Solar Advocacy

They say that sometimes, it’s all about whom you know. But when you’re hoping to affect positive change within a long-established sector like the electric power industry, it might be more accurate to say that it’s really about advocacy.

Having an effective advocate by your side can make an incredible difference in opening minds, sharing information, and growing support for a burgeoning industry. In that vein, we in the Westinghouse Solar family were thrilled when we announced recently that internationally recognized environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be joining our Board of Advisors.

Extending his family’s longstanding legacy of support of the arts, human rights, and health care, Mr. Kennedy has devoted much of his career to environmental stewardship. His work with Riverkeeper, a clean water advocacy group in New York, and the Waterkeeper Alliance, dedicated to protecting water from polluters, has established him as a tireless supporter of environmental preservation efforts. In recent months he has also spoken out strongly on the Gulf oil spill, coal mining, and alternative energy sources.

So to our new friend and colleague we say, Welcome. We look forward to working together to bring solar to rooftops across America, and to help create new jobs through our industry’s continued growth.

Stay up-to-date by following us on Twitter!

Solar Power Systems: Does Size Matter (Part 2)

In the previous post, we talked about the criteria to consider when deciding on the size of solar power system you will need. Today, we’re going to dig into the different levels of offset you can garner for your energy bills with solar power.

So let’s kick this off with a question: How much coverage do you want?

90-100% Bill Offset
If, based upon the criteria outlined in the previous post, your family plans to use more electricity over the next ten years, or if your goal is to eliminate your home’s energy usage from your carbon footprint entirely, this is the amount of offset you will need. One bonus of this is that if your solar production levels end up exceeding the needs of your home, you can also use this to offset other personal energy use that is not tied to your home in order to work toward a low-to-zero personal carbon footprint!

80% Bill Offset
This is the sweet spot. It is generally acknowledged that the ideal bill coverage is 80%, as it serves to drop the electrical usage of most average homes into the lowest (and least expensive) tier of billing rates. With the “Time of Use” billing structure, which is measured with special meters that calculate how much and when electricity is used, 80% of bill coverage is the level at which the solar power system pays for itself the fastest for most homeowners.

70% Bill Offset
This is a very cost-effective way to go if you are planning to use less electricity, conduct a Home Energy Audit or are short on roof space for the number of solar panels needed to fully offset your electricity usage. This option allows you to go solar now to take advantage of government rebate programs so you can lock-in low energy costs. Even if your energy usage drops up to 30% over time, this size system makes economic sense since you will already enjoy low monthly energy bills immediately with a faster ROI thanks to your new solar power system!

Whether your offset goals are moderate or aggressive, there is a solar power system that is right for you. If you have questions, schedule a free solar power evaluation, and we’ll help you decide which size system you need.

Want to become a fan? Visit us on Facebook.

A Single Step

According to the US Department of the Interior, the desert areas of the southwestern states alone have the potential to be able to meet the electricity needs of the entire United States through solar energy. That’s pretty amazing information, isn’t it?

Hollywood, New York, and Las Vegas are considered the entertainment capitals of the country, and Silicon Valley and Seattle are hotbeds of technology innovation. Wouldn’t it be great if Arizona, Nevada, and Southern California could take up the mantle to become the solar energy center of the country?

Research states that if all of the solar radiation in this geographic area were converted to electricity, that could actually become a reality. The ability to offset so much energy usage by leveraging a relatively small portion of land is mind-boggling.

But of course we know that such an undertaking would require years of planning, negotiation, and legislation. And while we wait for that to become a reality, it’s important to remember that any long journey begins with just a single step. And the steps we take today to take our dependencies away from the grid and change the way we power our homes and businesses by switching to solar bring us closer and closer to the day when we can, as a country, change the way the world thinks about energy.

Keep up with the latest innovations from Akeena by following us on Twitter! @Akeena_Solar