Why a Warming Planet is Harming Our Health by Lisa Marshall Samantha Ahdoot’s son Isaac was 9 years old when he collapsed from the heat while playing clarinet at band… read more →
by Linda Sechrist For author Paul Hawken, a leading environmental entrepreneur working with a coalition of research fellows, advisors and expert reviewers, the climate goal is drawdown, or reversing global… read more →
Renewable Energy Subsidies Lag Far Behind The G20 nations, comprising the world’s biggest economies, provide four times more public financing to support fossil fuels than renewable energy, says a
Floating Farm Helps Power UK Needs Hywind, the first floating wind farm in the UK, is located 15 miles offshore of Peterhead, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Its five turbines with a… read more →
To encourage taxpayers to reduce both their energy usage and carbon footprint, many states, along with the federal government, offer tax credit incentives against the purchase cost of solar energy… read more →
A limitation of a grid-tied system is that when the grid is down or power is lost, the solar energy system cannot be used, since any electricity running through the system can be dangerous to the technicians working on the lines. Redman says that more and more homeowners are showing an interest in hybrid solar energy systems. These systems can be grid-tied and also operate to provide energy if the grid is down since they include a battery back-up component that allows for excess energy storage.
Thanks to Google Earth, solar installers usually know if a property has the right conditions; avoiding the fee for an onsite inspection. Houses with a southern orientation within 40 degrees of direct southern exposure are golden. Those with flat roofs work well because the panels can be tilted for maximum effect. Adjustable panels can also be adapted to the best angle per season. Panels can’t be in shade for a significant part of the day.
Donald Redman, President of US Energy Solutions, says there has never been a better time, financially, for consumers in South Carolina to turn to solar energy. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit allows homeowners and businesses to receive a dollar-for-dollar credit on their tax liability equaling 30 percent of the installed cost from their federal taxes, and South Carolina’s Solar Energy Tax Credit lets residents claim a state tax credit of 25 percent of the entire installed cost of a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system.
