Off Grid Home Blog

It’s true that getting a solar panel for your home is an effective way to immediately cut your expenses and get rid of power made from coal plants. Buying a solar panel costs a lot but even then it sounds an economical decision on long run.

Focusing on the fact that average class homeowners can not afford to buy a solar panel, some entrepreneurial companies have started solar panel leasing for interested homeowners.

Rental Companies:

Citizenr’s REnU program is having several advantages over traditional solar panel purchase. The other solar panel releasing companies are:

• FreEner-g is developed initially in Minnesota for serving the Minneapolis/St.Paul Area.
• In Connecticut there is CT Solar Lease.
• Serving for Arizona, California, and Oregon is SolarCity.

How These Companies Work?

Though these companies are having different terms and conditions but the basic thing about leasing solar panels is consistent in each package. To have that rental solar panel for your home needs, you have to deposit initially almost $500-$1,000. You can refund this deposit money at the end of your lease. This is the initial process and after that solar panels are installed at your place, according to your household’s energy needs. Every month you will have to pay the rent to the company that leased the panels.

The power which is produced by the solar panels for your home, flows back into the grid which causes the meter to run backward. These solar panels are available only for those places which are having net metering; means that the difference between what is produced and what is used can be tracked.

The Economics

There is a big difference between buying and renting the solar equipment. Let’s say, if you buy the photovoltaic (PV) panels to power your home, it will cost you almost $50,000. But if you buy it only for heating the water it will cost you around $6,000 which can be lowered more after rebates and tax credits and factored in. But there is one benefit of solar panel that it increases the value of your home and some areas allow you to sell power back to grid.

If you want to what it would cost you according to your area, Find Solar website is having a solar calculator that estimates costs of buying solar panels according to the location and few other factors. Keeping the above mentioned solar panel costs, its really hard for a common person to buy it, even if he do saving for ten years.

In such case only solar panel leasing is the way for a common person. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) is having the complete information regarding leasing solar panels, rebates programs, loans, grants, incentives, exemptions, and many more for renewable energy and energy efficiency in each state.

Rental solar panels are having so small start up cost, and that is also possible to lock in a rate that will stay constant for the next 25 years but that depends on the rental period, that for how many years you will use it. In the beginning the costs for per month will exceed as the energy will be obtained from the grid. Anyhow the savings are likely based on the theory that the energy costs will continue to rise, but have no guarantee of paying off in the long run.

Though rentals are little riskier than buying panels, but that will surely save you big money after a couple of decades. If we put a small variation in cost aside, solar power rental will allow hundreds of thousands of homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint and decrease dependence on non-renewable resources.

Currently it’s really difficult to predict that the costs for solar rental will be slightly higher, equal or lower than the traditional power from the grid, but one thing is for sure is that, if this enterprise succeeds, it will be a good mark for environmental benefits.

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Lake Country Wind Energy announces that it has secured nearly 25,000 acres for the development of its 340 megawatt community owned project in Meeker and Kandiyohi Counties, Minnesota. This is over three fourths of the acres needed to complete the project’s site control effort. Just over 150 local landowners are participating in Lake Country.

Xcel Energy this week announced the successful completion of the Buffalo Ridge Incremental Generation Outlet (BRIGO) Transmission Projects, designed to increase the system’s ability to carry wind power to Minnesota and South Dakota customers. The BRIGO series of projects installed approximately 50 miles of new transmission lines from the wind-rich Buffalo Ridge area of Minnesota and South Dakota.

We always think of reason before starting some work. World is now turning to alternate sources of energy. Here are some reasons for going to solar energy.

1. Start Saving Money and Keep Saving Money!

As you’re all aware, electricity rates are on the rise and are set to stay that way during this time of economic controversy. Those who paid fixed prices locked in lower rates to last them 5 years and probably now give themselves a well deserved pat on the back! This is pretty much what you get when you switch to solar systems. This will give you the ability to lock in your electricity costs.

2. Boost Your Home Value

Did you know that a solar electricity system can increase the value of your home by thousands of dollars? A study conducted by ICF Consulting in 1998 revealed that a saving on just $1 on energy costs per year, adds $20 to the value of a home. Therefore in saving approx $1,000 per year will increase the homes value by $20,000!

3. Out-Smart other Investments

As local residents of Massachusetts soon realized, the return you can get on a solar investment could be higher than various other investments. LuAnn Kuder & Maureen O’Brian came across how they could beat Wall Street with solar system investment. Your solar ROI is likely to beat the current <10% per year rate the market has now returned to, particularly in areas of higher electricity rates.

4. Environmentally Friendly

Other than the greenhouse gas, radioactive material, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, natural gas and coal fired power plans quickly eat through our natural resources. They are a huge contributor to acid rain and global warming which are major environmental and public health concerns. Switching to solar power reduces brown paper production by utility companies, reducing emissions, reducing pollution resulting in a cleaner environment. Simple!

5. A Matter of National Security..

Ever thought about how much energy is imported from foreign sources? Probably not, and you’d be forgiven for it too! The fact that you’re in constant supply will impart ignorance to the fact that as a country, the U.S has imported approx 166,270million cubic feet MORE natural gas every single year since 1985. Installation of a solar electricity system will help reduce such heavy reliance on foreign energy sources and furthermore the number of lives and money which go to protect those sources.

6. Where Have all the Good Men Gone?

Renewable energy use in the U.S would help support the economy by creating more jobs nationally and generate more sustained national capital. By switching to a solar electricity system, you help initiate that cycle with the creation of those jobs. It was recently shown that approx half a million permanent jobs with $232 billion of investment alone would be supported by the solar energy industry should Congress extend the federal tax rebates for solar energy for approx 8 years.

7. Reap the Whole Benefit!

A massive 67% of fossil fuel energy is lost during its conversion to electricity. If that’s not enough, another 9-10% is lost as heat as it is then transported through hundreds of miles before reaching your home. The solar electricity system is practically a power plant in itself on your roof! It will produce the energy right there and then as needed without the pitiful waste or losses. How smart is that?!

8. Taxes to Make You Smile?

Take in to account the combination of state and federal rebates and you could find yourself $2,000 better off. The cost of your solar electricity system would be significantly reduced and as a homeowner you would be eligible for a $2,000 federal income tax credit! Numerous states even offer solar rebates with some of the most generous coming from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Pennsylvania.

9. Cost-Cutting Solar Options

Thanks to innovative government and company initiatives, investing in a solar electricity system may not have you as high and dry and you may think. Many states have seen companies and government bodies offer schemes such as home solar services (PPA), city-sponsored solar loans or a solar lease, all of which will dramatically reduce initial upfront payments.

10. Spread the Joy!

Not to sound too Uncle Sam, but you will be helping America out of a serious problem! It is a known fact that where you will find one solar electricity system being used, chances are it is part of a residential cluster of users. Why not be the first on your block or street or estate to go solar? Not only will you inspire others with the many benefits of the switch, but you will have initiated further reduction in the whole counties foot print.

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Minnesota Power has finalized the purchase of a 465-mile transmission line for approximately US $70 million. The 250-kilovolt line connects Center, North Dakota with the Arrowhead Substation in Hermantown, Minnesota and is expected to facilitate the development of renewable energy projects.

Careful Planning is needed for Wind Power Plants. Just building a windmill in a windy place doesn’t mean that operating of wind power plant is simple. It’s necessary for wind power plant owners to plan carefully where to locate their machinery and also to check out that how fast and how much wind blows at proposed locations.

As it’s a rule that wind speed increases with altitude and over open areas that have no windbreaks. Good places for wind plants are the smooth rounded hills, open plains or shorelines and mountain gaps that produce wind funneling.

Wind Speed Variation

Throughout the United States wind speed varies and it also varies from season to season. As in Tehachapi, California, from April to October wind blows more than winter season. Wind blowing between those months is more because of the extreme heating of the Mojave Desert during the summer months. The hot air in desert rises and the cooler air from Pacific Ocean with great speed passes the Tehachapi Mountain to replace the vacuum. While in Montana State its totally different there wind blows more in winter.

Luckily these seasonal variations are a good match for the electricity demands of the regions. As in California electricity is used more in summers for using air conditioners and in Montana it’s used more in winters for heating.

The States with more Wind Production

In 2008 wind turbines or wind machines were producing electricity in 31 different States. In those 31 States Texas, California, Lowa, Minnesota and Oklahoma are the states with more wind production.

International Wind Power Plants

Most of wind power plants are located in Europe and in the United States the governments there had supported the wind power development. According to 2008 figures regarding wind power generation United States is on top in wind power capacity, followed by Germany, Spain and china. Denmark’s ranking is ninth in world in wind power generation, while it generates about 20% of its electricity from wind.

Offshore Wind Power

Conditions for wind power generations are suitable on much of the coasts of the United States but some people oppose that putting wind turbines near the coastlines and there are also some people who thinks that the wind turbines will spoil the view of ocean. That’s why there is plan now to build an offshore wind plant off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Wind is great renewable energy source and some people think that it is a good substitute for fossil oil. Most of all it does not pollute the environment.

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Solar power innovations don’t just come out of universities or national laboratories. They, like certain computer systems or seminal rock bands, are also born of garages and basements in any neighborhood in any town. The latest grassroots solar innovation comes from the mind and matter of a used-car salesman in Duluth, Minnesota.
Keith Mackenzie is a [...]