Sierra Club

Any company that installs solar electric systems (also known as photovoltaic, or PV, systems) can help you figure out if PV makes sense for your household. But as with any home improvement project, buyer beware. While reputable companies won’t try to talk you into a deal that doesn’t make sense, unscrupulous companies may overpromise on performance, overestimate how big a system you need, or underestimate potential problems at your site. Take the time to learn about the basics of PV, so that when you talk to the pros you can ask good questions, make sense of the answers, and know if you are getting the straight scoop.

It’s also wise to add up the cost of a solar electric installation in your area. In 2007, the average cost in the United States in 2007 was $7.62 per watt, after available state and federal incentives. That comes to roughly $15,000 to $30,000 for a typical 2 to 4 kilowatt system. But with a newly expanded federal tax credit and an increasing number of cities, states and utilities offering residents cash or loans to install photovoltaic (PV) systems, there’s never been a better time to go solar.

Even in areas with high electricity prices, it can take 10 years or more for a typical system to pay for itself. That’s still an excellent return on your investment-10% is much more than your bank pays you–but in most cases you must be willing to make the large up-front investment. As energy costs rise and the cost of renewables comes down, however, solar power will become even more cost competitive. And in remote areas where it would be exorbitantly expensive to hook up to the electricity grid, a photovoltaic (PV) system may be the most economical choice.

Even though rebates and incentives are bringing down the cost of solar electricity, it’s still a lot cheaper to save a watt of electricity than to produce one. Before ponying up for a PV system:… continue reading »

We’ve all seen images of birds and fish, with plastic grocery bags in mouth. Disturbing indeed, and don’t think this is propaganda from PETA. Plastic bags are entering our food chain through oceans, rivers and the stomachs of wildlife. The toxins they carry are nearly impossible to eliminate as we don’t really know how if ever they break down naturally.

You might ask well how do all these bags get into our water supply, most people throw them away when they unpack their groceries, right? You’d be amazed how these little wonders of mass production have nine lives, so to speak. They go to landfills, where they blow away due to their zero weight, almost like kites on a gentle breeze. Gulls and pigeons carry them for the food scraps inside. You get the idea. For a compelling visual of how this works, view the video “The Plastic Bag” (trust me it’s a lot more entertaining than it sounds, very well done).

There IS one way to stop this madness, and it’s called California Assembly Bill 1998. Finally, government is taking action to eliminate this blight on the environment. Governor Schwarzenegger has already pledged to sign this piece of legislation, it needs now to get through the state Senate. Please express your support for this measure, write your representatives. The city of San Francisco passed the nation’s first ban on plastic bag in 2007 and today, having saved over five million bags per month, you can see the difference as you walk the streets. Bill 1998 would take effect in 2012. Consumers would have to pay for paper bags if they don’t remember to bring their own reusables.… continue reading »

Content contributed by Earth911.com, the leading resource for local recycling solutions.

If you religiously recycle your old newspapers and junk mail, you’re not alone. In 2007, 56 percent of the paper used in the U.S. was recovered—an average of 360 pounds of paper per person. But have you been recycling your dead light bulbs, flat tires, and leftover paint? You may not be able to put such items on the curb, but many companies and communities are providing ways to recycle them. In fact the EPA says that about 75% of what Americans throw away these days could be recycled.

Read the tips below to boost the statistics for your household—and maybe even benefit your whole community. Recycling not only saves energy and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills. It can also prevent hazardous materials and chemicals from contaminating soil and leaching into local drinking water.

At home… continue reading »

Streets paved with recycled concrete. Eco-friendly siding on suburban homes. Hybrid and electric cars parked in every driveway. Sounds like a perfect eco-friendly neighborhood. What’s missing? The perfect eco-roof.

An ideal roof serves as an efficient barrier between the elements and the interior, is well insulated, and may even have solar modules. If you are looking for an elegant, simple, solar, and space-conscious solution, invest in solar shingles. This new solar product is a great esthetic alternative to photovoltaic (PV) panels. If you’re an environmentally-aware homeowner who is searching to lower utility bills in a tasteful manner, solar shingles are for you.

Green with style

Solar shingles are cleverly designed to blend in with regular shingles; thus a full roof makeover is unnecessary. If you are really looking to benefit the environment, while being the envy of your neighborhood, you may want to install building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) along the entire surface of your roof. When properly applied, they overlap and provide weather protection like regular shingles. Hidden underneath the overlap are the wires, which run through the roof deck to a solar inverter or storage battery. BIPVs appear as conventional roofing shingles, except for their slightly shiny appearance and electricity generating abilities. These shingles easily merge in with other roofing materials which makes them virtually undetectable and much more appealing than traditional roof solar panels.

Watch your electric meter spin backwards… continue reading »