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Fuel Production by Sunlight – Will this be the New Way of the World?

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Solar panel on a red roof

Solar panel on a red roof reflecting the sun and the cloudless blue sky

A lab in Berkeley, California has released information about a new solar power center that has the goal of producing fuel from sunlight. Chu Hall, named after the former Energy Department Secretary and Lab Director Steven Chu, this 40,000 square-foot building have the goal of creating more efficient renewable energy to replace the use of fossil fuels. This solar energy research center costs almost $60 million to create and get going.

Chu’s Motivation:

Chu believes that this is one of the most prominent issues in today’s society. He believes that by solving this major problem, the world will be saved. Science is thought to be the problem solver in this situation. Chu truly wants to increase the amount we utilize solar energy as well as make it cost-efficient.

Solar Energy:

At this time, scientists are only able to use the solar energy while the sun is shining; but they are hoping to change this. Since it is a natural resource, solar energy can easily be used without almost any repercussions. It’s simple: solar energy is free, clean, reliable, and renewable.

On a slightly smaller scale, solar energy is starting to become a main source of energy in homes today. It has been proven to actually improve a house’s value because of its modern aspect it. Solar panels are typically durable because they have no mobile parts, so once it’s situated in its place, it’s all set!

Solar Solutions Solar Application Specialists offer expertise in solar energy and heating solutions. This company has served many large hotels in Las Vegas, the Atlanta Summer Olympics, the Athens Olympic Games, Fort Bliss Military Base, and more. Based on their success stories from not only these large-scale projects, but on their small-scale projects as well, Solar Solutions seems to have solar solutions for everyone!

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_28192804/berkeley-lab-unveils-new-solar-energy-center-aimed

 

Do Solar Panels Increase the Resale Value of Your Home?

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Reza Residence Solar Intall 4With renewable energy becoming more and more popular these days, people want to know if adding solar panels will increase the value of their home. To that, we say, yes, installing solar panels will benefit your home, while you’re living in it and if you ever put your home on the market.

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, solar panels could add $15,000 to the value of your home – if you own the panels. However, if you’re just leasing solar panels, they could end up taking value away from your home, according to a Bloomberg report.

Obviously, the price of installing solar panels is what scares many people. Sure, you’re going to save money on a monthly basis by powering your home with solar energy, but you have to be smart about how you finance the system if you can’t afford paying for it upfront.

While leasing may seem like the right option for you, if you’re planning on moving from your home before the agreement is up, you’ll have to consider that this could affect your asking price, as the new homeowners could be inheriting something they could actually lease themselves for less. Alternatively, if you purchase the system (which can be subsidized by loan programs), you add value to your home through an asset that’s only going to increase in demand in the coming years.

So, if you’re still asking, do solar panels increase the resale value of your home? Yes, they can, but it’s not as definitive of an answer as we would like it to be. The main thing is to weigh all of your options and make sure you’re comfortable with your investment. After all, investing in solar panels is not only an investment in your home, but also your future!

Make Your Home Solar Powered

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Solar PanelsHomeowners across America are turning to solar panels to help power their homes. If you’re unsure whether you want your house to go solar, here are a few benefits of making the jump.

Price is Right
Right now, solar panels and solar technology are being produced cheaper than ever before. This means purchasing it for your home won’t cost too much. Therefore, where you thought you would have to potentially take out a loan from small-cash.com from here to convert your home, you might have enough money to get it done without the help of a loan.

Tax Breaks
There is plenty of tax breaks and incentives for installing solar power on to your home. So not only will you save yourself money when you purchase the system, but you may also get more money back during tax season as well. Many of these breaks and incentives are first come first serve, however, so get your taxes done as soon as possible.

Energy Price
With solar panels, you will find out how much energy you use and how much you will have to pay for it. This will make it easier to balance your finances and adjust accordingly if by some chance money gets short.

Increased Property Value
Whenever you add something to your home it raises the property value and solar panels are no different. This can be helpful if you are planning on selling your home down the road.

Local Economy Support
When you get your solar panels installed, you more than likely will be hiring a local company to handle the installation. By doing this, you help support your local economy and give the company free promotion by having their product on your house.

Energy Reliability
If you were to install solar panels, you would no longer be at the mercy of rolling blackouts and power outages. Your home would keep running like normal, allowing you to go about your day.

With all these benefits, it’s easy to see why you should install solar panels on to your home. When you’re ready to, let the experts at GR Solar Solutions take care of it. We’ve been designing and installing solar electric systems in Texas and New Mexico for over 30 years and will have your home running solar energy in no time. For more information, call us today at 915-581-0461!

 

 

Do Solar Panels Increase the Resale Value of Your Home?

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With renewable energy becoming more and more popular these days, people want to know if adding solar panels to their home will benefit them. To that, we say, yes, installing solar panels will benefit your home, while you’re living in it and if you ever put your home on the market.

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, solar panels could add $15,000 to the value of your home – if you own the panels. However, if you’re just leasing solar panels, they could end up taking value away from your home, according to a Bloomberg report.

Obviously, the price of installing solar panels is what scares many people. Sure, you’re going to save money on a monthly basis by powering your home with solar energy, but you have to be smart about how you finance the system if you can’t afford paying for it upfront.

While leasing may seem like the right option for you, if you’re planning on moving from your home before the agreement is up, you’ll have to consider that this could affect your asking price, as the new homeowners could be inheriting something they could actually lease themselves for less. Alternatively, if you purchase the system (which can be subsidized by loan programs), you add value to your home through an asset that’s only going to increase in demand in the coming years.

So, if you’re still asking, do solar panels increase the resale value of your home? Yes, they can, but it’s not as definitive of an answer as we would like it to be. The main thing is to weigh all of your options and make sure you’re comfortable with your investment. After all, investing in solar panels is not only an investment in your home, but also your future!

Where’s The Tipping Point For Solar Energy?

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With all the talk these days about renewable forms of energy, it’s easy to feel like we’re all just waiting around for something to happen. Many people are encouraged by the progress they hear about in the solar energy sector, but remain in the dark as to when it will be become widely and readily available. This confusion is understandable, but the answer is actually quite clear. As this recent Forbes article points out, more and more people will enjoy the benefits of clean, renewable solar energy when we have a grid infrastructure that will allow it to flourish

Of course, updating our energy grid is very expensive. But anyone who understands what’s going on in the world, anyone who worries about the future of his or her children and grandchildren, knows that it’s completely necessary and quite urgent. Besides, this type of project is exactly what our economy needs, something that will stimulate growth and provide job creation on an enormous scale.

Energy companies have already been investing in improvements for years, many of them to keep things running smoothly under stress, avoiding situations where congestion becomes a problem. In many cases, this is accomplished by enabling a grid to adapt to variances, which is exactly what is required for solar and wind to flourish. Because the collection of energy varies, our grid needs to be able to adapt.

Renewable forms of energy also require a grid that stores and transmits energy differently. In the case of solar, many people are finding the solution to be quite simple—just install the solar panels right on the roof! Localized solar panels allow for efficient delivery that can remove stress from the grid instead of adding to it. Contact us for solar Albuquerque assistance.

Even though we know that the benefits of renewable forms of energy like solar are great, we all need to be on board for them to reach a tipping point. States across the country have different attitudes and policies when it comes to energy, but things seem to be moving slowly in the right direction. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan calls for a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent within the next fifteen years.

A new, high-tech power grid will allow Americans to achieve the magnificent possibilities that clean energy like solar can help to provide. As with all powerful movements, however, individuals need to take the first step to loudly proclaim that solar energy is what they want, and more importantly, what they deserve. For residents in Texas or New Mexico, the first step can be taken by giving Solar Solutions a call today.

MIT Researchers Find That Solar Panels Can Power the World

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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently released a report stating that the solar panels used today have the ability to supply the world with power, with the capacity to produce terawatts of energy by 2050. One terawatt of energy is equal to one million megawatts, and the world population currently consumes 15 terawatts of energy.

Battery technology is seen as key to assisting in the switch to solar energy, because of the ability for a battery to store electricity during peak production and then dispense it when there is little or no sunlight.

Germany is seen as a successful example of solar energy use. In 1991, a Feed-in Tariff rebate plan was created to encourage production of solar panels and other low carbon energy sources. In 2013, Germany was producing 27 percent of the world’s solar energy.

With scientists already capable of harnessing the sun’s energy, the writers of the study believe investment will be the biggest setback in transferring to solar power. The United States uses 26 percent of the world’s power, but there is very little federal support for solar energy which will not likely change until carbon dioxide emissions become too costly. The study emphasizes a need for this support, as well as more research.

Solar Solutions Inc. has helped countless customers power their home or business with solar panels, providing them with an avenue to reduce their energy bills and their environmental footprint.

For more information about the numerous benefits of solar energy, please contact us today.

What Direction Should Solar Panels Face?

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Are you considering a solar panel for your home? If so, one of the first few questions you will probably ask yourself is “what is the best direction for solar panels to face so they will produce maximum power?”

Typically, your solar panel company will help you with the placement, but the general rule is if you are in the U.S., you should have your solar panels facing true south.

The more sunlight that reaches your solar panels, the more electricity you can generate and the more you will be able to save on your electric bill.

If your roof doesn’t face the south…

Don’t panic, if your roof faces east-west instead of north-south you have a few options. You could increase the solar collector area by using more solar panels or larger collectors. Another option is to place the panels somewhere other than your roof. You could mount panels on a south-facing wall or even on the ground. This is more unusual but it gives you easy access to the panels so you can clean or repair them easily.

Worried about not getting enough sunlight?

If you decide to place your panels on the ground instead of the roof, you could always look into placing your panels on trackers which adjust the position of the panels though out the year to maximize the amount of sunlight.

Now that you know the direction your solar panel should face, give Solar Solutions a call at 915-581-0461 today so we can answer any questions you may have regarding solar energy.

New Homes in Miami Require Solar Panels

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As the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source out there, solar power is the energy of the future. Because of its many benefits, more and more individuals and companies are going solar. And just this month, South Miami passed a law requiring that anyone buying a new home or renovating their existing one install solar panels.

The Whats

Under South Miami’s new law, any homes being built that are larger than 1,100 square miles will need to install solar panels. Any home renovations that replace or extend more than 75% of the building are also subject to this law and thus require the owners to install solar panels.

South Miami is the first city in Florida to pass a law of this kind, and the fourth in the country. The law will go into effect on September 18.

The Whys

Lawmakers and government officials cite looking toward the future as their reasoning for passing this new legislation. As South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard explained the night the measure passed, “Solar reduces the cost of home ownership, it makes houses sell faster, it returns more to a builder, it makes local jobs, and most importantly, it reduces carbon emissions today to help our children and grandchildren have a better future tomorrow.”

Looking to install solar panels for your own home or business? With more than 30 years of experience in the solar energy field, Solar Solutions will provide you with superior panels and installation! Contact us today to learn more about our services.

 

How is Solar Energy Good For the Environment?

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Have you ever come to the realization that you believe something without actually understanding why? Every day, we hear so much noise about why this or that type of energy makes the most sense, with the environment playing a large part in the debate. It can be tempting to form an opinion without really becoming educated.

We’ve all heard that solar energy is better for the environment. The best way to understand how is to compare it to the alternatives for powering our homes. In most cases, these are fossil fuels like natural gas or coal.

First, think about the process of obtaining these fuels and how it affects the planet. The extraction of fossil fuels requires digging into the Earth’s terrain and removing something that’s been trapped in the ground for millions of years. Finding, collecting, and transporting fossil fuel is an incredibly costly endeavor that has the potential to throw the planet out of geological balance. We’re often left with destroyed mountaintops, polluted waters, and many other negative consequences. Solar power, on the other hand, is there for the taking, and will continue to fall right into our laps from the sky for billions and billions of years.

After excavating and transporting fossil fuels, they are burned to extract energy. Plugging an electrical appliance or device into the wall might seem clean enough, but there’s a good chance that the electricity came from a very, very dirty plant. There is scientific evidence that the release of greenhouse gases like carbon and methane into the atmosphere is causing climate change that will eventually result in catastrophic circumstances for everyone and everything on the planet. In addition to dirty emissions, we’re also left with massive amounts of other waste. Solar panels are truly clean, generating power without releasing any harmful emissions or waste.

Perhaps the most important benefit of solar power is that unlike fossil fuels, we’re not going to run out of it. This is not only crucial because we’ll eventually find ourselves out of luck. As fossil fuels become more difficult to find and extract, their price is bound to skyrocket. Solar power will continue to arrive on Earth in a reliable and predictable fashion. While solar power might carry an initial investment, it is a much better investment in any span of time other than the very short term, both individually and as a society.

For anyone who truly understands the environmental benefits of solar power, the choice is clear. We only have one planet, so we only have one real option. Now is the time to make the change, and make your home part of the solution in saving the future of the planet.

Why You Should Heat Your Pool With Solar Power

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The arrival of spring marks the start to the warmer months, and many people are just starting to get their pools ready for the coming hot weather. Though it may be a bit cool to take a dip for now, adding a solar-powered heating system can not only add weeks of enjoyment to your swimming season, but also save you dollars.

Solar powered pool heating systems have been around for many years now, and have grown in popularity in recent years as an efficient and self-sustaining method for keeping pools from being too cool. These systems draw pool water in via the pump already used in the pool and force it through valves into the bottom of a closed system that is exposed to solar collectors. As the water heats from absorbing the radiant energy of sunlight, it rises to the top where it is returned to the pool in a continual process until the pool reaches the desired temperature.

Conventional systems, by contrast, heat water using a separate heating tank, similar to the water heater in your home. Just like that system, conventional pool heaters require an energy source, such as natural gas or electricity, and can quickly become an expensive endeavor. In areas like ours, with abundant sunlight, a solar system can provide the same heating capability using no energy at all, efficiently and greenly raising your water temperature without boiling over into your energy bills.

The U.S. Department of Energy notes that solar water heaters are the most cost-effective use of solar energy for most climates, and besides being cost competitive with conventional systems, can effectively pay for themselves in fuel savings in as little as a year and a half. Solar pool heating systems are generally very low maintenance as well, and, according to the Florida Solar Energy Center, can easily last for 10 to 15 years with regular care, providing many extra months of comfortable water for extra time in your pool.

Solar heating systems are generally noninvasive installations, and can be installed as a rooftop or freestanding unit. With so many advantages, from energy savings to extending your swimming season, there’s no better way to get the most out of your pool than adding a solar pool heating system.