Solar power in Nevada

All across the “Land of Enchantment” the state of Nevada is shining bright with a solar power future.  To the south, near Boulder City, over a million solar panels cover desert lands, generating utility scale solar electricity. Using First Solar panels, the project will generate enough clean electricity to power about 26,000 homes, saving 123,000 metric tons of CO2 with the positive environmental impact of taking 24,000 cars off the road.

Up north in the Truckee Meadows, smaller solar panel arrays are also sprouting up.  While on a scale smaller than the First Solar farm in the southern part of the state, distributed generation photovoltaic (PV) panels generate electricity for the property on which they are situated.

For example, NV Energy uses solar energy to keep the lights on at their Reno headquarters.  Not only is the company using solar power, it is adopting incentives to help residential and small business customers make the switch to the renewable resource, as well.  A new solar hot water incentive allows between $3,000 and $7,500 to off-set initial costs of the system.

To learn about the new NV Energy solar rebate programs, click here.

Solar panel products: rooftops are just the beginning!

Seems that everywhere you look these days, you can find solar panel products.  You might be familiar with rooftop solar panels on homes or businesses.  Photovoltaic panels absorb solar energy from UV light, which is then converted from direct current to alternating current for everyday use.

With falling solar panel prices and generous government rebates and other programs, more and more people are finding it affordable to go solar.

Even if you aren’t prepared to switch over to 100% solar electricity, you can still make great use of the sun with other solar panel products.  Thin film solar panels are embedded in fabrics to create solar backpacks and handbags, which can conveniently recharge electronic devices.  Cell phones, mP3 players, computers, cameras and more can all be powered by sunlight!

Portable solar power is also used for recreational vehicles (RVs), boats, at construction sites, during military operations, and for just about any other outdoor activity (hiking, bicycling, camping, fishing, hunting, etc.).  A variety of products are available, including roll-out solar blankets, fold-out solar panels, and solar trickle battery chargers.

Lovely solar garden lights

Close to home, people enjoy solar garden lights for an easy, convenient way to illuminate a pathway or add safety features.  Lights automatically come on a nightfall and glow through the evening, turning off in the morning.  Because no wiring or electrical systems are needed, its a simple DIY project that gives immediate results.

Finally, even the government is getting in on the “green” factor of solar panel products.  Single-purpose solar panels can help saving money and the environment.  Cities and agencies are opting for solar powered street lights, school zone blinking lights, traffic detour signs, electric gates and more.  In fact, the reliability of solar as opposed to grid-based electricity makes it an obvious choice for safety features.

Have you noticed solar panel products in your daily routine?

Maybe its time for you to consider the power of the sun!

Government incentives could encourage more nationwide installation of solar panels

Renewable energy is on everyone’s mind… including the government.  To encourage people to switch to solar power or other non-fossil-fuel based power sources, the U.S. federal government will allow you up to 30% of the cost of solar installation in the form of tax credits.  But, the deal could get even sweeter!  Two Senators have proposed a new bill that would provide for the U.S. Government to pay 50% of solar panel costs.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Steve Cohn (D-TN) put forth potential new legislation that is modeled after California’s Million Solar Roofs initiative.  The “10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Water-Heating Act”would help encourage the addition of 10 million new solar arrays and 200,000 new solar water heating systems to the national energy mix.

The goal:  to reach 30,000 megawatts (MW) or more of photovoltaic panel installations.  To put it into perspective, it would double similar solar initiatives from China and India.  In the mix are thousands of green jobs in the manufacturing and system installation industries.

The plan:  Solar power systems would receive incentives starting at $1.75 per watt, and rebates under the proposed bill would be in addition to existing federal rebates, up to 50% of the solar panel cost.  However, federal rebates are just part of the puzzle.   State incentives are added on top, which can lead to rebates for home solar power systems of 80% or more, depending on where you live.

The bottom line is that the question that is forefront on many peoples’ minds: how can you reduce the cost of solar panels, may be answered very soon.  Already generous government rebates could be increased even more!

Stay tuned to get more news and the most up to date information on how to save money with your solar installations!