DO YOU KNOW?
You Must Erase "Alternative" from Alternative Energy
Let me dispel a myth. "Alternative"--as in alternative energy--isn't "alternative" anymore. It's going mainstream.
Solar Fact #1:
Every hour, the sun radiates more energy onto the earth than the entire human population uses in one whole year.
Over the past several years, FedEx, Staples, the Timberland Co., Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Macy's, Tiffany & Co, Toyota, Target, Lowe's, corporate behemoth Wal-Mart and even the U.S. Department of Defense have begun installing solar panels at their stores and facilities.
Now listen, I don't want you to be disillusioned. These companies aren't installing solar panels because they've suddenly become concerned about global warming.
No, they've installed solar panels because it'll reduce their electric bills by as much as 90% each month.
Solar Fact #2:
"As prices for coal, natural gas and oil have soared, solar power has been getting perhaps its most serious look.
During the energy crisis of the 1970s, serious interest in solar technology took hold in the U.S. But due to prohibitive prices, large-scale applications were nearly impossible.
However, in 2008, with oil trading over $90 a barrel, interest in solar has returned. Only this time, PV is cost-effective.
With such a drastic reduction in price, coupled with the ever-increasing price of oil, it's no wonder that both residential and industrial consumers are starting to flock towards solar alternatives.
Mother Nature is bullish on solar!
Something very important is going to happen this winter that's going to push the renewable energy market to new heights--especially solar!
INCREASING THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME:
According to a recent study from the Appraisal Institute, the selling price of homes increases by $20.73 for every $1 decrease in annual electric bills. Using this 20:1 multiplier, a typical 3kW system--costing about $12,000 after incentives and saving about $1,000 in annual energy costs--will increase the value of your home by $20,000.
This winter, Americans will pay nearly twice as much as they paid last year in heating bills.
And mark my words, when the first really nasty cold snap forces consumers (especially business owners) to jack their thermostats past 70, the market is going to warm up to solar, fast!
Here's why...
Over the past two years, the solar industry has hit new highs every time Mother Nature reminded us who's boss.
Last summer, for example, Arizona had record peak usage and almost maxed out capacity when the state endured record-breaking temperatures as high as 108 degrees Fahrenheit.
And only a few days after hurricane Katrina ripped New Orleans to shreds (and devoured its electrical grid), solar stocks soared.
Of course, these are two examples where Mother Nature's effect on energy supplies was relatively short-lived.
But a little later this year will be the beginning of at least three to four months of blistering cold weather--and overwhelming heating bills.
It will be a cold and hard wake-up call for most of the country when we finally realize that natural gas and fossil fuels are no longer cheap and abundant.
And the reality of renewable energy is going to take hold more strongly than you've ever seen before.
Solar Fact #3:
"Few power-generation technologies have as little impact on the environment as photovoltaics. As it quietly generates electricity from light, PV produces no air pollution or hazardous waste. It doesn't require liquid or gaseous fuels to be transported or combusted. And because its energy source--sunlight--is free and abundant, PV systems can guarantee access to electric power."
--U.S. Department of Energy
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