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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters install solar panels to fulfill their home energy needs, we'll avert the CO2 pollution caused by 8,105,263 espresso machines in a year.
COCKTAIL FACT
The world's largest solar-power farm, set to start producing power in 2008 in Fresno, CA, will cover 1 sq mi.
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home › tip library › Solar Power
What generates more energy than your double espresso?
The Bite
Just look up. Rain or shine, tapping into the sun to serve your energy needs is an easy way to cut your energy costs as well as pollution. And just in case you're lacking a rooftop to call your own, solar panels aren't the only way you can take advantage of the brightest energy source around.The Benefits
- A clean, renewable energy source. One hour's worth of the sunlight that hits the earth provides more energy than we humans use in a whole year.
- Smaller bills. With the right system, you'll never pay another electricity bill, and in some areas, you can even receive credit for excess energy you send into the grid.
- Lower and lower costs. The price of solar is dropping. Plus, federal and state tax deductions and rebates can slash up to 75% off the cost of a new home system.
- Valuable real estate. Solar-electric systems increase a home's value by $20K for every $1K reduction in yearly energy bills. That's a lotta Ks.
Personally Speaking
Never one to miss out on a great deal, Heather's in the process of installing solar panels on her roof with the aid of California's awesome solar tax rebates.Wanna Try?
Billionaire Biter?- Ready Solar Solar in a Box - offers easy-does-it installation on your rooftop ($8,635 and up).
Budget Biter?
- Citizen Eco-Drive Watches - hundreds of watch styles with solar batteries that charge using indoor or outdoor light ($66-$1,050).
Biter Brainiac?
- FindSolar - learn how much cash solar can save you, and find local installers.
- Vote Solar - join a non-profit that promotes solar power.
Reviewed by alternative energy expert Adam Browning.
Sep 20,2007
Sponsor
All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Hot Off the Grid
Our friend Adam Browning at Vote Solar turned us onto a new bargain: low-hassle solar installation from Sun Run. The CA-based company handles all the hard stuff (design, installer screening, maintenance) while you pay reduced setup fees and get tiny electricity bills as soon as your system's running. Starting with pilots in the Golden State (it's not yet national - which is why we didn't include it in the Daily Tip), this kind of program is set to bring solar to the masses.
-Toshio...off to stare at the sun...
-Toshio...off to stare at the sun...
Biter Comments...
I'd love to go solar, but I'm a city dweller in an apartment and don't own my roof or my access to the grid. Help! How can I go solar?
i'm sure i can't be the only girl now obsessed with exactly how an to calculate the carbon footprint of an espresso machine in a year. you people are genius!
As a sustainability consultant here in Australia I'm interested in arguments that can be used to reinforce people's decisions to become more sustainable. Your tips are often very handy and pitched at the mainstream. I often tell my clients that the proposed changes will increase the value of their home but there is little research on this (at least here in Oz). So I would like to use the quote about the $20K increase in capital value of the house for each $1K reduction in energy bills. But this would be much more useful if there was some hard research to back this up. Could you send me a link to the research that supports this claim?
Amanda-
You may be able to purchase green power in your area. See http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml. Also, try searching the Tip Library (http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/). We've done tips on going solar outside of the home (eg. camping equipment: http://www.idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/sun_dial_up/).
Malcolm-
The info comes from a report released by the Appraisal Institute you can check out here: www.icfi.com/Markets/Community_Development/doc_files/apj1098.pdf. More research is available here: http://www.icfi.com/Markets/Community_Development/doc_files/apj1099.pdf.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Wayne | September 20, 2007 at 08:00 AM