Beginners Take Note: Sun Energy Increases Home Value

Increase in home value is desired by everyone who makes changes and invests in the home. Home value can come in many forms.  It maybe comfort added as in constructing an adjoining room or a patio. It maybe something of aesthetic value as in a beautiful landscaped garden.  Or it can be an increase in monetary value especially when a homeowner thinks of savings and selling the property in the future. Increase in property value of homes powered by the sun is one of the benefits that entice homeowners to go solar.

What do the experts say?

1.       According to the U.S. DOE’s office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, a home with solar will sell twice as fast as a home without solar – even in depressed markets¹.

2.       The real estate appraisers said that for every $1 of electricity you offset through solar, the value of your home increases by $20. In other words, saving $1,000 per year increases your home’s value by $20,000. 
 

3.   All other things being equal, a home with a lower electric bill will sell faster. 

4.       Electricity demand is increasing in most major markets and this increase combined with projected higher fuel costs for utilities will probably lead to higher electric bills for most consumers. A solar system installed will help insulate consumers from these potential price shocks

5.       A solar home’s value goes up faster. According to Shea Homes, the value of California homes with solar went up 55% while non-solar homes went up 45% during the same time period³.

6.       All 257 homes in one Clarum Homes development sold within a year of being put on the market, 2 years faster than planned. Plus, homes originally priced at $379,000-$499,000 were selling for as much as $600,000.

7.       The faster increase in a solar home’s value and the increase in its resale price are a result of the value the solar electricity will bring to the homeowner in the future. In other words, minus any maintenance and repair costs, solar adds value to a home because it means the homeowner will save more and more over time on electricity.

8.       While payback periods will vary, in most installations where a system is justifiable, the system will indeed pay for itself in a reasonable amount of time.

9.       It’s a great thing knowing that you're doing your part to lessen dependence on foreign oil and improving the environment.

It has been established that of all home improvements, installation of solar electricity gives the best return of investment. It recovers 100% of the cost. The benefits experienced by established solar users confirmed that through solar power, they make themselves solutions to the ever increasing energy demand and global environmental pollution problem.

Please visit our Informative Solar Article page for more practical tips, simplified application guide and established solar benefits.

Author’s Box

Jacinto Demonteverde, Jr., the owner, is a strong advocate of solar power adoption. He writes practical articles to keep established and prospective solar users well informed. Visit him at: http://www.justsolarhome.blogspot.com. You are welcome to republish or reprint this article free of charge provided the content remains unchanged including the Author’s Box. No permission is needed.

Cooking with Sunlight: Simple Solution to Complex Tree Deforestation Problem?

 Will cooking with sunlight in lieu of firewood make a dent in the loss of forest trees? It is known that tree deforestation had been a problem for decades and continues unabated up to this day. Will solar cooking make a difference in the efforts of various sectors to halt or slow down forest destruction?

Tree deforestation is markedly visible in third world countries where forests are lost continuously at the rate of millions of hectares every year. The impact of this loss is reflected in lives of people who continue to wallow in poverty, poor health and difficulty in pursuing a sustainable livelihood. For this reason alone, promotion and adoption of solar cooking must be pursued.

This article will attempt to explain how solar cooking can help preserve the forest and immensely improved life in the third world countries.

Relevant observations and facts.

1.      Forests in the developing countries are shrinking by millions of hectares per year partly because nearly half the world's wood supply is used as fuel.

2.      Indoor smoke pollution (from fire wood) now ranks 8th in health burden worldwide (lost years of healthy life), and ranks fourth in the "least-developed" countries (which make up about 40% of the world population) according to the World Health Organization's World Health Report 2002

3.      UNICEF estimates that 60% of rural families and 23% of urban families in developing countries are without safe water. Boiling guarantees safe drinking water and this cannot be done because of scarce firewood fuel

4.        In some villages in the third world countries, people depend on their livelihood from selling fire wood collected from the forest. Gradually they find shortage of fire wood and forest resources are fast being depleted.

5.     Studies reveal that the poorest urban households spend 20-40% of their income meeting daily cooking requirements, and the poorer the home, the higher the percentage of income spent. Currently with a total of more than 1.4 million sets of solar cookers in use, China is the number one country in the world promoting solar cookers.

 How solar cooker can help ease tree deforestation

1.      Solar cookers can replace fire wood for cooking food. Research has found that 36% of the world's fuel wood needs (350 million tones of wood per year, according to UNICEF) could be replaced by solar box cookers, saving 500 kg of wood per family per year, equivalent to millions of trees. Solar cookers saved an estimated 50 -60% of firewood the poorest urban household use.

2.      Promotion of solar cooker should be widespread with emphasis on poor countries. Efforts in this direction are already very visible but more is still to be done.

3.      Research on solar cooking must be intensified. Unfortunately, growing access to cheap coal and petroleum has overshadowed this solar research in the last century. Fossil fuel subsidies in the poorest countries have also slowed the development of solar cooking technology. There was little incentive for serious research on solar technology for cooking until recent decades when firewood became a rapidly diminishing resource and an increasingly expensive commodity.

During the last decades solar cookers have been increasingly used as a solution to the firewood problem. And because of this, fewer trees are chopped down, thus reducing deforestation and the advance of desertification, while at the same time guarding against global warming.

The rapid deforestation in many areas and the expanding of carbon-based atmospheric cloud are good reasons for a massive global effort to spread this technology. Hundreds of millions of families who still cook using wood, dung and charcoal should be encouraged to use solar cookers.

 Did you know that the world’s largest solar kitchen is located in India and serves approximately 20,000 people a day?

Please visit our InformativeSolar Article page for more practical tips, simplified application guide and established solar benefits.

Author’s Box

 Jacinto Demonteverde, Jr., the owner, is a strong advocate of solar power adoption. He writes practical articles to keep established and prospective solar users well informed. Visit him at: http://www.justsolarhome.blogspot.com. You are welcome to republish or reprint this article free of charge provided the content remains unchanged including the Author’s Box. No permission is needed.

Home Solar Electricity: What financing options are available to the beginner?

One of the big problems a beginner faces when he seriously considers adopting Home Solar Electricity is where to get the fund to finance the project. By this time, he already knows that a sizable amount is needed which should be financed from sources outside of the family budget.

Several questions may come into the beginners mind. Are there financing plans available to him? Will he qualify? Are these plans practical and affordable? It is wise for the beginner to check out very carefully and find out which of the plans fit him best.

Financing Plans:

Prospective solar users have multiple options when financing their home solar systems:

1.       Cash Purchase (commercial) – This plan allows the beginner to take advantage of the federal and state solar incentives which may amount to 50% of the total installation cost. Cash purchase of home solar electricity yields the highest return on investment.The beginner saves money from day one and can also expect increase in home value.

2.       Local Government Loan - Some municipalities will lend the beginner money to install solar panels and allow him to pay the loan back through an increase in property taxes. There is flexibility in this option because if a beginner decides to move out later, the solar panels stay with the house and the new owner takes over the property tax payments (agreements may vary). Check it out if the local government offers this type of loan.  

3.        Solar Lease - This is an option made available by some solar companies like SolarCity. A solar lease makes it possible for a beginner to get solar panels with no money down and allows him to start saving money on electric bill from day one.

Also, since the solar leasing company is the owner of the solar panels, they are usually responsible for monitoring power output and performing any necessary repairs. When the lease is over the beginner usually has the option of extending the lease or having the solar panels removed.

4.       Energy Efficient Mortgages - This is a federal government program available in the United States that enables beginners to get a mortgage for making energy efficiency improvements to their home. Since the loan is insured by the federal government, it can work for people who would otherwise not be able to acquire financing.

5.       Power Purchase Agreement - A power purchase agreement (PPA) is similar to a solar lease in that a company owns and maintains the solar panels on your roof. The difference is that instead of making a monthly lease payment, you purchase the power produced by the panels at a preset rate. This is an option that enables beginners to take advantage of solar energy with no capital outlay. A third party financial institution will own, operate and maintain the solar system.

6.       Bank Loans - Banks are now willing to offer loans for the purchase of a solar power system. It is structured so that payments are lower than previous electric payments in the beginning. These loans can be secured (usually by the equity in homes) or unsecured. Consult a tax expert to find out if interest on the loan is tax deductible.

Beginners should know that now so many people are willing to lend money if they decide to go solar. What's left to do is for them to check out which of the options will work out for their household.

We invite you to visit our Informative Solar Article page for more practical tips, simplified application guide and established solar benefits.

Author’s Box

 Jacinto Demonteverde, Jr., the owner, is a strong advocate of solar power adoption. He writes practical articles to keep established and prospective solar users well informed. Visit him at: http://www.justsolarhome.blogspot.com. You are welcome to republish or reprint this article free of charge provided the content remains unchanged including the Author’s Box. No permission is needed

Community Solar Homes Grow Across US

More people in the United States are installing solar panels in their homes for electric power. The cost can be expensive, so some neighborhoods have formed community groups to help homeowners save money.  The first community to do that in the Washington area was the Mount Pleasant neighborhood, where 75 households have joined the Mount Pleasant Solar Cooperative.

Mount Pleasant is a historic area in Washington and solar panels are not allowed to be visible from the street.  The Mount Pleasant Solar Cooperative is part of a trend across the United States to encourage homeowners to use solar energy instead of fossil fuels that may harm the environment. Robert Robinson, a member of the cooperative, says it helped that many of his neighbors think solar energy is an important resource.

“Many people live here who have worked in developing countries all over the world, and so going back to the 1970s, they’ve had experiences with Air Force bases that are solarized or schools or hospitals," said Robinson.

The cooperative began in 2006 with two neighbors, who looked into putting solar panels on the roofs of their homes.  They discovered a complex and expensive process and asked others in their neighborhood to join them.  Anya Schoolman, one of the group's founders, says Washington gets adequate sunshine year round to make solar energy worthwhile.

“We have good long summer days so we do well here," said Schoolman.

The cooperative worked to get group discounts from solar panel installers and helped each other to understand government programs that rebate some of the cost of solar panel installation. Panels can cost from $15,000 to $30,000 depending on the size of the system.  Schoolman says rebate incentives made the panels more affordable by cutting the cost by at least half. 

“There is a 30 percent federal tax credit for going solar for residential," she said. "And that makes a huge difference in the cost and then there’s a number of state level incentives.”

Despite the initial cost, the savings are big in the long run.  Schoolman says the homeowners’ electrical bills have gone down as much as two-thirds.  On top of that, the local electric company grants homeowners credit when their solar system generates more energy than they use.

Cooperative member Erik Hoffland is an architect who recently installed solar power in his home.   He figures he will pay off his investment within three to five years.

“To be able to talk to people as an architect and tell them that I put this into my house, hopefully, it will give them a better sense that it might be the right thing for them to do as well," said Hoffland.

The cooperative has also helped push through solar-friendly energy legislation in the local Washington government.   Anya Schoolman recently began the Community Powered Network to help other communities with their solar energy program.

Deborah Block | Washington  January 26, 2011 This article was reprinted from VOANews.com

About the Publisher

Discover Home Solar Today is an informational site owned and managed by Jacinto P. Demonteverde, Jr. who is a strong advocate of solar power adoption in homes. Their goal is to write and publish practical solar articles for beginners. Browse around we have many helpful articles in Informative Solar Article page. Visit them at: http://www.justsolarhome.blogspot.com.

Solar Distiller: Beginners Info to Free and Safe Drinking Water Using Sunlight

Solar water distillation has been used since the mid sixteenth century and has served the need of some people for centuries.. Until now, clean water supply is still a critical issue especially in third world countries. It was one of the solutions to some health problems in these places. After several years, many variations were introduced into the technology. Solar distiller does not use any solar cell to distill, so that it is more appropriately known as solar water still.

How does it work?

The solar water distiller basically uses sunlight to heat water, which then evaporates and condenses on the wide glass pane, and then collects into a large glass bottle.  In the process, solar water purification happens, and the water that comes out the spout is relatively clean.  Solar water purification isn't complete purification however, because the water in the distiller never reaches boiling point.  In technical terms, the solar water distiller isn't really a solar water distillation equipment.  It's more of an evaporation device.

How to build or acquire

The solar still's dimensions are generally around 5 feet long and 2 feet wide, and can be made of wood and glass, with jugs and silicone tubing – generally simple household items that have very little cost. But this is just a general dimension. There are many different sizes, even different solar water distiller designs. Some are more complex than others, but they all use the same fuel - sunlight. Plans to build solar water distillers are available all over the internet, and generally, one can find plans that only use common household items for the construction. One can also buy a complete solar distillation equipment.

Advantages

The lifespan of a solar water distiller is typically 10 years. It is estimated that water produced by the solar distillation process costs around 7 cents per gallon. Electric distillers produce clean drinking water at about 30 cents per gallon. Just 24 16 oz bottles of water cost an average of 5 dollars. As you can see, solar distilled water is very cost effective when compared to the costs of bottled water.  

Disadvantages

Solar distiller has a few drawbacks that cause grave concerns. First, it never actually brings the water it traps to a boil, and thus the water still might retain some of its bacteria and other harmful organisms. Also, the solar water distiller has a difficult time retaining a tight seal. Because of the large moist area it creates, the distiller is often the target of insects and bacteria looking to exploit any weakness or opening in the seal.

 It would be highly commendable for highly industrialized nations to help undertake solar distillation utilization and other practical solar applications in third world countries around the globe. A disturbing statistic lists a lack of fresh and clean water as one of the top causes of death worldwide, and literally millions of people every year die from lack of pure, clean water.This alone is major reason to help less fortunate countries.

Please visit our Informative Solar Article page for more practical tips, simplified application guide and established solar benefits.

Author’s Box

Jacinto Demonteverde, Jr., the owner, is a strong advocate of solar power adoption. He writes practical articles to keep established and prospective solar users well informed. Visit him at: http://www.justsolarhome.blogspot.com You are welcome to republish or reprint this article free of charge provided the content remains unchanged including the Author’s Box. No permission is needed

Grid Parity Goal: Practical Information for Beginners

Grid parity is defined as the point at which solar power (renewable energy) is equal or cheaper than utility grid electricity. It is a goal often referred to as the Holy Grail of renewable power, the most coveted prize of renewable energy research.

 How fast the reduction of Solar Power Cost will determine how soon we will attain grid parity. At present, grid electricity cost is lower but solar energy is inching closer and much faster than a decade ago. With Grid Parity, each household becomes a private utility company supplying cheap or free electricity for their use and selling the excess to the grid.

Status of Grid parity:

 Grid parity will not come at the same time for the different areas of the country. The opinions of industry movers are varied. There are those who claim grid parity existing in their states now, some nearing and many projecting within 5 years.

 Here’s what the experts say:

Places like Hawaii, Spain and Japan have achieved or nearing Grid because of abundant sun and high cost of fossil fuel electricity.


Big markets such as California, Texas, Florida, and New York will join Hawaii by 2012 as long as electricity prices keep rising. Since there is state and federal policy supporting solar through the mid-2010s, private consumers already benefit from cost-effective solar in many of these states.

  General Electric predicts grid parity without subsidies in sunny parts of the United States by around 2015. Other companies predict an earlier date: the cost of solar power will be below grid parity for more than half of residential customers and 10% of commercial customers as long as grid electricity prices do not decrease.

What will speed up Grid Parity?

1. The biggest driver of lower cost is better efficiency.  First Solar has indicated that its manufacturing cost has fallen in 2009 to 93 cents per watt, down 5% in three months and down 28% in a year.

2. Industry experts project solar module prices to fall 25% in 2009, 19% in 2010, and more than 10% in both 2011 and 2012.

3. Grid parity is also being sped up through the advances in concentrating photovoltaics. Concentrating photovoltaics can reach grid parity as soon as 2011. 

 4. The cost of CO2 emission has started to be added into the cost of building coal-fired or natural gas fired power plants, and for nuclear, people are starting to put a cost on the issue of dealing with the spent fuel from nuclear reactors. 

  

 Hindrances to Grid Parity:

1. Shortage in supply of silicon materials.The limited supply and increasing cost of silicon raw material increases the cost of manufacturing. If the selling price of solar panels increases, the adoption of solar power will be slow.

.2. Reduction or elimination of government incentives. Renewable energy especially solar power is subsidized heavily by the government in several countries including Spain and Germany. It is this incentives and tax breaks provided that makes it cost efficient to adopt solar power. Any reduction or elimination of incentives can lead to a hindrance in growth of the solar industry.

 3. Conversion efficiency of solar panelsSolar cells on the whole is still not very efficient. They convert about 10-15% of the sunlight that falls on it. Better technology that leads to better conversion can increase the output and thus lower the overall cost of electricity production.

Solar proponents believe that once grid parity is attained, electricity consumers have no reason   not build or buy solar power systems for home use. Advances in conversion efficiency and reduction in cost of solar panels will certainly drive the cost of solar electricity further down. By then Grid Parity will be within our grasp.

We invite you to visit our Informative Solar Article page for more practical tips, simplified application guide and established solar benefits.

 Author’s Box

 Jacinto Demonteverde, Jr., the owner, is a strong advocate of solar power adoption. He writes practical articles to keep established and prospective solar users well informed. Visit him at: http://www.justsolarhome.blogspot.com.You are welcome to republish or reprint this article free of charge provided the content remains unchanged including the Author’s Box. No permission is needed.

Solar Cooker for Third World Countries: Practical Application for Basic Need

Solar Cooker is a device that cooks, bakes food, pasteurizes and provides hot water for shower using the heat of the sun.  It was invented by a Swiss man named Horace de Saussure in 1776 and since then had been used effectively in many third world countries. This is a cooking device where the cost of fuel is zero courtesy of the sun.

 Functions and types available:

Solar oven is designed to cook food by using sunlight and reflective materials to generate heat. The infrared and ultraviolet light waves from the sun carry heat and if continually trapped in a small space can rise the temperature and cook many types of food.

There are three basic types of solar cookers:

1.      1. The box design which is simply a box set with a transparent lid that allows sunlight to enter. The inside walls of the box are lined with reflective material that concentrates the light and heat the air inside

2. The panel cooker uses a more complicated design with panels built to focus the sun's light on a particular spot.

3.      3. The most advanced forms of solar ovens are parabolic cookers, which use convex dishes to gather and concentrate heat even more.

Solar cookers can be purchased, or constructed using basic materials like aluminum foil, mirrors, cardboard, and plywood. Box cookers can be made by anyone, while some advanced panel and parabolic cookers require more advanced technical skills.

Benefits and advantages:

Solar ovens are suited in areas where electricity is not available and ideal for people who want to save. The number of voluntary groups working to spread solar cooking grows every year.  Solar cookers have been proven to be safe and effective under the proper conditions.

The non-profit organization Solar Cookers International (SCI) targets the developing countries to adopt solar  because of its positive impact on the economy, health and the environment in these nations.

SCI reports that there are over 500,000 cookers used in India and China and thousands more in refugee camps in Chad. They also reported that 10,000 Kenyan families were using solar ovens in mid-2006.

Disadvantages and problems:

1.      They can only be used where there is adequate sunshine for a specific amount of time.

2.      Food in a single-reflector box cooker will take about twice as long as in a conventional oven.  When the time required to obtaining fuel wood and tending the fire are considered, solar ovens usually demand less of the cook’s time. Also, since food very seldom burns in a box cooker, the cook does not have to watch or stir the food.

3.      Solar cookers are not well known in many areas. In some where it is promoted, adoption of solar cooking does take place.

It is a wise move to make solar cooking known, available and affordable in places where climates are appropriate and, where people are having problems and difficulties in cooking. While solar cookers are very useful, there are other practical applications suitable for third world countries.

Please visit our Informative Solar Article page for more practical tips, simplified application guide and established solar benefits.

Author’s Box

 Jacinto Demonteverde, Jr., the owner, is a strong advocate of solar power adoption. He writes practical articles to keep established and prospective solar users well informed. Visit him at: http://www.justsolarhome.blogspot.com. You are welcome to republish or reprint this article free of charge provided the content remains unchanged including the Author’s Box. No permission is needed