California homeowners lead the rest of the country in residential solar installation as well as the purchase of do-it-yourself solar kits. Solar systems are not just an environmental decision for homeowners, but maybe more importantly, a cost saving one. There are a few things a homeowner (If you are installing yourself) or your solar contractor should consider when designing a system for your home or cabin.
Shading possibilities, slope and orientation, longevity of the solar panel manufacture and of course costs are some of the more important considerations for solar system design. We will point out a few basic solar application principles wither you live in California or outside the golden state. Continue reading California Home Solar Design Considerations, A Few Items To Consider Before You Buy →
Driven to move solar, wind and regional clean energy progress forward, California pass a law requiring all utility companies to purchase 20% of their power from solar or other renewable sources by 2013. By 2020 it is 33% solar and other renewable sources. Most California utility companies are scrambling to meet those deadlines, except Sacramento’s municipal utility company.
Already ahead of the curve, Sacramento is already on pace having made a commitment to solar and clean energy years ago. The flip side of being a solar hero, Sacramento will not enjoy the job growth other parts of the state are having as a result of the solar renewable energy law. In Sacramento, the local utility is already so “green” that it has met state requirements to use renewable power sources. Continue reading California Utilities Scramble To Meet Solar Mandate, Sacramento Already There →
The new Sacramento utility district budget is out and there is something in it for all you solar fans. To start with, SMUD is funding solar incentives to add 13.6 megawatts of new solar capacity in the Sacramento area. This program allows homeowners to contract direct with Sacramento solar installers for the installation of their own grid tied solar electric system. SMUD then offers the home or business owner a rebate based on expected system performance. Continue reading Sacramento Utility 2011 Budget Paints Bright Picture for Solar →
2010 looks like it will go down as a good year for the California solar industry despite major obstacles that have cropped up in the path of renewable energy in the state. The first obstacle earlier this spring, Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac created a rule that pulled the plug on a popular solar financing program, Property Assessed Clean Financing (PACE).
PACE was a creative tool a homeowner could use to secure solar financing and pay it back over a long period through their property taxes. If they solar the home solar system, the loan would stay with the property. Good deal for the homeowner. Good deal for the solar community. Good deal for the local economies which kept the money in the communities. Fanny, Freddie (which means Wall Street) must have felt significantly threatened because they created a rule that said they would not guarantee any home with PACE solar financing attached. Continue reading California Solar Sales Remain Strong Despite Significant Obstacles →
Sacramento solar companies offering solar electric and thermal hot water is making solar easier to acquire and have installed on your home. Increasing household monthly cash flow by offsetting rising energy costs can be your hedge against your shrinking budget. The process is fast, free to get started, and because it is based on the leading solar technology, fool-proof. All you need to do is contact one of Blue Pacific Sacramento solar companies consultants for a free home energy analysis. Go to the right hand column of this page, click on “learn more” and turn your Sacramento home into a sunshine factory making money for you every month. Continue reading Sacramento Solar Companies Make Acquiring Home Systems Easy →
Traveling the Haitian countryside before the January earthquake no one would have had to tell me that only 12.5% of the population was connected to public power. Portable solar and solar thermal was about the only way you were going to get electricity and hot water for a shower.
The earthquake leveled the country and created even more hardships for the lovely people of Haiti. Portable solar and solar generators are playing an important role int he countries recovery. With diesel difficult and expensive to come by, solar is coming to the rescue. Continue reading Portable Solar Lights Provide Safety in Haiti →
The Pentagon has inked a deal with a California solar company to test new concentrated solar at several U.S. locations. It is always fascinating when the Department of Defense takes an aggressive position in support of solar technology. It is this kind of government renewable energy technology development that will make solar as much of our everyday lives as they did with the internet 20 years ago. When you start to understand that solar, wind and energy independence is a matter of national security, it is the right thing to do. Continue reading Military Testing Concentrated Solar Technology →
Sacramento California – In Northern California, solar installers have flourished despite obstacles put up by the economy, Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac (See Story PACE solar financing). Tech savvy solar installers are helping homeowners walk through the often confusing minefield of solar financing and permitting using software geared to helping families understand the solar process. Continue reading Sacramento Area Homeowners Walking Down The Solar Path →
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