There are two key methods for harnessing the power of the sun: either by generating electricity directly using solar photovoltaic (PV) panels or generating heat through solar thermal technologies. While the two types of solar energy are similar, they differ in their costs, benefits, and applications.
Massachusetts homeowners experience some of the highest energy bills throughout the country; cold winters and humid summers lead to expensive heating and air conditioning costs. This has many Bay Staters looking towards clean heating technologies – such as solar hot water systems or air source heat pumps – as a way to curb these costs.
While pool owners are fortunate to have a place to cool down during hot, sticky weather, it’s not without its pain points; in an effort to keep pools comfortable and open for as long as possible, pool owners may spend a good amount of money towards heating the water to swimmable temperatures. If you have a pool and pay a lot to keep it warm, you should consider renewable energy options for heating. While you can rely on warm weather to passively heat your pool, solar pool heaters are a good option to consider if you want to save money while extending pool season.
The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is a generous incentive from the federal government. It was put in place to encourage uptake of solar energy and other renewable energy systems in 2006. It has been tremendously successful in this goal: the number of solar installations in the US has increased 1,600% since the ITC was introduced.
Many EnergySage customers quickly understand the potential benefits of the ITC, but have questions when it comes to the particulars of how it operates. Frequently, we field questions about whether or not they can claim the ITC at all, and when and how it can be applied to their tax bills. Continue reading
Renewable energy resources are alternative to fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Options like solar energy, wind, hydropower, and geothermal are becoming more and more popular as their reduced impact on the environment and increasingly attractive economics turn heads in the energy industry.
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We all know that perception is everything. There’s a huge difference in how people view a $10,000 investment versus a $10,000 expense. So could solar power systems be suffering from a perception problem? EnergySage set out to find out just that.
In a survey of 150 consumers interested in solar energy and other clean energy systems (like solar hot water, small wind turbines and geothermal) for their home or businesses, EnergySage found that 50% of respondents thought of solar panel systems as an investment, 30% considered it an expense, and 20% did not know enough to tell the difference between the two. Continue reading
Save the environment or save money? Most people see this question as an either / or proposition, but in fact, you can do both. Solar power and other clean energy systems allow home and business owners to reduce their environmental impact and save on their energy bills. Today, clean energy technologies – like solar photovoltaic, solar hot water, small wind, geothermal and combined heat and power – have matured to the point where almost any building –residential or commercial – can install a system and reap financial savings and, in some cases, even generate income. So, if these are the facts, why aren’t more people rushing out to install clean energy systems? The major stumbling block is that people just aren’t aware of the financial benefits these systems can provide.
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