News Flash - Pending Federal Legislation - Lend Your Voice!

At the present time the US Congress is considering bi-partisan legislation to improve and extend tax credits for solar energy projects. Please click here for details and a quick way of writing your Senators and Representatives in support of this legislation.

Getting Into Solar

The idea of using the sun’s free energy to power our homes, cars, and industry is a shared dream of many. The US lags far behind many other countries in harnessing solar energy. Here’s our attempt to educate you quickly in the field, and the decision as to whether going solar is for you at the present time.

The two main types of solar systems are solar thermal (hot water) and solar electric (photovoltaic) systems. Solar hot water systems are less expensive and give a greater harvest of energy for the money, thus a greater savings of electricity and money. There are financial incentives for both kinds of systems but they tend to favor solar hot water systems. See the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) for US federal and local incentives and programs.

Using the sun to heat water is the most cost effective application at present. Here are two good sources, a solar hot water primer from Arizona and another primer from Montana. There are closed loop systems more suitable for colder climates where outdoor water reservoirs can freeze, and open loop systems for warmer climates where freezing is not a dominant issue.

If you want to consider producing your own solar electricity here’s The Photovoltaic Primer from MIT (don’t worry, it’s readable), another from Penobscot Solar Design, and finally one from the Building Science Consortium (in printable form).

Unless you are really good at mechanical and electrical ‘tinkering’, purchase an installed system.

• FindSolar.com is an online directory of American (including territories) and Canadian installers, which attempts to establish basic credentials of the installers they list. It is still a good idea to be discerning since the solar industry has been hurt in the past by opportunists.
• Here’s the Canadian Solar Industry Directory published by the Canadian Solar Industries Association.