Solar Power, Renewable Energy Blog, News, Analysis

Rooftop Solar Power To Be Installed By US Military

2011-09-08T19:51:34Z

Why is Uncle Sam going solar? It can save BIG money.

Washington D.C. – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a $344 million loan guarantee that will support the SolarStrong Project, which is expected to be a record expansion of residential rooftop solar power in the United States. Under the SolarStrong Project, SolarCity Corporation will install, own and operate up to 160,000 rooftop solar installations on as many as 124 U.S. military bases in up to 33 states. SolarCity expects the project to fund approximately 750 construction jobs over five years and 28 full time operating jobs. Many of the jobs are expected to be filled by U.S. veterans and military family members, who will be recruited, trained and employed to install, operate and maintain the photovoltaic (PV) systems.

“This is the largest domestic residential rooftop solar project in history,” said Secretary Chu. “This groundbreaking project is expected to create hundreds of jobs for Americans and provide clean, renewable power to our military families. It can also be a model for other large-scale rooftop solar projects that help America regain its lead in the solar industry.”

The project, which could create up to 371 megawatts of new solar capacity, includes the installation of residential rooftop PV systems on existing privatized military family residences and other privatized buildings, such as community centers, administrative offices, maintenance buildings and storage warehouses. The project will provide low-cost, renewable electricity to privatized military housing and is expected to avoid over 250,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. The SolarStrong Project will have the added benefit of helping the Department of Defense (DOD), the single-largest energy consumer in the U.S., secure its energy needs from domestic renewable sources that are independent from the utility grid, at no additional cost to taxpayers. DOD has a stated goal that 25 percent of all energy consumed by 2025 shall be supplied from renewable sources.

The project will be rolled out over five years, starting with a four megawatt installation at Hickam Air Force base in Hawaii, with construction currently underway. SolarStrong is expected to sell electricity produced from the projects through long-term electricity sales agreements or lease solar systems through long-term lease contracts.

USRG Renewable Finance, an affiliate of US Renewables Group, is acting as lead lender in partnership with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. USRG Renewable Finance submitted the application under the Financial Institution Partnership Program (FIPP). In a FIPP financing, the Department of Energy guarantees up to 80 percent of a loan provided to a renewable energy project by qualified financial institutions.

The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office administers three separate programs: the Title XVII Section 1703 and Section 1705 loan guarantee programs, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. The loan guarantee programs support the deployment of commercial technologies along with innovative technologies that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions, while ATVM supports the development of advanced vehicle technologies. To date, the Department has issued loans, loan guarantees or offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees totaling nearly $40 billion to support more than 40 clean energy projects across the United States, including several of the world’s largest solar generation facilities, three geothermal projects, the world’s largest wind farm, and the nation’s first new nuclear power plant in three decades.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Florida Power Reopens $5 Million Solar Rebate Program

2011-08-31T16:18:16Z

Florida Power & Light (FPL) is reopening the application period for its 2011 solar rebate program to distribute approximately $5 million in remaining funds. Applications can be submitted at the FPL website starting at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 30.

The solar power rebates are $2 per watt of the DC output of a PV system, up to $20,000. Rebates will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and funds are expected to run out quickly, FPL says. The application process for the 2011 rebates first opened on June 29, and customers claimed reservations for the available solar PV funds in less than an hour.

Rebates for solar water heating are also still available, FPL adds. The solar water heating rebate is $1,000 per installed solar water heater. According to the FPL as of this writing, there was $124,000 in water heating rebate funds available.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Solar Price Alert - Save on Samsung Home Solar

2011-08-27T21:42:40Z

SOLAR PRICE ALERT...
Save on Samsung Home Solar!

SAMSUNG SOLAR PRICES REDUCED BY 20%

Samsung systems qualify for 30% tax credits and local utility rebates.
You could go solar for a record-low price of under $3 per watt.
If you've been thinking about going solar, NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!

PLUS, get an extra $500 off any Samsung Solar System
use coupon code laborday by Monday September 5, 2011

Get a Samsung pre-engineered home system that has everything needed to get the job done in 2 days or less - and save a bundle. Kits include Samsung solar panels with 25 year warranty, AC Inverter, rooftop mounting racks, wiring, hardware, step-by-step instructions and permit-ready documentation. You and your handy local electrician provide the labor and utility connection to SAVE BIG!

HERE'S HOW TO GET STARTED:

Choose a Samsung Home Solar system to meet your needs.
Receive your Samsung Home Solar system in 2 to 3 weeks.
Use clean solar power and watch your electric meter spin backwards!

2,196 Watts Solar Kit $6,150 after tax credits $2.80 per watt		6,344 Watts Solar Kit $15,740 after tax credit $2.48 per watt
3,172 Watts Solar Kit $7,900 after tax credit $2.65 per watt	buy online NO TAXES flat rate shipping	7,320 Watts Solar Kit $18,050 after tax credit $2.47 per watt
4,880 Watts Solar Kit $12,450 after tax credit $2.55 per watt	View All Samsung Solar Kits	8,748 Watts Solar Kit $21,480 after tax credit $2.46 per watt

Questions? Need Help? Call 888-498-3331

Solar panel manufacturers rush to improve efficiency

2011-08-18T18:54:50Z

The costs of solar panels are dropping quickly. The decline in solar prices is compelling manufacturers to find ways to cut costs and improve the amount of power solar cells can convert from sunlight. The company First Solar has just topped the world record with its latest efficiency developments. On Tuesday, the company proudly displayed a 17.3 percent efficient solar cell.

The test cell has broken the previous record of 16.7 percent for a solar cell comprised of cadmium-telluride set by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 2001. The new record is important because it illustrates that solar panels made with cadmium-telluride cells can endure a longer life in the market than originally expected.

When it comes to how much power a panel of a given size can generate – more power equals higher efficiencies. There is a set cost and amount of time for creating each panel, and First Solar’s technology makes a panel is less than 2.5 hours. If the company manufactures each panel with a greater power rating (in watts), then that panel’s cost-per-watt is lower.

First Solar has held the title of the lowest-cost solar panel manufacturer in the industry for quite some time. Producing solar panels on the cheap is a major advantage for First Solar, especially considering that its solar panels are not the most efficient on the market. During the first quarter of 2011, the company constructed solar panels with 11.7 percent efficiency at the cost of $0.75 per watt.

Most solar panels on the market are made with silicon and usually have higher efficiencies than First Solar’s, which are not made with silicon. Silicon panels cost more to manufacture, but also demand higher prices.

So what is the most efficient silicon solar panel on the market today? SunPower recently launched a 20 percent panel that contains cells that can perform at 22.4 percent efficiency. When the cells are assembled into a panel, they don’t all act uniformly, which is the cause of the lower panel efficiency figure. Not to mention, the panel efficiency includes the frame area where no cells are located.

Considering that silicon solar panel prices have fallen by more than half in the past two years, silicon solar panel manufacturers are excited to improve their products’ efficiencies. Just in the past six weeks, prices have dropped by 15 percent, according to IMS Research. In the first quarter of 2011, the typical price was close to $1.80, and now it’s fallen below $1.40 per watt.

Two recent developments have contributed to the decline in prices: the weakening of government subsidies in the world’s two largest markets, Germany and Italy, and the subsequent piling up of solar panels because of the cut in demand. The cuts in subsidies have required solar panel manufacturers along with their component suppliers to lower the price of their goods. If they didn’t lower prices, their customers wouldn’t see the value in investing in solar or building solar energy projects.

Solar panel creators have always understood the need to improve the efficiency of their products. Now, the falling prices have created an urgency that pushes them to do it as fast as possible. Numerous large solar cell and panel makers have looked to technologies such as the silicon ink by Innovalight. The silicon ink has allowed Innovalight customers to improve their cells’ efficiencies by roughly 0.8 percentage point or more. This gained that attention of DuPont, which has recently purchased Innovalight for an undisclosed price.

Pushing the limits of efficiencies in cells made by its production equipment is essential for First Solar to remain in the competition in the future. Solar cell records show an attainable target, but don’t communicate the length of time it may take for the manufacturer to reach that efficiency at scale. The records show the best their holders can produce at a given time, not necessarily what they can produce consistently in high volumes.

By the end of 2014, First Solar expects to increase the efficiency of its market-ready solar panels from 11.7 percent up to 14.5 percent.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Yosemite National Park goes solar

2011-08-10T17:00:53Z

The vegetation at Yosemite National park has run on solar energy for millions of years. Humans are finally following nature's example and using solar panels to power their facilities.

The park installed a 672-kilowatt solar panel system just outside the park’s boundaries in El Portal, California. 8-by-12-foot solar panels fill almost every available space on rooftops and sides of buildings, as well as the roofs of carports and parking garages at Yosemite’s Administrative Complex.

The solar array began operating at the end of June. The Administrative Complex in El Portal, its visitor facilities in the park and the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley have been powered by solar energy since then. Contractors finished the 2,800 panel system last February, but Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) needed time to inspect the panels and install equipment to connect Yosemite’s solar panels to their grid.

The solar panel array is the largest grid-connected solar panel system operated by the National Park Service.

Yosemite’s solar panels will provide 800,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. This cuts the park’s use of electricity from PG&E by almost 12 percent. It is estimated they will save almost $50,000 a year in electricity purchases.

Overall, Yosemite’s solar panel system cost $4.4 million. Funding came from the $754 million reserved for the national park system from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. Not only did the project develop an efficient energy source, it also reduced pollution and provided jobs.

Yosemite’s new system has double the amount of solar panels as the array installed on Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay. The Alcatraz site has 1,300 panels.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Apple and Samsung looking into organic solar technology

2011-08-09T01:58:40Z

Gadgets from Apple and Samsung could be going solar.

A report by Digitimes showed that both companies have been looking into solar technologies to power future devices. They have been heavily focusing on organic photovoltaic cells, a technology that generates a lower sunlight-to-electricity ratio than large rooftop panels, but can be fit into small gadgets.

Samsung currently uses solar power in some of its products, including two phones released in 2009, the “Blue Earth” and “Crest Solar” models. Solar panels have been installed on the back of these phones that can quickly charge the phone by using sunlight. Earlier this year, Samsung came out with the Android-powered Replenish model which sports an optional rear cover with a solar cell. Next month, Samsung plans to introduce a 10 inch Netbook with a solar panel on the cover.

Apple already has a number of patent applications dealing with solar power:

• Apple applied for a patent in 2006 which described a way to place solar panels underneath a device’s semitransparent display, as well as the backside of it.

• In 2008, the company applied for two patents. The first, dealt with power management circuitry and solar cells to keep the device operating with sufficient voltage when running off solar cells. The second patent sought to combine a solar panel with a display that would cover touch panels to increase the surface area for solar cells.
• In 2009, Apple was granted a patent for a power system that will allow portable devices such as phones, tablets, or computers to utilize solar power.

As promising as it seems, the technology still needs time to develop and it could potentially be cost-prohibitive. The Digitimes report also revealed that both companies are looking at a few Taiwan-based solar firms to provide the technology, including Konarka which has created plastic flexible solar cells.

It is not known how well organic solar cells will hold up over the long run due to degradation - when their efficiency begins to decrease over time. Degradation needs to be taken into consideration because most companies offer warranties on their products.

Apple offers a year of warranty service on its phones, tablets and computers, which can be extended an extra one or two years. Samsung also offers a one-year warranty on the bulk of its products. Most people who purchase a gadget with solar technology will expect it to work properly while it’s under warranty.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

TV set-top boxes are BIG energy hogs

2011-08-05T19:39:13Z

Worried about high utility costs? Your cable or satellite box may be to blame. And if your box is a digital video recorder, that's even worse.

The opposite of energy efficiency, it’s surprising how much power one little cable box can consume. Over 80% of Americans subscribe to pay TV, resulting in 160 million set-top boxes installed in their homes. These boxes cost $3 billion to operate because the boxes never go to sleep. Consumers have little choice regarding what television set-top box the service provider installs and how much energy it uses.

Even when they are not showing or recording content, they consume power as if they were in use since they never power down. A study discovered that the average cable high-definition video recorders (HD-DVR) use more than half the energy of a typical new refrigerator and even more than a new flat panel TV. These set-top boxes consumed nearly 27 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2010. That’s the equivalent annual energy output of nine average coal-fired power plants. Two-thirds of their energy consumption occurs when they are not in use

Digital Video Recorders are quickly rising in popularity. In fact, since 2007, the percentage of boxes with DVR capability has risen from 10 percent to 35 percent. DVRs tend to use about 40 percent more energy each year than their non-DVR counterparts. Improved designs of theses DVR boxes could reduce their energy by 30 percent to 50 percent by 2020. Some options for reducing their consumption include: a) shifting to whole-home solutions that have a main box connected to the primary TV, but allowing other TVs in the home to access the video content stored on the main box, and b) using boxes that automatically power down to drastically lower power levels when not in use.

In 2010, NRDC and Ecos studied the energy usage of set-top boxes in three applications: (1) pay-TV boxes used in the United States over the past two years, (2) pay-TV boxes in Europe, and (3) some emerging video streaming boxes like AppleTV.

According to the findings, U.S. set-top boxes use almost as much power when not in use as they do when in use. However, the top European service providers have begun to solve this issue in their latest boxes. Pay-TV set-top box energy consumption has remained steady. Efficiency gains at the component level have counteracted by the increased consumption of advanced features. Satellite HD-DVRs used slightly more power than their cable counterparts. Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) enables the use of lower-power boxes and is quickly gaining market share compared to cable and satellite. The most efficient U.S. HD-DVRs found were AT&T’s IPTV boxes which used approximately 18 watts when in use and 12 watts when in light sleep state. European IPTV HD-DVRs consumed less than 10 watts when is use.

More and more consumers are obtaining their video content from broadband video streaming services including Netflix, AppleTv and GoogleTV. AppleTV proved to be most efficient using only 3 watts when turned on and less than 1 watt while in Sleep mode. In the future, it is likely that streaming capabilities will be integrated into TVs enabling them to stream video from sources such as Netflix and Hulu.

However, it is unlikely consumers will move away from DVRs anytime soon. It’s a good thing the industry is moving toward more efficient multi-room solutions that will require much less energy. Multi-room technologies allow users to schedule recordings one time on a central DVR and enable them to view them on any TV in the home. The industry is also developing low-power thin-client boxes that will go into low-power sleep states when not in use. By implementing multi-room technology with low-power thin-client boxes, reducing On mode power levels and employing better power management solutions, a reduction in energy consumption of approximately 70 percent is possible.

Service providers are promoting energy efficient standards that would use specially-designed TVs as clients, eliminating the need for thin-client boxes all together.

NRDC’s study of the energy consumption of set-top boxes illustrated that unless more energy efficient designs are developed, the electric bill used to run these devices will increase by an alarming $3.5 billion per year by 2020. Utilizing energy-saving technologies has the potential to save the amount of energy as is generated by seven large power plants by 2020.

A few recommendations for reducing energy consumption are:

Meeting Energy Star Requirements
Manufacturers are encouraged to design products that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR Version 4.0.

Employing Automatic Low-Power States
Future products should enter a low power state when the user isn’t watching TV, recording a show or downloading a show.

Replacing Outdated and Inefficient Set-Top Boxes
Service providers should offer new energy-efficient set-top boxes and implement changes to improve efficiency. Service providers are encouraged to switch to multi-room solutions that use thin-client boxes.

Further technological innovations can include multi-room thin-client boxes to achieve deep sleep with short wake time. Also, enabling the connecting of devices together such as the television, set-top box and DVD player to share power state information would help in more effective power management. Data connections should operate at lower-power levels when not in use. Lastly, service providers should be able to wake set-top boxes from deep sleep remotely over the network.

Regulatory policies could be put into place to increase set-top box energy efficiency. For example, policy makers could establish minimum energy efficiency standards for set-top boxes at the state or national level. The energy efficiency community should confirm that efficiency requirements are built into the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Plan that is looking at creating a retail market for set-top boxes across different service providers. Local cable providers should require the boxes to meet ENERGY STAR Version 4.0 or better. Finally, policy makers and utilities should consider sponsoring system-level efficiency studies to improve understanding on the data center and network energy requirements of video-on-demand.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Study: Solar Panels reduce heating and cooling costs

2011-08-05T02:54:59Z

Solar panels not only help you save significant money on electricity while helping the environment, they also can reduce heating and cooling costs of your home or business.

A professor of environmental engineering at the University of California, San Diego, discovered through the use of thermal imaging that a building’s ceiling could be 5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler during the daytime under solar panels than under an uncovered roof.

The solar panels basically act as roof shades. Normally, the sun beats down on the roof pushing the heat through and inside the ceiling. If solar panels are installed, they take the solar beating and shade the roof.

The study noted that the amount saved on cooling amounted to receiving a 5 percent discount on the solar panels’ price over its lifetime.

Researchers tested a building on the UCSD campus and found that panels reduced the amount of heat that made it into the building by roughly 38 percent.

There is no doubt that installing solar panels can substantially reduce the amount of energy used to cool a home or business.

The panels also help retain heat at night, which reduces heating costs in winter.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Before you go solar - Learn to conserve!

2011-08-03T16:55:37Z

A solar energy system is an investment. First, the goal is to pay back the initial cost quickly by decreasing utility bills. Next, the goal is to begin generating income. However, most homeowners waste a huge percentage of energy they purchase from the utility. Before considering solar electricity, it’s a good idea to look at how much energy you are consuming, how much it costs, and how investing in conservation can affect the bottom line.

To begin, examine your utility bill. Find how many kilowatt-hours of electrical energy you used each month over the past year and determine how much it cost you. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average American homeowner uses 11,040 kwh per year at an average rate of 11 cents per kwh, and spends roughly $1,200 per year for electricity.

Energy conservation is a highly recommended investment that will ensure fast payback. Every dollar spent on conservation can save you $3 to $5 on the cost of a solar panel system that can bring your electric bill to zero.

Conservation
Solar PV costs are quickly falling, not to mention the generous federal, state and local tax credits and incentives that help make it affordable. Still, it makes little sense to invest in PV equipment to generate energy that will be wasted. Many households waste half or more of the energy used.

Investments in conservation and efficiency pay back faster than investments in PV. There are similar federal, state and local tax credits available for improvements, ranging from caulking and storm windows to replacing inefficient appliances.

The less sun you have, the more imperative conservation becomes. Homes in states that are less sunny can get about one-quarter less solar energy per year than a home in a sunnier location. Cutting energy use in half by eliminating waste can make solar far more affordable.

What can you do to practically cut your energy consumption by half? Conserving energy is easier than you may think. Here’s some ways to get started:

Change Your Energy-Use Habits
It may sound trivial, but turning off lights and appliances when you are finished using them can save you around $44 a year.

Don’t leave your computer turned on all the time. A couple of personal computers with the printers, routers, scanners and such that accompany them can easily run up your electric bill. By turning them off when not in use, you can save an average of $289 in electricity each year.

Use power strips. Computer equipment, televisions, entertainment centers and pretty much anything that can be turned on by a remote control or a button (instead of a switch) can use energy even when turned off. Power strips can save around 1,779 kwh and $178 per year.

Invest in Efficient Lights and Appliances
Get rid of the incandescent lights and replace them with efficient substitutes. Fluorescent, compact fluorescent (CFL) and LED lights are more expensive to buy, but pay back the investment quickly and last longer. LED lighting is not yet as efficient as CFLs. It’s been calculated that investing a total of $65 in CFL lighting, homeowners can save 1,168 kwh and $117 in one year. Also, many local utilities have CFL rebate programs.

Purchase an energy monitor to identify inefficient appliances. For less than $30 you can buy a “Kill-o-Watt” meter to track the energy use of your appliances. The meter can be moved around the house to check anything you like. A new furnace or fridge can be a big investment, but after doing the math about energy use and cost using the Energy Star rating of the new appliance, the ROI results may be a bit shocking.

Invest in Thermal Efficiency
Most likely heating and cooling are your single biggest energy costs. Don’t let all the warm air escape into the outdoors in the winter or the cool air to creep outside in the summer. Even if you have an old furnace or air conditioner, the efficiency can be increased by not wasting energy.

Consider a thermal evaluation. It’s not as pricey as you think to have a home energy auditor visit your home with a thermal imaging camera. This can pinpoint the areas that need sealing and insulation so you can get the maximum return for a minimal investment.

Next, seal up air leaks. There is a Federal program known as “Cash for Caulkers” that has tax credits available for thermal efficiency improvements. Not to mention, there are many state and local incentives nationwide. Doors, windows, ducts, plumbing and electrical openings, and attics are likely spots where energy could be escaping from your home.

Upgrade insulation. Adding more insulation to your attic and floor is inexpensive. It’s an easy task if you prefer to do it yourself. Roughly $400 in insulation can save around $200 a year or more.

Install insulated window shades. Windows don’t offer much insulation compared to walls, floors and ceilings. Pulling down insulated shades in the winter can result in large energy savings. Likewise, in the summer they can be used to block sunlight and reduce air-conditions use.

Finally, don’t neglect water-heating efficiency. There’s no need to keep a tank of water hot 24/7 for when you need to take a shower or wash your hands. If you have a traditional tank water heater, try insulating the tank and pipes with thermal blankets. If your water heater is old and you’re ready for an upgrade, consider an on-demand (tankless) version.

If you are designing a new home from scratch, energy efficiency can be added at very little additional costs. Contact a LEED-certified green building consultant or architect before you build. If your new home is well-insulated and sealed, constructed to take advantage of natural heating and cooling, and includes modern and efficient appliances, your monthly energy costs will be drastically reduced right when you move in.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Can standardized permitting reduce solar power costs?

2011-08-02T21:16:05Z

Installation costs for solar panels can be reduced by 50 cents per watt by synchronizing the solar permitting process from town to town. According to recent reports, discrepancies have been found in permitting that can cost consumers up to $2,500 on a 5-kilowatt rooftop solar system. It noted that all the wasted money from allowing these inefficiencies to continue “looks like a $1 billion tax on solar over the next five years.”

The cost is due to many factors, including time spent by installers in obtaining the building, zoning and fire department permits, waiting for inspection and dealing with any changes that may arise.

Solar organizations and firms throughout the country have been pleading for an improved permitting process in the U.S. The DOE SunShot program is seeking to lower solar power to $1.00 per watt installed. However, this can’t happen without a well-planned and thorough standardized permitting process.

Finally, last week, the state of Vermont took the first steps to make this a reality.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed the Vermont Energy Act of 2011 (H56). The law allows for net metered solar power in Vermont, as well as executing a pioneering permitting process for small solar systems (less than 5 kilowatts). This model can greatly reduce the “soft costs” of residential solar.

For small-scale customers, the streamlined process consists of filling out a registration document and a certificate of compliance with grid connection requirements. The local utility will be given ten days to present any interconnection problems.

Vermont made it clear that local permitting reform with the same standards across the board is possible on the state level.

Germany has reported one million new home solar power installations within the past two years. The total number of homes to go solar in the United States has just passed 120,000. Germany has cut out all the red tape and their permitting paperwork load is a small few pages. They also enjoy a 40 percent installation price advantage over the United States

Through standardized permitting, solar power will be even more affordable and accessible for American homeowners. Vermont has paved the way to make it easier for more U.S. households to generate clean energy from the sun and greatly reduce their energy costs over time.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Elements of Solar PV

2011-06-10T20:42:51Z

It may come as a pleasant surprise that solar electric systems are very simple to operate. The tricky part is designing the correct system for a homeowner’s energy needs and location. Solar electric systems are made up of four main categories of equipment: energy sources, energy conversion, energy storage and everything else.

Solar panels are a fantastic energy source. Solar panels are also known as solar electric (photovoltaic, or PV) panels. A group of solar panels is known as a PV or solar array.

Solar electricity is not the only renewable energy source available for homeowners. Wind and falling water can be used, but few locations have the resources available. Due to the lack of resources, an investment in these may not be worthwhile. However, solar power is abundant in most areas and has proven to be a smart investment that will save the homeowner money and help the environment.

Energy Storage

Electrical energy can be difficult to store. Since PV technology doesn’t work at night, some kind of storage is essential. There are two options for storing energy: a large bank of batteries, or the utility power grid from which most Americans purchase their electrical energy.

The grid is usually the optimal choice for homeowners. Batteries eventually war out and will need to be replaced. If you need energy, the grid pumps it to you and you’ll be responsible to pay for it at the end of the month. If your solar PV system is creating more energy than you are using, you can sell the extra energy back to the grid. However, the amount you’ll be paid can greatly vary. Off-grid systems have no connection to the grid at all, and rely solely on batteries for energy storage.

The main issue with using the grid to store energy is that when it goes down (during a blackout), you’ll be in the dark. It doesn’t matter if your PV system is bathed in sun during a blackout, you will only have power for your home if the grid is working. In areas where blackouts are common, PV systems may include batteries as a backup. These are known as “islanding” PV systems.

Energy Conversion

If you purchase electricity from the grid, it comes in the form of alternating current (AC), often referred to as “house current.” All PV systems produce electricity in the direct current (DC) form. Therefore, PV power must first be converted into something usable. Inverters and controllers are the two devices that do this.

Inverters
These smart boxes convert DC power from a solar array or a battery bank into AC house current that you can use yourself, or sell back to the utility. An inverter will control all the buying and selling for you. If you have no batteries, the inverter also works as a PV controller. Also, there are “micro-inverters” available that attach behind each solar module to streamline installation and allow detailed monitoring of each module of the array. An inverter is usually installed near the array to reduce wiring costs, primarily outdoors or in a garage.

Controllers
If a system is off-grid or has a backup battery bank, all PV energy will be used to directly charge the battery. Once the battery is full, the inverter takes control of selling any excess energy to the utility. Since batteries are quite fragile, a controller is necessary to keep the battery from over- or under-charging damage.

Everything else
Racking: Photovoltaic modules are exposed to extreme weather conditions so sturdy mounts are essential. These are called “racking,” and racks are available for all types of roofs, for vertical poles, and for your yard. Commercial racking systems make the installation of PV modules simple providing sliding module clips and minimal hardware difficulties.

Disconnects: Disconnects are required for all the load circuits in your home and in certain parts of a PV system by the National Electrical Code. They are imperative for both safety and convenience. Convenience is important when electrical work or upgrades are needed so the entire system doesn’t need to be shut down.

Monitoring: Solar electricity is an investment so you’ll want to know if your investment is paying off, and how quickly it is. If the system involves battery storage for backup or off-grid use, metering is necessary for extending battery life. The meters used for monitoring range from rudimentary designs that keep track of energy used vs. energy gained to elaborate wall-mounted color displays that are wireless and Internet-enabled. These fancy systems allow you to monitor your system remotely and often include impressive charts and graphs to detail performance. If you prefer, some companies can monitor your system for you. If you choose this route, you’ll simply log onto a website when you would like to check the status.

Discover your solar potential

2011-05-29T18:13:39Z

How much solar energy potential does your location offer? Here are the ways to discover if a solar PV system can benefit you.

Look at the maps
Insolation (not to be mixed up with insulation) is short for “incident solar radiation” and is measured at ground level with instruments known as pyranometers. A large network of pyranometers has been used to collect data from all over the world for decades. An advantage of these tools is that they factor in latitude, sun angle and climate. Check out the solar map.

The numbers on the maps are “equivalent full-sun-hours” or “peak sun-hours”, identical to kilowatt-hours per square meter per day. On the first map, the month of January in the Northern Hemisphere is shown. It’s not surprising that January is the worst insolation month of the year. The second map showcases insolation in June, which for most northern locations is the best month of the year.

The worst month includes essential information for off-grid PV systems, but doesn’t tell the whole story. Every kilowatt-hour matters when selling electricity to the utility company. The solar map depicts the average yearly insolation in the United States and these numbers are what you should focus your attention on. If you install a 1-kilowatt PV array on your roof and multiply the average full-sun-hours, you’ll learn how many kilowatt-hours of electricity you’ll generate per day.

You should also take the system derating factor into account, usually about 0.8. This compensates for dust and bird poop on the PV modules, and electrical losses in the system as it changes direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC). To correct this, multiply your predicted kwh by 0.8. Next, multiply your corrected daily kwh output by 365. Then, compare this to your utility bill.

Online Solar Calculators
If the math seems perplexing, there are easier ways. There are a wide range of solar energy calculators online. An easy calculator to use is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s PV Watts Version One. This gives projected production figures for a variety of locations. PV Watts Version two has an interactive map. NREL also offers a tool called In My Backyard. This tool includes satellite mapping complete with cost and payback estimates. You can find a simple and quick solar calculator.

Remember, cost estimates can vary and are calculated using different criteria. Prices and incentives are known to change quickly. No two solar installations are alike, and every vender may offer a different price. For current pricing, it’s best to contact a PV installer that serves your area. It helps to contact two or three companies to gain understanding of what your investment may need to be. Most PV installers will offer a site evaluation, sometimes for free or they may refund the evaluation if you purchase a PV system.

Site Evaluations
Obtaining a professional site evaluation is a wise idea, even if it shows solar energy isn’t right for your location. Even the tiniest shadow falling across part of a PV array can significantly reduce total output, so it’s essential to install everything in the best location on your property. Shadow problems can change with the seasons as well. Site evaluations can identify any obstructions that could cause potential problems. They will let you know precisely which months of the year and times of day any shadows would occur, and how much energy would be lost. It’s possible to obtain a site evaluation online using satellite and other aerial imagery.

What's Next?
Say you’ve met with numerous local PV installers and most likely received quotes varying from $5 per watt to about $10 per watt depending on your location. The initial cost might still seem very high even though the system is designed to meet your annual electricity needs and reduce your utility bill to zero. That’s why there are plenty of incentives at the federal, state and local levels to help make solar PV a reality.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

New Car Stickers Include Electric Vehicle Ratings

2011-05-26T19:25:14Z

The federal government announced new car window stickers for vehicles starting with the 2013 model year. The new stickers include electric vehicles, estimated annual fuel costs and the vehicle’s overall environmental impact for driving 15,000 miles per year. There will be different labels for conventional vehicles, plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles, with cars running solely on battery power estimated to get 99 miles per gallon.

Here is an example of how the new sticker works for the Nissan Leaf all electric vehicle. The Nissan Leaf sticker shows 99 miles per gallon, $561 in annual fuel cost and $7,450 in fuel savings over five years compared to other vehicles in the same class size. In other words, this electric vehicle will cost just $46 per month in fuel, saving the typical driver about $125 per month in fuel costs compared to an average gas-powered car in the same class.

In addition, the Leaf has the highest rating, 10 out of 10, for fuel economy, greenhouse gas and smog emissions.

When developing the new sticker, there was some concern that electric car drivers will just be switching one dirty energy source, oil, for another, coal, which produces about 60% of the nation's electricity. However, coal is at least a domestic source and does not rely on foreign, potentially hostile oil-producing countries. Regardless, more people are starting to realize that the best way to power an electric vehicle is with clean solar panels installed at home.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation are jointly responsible for the window sticker program. “These labels will provide consumers with up-front information about a vehicle’s fuel costs and savings so that they can make informed decisions when purchasing a new car,” said Ray LaHood, the transportation secretary.

The new stickers will for the first time include a greenhouse gas rating, comparing a vehicle’s emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases with those of all other vehicles, as well as a smog rating based on emissions of other air pollutants like nitrogen oxide and particulates.

Cars capable of running on electricity will get the highest greenhouse gas and smog ratings. Stickers for plug-in hybrids and electric cars will also include their charging time and estimated range while running in electric-only mode.

The labels will include an estimated annual fuel cost based on 15,000 miles traveled at a fuel price of $3.70 per gallon as well as an estimate of how much more or less the vehicle will cost to operate over five years than an average new vehicle. In addition to the familiar city, highway and combined fuel economy estimates expressed in miles per gallon, the sticker will include an estimate of how much fuel the vehicle will need to travel 100 miles.

The E.P.A. said the new gallons-per-mile metric, combined with the estimated fuel costs, would provide consumers a more accurate measure of efficiency and expense than the traditional miles-per-gallon figure, which rarely reflects real-world driving conditions.

The gasoline price is based on Department of Energy surveys and calculations and will typically be updated annually, the E.P.A said.

The label will also include a QR Code that can be scanned by a smartphone to obtain cost estimates based on a consumer’s driving habits and the price of gasoline and electricity where he or she lives, as well as comparisons with other vehicles. Such calculators will also be accessible online. The National Automobile Dealers Association welcomed the new design.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Video: War Veteran Uses Solar Power

2011-05-26T17:22:31Z

This is a nice video about an Irag war veteran who installed solar panels to save money and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Learn how easy and affordable it was for him to go solar. You can solar power your home for as little as $89 a month.

Solar Power Your Electric Vehicle and Save Money

2011-05-24T15:49:58Z

Affordable and viable electric cars are now hitting the market. Today there is the Nissan Leaf, Mini E Electric Mini Cooper, Tesla Roadster, Chevy Volt and more. By 2012 nearly every major manufacturer will be offering some version of a plug-in Electric Vehicle or hybrid including popular models such as the Ford Fusion, Toyota Prius and BMW. Instead of filling these cars up at the gas station, you recharge them overnight in your own garage. And if your home is solar-powered, your car is also solar powered!

The low fuel cost is really surprising with electric vehicles. As the chart below explains, a typical gas-powered car currently costs about 20 cents per mile in fuel cost. Drive an EV plugged into the power grid and your cost-per-mile is cut by more than half, to 5.7 cents. Plug that EV into your solar-powered home and your automotive fuel cost drops down to as little as 2 cents per mile! To compare that 2 cents per mile to today's gas prices, that's equivalent to about 40 cents per gallon of gasoline in a gas-powered car! This is not a typo. Driving an EV powered by solar panels costs about 90% less than a gas powered car.

For example, driving 200 miles per week to commute to and from work costs about $40 in gasoline, but just $4 with a solar powered electric car. On a monthly basis, that's $160 in gas, but just $16 in electricity, only to go to work everyday. Factor in your other driving, and eliminate the need for the added cost of oil changes, and the savings get even larger.

Table: Comparison of Gasoline vs Electric Car Fuel Costs

	Gasoline Car	Electric Car	Solar Electric Car
Fuel Cost	$4.00/gallon	20¢ per kWh	7¢ per kWh
Car Mileage	20 mpg	3.5 mi per kWh	3.5 mi per kWh
Cost per Mile	20¢ per mile	5.7¢ per mile	2¢ per mile
100 Mile Trip Comparison
Fuel Needed	5 gallons	28.6 kWh	28.6 kWh
Trip Cost	$20.00	$5.72	$2.00

You can produce electricity for that 100 mile trip with a small 1 kW or 2kW solar panel system. Prices start around $3,500, and you can apply a 30% federal tax credit and any state or local utility rebates for solar. So you could charge your EV with solar panels for 25 years for as little as $2,400. A solar panel setup like this would pay for itself in about a year of gas savings.

Using solar energy to power your home is a great idea. Using home solar energy to power your car is an even better idea! Solar Panels Online is leading the way to that brighter future and can assist you in planning a system for your home and your electric car needs. We have solar panels, EV charging stations and everything you'll need to save a lot of money.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

US solar energy industry has record-breaking growth in 2010

2011-05-23T17:22:07Z

The U.S. solar energy industry had an exceptional year in 2010. The industry’s total market value grew 67 percent from $3.6 billion in 2009 to $6.0 billion in 2010, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Year-in-Review 2010, a study released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research. Solar power gleamed as a bright spot in the U.S. economy last year as the fastest growing energy sector.

Overall, 878 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) capacity and 78 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) were installed in the U.S. in 2010. That’s enough to power around 200,000 homes. On top of that, over 65,000 homes and businesses installed solar water heating (SWH) or solar pool heating (SPH) systems.

The U.S. PV market made the greatest gains in 2010, more than doubling installation totals from 2009. Much of this was helped by the Federal section 1603 Treasury program, completion of important utility-scale projects, expansion of new state markets and the declining costs of technology.

The section 1603 Treasury program helped fourth-quarter installations swell to a record 359 MW. The program was vital in helping the solar industry employ over 93,000 Americans in 2010. The 1603 Treasury Program was ultimately extended through 2011 due to its success. Initially, it was set to expire at the end of 2010.

Market diversification was another distinguishing characteristic of U.S. solar energy development in 2010. In 2007, only four states installed more than 10 MW of PV. By 2010, the number of states rose to 16. The top ten states for PV installation in 2010 were: California, New Jersey, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina and Texas.

Declining costs were another significant factor in the 2010 solar expansion. Technology costs fell, installation practices improved and the industry further matured to help lower solar energy costs. The annual PV system cost declined 8 percent for residential property and 11 percent for commercial property segments.

According to a source at GTM Research, “The U.S. PV market saw a breakthrough in 2010 and is emerging as a global demand center for both supplier and project developers.” It was also noted that the report shows that solar energy has become one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, creating additional opportunities for small and large businesses.

Despite the economic downturn, the solar industry is significantly growing The solar industry is providing tens of thousands of new American jobs each year. The president and CEO of SEIA noted that the solar industry’s goal of powering 2 million homes annually by 2015 was well within reach.

Not only did the study provide an in-depth analysis of the U.S. PV Market, it also gave insight into the CSP and solar heating and cooling markets. The 75 MW Martin CSP plant installed in Florida is the largest to come online in almost 20 years and forecasts a pipeline of more than 9 GW of CSP projects under development. For the first time in 2010, the federal government approved permits for CSP plants on public land.

Solar heating and cooling markets also flourished in 2010. The top five states for solar water heating installations in 2010 were Arizona, Hawaii, Florida, California and Puerto Rico. The top five for solar pool heating were California, Florida, New York, Arizona and Illinois. The unpredictable and always changing natural gas and heating oil prices will determine the future of these markets.

Solar power is within your reach

2011-05-23T17:14:37Z

What is the most cost-effective way to cut electricity bills? Find a location with plenty of sunshine and add solar panels to your home. Sure, making the initial decision to go solar is simple, but from there things can be a bit tricky. Purchasing twenty five years of electricity upfront seems to be out of the question for many. Some would-be solar electricity buyers are so intimidated by the initial price tag, they don’t look into it any further. Discounting solar energy based on the sticker shock can be a mistake. There are many new ways of financing solar energy that can put in in reach for everyone, not just the well-to-do. There are still solar PV incentives for consumers to take advantage of and prices have also come down.

Net Metering

One of the initial things a prospective buyer of a grid-tied solar electric system should do is check if net metering if offered in your state or utility district. Net metering is the term applied to the fact that your electric meter runs backward when your solar system is producing more energy than you are using.

If you generate more electricity than you use over a billing period, net metering is what the utility company uses to credit you for it. At the end of a billing period (which could be once a month or possibly once a year), your credits are “netted out” against the electricity you purchased from the utility. If your solar PV system was designed to offset all of your use, your bills may reflect only mandatory fees the utility system charges you for your use of its distribution, billing system or other non-electricity costs.

In certain cases, you may find you produced more electricity from solar than you used. Rules vary from state to state and from one utility to another on whether you’ll be compensated. Overproduction isn’t very common. This is because most incentives aim to size systems to deliver no more energy than the household uses.

It is important to understand if the ongoing credits applied for your solar production are offered at the same retail rate you pay for utility power.

A good resource to make sense of the rules and policies of net metering from state to state is the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE). The database will give you a comprehensive list of state policies on net metering.

For example, Tennessee does not presently have a statewide policy on net metering. However, the Tennessee Valley Authority offers its solar customers a production-based payment that serves as an enticing alternative. If you discover that your state or utility district does not offer net metering or any alternative, don’t hesitate to make your views known to your local politicians.

With net metering, the availability varies from state to state, among utility districts and even between cities and towns. The DSIRE database can direct you to the agencies that administer incentives in your area, where you can obtain the most current information. Incentives are always changing. Right now, several types of financial approaches are used in the U.S. to encourage consumers to go solar.

Rebates

Another money saving approach is to obtain a rebate for purchasing and installing a solar electric system. Normally, solar rebate amounts are calculated per watt of a system’s rated production capacity. This refers to the maximum amount of electricity it is projected to be able to produce under ideal conditions. An average residential solar system may be rated at 5 kilowatts (5,000 watts) of DC capacity. Just to note, rebates have declined in California over the past ten years from as much as $4 per watt to as little as 65 cents per watt since installation costs have declined.

Tax Incentives

The DSIRE database will help you find out of your state or local jurisdiction offers tax credits. The federal government offers a tax credit for 30 percent of the cost of a solar PV system.

The federal tax credit, known as the Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit, is set to expire at the end of 2016. For business owners, this credit is known as a Business Energy Investment Tax Credit.

Businesses can also be eligible for accelerated depreciation of solar equipment purchase. Certain states offer their own tax credits for solar PV installations, others consider property-tax exemptions, and others offer sales-tax exemptions for buying solar equipment. The DSIRE database is the best source to find out what is available and where.

Renewable Energy Credits or Certificates

If consumers lease a solar PV system or sign a power purchase agreement with a solar electricity company, the incentives often go to the company. The same goes for another incentive, known as Renewable Energy Credits or Certificates, or, if designed solely for solar generators, Solar Renewable Energy Credits, or SRECs.

These credits are available to homeowners in only a limited number of states. Property owners can use the electricity their systems generate but can sell the credit for producing it to someone else. Many utilities are required to include renewable electricity in their generation portfolios. Companies and other organizations that want credit for producing renewable electricity also buy these credits.

Prices and rules vary widely for different marketplaces. Usually, one credit is given for every 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity generated. An ideally located 5-kw residential solar system can generate about five to eight credits a year depending on their location and factors like weather that can affect solar production.

In New Jersey, the recent price was as much as $685 per credit.

It can be challenging for homeowners and other small-scale generators to partake in large SREC markets. However, some specialized companies have appeared to help make the process easier. Even some solar installation companies can help as well. In some instances, small-system owners can sell the rights to their credits ahead of time and receive a lump sum payment.

Production-based incentives can help make a solar electric system profitable. Be sure to do your research since rules vary in different areas.

Feed-in Tariffs

A feed-in tariff is another type of solar incentive. This pays solar owners directly for the electricity their systems produce. It’s based on a particular price per kilowatt-hour, paid for a certain period of time. Feed-in tariffs have helped turn Germany, not exactly well known for its sunshine, into the leader in solar production capacity. Solar PV has become one of Germany’s top industries. Spain adopted a feed-in tariff in 2008, causing them to jump into second place, behind Germany, in solar capacity.

Direct solar feed-in tariffs have been attempted in the United States, mostly as pilot programs. The programs were extremely popular in every instance, especially with homeowners. The state of Vermont, the city of Gainesville, FL, and the state of Oregon have made feed-in tariffs available. The city of Los Angeles is considering them.

Don’t let the initial cost of installing a solar PV system scare you. There are many incentives that make it affordable for the average American to enjoy the benefits of solar panels in their homes and businesses. Be sure to take the time to investigate all the incentive options available in your area, and your worries about the cost of solar installation should begin to fade.

Paying for your solar installation

2011-05-15T17:50:00Z

You’ve decided to give solar panels a try and enjoy the independence that comes from generating your own power. However, this also means you have to pay for the equipment that makes it happen. You may have to pay as you go for the electricity through a lease or power purchase agreement. Most consumers are not accustomed to purchasing 20 to 30 years of energy all at once.

It’s becoming easier for ordinary people to start managing their own electricity use and production. This isn’t known by much of the public, even though digital meters are being installed in homes and solar modules may be popping up on some rooftops in their community.

There are more options than ever when paying for a new solar electric system. Paying cash is the most cost-effective way to generate your own power from the sun. This can generate a long-term electricity price less than what the utility would charge. Of course, it depends on your location, the sun exposure, the cost of solar in your area and the availability of incentives.

Before you invest, it’s a wise idea to obtain solar price quotes from a minimum of three qualified installers before making a commitment. Each installation is unique, therefore the cost of installing solar on houses can vary depending on roof types and other conditions.

In late 2010, several areas around the country reported typical systems of $5 to $7 per DC watt of nameplate installed production capacity for the easiest installations. “Nameplate” is the sum of the modules’ rated capacities: 20 modules rated for 195 watts each eqyals 3,900 watts, or 3.9 kilowatts. At $6 per watt, a system would run $23,400, but keep in mind that incentives like rebates and tax credits, can drastically reduce the cost.

To discover what utility, state or local incentives are available, consumers can visit our directory of solar rebates State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency. A 30 percent federal tax credit for the cost of a solar PV system is available to those with federal tax liabilities. This is scheduled to remain in effect through 2016.

Solar equipment leases and solar power purchase agreements are the two fastest-growing ways of obtaining solar energy. A power purchase agreement is similar to a lease, but states the consumer is agreeing to buy electricity at a set price for a specified period. The effect may be similar with many lease offerings, which may guarantee the system will produce a certain amount of electricity during the lease term.

The cost per kilowatt-hour is a significant figure that will help make it easier to know what you’ll be paying, no matter what method you choose.

If using cash, this number can be identified with a reasonable amount of accuracy, by dividing the total price to be paid over a period of years by the number of kilowatt-hours of electricity a system can be predicted to produce.

You can try this solar calculator that can be used to estimate long-term production. The solar calculators utilize a variety of databases, but results should all be similar. However, some consumers may find one simpler to use than another. User directions are given to account for such things as an array’s tilt, orientation and the losses that occur between a system’s standard DC-rated production capacity and its actual AC power production.

Cost and payback estimates from solar calculators may not necessarily be up to date. This is because prices and incentives are much more unpredictable than the average annual sunshine levels.

Inverters are used to convert the DC output of a solar array into AC. Don’t forget to take into account the potential future cost of a new inverter. Most inverters carry warranties of 5 to 15 years, compared to other power production warranties of 20 to 25 years for solar modules.

There are many options to finance solar PV. The following are the most common:
Cash purchase
Home equity loan or line of credit
Cash-out mortgage refinancing
Loans from banks, credit unions, utility programs, solar companies or other organizations
Utility on-bill financing
Solar leases
Power purchase agreements

Group acquisitions of solar PV systems are becoming increasingly common as a way of cutting prices through economies of scale. These groups can be formed by nonprofit organizations of by for-profit companies, and may allow customers to use varying financing methods.

Property Assessed Clean Energy financing, known as PACE, was a rapidly-growing way of paying for solar until complaints from federal mortgage regulators put most of these programs on hold in the spring of 2010. With PACE, buyers who installed solar were able to pay the money back through increased property-tax assessments. If an owner moved, the solar PV system remained with the property and the new owner was responsible for the tax payments.

The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development is planning to launch a new pilot loan program for solar PV and other home energy improvements known as PowerSaver.

Solar leases and power purchase agreements have been growing in popularity and are now rather common. Often, they require no down payment. At times, customers may be able to provide an upfront payment in exchange for a reduced electricity rate. It depends on each situation, but leases and power purchase agreements can offer instant as well as long-term savings compared with a utility’s electricity price.

In certain cases, the initial solar electricity price per kilowatt-hour may be higher than the customer is currently paying, but it can be locked in for a long time. Also, the company is responsible for any repairs, insurance and maintenance with a lease or power purchase agreement. Power purchase agreements are often used by commercial, governmental, utility companies and homeowners.

Although not as common, utility on-bill financing may be available in some locations. With this, a solar PV system is financed by the utility and the cost is repaid through periodic billing. The increase in a bill that results from financing can be easily counteracted by substantially lower usage of the utility’s electricity.

The initial costs of a new solar PV system can be intimidating. Consumers are often unsure whether they can trust power production warranties that last 20 years or more since the technology is so new.

Take the time to investigate solar and measure the cost with using utility-supplied electricity and you may be pleasantly surprised. There is a big reason many utility customers switch to solar – it saves them money.

Not only does solar save money, it allows customers to generate clean electricity directly from the sun and help the planet.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Solar Installation Permit Fees Slashed In Colorado

2011-05-12T15:43:00Z

The Colorado legislature has passed the Fair Permit Act HB-1199, which will limit solar permit and related fees to a local government's actual costs in issuing the permit, not to exceed $500 for a residential installation or $1,000 for a commercial system. This legislation also closed loopholes and improves transparency in the permit process.

In what could become a new national model for lowering solar fees, the Fair Permit Act flew through the legislature by large majorities, passing the Colorado Senate on a 33-2 vote and through the House 64-1. The bipartisan legislation heads to the Governor's desk to be signed into law.

Costs to install solar technology are set to decrease in Colorado under the new legislation to prevent state and local government agencies from charging excessive permit fees and plan review fees to customers installing solar electric or solar thermal systems.

Most solar installations require a permit from a local government or state agency, which can add about $2,516 per U.S. residential installation on average and can exceed $100,000 for large-scale installations, according to a recent national study. In Colorado, state permit fees more than doubled in 2010 as solar power gained popularity, and local fees and processes vary widely by region. In some communities, government permit costs can exceed the labor costs to install a solar system.

Nationally, the U.S. Department of Energy, through its SunShot Program, has recently set a goal to reduce permit and inspection costs by 88% by streamlining processes and reducing unnecessary fees. This is part of a larger effort to reduce solar panel costs to $1 per watt by 2017.

(c) FreeCleanSolar, Inc.

Solar Power - Does the value outweigh the costs?

2011-05-10T04:35:00Z

With solar power, not many of us know how the cost of solar panels is measured. We also don’t immediately see the relationship between the cost of solar power and the value of solar power.

Solar panel costs are not as easy to figure out as the cost of a tank of gas. When you purchase a tank, the value of the tank is enjoyed and used more or less immediately. When it comes to solar panels, the value is delivered over a number of years. So, how much do solar panels cost, and does their value outweigh the cost?

First, let’s take on the cost of solar panels. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels – which turn the sun’s rays into electricity – are usually priced in dollars per watt ($/W). When you buy a home solar energy system, you are paying for the ability to generate electricity for the present and into the future.

One of the biggest concerns deals with the out-of-pocket costs of a solar PV system. So, how much will you paying? Remember, each solar home project is different so the cost can vary from house to house. Also, it can differ from region to region because solar rebates and solar tax credits are often made available at the state and/or local level. (Don’t forget – all U.S. homeowners with federal income tax liability can take advantage of a federal solar energy tax credit worth 30 percent of system costs.) Here are a few resources that may help with solar energy costs:

The Open PV Project passes on pricing information from solar installers across the country. At this time in 2010, the national average cost of solar PV was $7.62 per watt. Not all solar companies participate in the project, but the data will offer a good idea at how much homeowners across America are paying for solar power.
Some states mandate solar installers to report the prices of their solar installations. In these states, officials may withhold solar rebates if numbers aren’t submitted. For example, Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Solar Rebate Program reported a median cost of $5.92/W for residential solar energy projects. Go Solar California gives quarterly updates on residential solar costs, which in 2010 are averaging about $7.50 per watt.
Using a default value of $7.00/W for residential solar projects is a reasonable figure. This pre-incentive figure will be lowered by the solar rebates and tax credits that are available in your area.
It is crucial to always get more than one solar home energy quote. It is recommended to receive three estimates from qualified solar installers. The best way to know for sure how much solar panels for your home will cost is to receive a hard proposal from a solar company.

Assuming a pre-incentive cost of $7.00/W, an average 5-kW system would have a total cost of $35,000 ($7.00W X 5,000 W = $35,000). Solar rebates and the 30 percent federal solar tax credit would further reduce the cost.

What about the value of solar panels? Does it outweigh the cost?

Once again, the answer depends on each particular project and region. In states that are “good” for solar – such as Arizona, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Hawaii among others – a solar panel system can pay for itself in as little as three to five years along with delivering long-term energy savings.

When thinking about solar energy for your home, you should consider the following factors, each of them contribute to solar panels’ return on investment:

The price you pay for electricity. Homeowners who already pay a high per-kilowatt hour price for electricity will see the biggest financial return.
The solar energy incentives available in your area. In some states you may be eligible to sell solar renewable energy credits (SRECs). This is a residential solar energy system that will not only cut you’re electric bill, but also generate income beyond just utility savings.
The amount of sunshine in your area. Solar systems do produce more power in sunnier regions.
Don’t forget that solar will have a positive impact on your home value. Solar panels reduce a home’s overall cost of ownership and therefore improve its overall value.

A good quote will be able to determine the yearly savings of a solar panel system. It should also include a cash flow analysis that shows a projected pay back period and return on investment.

There are many solar power projects that are significantly lowering homeowners’ electricity bills and offering a good return on investment. This suggests that the value of solar panels considerably exceeds the costs. Admittedly, in states where local incentives for solar power are weak and/or electricity is relatively inexpensive, such as Kentucky and Nevada, it’s tough to determine if the value of solar is greater than the costs.

Solar panels are quickly becoming more affordable. In the future, it is likely that more and more states will takes steps to promote solar power and the value of a home solar energy system will be strong for homeowners in all fifty states.