There is more involved in your decision to go solar than the installation of solar panels. Permits, inspections, grants, and financing all involve time and paperwork. A solar installation company that will handle everything for you will save you a significant amount of headache. You should also consider any warranties or maintenance plans that your chosen solar installer offers.

If you are looking for a solar power installation company in Maryland, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, or Delaware, Solar Energy World can simplify the process for you. In fact, we recently earned the Guildmaster with Distinction Award for our excellent customer satisfaction scores on GuildQuality. Contact us today to see how we can help your home or business go solar!

“Clean Energy Collective is already working on its next community solar gardens in and outside of Colorado,
Sweeny says, though the next few to reach completion will be in Colorado. “The next one completed should be for
the City of Aurora. That’s a 500 kilowatt array as well.” He adds that the company also just broke ground on a
400 kilowatt community solar garden at the Lowry redevelopment project in Denver. Two additional 500 kilowatt
projects will also be completed in Summit County near Breckenridge.”

For the full article about Boulder’s first community solar garden, visit SolarReviews.com.

Solar Power Saves Money

Your electricity bill will likely continue to rise, and if you cannot significantly reduce the amount of electricity that you use, solar power can offset the amount that you consume from the utility company. Depending on factors such as energy usage, sun exposure, and available roof space, you could save up to 100% of your electricity costs. Plus, with the available financing and leasing options, along with grants and incentives to offset the purchase price, your monthly payments for the solar power system will remain easily affordable.

Solar Power Earns Money

Wise investments earn money, and solar power is no exception. In fact, typical ROI on a solar power system over a five year period is 125%, reaching 500% by year 20! SRECs, or Solar Renewable Energy Credits, generated by your solar panels’ production can be sold at current market rates for additional income. Additionally, the value of a home increases by $40,000 on average with the installation of a solar power system.

If you would like to…

• save $35,700 in energy costs over the next 10 years*
• increase your home value by $40,000*
• reduce your household’s impact on the environment

…then solar is a wise investment for you.

Contact us today for your free solar analysis, and start National Home Improvement Month with the right choice for your home! Call 410-579-2009, to schedule your appointment.

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Sunshine on a Rainy Day: Solar Panels Still Produce Electricity
Longer Days Mean More Solar Power

Answer: False. Just because the rain is falling, doesn’t mean that your solar power system is not producing electricity. In fact, some of our Facebook fans chimed in just to let us know how much power they were producing during cloudy, rainy weather.

“Rain coming and very overcast. Solar system still generating almost 2kw!
We generated 86% of our needed electricity yesterday.
Thanks Solar Energy World!” – Mark L. via Facebook

What differences do you see in your solar power output on cloudy days? Let us know by posting on the Solar Energy World Facebook page.

The competition has been held every two years since it was started in 2002. This October, it moves from Washington, DC, where all previous competitions were held, to Orange County Great Park in Irvine California. 20 teams comprised of students representing at least one college will display their completed solar powered homes to the public, and will be judged on criteria such as architecture, and market appeal.

For more information about the Solar Decathlon, check out United States’ Solar Decathlon Readies for its First Road Trip by Chris Meehan of SolarReviews.

It might be surprising to consider how much electricity a zoo consumes. Besides the power needed for visitor attractions, such as shops, and kiosks, the zoo also needs to support its animal inhabitants 24 hours a day. This means that special features of habitats, such as climate control, need to be regulated constantly. All of these electricity expenditures add up quickly. For example, the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee spends $825,000 on utilities annually!

This has caused several zoos to turn to solar power over the past several years, including the Knoxville Zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo, as well as those in Milwaukee, San Diego, and Oakland. Several of the solar arrays have been placed over parking lots, to create a canopy for visitors to park in the shade, while the panels power the zoo. The San Diego Zoo took the concept even further, and installed an electric vehicle charging station beneath the solar canopy.

To read more about zoos that have gone solar, click to read the article on SolarReviews.com.

How Not to Clean Your Solar Panels

When cleaning your panels, you want to be careful not to damage them, or leave any sort of residue that will attract the rapid buildup of dirt and debris. Some of the bad ideas for solar panel cleaning include:

• Pressure washing them
• Scraping them or scratching them with a broom
• Damaging the surface with bleach, or other harsh chemicals

How to Clean Your Solar Panels

Cleaning your solar panels is a task that you can do yourself, or you can hire a professional service. Solar panel cleaning kits are available (try searching an online retailer, like Amazon.com), and cleaning solutions that are designed specifically for the surface of solar panels are available as well.

For professional solar panel cleaning services, try asking your solar power system installation company, or research local window cleaning companies, which may offer special services for solar panel customers.

Don’t forget, Solar Energy World customers are offered an annual maintenance plan for solar power systems, which includes a full system inspection and cleaning.

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10 Reasons to Go Solar Today
Why You Should Choose a SunPower Premier Dealer

How can solar power help the economy, and reduce unemployment numbers? Just look to the public school system, where many schools have turned to solar power as a way to deal with budget cuts. According to an article by SolarReviews,

“Since 2009, the Scottsdale Unified School district outside Phoenix has been forced to cut more than $20 million from its operating budget. Faced with the choice of laying off teachers or finding an innovative way to save money, school administrators reassessed their $6 million annual utility bill.”

In fact, 11 schools in the same district in Arizona have worked with SunPower to go solar, slashing electricity costs in half, and expecting to save $22.4 million dollars in electricity costs. California has followed suit, and is home to the largest district-wide solar power system in the world, which covers 51 schools in the Mount Diablo School District, and is projected to save $200 million dollars in the next 30 years.

So have the schools seen results? According to SolarReviews, the answer is yes. In the Scottsdale, AZ school district, six teachers who were previously laid off were reinstated thanks to the solar installations, which means that many more teaching jobs were probably saved as well, and the quality of education would not be diminished.

To read more about how solar power has impacted the school system, read the original article here.

Solar Energy World Installation at Rising Star Farms

A community solar farm is a solar array that several members of a community invest in, and benefit from. For example, let’s say that ten families on Main Street are interested in solar power. Several of them sign up for a free solar analysis, but are told that they will need to remove several of the trees surrounding their homes, and that solar power is not a viable option for the homes at one end of the street, due to a tall business complex that casts a significant amount of shading over part of the neighborhood. Some of the neighbors do not want to remove their trees, and nothing can be done about the shading caused by the existing business complex. So, what can the homeowners on Main Street do about their desire for solar power?

The remedy for this situation is for the neighbors who are interested in solar power to choose an ideal location for a solar array, and then each invest in the construction of the project. This location could be a nearby field, or even, with the cooperation of the property owner, the rooftop of the existing business complex. The community owners of the solar power system will then each benefit from the production of the solar array, by being credited for the amount of power generated by the solar power system depending on the portion of the array owned by each household.

Community solar power is a beneficial option for people who are not in the ideal situation for solar power, such as those in the example above, or for condo owners who do not each have their own rooftop space available.

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10 Tips for a Greener Workplace

Deserts, Islands, and the Future of Solar Power

Green businesses boast happier employees, and better bottom lines.(freedigitalphotos.net)

1. Choose green lighting options.

LED lights use less energy than older bulbs, so swapping out older fixtures can make a difference in your energy bills. Lights that turn on or off using sensors are another great way to save money over offices that are brightly illuminated, even if portions are unoccupied. Offices with large windows or skylights are at an advantage as well, since they can make use of natural lighting during the day, and open them for fresh air.

2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

It is such a common practice today, that it is likely that your office already recycles paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum. If not, you should definitely make the switch! Also, consider other materials that can be reused or recycled, such as wooden pallets or shipping materials. You can help reduce the amount of waste produced by reusing products like paper or plastic cups from the water cooler (or using a reusable water bottle), or by setting your printer to print on both sides of the page by default. Better yet, instead of printing many copies for meetings or to pass around to clients and coworkers, use the digital tools at hand and send emails, or use a projector.

3. Allow telecommuting.

Telecommuting is becoming more popular, and for good reason. Remote workers save companies big money by reducing the onsite services needed, such as heating and cooling, lighting, water and sewage, and even the amount of office space needed. Of course, this also reduces the workplace’s environmental footprint. Employees benefit as well, considering that commute time and fuel costs are eliminated, productivity increases, and work continues even through minor illnesses and bad weather. Irene Sanders of Cisco reports that, in 2012, employers saved approximately $2,400 per year for each employee that worked from home just one day per week, and that does not include the benefit of increased productivity and boosted morale.

4. Add plants to the office space.

A little greenery goes a long to way to improving indoor air quality. Plants can help filter indoor air, which is important since many materials, such as particle board, carpet, and paint give off toxins that lead to health problems and birth defects. Plus, cheerful plants and flowers can make any office seem more welcoming, and less sterile.

5. Use renewable energy.

This one is an obvious favorite of ours, but with good reason! Offset your office building’s energy usage by installing a solar power system, and you will not only save money, but you will reduce waste, and set a good example for neighboring buildings as well.

6. Keep up with maintenance.

Drafty doors and windows lead to heat loss or gain (depending on the outdoor temperature), which correlates with the amount of work your HVAC system must perform (unless, of course, your employees telecommute, in which case you would not need to maintain a certain temperature every day). Leaky faucets and pipes, and faulty appliances all contribute to energy usage or wasted water as well. Plus, broken pipes and electronics can lead to other hazards, like fire and mold.

7. Be smart about electronics usage.

Enable energy saving modes for printers and other electronic office supplies. Choose “quick print” modes for documents that do not require exceptional quality, such as drafts or notes, and you will save on the cost of ink. Unplug computers at the end of the day to reduce vampire energy loss (the electricity drain that occurs when a powered down device is still plugged into the outlet).

8. Order recycled or sustainable supplies.

Choose recycled or biodegradable products to lessen your environmental impact, and place large orders to be delivered in one shipment. This saves on packaging and transportation costs, and can also save money on shipping and handling expenses.

9. Plant a garden.

Just as adding plants to the interior of the office improves indoor air quality and atmosphere, adding them outside provides these same benefits as well. Planting a garden or a few trees creates a nice, welcoming appearance for your office, and improves the air quality. Add a few benches or picnic tables, and you have a great space for employees to eat lunch, or have outdoor meetings.

10. Publicize Your Policy!

Just like any workplace policy, your green policies and goals will only be effective if every employee knows about them. Post a sign reminding them to recycle, to unplug their computers, or reminding them of the option to telecommute. Social media solutions, like Practically Green’s Business Platform, can help you track employee’s green actions, and company progress. You may even find that other employees and coworkers have other ideas that could contribute to a greener, happier workplace!

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Longer Days Mean More Solar Power
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