solar articles

The author's Wisconsin straw bale home incorporates both a solar water-heating system (upper roof) and a photovoltaic solar-electric system.

How would you like to have free hot water for the next 40 years? That should sound pretty good — about 15 percent to 20 percent of a typical household’s energy outlay goes to make sure the “H” tap means what it says. If energy prices increase by 6 percent annually, the average family would save thousands of dollars over the coming decades by installing a solar water-heating system that supplies just 65 percent of their hot water.

I mean “free” literally. Yes, you will spend money up front to install the heating system, but your equity will increase instantly, often enough to offset the cost of installation. You will also pay reduced utility bills — saving more money every time rates rise. Within a few years, you will recover the initial expense. Experts agree, a solar water heater is far and away the easiest initial investment in renewable energy. Perhaps best of all, you will enjoy hot baths or showers with the satisfaction of knowing the energy come directly from the sun. To read more click this article...

Solar Water Heating

Today, solar power generates a minuscule amount of the nation's energy supply. But that's changing rapidly, and a new study projects that solar energy will become cost-competitive with conventional energy by 2015. To read more click this article...