Solar energy and nighttime hours aren’t usually a match made in heaven. However, artist Daan Roosegaarde has found a way to create a new spin on solar. How? A solar bike path. Lit with solar-powered LED lights, the path twinkles brightly at night and provides locals an aesthetically pleasing place to walk and bike. Glowing stones harness energy from the sun during the day and glow for 8 hours during the night.

The half-mile path which was created in 2014 is a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh’s hallmark painting Starry Night. The small Dutch town was originally used by Van Gogh as a backdrop for his paintings. The new bike path reminds passerbys of his legacy and the once under-treasured Starry Night.

In an interview with NPR, Roosegaarde remarked, “You have people who are interested in technology to make landscapes which are energy neutral. You have people interested in cultural history and experiencing it in a contemporary way. You have boys and girls who have a first date and want to take their date to a special place.”

The technology behind this innovative idea is being further developed to use for roads and other paths. Due to the increasing reliance on solar across the United States, we’d expect to see similar concepts under construction locally.

Many countries have experimented with solar pathways. Not long before the Starry Night bike path, the Dutch town of Krommenie installed similar technology. This particular path generates enough energy to be back-funneled into the city’s energy grid. Not only is it a self-sustatining project, it is an asset to the city.

If you’re interested in how solar can save thousands of dollars on utility bills and reduce your carbon footprint, fill out this form for a free quote. Although solar panels on homes don’t quite look like a post-impressionist work of art, the return is the same. Get a hold of us for more information.

We’ve been hearing whispered rumors of solar roads for almost ten years. Where are they? Is there a future for solar roads? Although roads haven’t made a widespread appearance, a handful of universities and organizations have experimented with photovoltaic pavement including driveways, walking paths, and parking lots. The idea is to increase energy efficiency by incorporating solar-harnessing materials into roadways. These roads offer phenomenal benefits: the ability to power streetlamps, warm up ice and snow, and provide LEDs that double as traffic lanes. It’s not impossible.

Although becoming energy-efficient is a commendable effort, this futuristic accessory may be just a little too far out of reach. Many obstacles have halted their immediate progress. Take a look:

Cost

The cost is a whopping 90 times the cost of a regular road installation. Although there are convenient bells and whistles attached to these roads, many argue that the widespread implementation would be a very poor use of taxpayer dollars. China’s 1 kilometer long solar road costed about $458 per square meter.

Efficiency

Homes are an ideal place to install solar panels. Angled towards the sun, they are at an optimal place to receive full sun exposure. The purpose of solar panels is to collect as much light as possible. Slanted solar roads? Probably won’t work quite as well. Cars would prevent tons of light from reaching the glassy pavement, especially during rush hour.

Safety

Perhaps the biggest issue with solar roads is the package of safety concerns attached. Solar panels need to be partly transparent, but a composition of glass or smooth rock wouldn’t fare too well in a severe hail or snow storm. The lack of gravel and rock that gives the road friction would make it difficult for cars to stay safe on the road.

So although solar roads would provide an enormous amount of renewable energy, the development process may take another decade. Regardless of the progress of solar roads, the path to sustainable living for homeowners is much more inexpensive. Solar panels reduce the monthly cost of utility bills in most locations. Fill out the form on our website for a free quote!

When life gives you 1,232 lemons, grab a homemade zip line and some energy from the sun and build a solar-powered mega car that crushes track records. At least that’s what former NASA engineer Mark Rober decided to do. And it worked.

On assignment from Volkswagen, Rober was tasked with harnessing energy to charge their supercar at the annual Pike’s Peak race. He was originally inspired by a middle school-like science projects—powering a light bulb using a lemon. Lining up over a thousand lemons on metal ribs, he and fellow YouTube engineer William Osman were able to generate the world’s largest lemon battery.

It may have been the largest, but with the electricity to power only 2 laps around a track, they turned to other methods to fulfill their dream. That’s where the zip lines comes in. The team attached a battery to a zip line and relied on friction to charge it. Giving neighborhood kids a free zip line ride doubled as a few dozen battery charges. Unfortunately, the battery was still undercharged for the big race.

Rober explains that the sun powers everything we do. People eat plants, plants grow from photosynthesis, and the sun drives photosynthesis. What about wind power? Wind creates energy by turning massive wind turbines, but the heat caused from the sun allows wind to even exist. Basically, the sun is the source of all energy, so why not use it first? By attaching solar panels to his house, Rober was able to generate the remaining amount of energy for the award-winning supercar.

The car was put to the test. Not only did it win the race, but it crushed the track record by an entire 15 seconds.

Many think that renewable energy is an inefficient way to power everyday activities. However, Rober and Osman proved that renewable energy sources are a powerful and reliable way to generate energy. It is cost effective, reusable, and guilt-free. If power from the sun has the capacity to charge a supercar, it can most definitely charge your dishwasher or television. Whether you’ve explored solar options or not, solar power is the best way to power a home. Click here for a free quote.

Very noble indeed! The search giant Google has partnered with SolarCity and already dumped more than $300 million into a fund to help Americans install solar panels on their homes. SolarCity has already garnered $750 million to help finance homeowners in 15 states. SolarCity says homeowners usually pay less for electricity than those using traditional fossil fuel sources. The other benefit of solar is that is much cleaner than traditional fuels.  This is the largest investment to date that Google has made to renewable energy projects.

Sidd Mundra, Renewable Energy Principal at Google, said “It’s good for the environment, good for families and also makes good business sense.”

Google has recently launched “Project SunRoof” which is currently only available in San Francisco, Fresno, and Boston for now. As it spreads accross the nation, it allows users to enter their home address and find out how much they would save by going solar.

Don’t want to wait till Project Sunroof is in your area? Click Here to find out now how much you could be saving on your utility bill!

Don’t Go Solar…without reading this…

1. “Solar isn’t efficient enough, I should wait.”

It’s true that solar becomes more efficient as new technologies are introduced, however, the gains are only moderate. It simply makes sense to move to a cheaper, cleaner, energy source like solar, especially as the price of dirty power continues to rise. Current incentives to go solar won’t be around forever. The longer you wait, the more panels will likely cost in the long run.

2. “Solar panels are ugly.”

Environmental awareness and clean technologies are becoming cooler than ever. Solar panel styles are becoming more low profile and less noticeable than the view you may have in your head of the huge ugly panels from the 60’s. Solar panels in fact now are made in a variety of colors and some even look like shingles. Solar panels for your home are good looking not only in appearance but what they are doing to reduce home-owners power bills.

3. “Solar is too expensive and won’t pay for itself.”

Solar panels are not just for the super affluent or environmental nuts. Solar panels are increasingly benefitting all homeowners. The simple fact is that they save you money every month by producing power from one of the ultimate free resources…the sun.

Solar panel in fact return up to four times their cost in money saved on electric bills.

With current incentives, solar panels could pay for themselves in under 4 years. Even with no incentives, solar panels averagely pay for themselves in 7 to 15 years. Once panels are paid off, they essentially produce Free electricity!

4. “Solar panels will increase your property tax.”

In most states solar panels are exempt from property taxes. This means that the resale value of your home will go up without you having to pay taxes on the extra value. If you invest in a new deck, you would have to pay for not only the cost of the deck, you would also have to pay taxes each year on the amount it increased the value of your home.

5. “Solar panels require a lot of maintenance.”

You will want to wash your solar panels once a year or so by squirting them with a hose. In most instances the rain cleans your panels sufficiently. Solar panel systems are pretty stable and monitored to alert you about any issues. If you lease a system, the company you lease it from will service it if you experience any problems.

6. “Electric companies don’t like solar.”

On the contrary, your electric company may need you more than they think.

Most solar systems are tied to the grid, meaning that when you produce more power than you are using, while your away from home at work for example, your power meter runs backward meaning the utility company is paying you!!

7. “Solar doesn’t work in cloudy or rainy climates.”

Solar panels do not need full sun to operate. Solar panels can produce huge amounts of energy on overcast or rainy days. Solar panels work great in cooler climates, as long as there is light outside solar panels are generating energy.

8. “Solar panels don’t have a long life span.”

The technology is much the same today as is was in the 60’s. The biggest difference even more so than efficiency is the simple cost energy. When you consider we burn coal in many places to boil water to drive a stream engine to produce energy, solar panels is a no brainer. Even after 25 years the average panel operates at 87.5% of the original power output.

    9. “The U.S. has plenty of resources at a great rate.”

While its true the US has tons and tons of coal and natural gas that can be used for energy production, it is dirty and volatile.  The oil and gas industry is volatile in nature and leaves us vulnerable as a nation. Solar panels are clean and have a long life span. Panels continue to generate energy all year round without you having to do anything.

Don’t go solar if you support damaging the environment.

Don’t go solar if you don’t like saving money!

If, however, you like the environment and like saving money then click here to at least get a free quote!

I want Solar Panels – How Do I Pay for Them?

With the rising cost of electricity and the seemingly monopolistic relationship many have with current providers, it’s now small wonder that cost savings is the top reason homeowners across the country are going solar. Not only can you save major money, and increase your homes value, you also free yourself from being hostage to your utility provider and its rates.  Like all major purchases in life we have to figure out where the money is going to come from in order to buy what we want. Solar installations are no different. Some call it a budget, some call it a spending plan, either way, you have options when it comes to putting solar on your home.

If you have the cash (tens of thousands of dollars) to cover the purchase and installation of solar panels, and you aren’t interested in tax incentives, you can simply write the check and forego reading the rest of this article. However, if like the majority of home-owners, given the cost of solar panels for your home, you need some help with the financing. Here is a description of the most popular options.

First, make the lease or buy decision. If you decide to lease, the financing issue is almost non-existent. With leasing, you purchase your electricity from the company who owns the panels attached to your roof.

Not only are leased systems installed at a very nominal price (often at zero cost), most leased systems offer zero maintenance fees. With a lease option the homeowner provides the roof, the utility company installs and maintains the equipment, the utility company takes all the power generated, then sells that power back to the homeowner through a monthly utility bill – albeit generally at a reduced rate.

Leasing provides the doing good for the environment feeling and saves a bit on the utility costs. No (or minimal) up-front costs also means minimal savings. If you are looking for a bigger return on your investment, purchasing a solar system may be what you are looking for.

Today there are tax credits, rebates, and other incentives available to those who choose to join the renewable energy movement and purchase and install solar energy panels. These incentives are available through Federal, State, and local government entities and can lower the cost of a solar energy system by up to 50%. By capitalizing on these incentives rebates, a solar energy system can quickly pay for itself.

Residential tax incentives come in many forms including Federal and State income tax credits or deductions, sales tax rebates, and local property tax credits. These can all be used to reduce the up-front costs of purchasing a solar energy system.

While the tax incentives are nice, the money to purchase the system usually comes out of the consumer’s pocket. To help with that, some solar companies will credit your account for the federal incentive up front – don’t forget to ask your provider about this. And for the rest of the money, consider a home equity loan to pay the remainder of the costs. A home equity loan gives you additional tax benefits over paying on a credit card. If you don’t have sufficient equity in your home, try a home improvement loan or financing through the company you are purchasing the system through. Even though the up-front costs can be a huge chunk of cash, the rewards of cheap electricity can help you see a return on your investment quickly.

Remember that tax laws change often. Always consult your accountant, attorney, or tax advisor for up to date information prior to making a purchasing decision based on possible rebates or tax credits.

Interested in learning how much you can save with solar? Click here to get a free quote and have all your questions answered for free.

Power is awesome! but Power is expensive! Homeowners all over the country are looking for cost savings opportunities. Solar, in times past have been out of reach or not feasible for the majority of residential electric consumers. Old, common misconceptions surrounding solar are beginning to come apart at the seams. Technological advances among other factors has drastically reduced the cost of solar panels to consumers, in fact, many homes are going solar for zero money down.

Start Saving Today –

In this article you will find 3 easy steps to start saving:

1. Find out what you’re paying now
2. Find out how much can you save with solar
3. Find out why now is the best time to act

Spending less on your utility bill is a no brainer. Honestly, if you could save up to 70 percent or more on your utility bill, you would, right? Who wouldn’t? Depending on where you live and the size of your home this could be several hundred dollars per month. So how can you save like thousands of fellow Americans? First, take a look at a recent utility bill to find out what you are currently paying. Your bill should display what you are paying overall per kWh. Use this number to see how much you are paying relative to other states in the country. Take a look at where your state ranks here: State Solar Rankings  You will want to know this information to help you make the most informed decision.

Ok, so now how much can you save per month? There are obviously many factors that play into this, but according to a report out of NC State University, NC Clean Energy Technology Center, cost savings of solar customers in America’s 50 largest cities was an average of $44 to $187 per month saved in just the first year. The fastest most definitive way to know how much you can save is to request a free solar quote.

Why is now the right time? Well Solar has always been awesome, but was expensive. Not anymore, in fact the prices of solar panels has fallen over 70% since 1998. Additionally, Federal and State incentives are available to make it possible to have a full system installed on your home for $0 down. One of the biggest incentives often overlooked but very obvious is that solar energy is free! The sun comes up every day and shines on us all, some are better at making it work for them, why not you?

The financial benefits make more sense than ever. There are plenty of options aside from the incentives offered by your utility and state and national governments. You have the option to buy the system upfront and own it as well as many attractive leasing options. You can learn more about the costs and decision making information here.

Long term benefit. (Electricity prices beat inflation going up 2.5% annually between 2000-2006.)  Chances are they will continue to rise by at least this rate year over year. For example, the average residential price per kWh in the U.S. in 2005 was 9.45¢ overall. In 2014 it was 12.5¢, equaling a nearly 34 cent increase per year. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, March 2015.) This is actually good news for homeowners that go solar because the cost savings actually increase every year.

By installing solar panels, you are able to lock in pricing at today’s low rates. Going Solar is a great long-term investment that will save you money. The best way to find out how much you can save is to get a free, no obligation consultation with a professional solar installer.

Interested in learning how much you can save with solar? Click here to get a free quote.

The Snowmass Village Solar House by Greenline Architects

Solar power is here to stay! A solar home can drastically reduce or eliminate electric bill payments. In some cases the utility providers are paying homeowners for electricity that is produced beyond what they use. Now that is a different idea isn’t it? The solar industry is booming now. Here are some of the best reasons to go solar today:

• According to the U.S. energy information association and the SEIA, the cost of installing solar on a home has fallen by 50% since 2007.
• Federal tax credits which expire in 2016, allow you to write off up to 30% of the costs.
•  If those incentives aren’t enough already, many states offer major incentives which make installing solar a no brainer.
• Many Solar providers are offering zero down lease options. All maintenance is done by the lease provider.
• Most systems pay for themselves in under 5 years and are built to last 25+ years. Big return on investment. (Keep in mind, Americans are paying almost 80% more for electricity than in the year 2000! You can bet prices will continue to rise.)
• Solar Homes have great resale value.
• Independence and Economic Security – Why leave it up to your utility and its’ board to determine what rate you pay? Be free from them or better yet, get them to pay you!
• Energy Security – Be the “solar home” on the block that still has power during a blackout.
• Solar energy is better for the environment. Clean and Safe.

Check out the Solar City savings comparison of solar homes in different states below. Solar City compares savings of a 5-kilowatt system in three places in the U.S. It assumes a system cost of $26,000 to $30,000,  this factors in sunlight, federal and local tax incentives, and local utility rates including a 3% annual increase.

In short, whether you buy or lease, you can save a ton of money in utility costs over time. Are you interested in learning how much you can save with solar? Click here to get a free quote.

Savings Over 20 Years: Location: Long Island, New York – moderate sun but high utility rates and incentives.

If you buy the system: $29,662

If if you lease and put $0 down: $14,956

Location: Los Angeles – lots of sun and cheaper utilities.

If you buy the system: $12,576

If if you lease and put $0 down: $10,437

Location: Tucson – plentiful sun but few incentives.

If you buy the system: $54,923

If if you lease and put $0 down: $43,773

Click here to get a FREE QUOTE for your home. No obligations, no joke, straight answers to your solar questions !

Lighting the Way: The USA’s Solar Boom, EnergyMatters.com

The Environment New York Research & Policy Center has released a report stating that over the last decade the United States capacity for solar PV has grown from 97 megawatts (1993) to 12,000 megawatts (2013). The report states that the Top Ten states with the most solar electricity installed per capita by end of 2013 were Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachussetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and North Carolina.

• The sharp drop in installation costs and increase in solar friendly policies have contributed to the solar growth seen within the United States.
• Solar industry growth has created solar jobs; in 2013 there were 140,000 solar workers in the United States, a higher number than coal miners.
• The Center recommends that the entire U.S. follow the lead of the Top Ten states and work to get at least 10% of its energy from the sun by 2030.

Link to Article: Energy Matters