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Solar Panel Installers

Northern California has over 2,900 hours of yearly sunshine with 3,200 hours being provided by Mother Nature in Southern California. With these ideal conditions in the North & South it provides the best weather for the installation of solar panels by solar panel installers to work in the entire nation. 

California Solar Panel Installers

Solar panel installation in California is the most efficient in the entire nation mainly because of the year round sun, the competitive solar panel market and the more than generous client incentives.

California's Renewable Energy

 Over 20% of California’s electricity is derived from renewable resources which has a long history of coming to the support of solar energy companies. Thanks to the ambitious efforts of the Renewables Portfolio Standard program the number will rise to 33% by the year 2020. A state program, the California Solar Initiative, was created that will have the state’s 3 largest utilities offer solar power rebates as incentives to their customers.

 Qualified Contractors Are Key

Qualified solar panel installers typically apply for the California Solar Initiative incentives and rebates on your behalf. Then they will plan for your system to be connected to your local utility company’s power system grid. Local installers will also apply for building permits and can also help you with federal government tax credits on the panel installation.

Get Estimates from At Least 3 Solar Panel Installers

By interviewing 3 solar panel installers you will be able to understand the actual costs, advantages and benefits of installing solar power when you discuss the detailed attributes of your business, building or home.

 The California Solar Initiative program spokesman states, "Installers are required to register with the California Energy Commission through its online database. Except for those systems that are self-installed, all systems must be installed by appropriately licensed California contractors in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the California Contractors State Licensing Board (CSLB.) Installation contractors must have an active A, B, C-10, or C-46 license for photovoltaic (PV) systems. All systems must be installed in conformance with the manufacturer's specifications and with all applicable electrical and building code standards."

When You Select a Contractor

If you go to the Contractors State Licensing Board (CSLB) online site you will see guidelines in the "Consumer Tips" section. It would be a wise decision to follow them. Harold Baird of the CSLB recommends, "When selecting any contractor, for a solar PV installation, consider a contractor's solar technology expertise, experience with roof installations and familiarity with your location. The contractor can help you choose the right size PV system by providing an estimate of how much energy the system will produce in a year."

 Harold went on to say, "A contractor's bid should include the peak generating capacity of your solar electric system and the total cost including hardware, installation, connecting to the grid, permitting, and warranty." It is also a good idea to vet the solar panel installers state certified license, electrical & solar installation expertise, evidence of insurance, the financial health of the firm in question and any names and phone numbers of positive customer references.

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Lease SunPower Solar Systems Through Citi

When you lease Sunpower Solar Systems the leasing program is made available through Citi.

Citi represents the leading global financial services company that has over 200 million accounts for customers worldwide in over 160 countries. SunPower has a proven track record in leadership in the solar industry with over 25 years’ experience. You will have one the best solar system technologies backing you from one of the most financially stable solar companies on the planet powering up your home.

A SunPower Lease for No-Money Down

With a lease Sunpower Solar Systems you will be able to go solar, start savings right away on your electrical bill, without a huge upfront charge. You also have the option to buy your solar system later that will significantly increase the value of your home.

7 Benefits of the SunPower Lease

1. You will have low monthly payments with a zero down option.

2. You will have the option to buy your system after 6 years or at the end of your lease period.

3. You will have the ability to expand your solar system to meet your future needs.

4.  There is a flexible end of lease option that allows you to renew the lease - purchase the solar 

system - or request removal of your system at no cost.

5.  System maintenance, performance and insurance is guaranteed by SunPower or you get your money back.

6.  You also have the knowledge that your leased SunPower Solar 

 Systems is backed by the number one financially sound institution on the planet Citi. Citi is the number one pick for U.S. businesses and homes.

7.  We have professional panel installers with the highest standard of customer service and quality of work from our best network of installers.

 Residential Solar Financing Options by SunPower

Do you feel it is time to go Solar but the money is holding you back? By leasing SunPower Solar Systems or taking out a loan SunPower gives you a wide range of financial options. You can either have a low monthly fixed payment when you lease or you will be able to spread the cost of your SunPower Solar System over a agreed upon time keeping it simple and allowing you to start saving money on your electrical bill right away. 

Lease SunPower Solar Systems

Our leasing company can hook you up to whatever plan suits your pocketbook. We want to put a SunPower Solar System in your home tomorrow with no money down and nothing to worry about but making the low monthly payments. No maintenance, no monitoring, no upkeep, all you have to worry about is a low monthly payment as low as $50 a month to start you saving money. When you lease SunPower Solar systems you are getting the best solar panel technology on the globe with upgrades for free!

If you would like to learn more just call 1.800.SUNPOWER and ask to talk with a financial expert that will put you in the driver’s seat to saving money monthly.

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Solar Paint-On Cells Developed

How about this thought for an invention for the future, how about the next paint job you have for the outside of your house actually generates electricity that can be used for the powering up of appliances, computers, flat screens, that are on the inside. How much would you pay for such a treatment?

It Is Already Here

The University of Notre Dame has a team of researchers that has made a major step forward with this invention by manufacturing a "solar paint" that makes use of semiconducting nanoparticles that manufactures electrical energy. Put your head around that and noodle that for a while. Great idea that has already been put into action and shown to work just as planned, what a concept right?

Nano Science & Technology

 "We want to do something trans-formative, to move beyond current silicon-based solar technology," states Prashant Kamat, John A. Zahm Professor of Science in Chemistry and Biochemistry and an investigator in Notre Dame's Center for Nano Science and Technology (NDnano), who leads the research.

 "By incorporating power-producing nano-particles, called quantum dots, into a spreadable compound, we've made a one-coat solar paint that can be applied to any conductive surface without special equipment" as Kamat tells it.

 "The team's search for the new material, described in the journal ACS Nano, centered on nano-sized particles of titanium dioxide, which were coated with either cadmium sulfide or cadmium selenite. The particles were then suspended in a water-alcohol mixture to create a paste" Kamat continues.

 "When the paste was brushed onto a transparent conducting material and exposed to light, it created electricity, the best light-to-energy conversion efficiency we've reached so far is 1 percent, which is well behind the usual 10 to 15 percent efficiency of commercial silicon solar cells," explains Kamat.

"But this paint can be made cheaply and in large quantities. If we can improve the efficiency somewhat, we may be able to make a real difference in meeting energy needs in the future."

"That's why we've christened the new paint, Sun-Believable," He adds.

Need to Improve the Stability

Kamat, along with his industrious team of researchers, have taken on the task of improving the overall stability of the new Nano material. Notre Dame Nano has become one of the leaders in the forefront of nanotechnology centers on the globe. The overall mission is to research ways to manipulate properties of devices & materials and their interfaces with living mechanisms, on the Nano scale.  

Employment Could Skyrocket

While the goals are quite lofty, as well as economically a financial windfall if stability can be improved as well as the efficiency, this could be a task that could employ workers the world over to paint this on every building that has the money to do it. Solar paint could color the Nano world technology a go in the not too distant future. The Nano technology is cheap to do, thus a large mark up in the cost of the paint, labor could be found for the minimum wage and quite frankly we could paint our way out of this recession. A little food for thought.

  

 The Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences funded this study and research.