LIGHTING: LEDS MAKING THEIR WAY INTO HOME LIGHT FIXTURES

Last year was the year that holiday LEDs broke onto the scene across the US. We are now starting to see the efficient lights make their way into home fixtures as well.

Below is some background on what other consumers are saying. We guarantee that you will see LED fixtures as you are seeking those recessed lights for your remodel!

Consumers Warming To LEDs as an Energy-Efficient Solution for Lighting, Finds Arrow Electronics Study

MELVILLE, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With consumer interest in energy-efficient lighting growing rapidly, the next wave of mass-market residential and business lighting could be coming from LEDs ? light-emitting diodes, also known as solid-state lighting. That?s the key finding of a new consumer survey commissioned by Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW), a leading global provider of products, services and solutions to users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions. The survey was conducted for Arrow by Harris Interactive®.

Commonly used today in flashlights and electronic devices, LEDs are being adapted by manufacturers to replace the common light bulb. Although more expensive than other lighting options, LEDs use a fraction of electricity of traditional light bulbs, last longer than regular incandescent light bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and contain no hazardous Read more

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SOLAR: $68M in rebates for solar installs, yours for the taking in MA?

Massachusetts has a $68 million fund to provide rebates to local homeowners and businesses that install solar panels to provide electricity. Fill out the form, and determine just how much of the big piece of pie you can get.

Here is a video from WCVBTV5 in Boston with the details. Solar rebates in Massachusetts.

For more information on solar rebates in your area, check out the DSIRE database.

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SOLAR WATER HEATERS: Significant rebates are close on the horizon

Conventional water heaters, tankless water heaters, & solar water heaters.

The solar water heater buzz is rising across the internet, and feeding the frenzy is the emergence of rebates — especially in California where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation last Fall to spend $250 million over the next 10 years on rebates for solar water heaters.

Rebates from your gas utility can be as much as $1,500. Rebates are paid for by everyone who doesn’t have a solar water heater as your monthly bill will see a small increase of less than twenty cents.

The city of Palo Alto, CA this week joins communities such as Sacramento and Austin with an outline to their rebate program. The latter two programs are already live.

The DOE’s Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has some great information on the topic of solar hot water heaters. There are several flavors of solar hot water heaters, and you’ll need to take a small amount of time to see which type is right for you. The DOE includes a cost calculation sheet on their site that you can work the numbers to understand your payback.

Take a look at the following links for more information on suppliers and pricing; AET, Solar Direct, SolarRoofs.com, Heliodyne (images in this article), Sun Ray Solar, Sun Earth Inc., Sun Systems Inc., ThermoTechnologies, and Apricus.

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