Printer friendly version Send this to a friend Sign up for email list Become a member

Solar Resources for 2009

Now is the time to go green with your energy use, and take advantage of federal tax credits that make it even more affordable.  As of January 1, the tax credits signed into law by President Bush on October 3, 2008 are now in force. 

They include credits for home improvements for energy efficiency and for plug-in hybrid cars -- and perhaps best of all, the new legislation lifts the cap on solar PV systems and solar water heaters, allowing you to recoup fully 30 percent of the cost of solar additions to your home (the credit was previously capped at $2,000). 

For more information on the credits, visit EnergyStar's Web site, and check out our resources for going solar below.

Articles from Real Green:

Try a Solar Water Heater
With a solar water heater, you'll get the hot water your household needs while saving money and energy and reducing your dependence on coal-fired power.
Read more »

Making Solar Affordable Now
We show you how to combine government incentives, energy savings, net metering, and more, to make solar an affordable clean-energy solution for you today. Read More »

Solar Gifts that Keep Giving
These nifty solar gift ideas will please any gadget lover, while helping them save time and money. Read more »

Choose the Best Carbon Offset
When you offset the carbon dioxide emissions from your energy use, you have a range of choices. Our editors reviewed the options and show you which are good, better, and best. Read More »

Interviews with solar energy providers from our Green Business Network™:

Our monthly online interview column, Faces of the Green Pages, lets you listen in on conversations with the savvy green business leaders of our Business Network. Solar energy leaders Al Rich, Michelle Greenfield, and Sharon Vocke give you advice on going solar at home, and tell you more about their work in the renewable energy arena.

April 2007: Al Rich; SolarRoofs.com; Carmichael, CA.
Read the interview »

January 2008: Michelle Greenfield; Third Sun Solar and Wind Power; Athens, OH.
Read the interview »

January 2009: Sharon Vocke; Evergreen Energy; Southington, CT.
Read the interview »

Back issues of our magazine, the Green American :

Formerly known as the Green America Quarterly, these issues of our magazine give you resources for reducing your energy use, and going solar at home. The Promise of the Solar Future includes a solar energy FAQ, and a profile of a homeowner adding solar PV to her home. Efficiency First gives you 23 steps for reducing your energy use at home (an important first step for going solar), and Climate Solutions offers a broad overview of the climate crisis and what you can do.

Download:
The Promise of the Solar Future [PDF, 3.75MB]
Efficiency First [PDF, 2.5MB]
Climate Solutions [PDF, 3.75MB]

Our Utility Solar Assessment Study:

Solar power has been expanding rapidly, growing an average of 40 percent per year since the beginning of this decade. Our 2008 report explains how we can move quickly to make renewable solar energy an even bigger portion of our energy mix »