Going green is as popular with kids and teens as it is with adults. As part of a school project, Canyon Middle School (Castro Valley, CA) students were asked to research environmental issues that affected their community. Rachel Charkowicz, Tracy Weisenberger, and Gabbi White decided to explore the cost of their school going solar as a way for the school district to save money while being environmentally responsible.

The three students contacted The Solar Company to see whether or not going solar would be a viable investment for Canyon, especially in view of these tough economic times. After obtaining electrical usage information from Canyon's administrators, we were able to provide an estimate for the project.

The findings were that after an initial net investment of $1.2 million for a 215.5kW roof mount solar panel system, the school would save $51,742 annually on their electric bill. Projected savings were $682,005 over 10 yrs. and $2.8 million over 25 yrs. This would result in approximately 298,000 lbs. of avoided pollution annually, which is equivalent to planting 86 acres of trees.

We are happy to report that the students all received an A on their project and the estimate was kept by the administration as a subject to possibly consider further.

In partnership with SunPower Corporation, we are pleased to provide an affordable leasing program with a 15 year lease term and an early buyout option (84 months).

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Fill out this form to find out how easy and affordable it is to go solar today!

Once you've made the decision that solar will work for your needs, now you need to decide on your time-line. Many people feel that since solar technology is constantly improving and becoming more efficient, they would rather wait til the next new thing. Or maybe they don't feel that their finances are quite in order. But there are certain benefits to installing sooner rather than later and considering some of those might just tip you in the solar direction.

1. State Solar Rebates and Federal Tax Incentives

The California Solar Initiative is currently offering a rebate for every kW installed. There are only so much funds allotted towards solar rebates for California so once they're gone, they're gone.

The government will also throw in a 30% tax credit for installing a residential solar system that can be used until 2016.

2. Start saving money now

The sooner you have a system installed, the sooner you will begin to see that meter spinning backwards. PG&E rates have been bouncing all over the place the past few months and will continue to do so. Every month spent waiting is actually costing you money!

3. An investment that pays back

Installing a solar system is an investment, not just a purchase. You will get a nice return on this investment - who can beat free electricity? And it will improve the value of your home.

Upcoming article will examine system installation.

Bay Area Business Link's Green Super Mixer will be held February 24th from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm at John Madden's Goal Line Productions in Pleasanton.

Sponsors include The Solar Company, PG&E, Clif Bar, Saba Motors, and a number of other local green businesses. Enjoy food and beverages (Wente Vineyards will be there!) and meet other green-minded Bay Area residents.

Tickets are available here: Green Super Mixer Tickets

We were recently asked to submit an answer to a question posed by a reader of Style magazine that will be featured in their March issue of their Ask the Experts column:

Q: When is the best time of the year to install Solar Panels on my house?

I had to think about it for a few minutes. Did they want to know when was the best time of year financially? Solar rebates are dropping by the summer so it's always best to jump on those as soon as possible. And there's usually a little extra cash flowing after tax season...

And then, how about seasonally? Obviously, good weather would be the best for installing a solar system, but there's no downside to installing in the winter.

My conclusion? Here's the answer I submitted:

A: The best time to install solar panels is anytime! Especially if you are going to be installing a new roof. As we get to the end of winter, the days start getting longer and the sunshine becomes more abundant. Take advantage of sunny spring days to harvest that energy and turn it into usable power for your home or business.

Getting ready to do your 2009 taxes? If you installed your solar power system in 2009, don't forget to download the latest copy of the Residential Energy Credit Form (form 5695) from the IRS website.

Way back in 1997, the United Nations adopted the Kyoto Protocol to help set specific targets for several countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The protocol was not entered into force until 2005 and since then, 187 countries have entered into the agreement to help curb climate change.

However, it's obvious that things haven't gone so hot...or perhaps we should say things have actually gotten hotter?  Many questions have been raised as to the protocol's effectiveness in doing enough to stop global warming - enter the Copenhagen Summit. Its goals?

1. to expand, refine, or possibly replace the Kyoto Protocol
2. regulate specific countries with exact figures
3. verify through independent monitoring whether or not emissions cuts were being adhered to
4. assist poorer countries to help them deal with effects of climate change

Critics of the conference felt that none of the goals were really reached, leading to much frustration and no binding agreements. However, some countries have definitely set out some big goals for themselves. China has pledged the largest carbon emissions cut - 40-45% by 2020. Japan and Russia have pledged to cut 25%, Europe's pledge is 20%, and the US has pledged to cut 17%.

About the coolest thing to come out of the Climate Conference was an interactive map by the AP Climate Pool that shows worldwide carbon emissions data collected from 1990 - 2007 (click on map to launch site, then click on Emission Trends)

Update 12/21/09

Mostly finished - just a little bit of cleanup work to do still but the bulk of the installation is done. Great view from way up there!

Update 12/16/09

Making good progress - hoping to finish by the end of the week!

12/10/09

Laying the framework for the Golden State Warriors' 164 kW solar array being installed on the team's downtown Oakland training facility:

Since solar panels collect light and not heat, the coming cold weather will not cause your energy savings to completely freeze. However, the days are noticeably shorter and cloudier, so that means less sunlight for your panels. Add a layer of snow on top of that and you'll definitely notice a marked difference in performance.

So, what can be done? Decreased daylight hours - well, there's not much anyone can do about that.  But as long as the sun is shining, the panels will absorb energy. Even in overcast conditions, the panels will still absorb reflective light.

And what if it snows?  Snow isn't all bad - sparkling snow gives off a good deal of usable reflective light. Also, the tilt of your array and the slickness of the panels' surface should be enough that most of the snow will slide off.  Plus, the solar panels themselves warm up quickly in the sun and will help melt any snow. If the snow becomes unusually heavy, you can always use a slightly modified roof rake (sold in hardware stores) with a squeegee-type blade affixed to carefully sweep off any snow that is hampering production.

In any event, cold conditions do not mean that your solar panels are not still working hard for you. As is true for most electronics, solar panels actually perform better in colder conditions.

Case in point: NASA uses solar panels in space and at an average temperature of -455°F, those are some cold panels! Simply put: the colder the material, the better it will conduct electricity.

Solar Power International 2009 was held last week in Anaheim, CA, with record numbers of attendees and exhibitors. It was a three-day whirlwind of conferences, workshops, training sessions, and exhibits designed to showcase new solar technologies and a chance for business-to-business networking. Keynote speakers included Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, and actor and renewable energy supporter, Ed Begley, Jr.

Last year's conference was only about half the size of this year's, showing the huge growth in this sector. Attendance has been growing at the rate of about 40 percent each year:

For the fourth year in a row, The Solar Company team was excited to attend this year's conference.

Co-owner of The Solar Company, Christina Danenhower, enjoyed listening to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s passionate speech about renewable energy. "He was very down to earth and spoke for over an hour about the future of renewable energy."

Our partner, SunPower, also held special workshops to encourage and support their network of US dealers and ensure that the best solar installation practices are being implemented.

"It made me feel that I'm part of something important, " commented Rachelle Piekarczyk of The Solar Company. "Attending the SunPower classes was confirmation that they are a great company to work with and have superior products and customer service. I really feel good about offering our customers the best product out there."