Solar Roof Tiles by Open Energy Corp

Allow the sun to power your home or business by using Open Energy Corp’s solar roof tiles.

With an Energy crisis on the brink in the US, consumers are asking more questions and demanding responsibility and answers.  Open Energy Corp is offering solutions to homeowners, business owners, and institutions alike: solar roof tiles.

Open Energy’s solar tiles will work on flat as well as sloped roofs.  Their solar roof tiles offer quiet & reliable power generation.  The power your roof will be generating is clean, safe, and of course, free, thanks to the sun.  For those of you with an aesthetic eye, the tiles come in three colors: slate gray, terracotta, and brown, to help integrate with your existing roof materials.

Using the solar roof tiles will significantly lower your Read more

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Congress votes YES, President signs bill, Solar tax credits back on!

From CNNMoney.com

After months of failed attempts in Congress to extend crucial renewable energy tax credits, the end-game came with lightning speed Friday afternoon: The House of Representatives passed the green incentives attached to the financial bailout package approved by the Senate Wednesday night and President Bush promptly signed the legislation into law.

There were goodies for wind, geothermal and alternative fuels, but the big winner by far was the solar industry.

“It feels like we should be popping the champagne,” said a Silicon Valley solar exec Green Wombat met for lunch minutes after Bush put pen to paper.

That it took the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression to save billions of dollars of renewable projects in the pipeline for the sake of political expediency does not bode well for a national alternative energy policy. But the bottom line is that the legislation passed Friday sets the stage for a potential solar Read more

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SOLAR: Will solar save you $$’s? We review the best/worst solar calculators!

UPDATED:  9/21/08

“Payback on solar isn’t the most important thing…it is the only thing the vast majority of potential solar homeowners care about.”  

GetWithGreen took a look at how easy it is for us consumers to actually estimate the cost of installation/installing solar during a home remodel - using a web-based solar calculator.  

Below are we have listed a number of sources for solar installation calculators, and we have compiled the most comprehensive list of these calculators available on the web.  We want to warn you, many of these solar calculators appear to made by scientists for, well we couldn’t always figure out who the target audience was :-). 

To help you, we have given a GetWithGreen Rating (”GWG Rating”) to each solar calculator, where 1 is very hard to use, and 10 is the easiest to use - for an average consumer.  You should also know that MANY of the solar calculators on the web are from the same creators, and are just re-skinned (web terminology for different colors).

Before you begin, make sure you have Read more

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How do you finance or lease solar panels and electricity for your home?

Considering solar power for your home during your residential remodel?  Financing solar panels is the big hurdle for most us.  Fortunately, the financing options for solar panels is becoming more obtainable.

Whether you are looking at solar panel suppliers and installers such as SolarCity, SunPower, and others, you now have options.  For example, SolarCity offers a leasing program that is targeted at delivering you solar power at a monthly payment less than your exiting monthy electicity/power bill.  With leasing options such as this, any repairs are typically covered, and at the end of the lease you can upgrade, purchase or return.

This timely LA Times article offers additional details and several homeowner examples of how solar panel lease and financing options have helped residents afford solar power for their homes: Solar Power Hits Home

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McCain / Palin or Obama / Biden, what happens to the environment?

So you’ve probably seen the video where Palin is asking her church congregation to pray for the oil pipeline in Alaska, but what’s the full story? How have the candidates voted in congress? What have they said publicly related to their positions on environmental issues? Here are some things to consider (if you haven’t already made up your choice) before you head to the polls.

McCain / Palin

John McCain
- Build 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030. (Jun 2008)
- Realistic climate plan that clashes with GOP. (Jun 2008)
- End moratorium on offshore oil drilling. (Jun 2008)
- Favors wind & solar in ad; favors nuclear in bills. (Jun 2008)
- Support much tougher regulations on emission requirements. (Jan 2008)

Sarah Palin
- Global warming affects Alaska, but is not man-made. (Aug 2008)
- Energy relief plan: $100 per person monthly, for oil & gas. (May 2008)
- Opposed protections for salmon from mining contamination. (Aug 2008)
- Sue US government to stop listing polar bear as endangered. (Aug 2008)
- We must encourage timber, mining, drilling, & fishing. (Jan 2008)
- Cut funding for alternative energy research (May 2008)

Obama / Biden

Barack Obama
- GovWatch: $150B for electric car batteries & new technology. (Jun 2008)
- GovWatch: Supports nuclear power if it’s clean & safe. (Jun 2008)
- $150B investment over 10 years to reduce oil usage by 35%. (May 2008)
- Figure out how to sequester carbon and burn clean coal. (May 2008)
- Raise fuel efficiency standards to reduce long-term demand. (Apr 2008)
- Reduce the consumption of energy and be more efficient. (Jan 2008)
- Aggressively address accelerating climate change. (Dec 2007)
- Passed tax credit for installing E85 ethanol at gas stations. (Feb 2008)
- Sponsored legislations that improve energy efficiency. (Sep 2004)
- Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)
- Voted YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning. (May 2007)
- Willing to suspend ethanol subsidy to keep food prices down. (May 2008)
- Genesis teaches stewardship of earth: sacrifice for future. (Apr 2008) 
- Promote green technologies and fuel efficiency standards. (Dec 2007)

Joe Biden
- Supports cap-and-trade for greenhouse gases. (Nov 2007)
- Make every automobile sold be a flex-fuel automobile. (Apr 2007)
- Voted YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation. (Jun 2008)
- Voted YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China. (May 2008)
- Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)
- Voted YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning. (May 2007)

For complete details, visit: http://www.ontheissues.org/ where you can also get details on the candidates’ views on abortion, family, the economy and national budget, civil rights, crime and much more.

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SOLAR: Cleaner for maximizing the efficiency of your solar panels

SolarFrameWorks Introduces Solar Panel Maintenance Solution

While we haven’t tried this at GetWithGreenwe wanted to bring you this News, SolarFrameWorks, a manufacturer and distributor of photovoltaic technology, last week introduced a solar panel cleaning agent, PowerBoost®. PowerBoost is a touchless, biodegradable solution that is said to repel debris from solar panels to maximize solar power production and lower utility costs. According to SolarFrameWorks, PowerBoost provides an immediate and dramatic increase in power output.

Available for both residential and commercial applications, PowerBoost can be applied within minutes using a standard garden hose to clean your solar panels. The foaming solution contains surfactants that remove grime thereby in theory increasing the level of solar insulation that is able to reach the solar cells. The company says that PowerBoost works on all types of glass, such as the tempered glass layered on the top of most crystalline solar panels. Additionally, the product is Read more

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DAYLIGHTING SYSTEMS: A Solatube installation review

Earlier this Summer, GetWithGreen.com selected a Solatube Model 160 DS Daylighting System for a residential hallway installation. A daylighting system was selected because a dimly lit hallway constantly required energy consumption for lighting — even during daytime hours.

Solatube was selected by GetWithGreen.com because of the sheer amount of clear information on the company’s and reseller’s website, and because it was so easy to find the product locally. It’s now time to update you on the install, and our final opinion of this specific daylighting system.

The Solatube 160 DS installation was a snap. Our GetWithGreen.com contractor installed the daylighting system within 90 minutes, and if you use a Solatube dealer this time could likely fall well below an hour! Our installation did require the wiring of electricity to the daylighting system, so that it could be used during the Read more

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WATER HEATER: Velux delivers new solar water heater

Add Velux (the skylight company you find at The Home Depot) to the list of companies now offering Solar Water Heaters.  This week the company announced their plans to start offering the products that have been proven in Europe.

The company worked hard to ensure that the roof collectors aesthetically pleasing and to integrate well with rooflines while delivering exceptional energy collection capabilities. The units also integrate with VELUX roof windows. The collectors are certified by independent testing agencies in Europe (Solar Keymark) and in the United States (SRCC) and installers must have completed advanced training to assure reliable installations.

The cost of installed systems will vary depending upon the volume of heated water required in a home. Two to three rooftop solar collector panels will usually be installed and solar hot water holding tanks are available in 80- and 120-gallon sizes.

Tim Miller, President of VELUX America, says that federal tax credits can help pay 30 percent Read more

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REBATES: Solar rebates for San Francisco residents - legislation approved

On Tuesday the City of San Francisco approved an incentive plan for residents to install solar for their homes. 

Under the legislation program, residents can expect to receive a rebate of $3,000 to $6,000 per system.  The program could start as soon as July 1, and rebates are retroactive to atleast the beginning of 2008.  The City is hoping to increase the number of solar installation froms 770 to over 10,000 rooftops over the life of the 10 year program.  For more great insight on the legislation visit earth2tech.

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News / Announcement: SolarCity Launches Solar Seminar Series

SolarCity today announced a series of summer seminars to help inform California residents about affordable new ways to switch to clean, solar power. Each session will highlight recent developments in solar technology and explain federal and state tax incentives that reduce the cost of solar power. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions about local permit processes, local solar programs, roofing and electrical requirements and other information specific to their communities.

The seminars will begin June 7 and extend into the summer in communities across California. To find a seminar in your area or to RSVP online visit http://www.solarcity.com/events.

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