Solar and You

Buying a solar system for your home is a purchase of a similar magnitude to buying a car, but it’s one that most people have never made before, and one that is harder to research than many other major purchases. In this section, we answer some of the questions everyone thinking about installing solar wants to know. What makes a home a good candidate for solar? What are the steps involved in installing solar panels? What options are available for financing your system? What you should look for in a solar installer? What solar rebate options are available in your area? We also provide news updates on how other individuals and communities around the U.S. and worldwide are going solar.

If you’re a California homeowner considering installing solar, we encourage you to try Renewzle’s solar calculator and get a personalized assessment of solar costs and benefits for your particular situation.

You can find more information about community solar initiatives in California on our California Solar Power Information Page and read the articles below to learn how solar might work for you. Enjoy!

Solar Thermal for your Home: Four Things to Consider

Solar thermal technology provides space heating and hot water and is a frequently forgotten member of the solar family. These highly effective systems are popular in many parts of the globe, from China to Greece to Zimbabwe. They displace the use of the existing hot water heater and heating equipment, typically saving either natural gas or electricity.Solar thermal is a more mature technology than solar photovoltaic systems that produce electricity.

Solar Power Costs & Savings

Solar energy still costs a little more than utility power today, but the gap is shrinking every day. Thanks to a variety of credits and incentives offered by the Federal government, states, local governments and utilities, people in many parts of the country can actually save money right now by installing solar.

Solar Energy & the Environment

Looking for an overview of how installing a solar system can help the environment? Did you know that an average U.S. household uses 830 kiloWatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per month? Or that on average, producing 1,000 kWh of electricity with solar power reduces emissions by nearly 8 pounds of sulfur dioxide, 5 pounds of nitrogen oxides, and more than 1,400 pounds of carbon dioxide?

Solar Rebates & Financial Incentives

Federal and state governments are currently offering tremendous financial incentives to motivate homeowners to switch to solar energy. With literally hundreds of different credits and incentives offered by all levels of government and many utilities, identifying all of the available incentives can be a bit bewildering. This article provides an overview of financial solar incentives in the U.S.

How to Choose a Solar Installer For Your Home

As a rule, most people do not consider choosing a contractor, solar or otherwise, to be one of the more pleasant tasks they face. However, with a little bit of good advice upfront it can be much less daunting than you might think. Learn here about the difference between a solar system retailer and a solar installer, what to look for in a solar installer, how to verify your installer with the state’s contractor license board, and more.

How to Manage Your Solar Installer During Your Solar Panel Installation

Getting solar panels installed and not sure what happens next? Learn how to get good work out of your solar installer, complete the rebate application process, manage your building inspector, not pay too much up front, and how to avoid other common pitfalls. If you know how to take advantage of them, there are quite a few checks and balances in the process to make sure you get quality work from your solar installer.

How to Install Solar Panels

Want to know how to install solar panels? We here at Renewzle recommend that you get a solar professional to install your solar system, but want you to know how the process works. This article describes how to install a roof mounted grid-tie solar system, from mounting the solar array on your roof to connecting the wiring and installing the control equipment.

News

1 Block Off the Grid Rolling Out California’s Largest Community Solar Initiative

School Budgets Suffer from Rising Energy Costs

Renewable Energy Increases Home Values

How to get Cheap, Used, or Free Solar Panels

Solar Panel Financing: Solar City and Solar System Leases

Florida Solar Power: Sunshine Energy Solar Array Comes Online

Solar Community Purchasing Program in San Jose

Downtown San Jose Solar Project Chooses REC Solar and a Sun Run PPA

Department of Energy names Solar America Cities

Renewable Energy Could Help Alleviate US Water Crisis

Are you a California homeowner interested in solar? Get a free solar financial analysis from Renewzle and find installers in your area.

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Recent News

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