Tag Archives: home solar

Choosing the right-sized solar energy system for your home

solar

Solar energy is growing in popularity, especially as solar equipment prices fall and the cost of electricity continues to rise in most parts of the country.

Let’s assume that you have decided to go solar. The next question you may be asking is “how do I choose the right size solar photovoltaic (PV) system for my home?”

Will solar add value to your home?  Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your solar value needs.

In addition to determining how much solar energy you can produce where you live, there are a number of other factors to consider, such as the amount of electricity you use, the size, orientation and design of your roof, and the state/municipal/utility policies that affect the cost of going solar.

Ultimately, a qualified solar installer will need to come to your home and go over the particularities of your situation with you, but it’s always a good idea to have a better understanding of the situation before this stage, so that you can follow the discussion and ask the right questions.

Electricity Use

One of the first things to consider is how much electricity you typically use, and how it varies with the seasons. For example, do you have an air conditioner that runs at full blast in the summer, or do you heat your home with electric baseboard heaters during the cold winter months?

The most accurate way to calculate how much electricity you use is to dig up your utility bills for the past 12 months (or longer if the past year was unseasonably warm or cold). If you don’t have your bills on hand, you can use our Power Consumption Calculator to estimate your electricity usage.

read more at: http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/choosing-the-right-size-solar-energy-system-zbcz1604.aspx?newsletter=1&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=04.22.16%20MEN%20GEGH%20eNews&utm_term=GEGH%20eNews

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

San Diego #2 in Nation for Solar

Solar installations in San Diego have grown 76.6 percent in two years, making the city the metropolitan area with the second-highest number of solar panels in the country, according to a report released by an environmental group.

“San Diego really shines when it comes to solar power,” Michelle Kinman, clean energy advocate for Environment California Research and Policy Center, said at a news conference Friday.

In its annual report, Environment California looked at 64 cities nationwide. With 189 megawatts of installed photovoltaic capacity at the end of 2015, San Diego trails only Los Angeles, which ended the year at 215 megawatts.

But San Diego finished above Los Angeles on a per capita basis.

Does solar add value to your home?  Contact the appraiser at www.scappraisals.com they specialize in solar and energy-efficient properties.

San Diego averaged 136 watts of installed solar per person while Los Angeles had 55 watts. Nationally, San Diego finished fourth in per capita solar, trailing only Honolulu, Indianapolis and San Jose.

In the each of three years of the Environment California rankings, San Diego has finished No. 2 in the nation in total solar installations. The city grew 76.6 percent since the end of 2013 and increased 26 percent from last year’s rankings.

read more at: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/apr/08/sandiego-solar-rankings/

disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

How to make sure your green home upgrades pay off

GET A HOME ENERGY AUDIT

You want to lower your electric or gas bill. You may even be ready to buy or lease solar panels to generate electricity. But what if you can accomplish big savings by simply re-sealing your windows and doors to prevent air inside your home from venting, driving up your heating and cooling costs? Where do you begin?

MAKE EASY CHANGES FIRST

Tackling less expensive changes first can add up to big savings.

Replacing incandescent lights with compact fluorescent light bulbs, using a programmable thermostat to control when air conditioning or heat turns on can whittle away at your utility bills. Then there’s insulation, the decidedly low-tech but key feature of every energy efficient home.

CONSIDER RESALE IMPACT

Certain green upgrades may add value to your home, depending on whether you live in a part of the country where those upgrades are seen as more of a selling point.

A recent study tracked single-family homes with solar power systems in six states that were sold mostly between 2010 and 2013. The study, conducted by real estate appraisers and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, found that the homes sold, on average, for more than other homes without solar power systems. It also found that the sales price gain was higher the bigger the solar system in the home.

Will solar add value to your home?  Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for you home value questions.  The are Southern California’s forerunners in green property appraisals.

The appraisers, on average, found a premium of around $14,000 for solar homes with typical-sized systems of about 3.85 kilowatts.

read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/fc633d5e51544cdc8119762cb60fe8fd/how-make-sure-your-green-home-upgrades-pay

disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only