its long-term warranties. Through the partnership, each Philadelphia-area homeowner can receive a 15 percent discount from standard rates and is eligible for zero down, interest-free financing for 18 months, at no additional cost[1].

“There’s relief to the pain of higher electric rates for Philly homeowners,” said Dave Llorens, CEO of 1BOG. “The combination of our group discount, the new solar incentive, and sellable SRECs[2] give solar twice the return on investment it used to have.”

“The Philadelphia solar market has experienced tremendous momentum over the past year and we are confident our partnership with 1BOG will help further drive this activity among local residents in the months ahead,” said Andrew Kleeman, PA general manager, Mercury Solar Systems.

The 1BOG Philadelphia solar group purchase program is available now to local homeowners throughout the entire Philadelphia area through October 19, 2010. For more information, details about pricing and products or to sign up, visit the 1BOG Philadelphia homepage at www.SolarPhiladelphia.1BOG.org.

About One Block Off the Grid

One Block Off the Grid (1BOG) helps you buy home solar power by researching local solar installers, negotiating group discounts and managing the entire solar buying process from beginning to end—at no cost. 1BOG membership is free and gives homeowners access to exclusive, pre-arranged group discounts, educational tools and advice from an experienced team of solar advisors. Homeowner members are confident that 1BOG’s installation partners have been carefully vetted on products, install practices, long-term stability as a company, as well as a great group discount rate. 1BOG was founded in 2008 in San Francisco, California and has active solar programs in 16 markets across the United States. For more information, visit www.SolarPhiladelphia.1BOG.org.

About Mercury Solar Systems

Mercury Solar Systems is the largest solar integrator in New York and one of the leading firms on the East Coast. The Company designs and installs solar electric and solar thermal energy systems for the commercial and residential marketplace and to date has installed over 1,000 solar systems totaling several million watts of energy. Mercury Solar Systems is a subsidiary of Mercury Energy, a leading provider of solar energy systems throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.mercurysolarsystems.com.

Mercury Solar Systems is a registered trademark of Mercury Solar Systems, Inc.

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[1] Financing is subject to credit approval

[2] SREC information found at: http://solarfinancing.1bog.org/srecs/

If you are interested in getting to know how solar energy works and reducing a little from your household energy bill, facts about solar energy will help you. Solar energy is a renewable resource and of the oldest method of energy use that is available at nowadays. The critical fact about solar energy is that the sun s rays are so powerful that if we are to convert that into energy it would mean that Earth will never run out of energy for at least another 4.5 billion years according to scientists. The sun does not create any other hazardous by products which could harm the natural environment.

During the early fifties solar energy was looked upon as an substitute to man made energy resources. Over some research it was found energy could be received at some cheaper source. With a constant figure of 20% – 25% demand growth year-by-year, the solar energy demand increases for last two decades. Solar energy is able to support household gadgets, lighting and water heaters. As of the moment, solar energy is more heavy priced but in the near future with the increase in scientific researches, it will bring down the costs and also increase its efficiency. Solar energy is to generate 2.5% of the world s energy use by 2025. Solar energy is the fastest growing technology.

There are some fundamental facts about solar energy that one needs to be presented to; solar energy is measured in kilowatt hours and 1 kilowatt=100 watts. One kilowatt hour is equal to the total of electrical energy which is wanted to burn 100 watt light bulb for approximately 10 hours. An average American household consumes 866 kilowatt hours per month. The Residential Energy use Survey conducted in 2001 shows that an annual energy bill was around $2000.

A reduction in unit costs has added towards an increase in growth rates and thereby making it an critical energy resource. Since 2000, solar energy has been expanding at an incredible rate of 40% per annum. Solar energy is going at a raising rate in the developing countries too as the use of fossil fuel has doubled over the years. When compared to solar energy which is inexhaustible, fossil fuel holds are lessening. As compared to expensive power grids, setting up solar energy gadgets is relatively easy. A disadvantage of fossil fuels is that the prices have risen together with the price of transporting coal, oil and gas.

If you have been harboring thoughts of creating your own solar panel using a small budget, then you are in the right place. Before you start, there are quite a few things to keep in mind, and of them is being open to trying new things and this will surely improve your chances of attaining your goals. The making of your personal solar panel can be done with the help of your family members and thus, it may be an excellent cohesion day altogether. Moreover, using a solar panel can help you save an enormous sum of money as well as protect the environment as well. To know more about solar power, visit solarpanels

Check out some of the advantages home solar power systems can offer you as well as our environment:

• Green energy: If you use solar energy, you will realize that it makes use of absolutely no fuel other than the sun’s light. Moreover, it does not release into the environment anything dangerous.

• Cost: Energy comes free of charge. The installation expense is a one-time cost. For that reason, it is recovered within a few years of installation, making the power generated by solar power completely free.

• Ease of use: You cannot store conventional power however , you may keep solar power for future use.

• Low on maintenance: The home solar power systems are easy to maintain. They don’t entail high costs or too much effort, thus letting you enjoy the benefits of the solution comfortably.

• Free and renewable: Using solar energy, you can reduce or maybe eliminate your monthly electricity bills.

• Increase the value of your property: The price of your residence are likely to worth much more with the implementation of solar power systems.

• Generate profits: It is possible to sell your excess generated electricity to the utility companies.

Essentially, solar power panels are dependent on sun energy to function; for that reason, the most ideal area to position your panels is none other than on the roof of your home. Even so, there may be also other alternate areas like on an empty piece of land that’s near to the main area. The main point to take note here is that the solar power panels have to be properly angled to face the sun’s direction. This is to ensure the solar panels receive maximum exposure to direct sun rays.

There are tons of firms on the market offering Do-it-yourself solar installation manuals which has made the installation process of solar power panels low-cost and very much efficient. With step-by-step guidelines supplied along with instructional videos, learning how to build a solar panel has never been easier than this approach. The cost for this DIY installation instructions costs at a fair price of no more than $50 plus the overall costs for the materials required for the building process won’t take more than $200. For more info about this, go to solar power

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Let’s permit the 2 most general sorts of alternative energy to face off, hand to hand, technology to technology, and see which one is better for you. These are the types of solar panels available to anyone, and tiny client turbines, not the gigantic wind farm types. So people put on your gloves and let’s prepare to rumble. Placement – solar cells will fit on any roof, but it’s got to be south facing. There are no local laws or ordinances that won’t permit solar to be put up. Turbines typically must be mounted high off the ground for perfect potency. Many local laws forbid towers or structures in towns or suburban districts. Solar wins every time and is ideal for town dwellings.

Performance – solar cells need daylight to work effectively, though the more recent panels produce usable electricity on clouded days as well. Windmills need wind, so in principle, they could produce electricity twenty-four / seven, BUT that just doesn’t happen. The actuality is, both technologies rely on Mother Nature, so we have got to call this one a draw, though in naturally sunnier climes, solar has an advantage. Potency – When the sun shines, your solar cells are making a hundred percent of their rated power output. Wind energy wishes at least five mile an hour wind solely to get the blades spinning, and anywhere from ten to twenty MPH wind for optimal electricity production. It is calculated that over the course of one twenty-four hour period, a purchaser wind turbine will produce only ten percent of its rated power. Winner to solar cells. Cost – now, six hundred watts of solar energy panel power will run about $6000 bucks unless you build your own panels.

That comes with an inverter, hardware and everything. A six hundred watt wind turbine will run about $1000 greenbacks, and that is just the turbine and nothing else. You will have to add a tower-which can cost thousands-and an inverter etc for example. Remember, your six hundred watt rated windmill will only on a mean, be putting out sixty watts every day. When the sun shines, your solar panels are putting out six hundred watts, period. You’d need six turbines to equal the performance of one six hundred watt solar cell, on a regular basis, and tower costs and all the other costs. Winner, once more, solar energy panels.

So there you have it. A head to head comparison of the two most common types of alternative energy. Ultimately it is still up to you to decide which one will work better for you. 9 times out of 10 solar power will be the better choice unless you happen live in an area with fairly consistent wind flow.

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A lot of people are under the impression that solar panels are some kind of super high tech device that’s built in a laboratory grade factory. The truth is, solar panels are actually quite simple to build, if you’ve the correct guide to teach you. Building a solar panel is most definitely worth the time, because it will save you thousands of dollars per year on electricity, and it will also assist the environment also. If you are looking to “go green”, then I would highly recommend you consider building your own solar panel as your first option.

Once you know the way to construct a solar panel, you will then have the capability to improve the size from the system, make critical adjustments, and even offer your services to people in the community. This will give you the opportunity to make cash off of your new found talent. In fact, within the Power4Home guide there is even a entrepreneurship section, that teaches you exactly how you are able to start your own company with your ability to create solar panels.

You don’t have to make use of the solar panel that you construct for your home only. It can be utilized anywhere you see fit, including within the RV, the boat, the cabin, the car or anywhere else you would need power. A solar panel basically serves as storage place for solar cells. The solar cells absorb the sun’s rays and convert them into energy that we can use, electricity. After you have learned the way to contain the solar cells, then building the solar panel is really just learning how to wire the panels.

There are several kinds of solar cells that you might select to work with. In case you are on a budget, then you may choose to work with refurbished or even damaged solar cells. A lot of the time, you can discover damaged solar cells that will still do their job efficiently. If you are going to make use of damaged cells, then you ought to learn how to inspect them and see what is worth buying and what is not.

Should you would like to learn how to build a solar panel, then you’re going to need a great guideline. One such guideline is the Power4Home guideline. It’s packed with instructions, diagrams and even more than 3 hours of instructional video! With this guide, even a small child could learn how to construct a solar panel. The guide also has a section that teaches you the way to make wind turbines also. There’s even a section for entrepreneurship, that will teach you how to start your own company with your newfound knowledge!

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Nowadays, electricity is a must to fulfill our daily requirements. Thus people are searching for means so that they can get cheaper electricity rather than paying high electricity bills which can weigh down heavily on their pockets. It is not an easy task but you would be happy to know that the rates of the electricity are slashing down. So keep your eyes wide and open for any kind of news and offers relating to this.

Thus, the first step to reduce your electricity bill is by keep an eye on the news. You would be amazed to know that nearly 6 of the large energy suppliers reduced their electricity rates by 31 March, 2009. Thus due to such a large competition in the market, you have the opportunity to make comparisons and choose your electricity supplier at lower rates.

The other option you can try is by going for the cheapest traffic. While checking out with different electricity suppliers, you would find that they would have different tariffs and prices. You will come across a number of companies which come up with variety of price plans to offer to the numerous customers they have to deal with. Thus you can shop around and compare them to get the best deal. If you use the same supplier for electricity and gas, then this may help you to do a lot of saving.

You must keep an eye on what every electricity supplier has to offer you. You must be aware of the conditions in the market and you can check up the internet to know about the services and plans which different electricity suppliers have to offer. You must make an impartial comparison and switching service. Keep yourself up-to-date about the recent electricity rates and thus all this would also help you to know cheaper electricity deals taking into account your current energy costs. The switching service is free of cost and thus will allow you to get the services of the best electricity supplier.

Even after finding your electricity supplier, you can’t rest easy. You must keep making regular checks to see if other suppliers introduce any tariff or if your electricity supplier increases the cost. Thus, keeping your eyes open would help you in saving lots of precious money. The best way is to set reminder in your calendar to check if you are with the best electricity supplier.

The best way to have all the information at your doorstep is by surfing the internet. There are a number of websites that offer you help while compare the electricity rates offered by different companies. Energy Helpline is one such site. These websites might require you to fill some of your personal information, address etc. after which you can avail their services. Some of such websites also provide the facility of comparison calculators to ease your task. These calculators would also let your view capped and non-capped packages. So what are you waiting for? Grab the best opportunity today itself.

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Sure seems like a lot of talk going around lately about reducing energy bills and lowering emissions output. Every where you go there’s someone else talking about how to save money by reducing this or lowering that. Now there’s even talk about some kind of residential energy audit. Ever heard of a home energy audit? Let’s take a minute to examine just what this is and what it can do for you.

It’s really quite simple, everyone of us has what is known as a carbon footprint. This is nothing more than a way to measure how much of an impact we each have on our environment. It is based upon how much carbon waste we produce or is produced in order for us to exist. We all produce carbon waste one way or another. This may be CO2 emissions produced by the automobile you drive around town or the amount of nitrous oxide put off by the power plant that produces the electricity you use in a given day.

Your home uses energy. In order to produce the electricity you use to light up your home at night, or to be able to heat up your house and the water you use in it, you must use energy. A home energy audit is simply an evaluation of specific energy consumption within your home to determine ways in which energy can be conserved. So you see, this is not just some kind of a made up, hoax, home inspection, designed to sucker you out of your hard earned money. A thorough and professionally conducted home energy audit will save you money.

How much money, you ask. If after having a professional home energy audit conducted on your house you were to follow and implement all the recommendations of the audit, the average home owner could expect to save an average of 20% – 30% or higher on their heating bill, any where from 3% – 10% on the electric bill, and depending on specific heating source, there may also be a savings on the gas or propane bill. All together, there is the potential to save anywhere from 25% – 45% on your monthly home energy spending. Now that’s some real money when you consider how fast that will add up month after month.

In addition, you should expect a significant increase in the comfort of your home, improved air quality and the added peace of mind that you’re help do your part to reduce Americas dependence on foreign oil. Yes, it’s true, Americans are addicted to Oil and the more things we can all do to start reducing our use of it, the better. You may have been one of those who’s just been thinking this green movement is a bunch of hype. When you start to look into it, you’ll soon consider if perhaps there isn’t enough hype. In my view, saving 25% – 45% on your monthly home energy bill warrants hype, not to mention a big smile on your face.

After spending over 25 years as a custom home builder, Mitchell now owns a successful environmentally friendly Online home business out of Colorado, USA. He is a business coach and personal mentor assisting other serious Network Marketers in building lucrative and sustainable online businesses with multiple income streams.

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