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The U.S. Energy Secretary, Ernest Moniz, has stated that he expects residential solar power could be as low as 6 cents per kilowatt hour in the coming years. This would make solar “extremely competitive” compared to other energy sources.

He specifically makes a point of stating that renewable sources of energy like wind and solar power will grow and remain competitive without subsidies. This is a strong and very important statement as critics of renewable energy often cite subsidies given to clean energy as a reason to not support them. Solar power can no longer be avoided for cost reasons.

Of course, as long as the fossil fuel industries continue to receive billions of dollars in tax breaks and other subsidies, so should solar power. From an environmental point of view, we should not continue to support sources of energy that pollute our world and put all of us at risk. Fossil fuels corporations still do not pay their fair share when you consider that they get away with massive amounts of environmental damage.

Going back to the cost conversation – the cost of solar power has, especially after subsidies, been close to 6 cents per kilowatt hour for some time now. This is not news for affordable solar installers and the homeowners that they have helped. The difference between paying 6 cents per kilowatt hour and the nation’s average of about 12 cents per kilowatt hour for conventional energy, over the long term, is many thousands of dollars.

Moniz is doing great work in trying to spread the word that residential solar power is now very affordable. After all, helping to transition America to one that subsists on a much great percentage of clean energy is a very significant part of his job. He can now confidently promote renewable energy for three big reasons; It’s now cost effective, it allows for energy resilience and less foreign dependence, and it’s the right choice environmentally.

Hopefully we can look forward to more solar power promotion from The White House in the coming years. Our transition to a clean energy society could use all the help it can get.

As of halfway through 2015, there are a very large number of solar panel installers in business in the United States. Searching for the best solar panel installers, much like looking for best contractor for any major home improvement project, can result in some significant savings.

The residential solar power industry has definitely matured in the past few years. There are now plenty of solar installers in any decent sized metropolitan area. From very small family owned solar companies to the largest national solar installers, the average homeowner now has quite a few choices. The question remains – which solar panel installer is the best? The answer to this question is, of course, not too clear cut immediately, but there is one. It all comes down to value.

Finding a high value company that offers superior products and service at a very reasonable price is worth the effort. Solar installation companies are no exception to this rule. The best solar installers are therefore companies that aim to offer homeowners very fair prices while providing quality products and great customer service.

In the case of the residential solar industry, homeowners who find these more valuable installers can get high quality solar panels for thousands less than their competition. How is this possible? The answer to this question goes back to the fact that there are many different types of solar installers in the market today.

So which type of installer is more likely to save homeowners the most? As a category, the smaller to medium sized solar installation company can offer this value. This is because these installers have considerably less overhead than the largest installers in the country. They also do not need extra profit to pay back investors. They are able to pass the savings along to their customers, unlike the larger companies.

The differences in pricing are significant, often $10,000 or more for the average size installation. Savvy consumers know that the larger the purchase, the more time should be spent finding the best deal possible. This is absolutely true with solar as well.

Another benefit of choosing to work with smaller contractors is that they are local companies. Supporting local companies goes a long way in strengthening local communities. It’s a win-win. Homeowners save money and help keep more money in the towns and cities they live in.

Along with saving money, smaller solar installers are typically able to provide better overall service. This is no surprise as there is naturally more desire to do right by your neighbors. Good pricing and quality work equals a good deal of positive word-of-mouth for local installers.

Solar-Power-Now.com takes pride in connecting homeowners with the best solar panel installers available. Learn why now is a great time to buy solar panels.

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The White House continues to roll out measures that will help support the Clean Power Plan.

One of the most significant new developments in this push for more renewable energy is an additional $1 billion that will be made available as loan guarantees. This new money is specifically aimed at spurring more distributed energy projects, of which residential solar is a primary part.

A key component of this new funding will be its ability to work with “Green Banks” in states across the country. The White House knows that in order for this new money to be effectively used for solar power projects, streamlined financing must be made available on a local level.

The plan also calls for further roll out of PACE financing. PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy. It is a way to finance renewable energy projects through an increase in property taxes. PACE is viewed as a great way for homeowners to finance solar power systems. The White House also plans on making PACE more readily available to homeowners with FHA insured mortgages. This is another way in which solar is being made more accessible to lower income homeowners.

Energy efficiency is also a major focus for this new available clean energy funding. A great number of programs in states across the country will soon be looking to reduce energy use in all types of residences. A major focus will be to improve energy efficiency in lower income homes. The long term energy savings will be in the many millions of dollars.

Another piece of related news concerns the Riverside, California area. A new transmission line has been approved to supply power from a 485 Megawatt solar pv project. It’s called the Blythe Mesa Solar project and it will be able to provide energy for 145,000 homes.

What’s really great about this plan is that homeowners looking into solar power can easily become the producer of, and owner of the energy that they need. This opportunity exists today, but many homeowners are simply not aware of this option. People are often only made aware of leasing because the largest solar power companies stand to profit the most from offering long term solar panel leases. This is and never was in the best interest of homeowners.

So help spread the word to the homeowners you know – there’s plenty of available financing for solar!

The residential solar power industry has come a long way in just a few short years.

We are well into the third quarter of 2015 and there has never been a better time to buy solar panels. Homeowners now have access to the best prices on solar panels since the industry began. About 40 years ago, solar panels were $76 per watt. Some of the lowest prices for panels are now well below a dollar per watt. Of course, these are wholesale prices and are only for the panels themselves. There are many other costs involved with getting a solar panel system installed on a home. See the cost of solar page.

One of the main reasons why now is a great time to purchase solar panels is that prices cannot really fall much further. We might end up seeing some reduction in prices in the other costs for going solar; permitting, interconnection, installer, and the balance of the system costs. However, they’re not likely to change that much. Affordable solar installers are already working on small margins and utilities are not likely to wave their fees.

Another great reason why its now excellent timing for going solar is that homeowners can still take advantage of the 30 percent off Federal Tax Credit. The tax credit was just renewed and is available until the end of 2020. It should go without saying that being able to reduce the cost of going solar by almost a third has been a big reason why many people have adopted solar in recent years. However, it should be made clear that residential solar power still makes great financial sense even without the tax credit and others rebates. That’s a testament to how cheap solar is now.

Many potentially interested homeowners often ask this question to start out with – what is the best place to buy solar panels? Admittedly, the whole theme of this post has a very “do it yourself” vibe to it. They’re not really looking for a solar panel store. The fact remains that a high majority of homeowners are not interested or capable of installing solar panels themselves. It’s best to leave this type of job to the professionals who can handle the installation, permitting, interconnection, and rebate/tax credit paperwork a bit more easily.

So when homeowners are looking to buy solar panels, the implication is that they are really looking for a solar contractor that will take care of everything needed to get solar panels installed on their homes and producing power as seamlessly as possible. The service fees that an affordable installer charges are well worth it considering that all the paperwork and potentially dangerous manual labor is being taken care of.

The bottom line is that homeowners who go solar now can get started on a path to some major savings in the coming years. Solar is a great investment that can pay for itself in just a few short years. In fact, those that do not switch to solar will end up paying many thousands of dollars more than they have to.

It’s time that homeowners everywhere look into buying some solar panels and join the solar power revolution!

Initial interest into residential solar leads many homeowners into researching what the best solar panels are.

As of 2015, there are easily dozens of solar panel manufacturers that sell their panels all around the world. Many of these companies now produce solar panels that are a result of continuous and rigorous product improvement. Their panels are made to produce a high amount of power for decades to come.

So which company makes the best panels? The short answer is that no one single company makes a product that is far and away superior to all others. Those seeking the best of any type of product or service will most likely end up seeing quite a few companies that are competing fairly well with each other. This is, after all, a natural occurrence in any industry that has been around for more than a year or two.

It is fair to want only the best when searching for solar panels for your home. The good news is that any reputable solar panel installer has already done this research. Exceptional installers will likely have a few of the top brand names for homeowners to choose from. These solar contractors will save you time that you would have spent doing a solar panel comparison investigation. Their services go beyond this, of course. They’ll provide any basic solar information up front, assist with permitting, getting rebates, acquiring financing, and so much more in addition to installing the solar panels on your rooftop.

So while there might not be any one best solar panel company that exists, here is a link to some information on some major solar panel brands. All of the companies highlighted on that page produce superior solar pv modules. They can all be considered to be able to offer some of the best solar panels for home use.

As far as pricing is concerned, many of the top solar panel companies are price competitive with each other. If a homeowner is looking to save as much as possible on getting solar panels installed, choosing the right installer is where the most time should be spent. There is still a significant cost disparity among the solar installers that are doing business in 2015. It really pays to shop around.

The EPA’s Clean Power Plan, backed by President Obama, is a common sense approach to meet both our energy and environmental sustainability needs.

The plan calls for the first, and severely needed, limitations on carbon emissions from power plants. One of the primary goals is to reduce emissions by 32 percent by 2030.

Here are some key points of the plan –

• To Create tens of thousands of clean energy jobs.
• To provide an average savings of $85 for the average American’s yearly power bill by 2030.
• To drive more investments in clean energy technologies of all kinds with a goal of at least 30 percent more renewable energy by 2030.
• To prevent premature deaths due to power plant emissions by 90 percent by 2030, and to reduce cases of asthma in kids by at least 70 percent. This will amount to 3,600 fewer premature deaths and at least 90,000 fewer asthma attacks.
• To prioritize funding of solar and wind projects.
• To deploy energy efficiency measures in lower income communities.

As can be seen from the points above, this plan is a win-win for both our environment and our economy. We can finally transition our economy to one that is based on clean energy while saving money over the long term.

The Clean Power Plan is a very flexible one in terms of how the states are allowed to meet the emission reduction goals. States are allowed to work on interstate plans in trading energy credits. Also, energy efficiency, natural gas, nuclear and carbon capture all count towards overall carbon limiting practices.

Proponents of clean energy are obviously very excited about this new clean energy plan. For example, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) can envision solar power becoming a significant part of this plan and again stated reasons why solar is the way to go. The President of the SEIA, Rhone Resch, has highlighted the benefits of solar in light of the announcement of the Clean Power Plan. Here are some key points mentioned (the first one is a quote from Resch because it could not have been said better) –

• “Solar works in all 50 states, has zero emissions, creates more jobs per megawatt than any other technology and can be deployed cost effectively and quickly – all while improving grid reliability.”
• More than 150,000 new solar jobs have been created in the past 10 years.
• There will be enough solar energy to power 8 million homes by the end of 2016. This will offsett 45 million tons of carbon emissions.

The bottom line for this plan really boils down to one basic idea – carbon emission pollution must be drastically reduced while ensuring economic stability. This is now very achievable now that wind and solar power are cost effective. The only people or interests that could possibly have an issue with this plan are those invested in the fossil fuel industry.

We, the people, need to stand up for changes that truly benefit all of us.

We can and must live in a world in which we can breath air not laden with pollution.

As the race to the White House begins to take shape in the second half of 2015, Hillary Clinton has taken a firm stance on renewable energy.

Clinton has vowed to, on the first day of her Presidency, set in motion a plan that would see more than half a billion solar panels installed in American by the end of her first term.

This would, according to her video, apparently be enough energy to power every U.S. home. Although it was not discussed in her promotional video or related articles, let’s do some quick math to find out how much power this would actually be.

Five hundred million solar panels would amount to a 150 billion watt system assuming the emerging standard of 300 watts per panel. These panels could provide a total of 216 billion kilowatt hours per year. However, the total residential energy consumption for 2014 was 21,618 trillion btus or 6.335 trillion kilowatt hours. This is about 30 times what five hundred million solar panels would provide.

There are approximately 133 million single family homes in America. If every one of them had a solar panel system providing a high percentage of total energy needs, this would require about 2.66 billion solar panels – more than 5 times the 0.5 billion solar panels Clinton calls for. Of course, there are many millions of people that do not live in single family residences. Community solar programs will provide even more solar panels to fill that part of the renewable energy gap.

Make no mistake, the installation of half a billion solar panels by 2020 would be a major step in our eventual transition to a clean energy society. This is a bold and welcomed message coming from Hillary Clinton.

Common sense messages are included with Clinton’s push for more solar. She sites the facts that air pollution from fossil fuels causes 3,000 premature deaths and 700,000 asthma attacks every year.

The bottom line is that it is certainly much easier for Clinton or any politician to promote solar power now. This is simply because the math has been done and solar is an economic winner. Solar is no longer a costly form of energy but rather a great way to do the right thing and save money at the same time. It truly is a no brainer for any politician who isn’t already in the pocket of a fossil fuel company.

There is plenty of hope that renewable energy will not continue to be such a politically charged subject in the near future. As the general public starts to become more aware that solar power and other sources of renewable energy are winners from both an economic and environmental perspective, we can elect leaders who will support our much needed transition to a clean energy society.

As it stands half way through 2015, there is still no set national standard for net metering practices.

Anyone involved with solar power – those in the industry and homeowners benefiting from solar – can tell you how absolutely essential net metering is for the continued adoption of this newly flourishing source of energy.

Basically, without the fair monetary accounting of all of a solar panel system’s power production, solar is not nearly as cost effective. It’s simply not a fair situation.

It’s not fair because utilities are basically asking to be allowed to not pay for electricity generated from solar power systems. That’s essentially what proposed caps on net metering are calling for.

Understandably, solar power must feel like a rather unwanted newcomer to the energy industry. Utilities have enjoyed a fairly monopolistic energy environment for many decades. For the first time ever, they are being forced to compete. This not a welcomed development at all.

Some of the biggest and most recent fights to make sure that net metering remains in place and uncapped have taken place in Massachusetts, Nevada, and Arizona. There’s a similar story being played out in each state; power utilities are trying to curb a threat to their business structure. This threat comprises a very large percentage of the population who simply want access to more affordable electricity that also does not continue to pollute our environment. This is what solar power represents.

Assuming American is still a country that supports a free market economy, we will not be continuing to have net metering debates in the coming years. The fact is that solar power is a much needed and now a very cost effective source of energy. It should be given a fair chance to compete in the energy marketplace.

By allowing compensation for the full amount of energy produced from a solar panel system, net metering ensures that we can realize the full value of solar.

It seems clear that these solar compensation issues will be worked out soon. Large power corporations are beginning to realize that they can’t go on with business as usual in the face of growing contempt for fossil fuel pollution.

The White House has just pledged to make solar power accessible to a much wider range of Americans.

This pledge is a package of initiatives that will do much to broaden access to solar for millions of renters and low income communities. Federally subsidized, solar ready homes are a part of this plan as well as increased access to federally insured renewable energy loans.

Here is a shocking statistic that shows that many Americans are still unaware of how affordable solar is – of the 645,000 homes and businesses that have gone solar, about 5 percent earn less than $40,000 per year. This unfortunately would lead many to think that solar is not affordable for lower income homeowners. Most 10 year solar loans would have homeowners paying about what they currently do, sometimes less.

The first part of the plan calls for 300 megawatts of solar power capacity for federally subsidized housing by 2020. This is three times the amount originally slated. Another part of the initiative calls for $520 million from the private sector, state and local governments for low-income solar projects and energy efficiency improvements. Much of these programs fall under the new category of “community solar projects.”

This new solar commitment helps The President achieve his promise of training and adding 75,000 workers for the solar power industry. An addition of such a substantial number of workers is not a tall order when one considers that the solar industry is growing ten times as fast as the overall economy. This plan also helps support the White House’s commitment to lowering carbon emissions 30 percent by 2030.

The President is not the only one supporting the growth of solar power. Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation to help lower income families gain access to solar power. “Families across this country struggle to pay electricity bills and access to solar energy can help reduce these costs.” The senator knows how affordable solar is now and that it is possible that all Americans can use it to save money. He also mentioned how the poor spend a significant percentage of their income on basic needs like food and electricity.

Community solar projects are bound to become a major part of the solar power revolution. The fact is that millions of people either do not own their rooftops or they are not suitable for solar. Solar power technologies are versatile enough to still be able to provide access for those who can’t install their own solar panel systems.

While homeowners still stand to benefit the most, it’s great to know that soon we will all be able to be a part of a clean energy society.

Over the past 4 years, solar power capacity has increased more than 300 percent in New York State.

A recent article from longislandexchange.com explains how New York’s solar expansion since 2011 has been twice as fast as the rest of the country’s. Governor Cuomo is doing his part stating – “The Empire State is rapidly becoming a leader in clean energy technology, and that means greener and more sustainable communities for all New Yorkers.”

Cuomo’s recent addition to helping the renewable energy movement was to develop the NY-Sun Initiative which involves 1 billion dollars for solar power expansion. This initiative is part of a greater renewable energy plan called Reforming the Energy Vision.

The 314 Megawatts and counting solar power capacity in New York supplies clean, green energy to 51,000 New Yorkers. The recent and rapid growth of solar in the state has been largely attributed to the NY-Sun Initiative, a decrease in the cost of solar, and the marketing of solar power installers directly to homeowners. Also worth noting is that approximately another 300 Megawatts of solar are under contract as of May 2015. Apparently, New York’s solar deployment is just beginning.

Community solar projects continue to expand across the country and New York is no exception to this trend. Community Solar NY and K-Solar are providing yet additional ways for schools, businesses, and homeowners to go solar.

Perhaps the biggest part of this story, which was not mentioned in the article, is the fact that solar power is now cheaper than conventional energy without subsidies. The cost for a solar panel system over its life is no more than 8 cents per kilowatt hour. The average rate for conventional electricity in New York is more than twice this amount. The word is getting out that you can save thousands with solar over the long term.

Of course, this great solar power opportunity is possible not just because of current affordable prices, but also the fact that it is allowed to compete. This is made possible through net metering where a homeowner or business is compensated by a utility for excess solar power generated and supplied to the grid. In this way, the full value of a solar panel system is realized.

Undoubtedly, solar will continue to expand in the State of New York at impressive rates. As more residents become aware of the massive long term savings possible, solar power adoption rates will soar even more.