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Alternative Energy Articles

Pros and Cons of a Solar Lease Program

The cost of solar grid-tie systems still remains costly for the home owner. However, a solar lease program can cost you one half the cost of buying your own system. Solar leasing is an affordable way for a home owner to save almost instantly on their electrical cost. But there are some things to consider about a lease versus a completely purchased system. Below, I have laid out some pros and cons about solar leasing.

 

 

Pros:

  • Basically three types of programs available-The first type of solar lease plan you pay off the total lease, which will be good for 20 to 25 years. This normally is about one half the cost of buying a system outright. There are no monthly payments. The second method is a partial payment lease by the year or by the leasing company agreement. The third option is for monthly payments, similar to a car leasing program.
  • Online system monitoring-Your total PV system is monitored over the Internet by the leasing company. Any changes in the status of your system are noted immediately.
  • Maintenance and repairs-If any repairs to your system are required from the online monitoring, the contractor who installed your PV system is notified immediately to make necessary repairs. This provides you with worry free maintenance and protection.
  • Insurance and warranty-The leasing company provides full insurance for their solar system for period of the lease. Any damages incurred by nature or equipment failure are totally the company’s responsibility.
  • System kilowatt production is guaranteed-The amount of electricity generated by the solar system must meet the quoted production or solar panels will be added to bring the kilowatt production to the agreed amount.

Cons:

  • Owned by leasing company-You do not own the system, so any changes can not be made by home owner. Your solar system is totally the property of the leasing company. They have full rights to the system.
  • Federal tax credit-Presently there is a 30 percent Federal tax credit for installing energy-saving devices. The tax credit is good until the year 2016. By leasing the system the leasing company has full right to your tax credit.
  • SREC (solar renewable energy credit)-A srec is the sale of excess power generated by your solar PV system. For every 1000 kilowatt-hours that you produce over and above your electrical cost, it is required by law to be a fixed sum of money that is paid to the home owner this could be also taken from you depending on the lease company.

As you can see, a solar lease needs to be carefully studied by the home owner and balanced out financially if it is a feasible option.

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A Time To Think About Green Energy

With all the rushing and goings on during the holiday season one should not forget that after the holidays we return to the way it was before. Are you just thinking about going green or have you taken steps to get started? Energy use is on the rise cost are increasing, and my question to you: what are you doing personally to help save our planet from depletion of our natural resources? We need alternative energy such as solar, wind, and other reusable sources of energy or we will be in a major crisis. Your comments are welcome.

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Green Facts-Discover The Truth About Laundry Detergents

Did You Know Laundry Detergent Is Made From Oil? Do you use laundry detergent?

Did you know that laundry detergents are not legally required to list their ingredients on the labels?

While these chemicals may not be on the label, recent studies show many of them to be proven cancer causing toxins. They build up in your skin, and may cause serious health problems like asthma, allergies, and even cause cancer.

PLEASE STOP: Do not do another load of laundry until you read this letter. If you take 4 minutes to read this crucial information, it will change your life, take your health to a new level, and save you a great deal of money that most people simply flush down the toilet..

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Different Types of Solar Energy – How Many Are There?

There are different types of solar energy that are used today. You ask how many are there. According to recent studies, there are three basic types but we will break it down into five different categories. Below I have listed each type and will describe each as it relates to the different uses.

  • Photovoltaic Solar Power-Energy that is created by converting the suns rays into electrical energy is called photovoltaic. I am sure you have seen solar panels on houses or businesses before. These are the devices that convert the solar energy into usable electricity. In a simple form it can be used to power solar lighting, examples of this are traffic signs, yard lighting, or security applications.
  • Passive Solar Energy-Passive solar energy can best be described as using the sun’s energy without the use of mechanical devices. One example could be the energy from the sun concentrating heat on a black painted block wall which in turn would warm your house. Another example could be how the sun would warm your house through windows facing south. Even the use of sky light boxes on a roof using the sun to light rooms during the day.
  • Active Solar Energy-We discussed earlier not using mechanical devices, active solar energy uses mechanical devices such as pumps, or moving shutters controlled my the angle of the sun. Pumps are used to circulate water in applications requiring the moving of the heated water. One residential use would be solar water heating for a swimming pool were the heated water is returned to the pool using a pump. Other examples would be solar water heating and solar space heating were water is pumped through coils of tubing to heat a room.
  • Solar Thermal Energy-Sometimes confused with active solar energy, solar thermal energy is the converting of energy into heat. Anything that uses the sun’s energy to make heat could be classed as solar thermal energy or energy from the sun to produce heat.
  • Concentrating Solar Power-This type of energy is used mainly for large production of electricity, and not recommended for home owners. This is a larger scale operation where electricity might be sold to home owners through their utility supplier.

I have listed five types of solar energy above but the last two could fit into one of the three classes above them. Solar energy is becoming a vital resource for power and heat production in the world today. Solar systems are becoming more economical for home owners to help cut the high cost of energy. For more about solar panels and building your own solar systems visit “Earth Power Energy Systems.”

Jerry has got some great information for you about how you can save money generating your own electricity! Download his FREE Ebook, “Why Build Your Own Wind And Solar System?” from his website http://earthpowerenergysystems.net/. Only limited FREE Copies available.

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Give me your feed back about Hydro electric for the home.

I have written several articles about the use of hydro-electric for the home and have received many comments. I would be more than happy to hear your thoughts about this article.

Build Your Own Hydro Electric Generator

The purpose of this article is to get your mind thinking about the possibilities of what you could do at home. My opinion is that anything you can do at home to save utility cost is a plus. Big utility companies are continually robbing us of money we need for other things. Your comments are welcome.

Jerry

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