We’ve blogged about solar powered trash cans in the past, but this cool urban invention can save so much money and the environment that its worth talking about again! So, what makes solar powered trash cans so special? These receptacles, manufactured by BigBelly (photographed above), use free solar energy to operate an automatic trash compactor [...]
Every time I meet someone new and they ask why I write a blog, I tell them about solar power. Yes, I usually discuss the upsides of going solar, but there are both solar power pros AND cons. Only thorough information on both sides of the column – for and against solar – can guide [...]
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With rising utility costs and environmental concerns in the news frequently, homeowners are increasingly considering a switch to solar power. Yet, the vast majority of Americans overestimate the cost of solar panels, resulting in a failure to even investigate the possibility of making such an investment. According to a nationwide poll commissioned by SunRun (conducted [...]
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A decade ago, you simply did not see solar panels on mainstream and/or middle class homes. They were a unique feature, seemingly reserved for the ultra rich, or ultra green. Today, there are many reasons to switch to solar power, and more and more people are doing so! In fact, One Block Off the Grid [...]
The price of solar energy is not the same across the United States. Among other things, state incentives for solar, localized costs, and marketplace competition varies. The amount you can save by switching to solar power also depends on the price of grid-based electricity, in terms of kilowatt hours. States with expensive electricity – New [...]
Spray on solar cells are one of the more exciting solar technologies that can be employed as building integrated photovoltaics. Thin film solar is incorporated into solar inks that can literally be painted onto walls and windows of structures allowing the sides of buildings to function as solar collectors to generate enough electricity to power [...]
We have published a number of articles on the benefits of solar power for Third World countries. Many of these regions are so far from grid-based electricity that the International Energy Agency estimates that half of those currently living without electricity (about 1.2 billion people) will never be reached by the grid. This means that [...]
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Here in my home state of Oregon, the number of home solar power systems have tripled in the past 3 years. In fact, more than 2/3 of all existing solar installations in Oregon have taken place since 2008. If you haven’t already done so, isn’t it time to resolve to go solar in 2012? The [...]
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One of the things on my bucket list is to help build Habitat for Humanity homes. Now, these community-built, free structures can be even cheaper to live in when they include solar panels. In Dallas, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona (among other cities), solar panels on Habitat for Humanity homes are available via donation and installation [...]
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For developing regions in Third World countries, many of life’s basic necessities are difficult to achieve due to poverty and/or living far from the electrical grid. Keeping medical supplies at cool temperatures via refrigeration, making emergency telephone calls, lighting living spaces in a safe manner, and even purifying water and cooking food can be challenging, [...]
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