One environment,one simple way to care for it. Your gift through workplace giving can support TXSES and other respected environmental charities. Reliant Energy generously supports EarthShare Texas through their
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Chairman's Corner Chris Boyer I just returned from my third trip to South Sudan where I have been delivering courses on solar energy and helping young aspiring entrepreneurs start solar installation companies. There, solar electricity is an obvious preference compared to the noisy, polluting small generators that gulp fuel that must be trucked in from another country at a cost of $15/gallon, making the cost of electricity well over $1/kWh. Still, one of the greatest barriers for solar in Africa is the same challenge we face in the United States - educating the public about solar energy.
Here in Texas, one of the greatest contributions toward public awareness of solar energy has been our solar tours. The Houston chapter, North Texas chapter, and the TXSES/Pedernales Electric Coop collaboration did outstanding jobs this year with their solar tours in October, all in concert with the ASES National Solar Tour.
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Solarize Plano Initiative Exceeds
Installation Expectations
By Michael Albrecht
According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts website, "A study commissioned by the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) in the mid-1990s found that Texas has 250 "quads" of solar energy accessible per year. Given that one quad is one quadrillion British thermal units (Btus) of energy - enough to meet the annual needs of about 3 million people - Texas' solar energy potential is enormous."
Larry Howe and Bob Litwins, along with other members of Plano Solar Advocates, decided earlier this year to harness a fraction of that potential gold mine of incoming solar photons. They launched an effort to establish a local version of the 'solarize' process, promoted by the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative. A solarize program uses an innovative bulk purchase approach designed to remove barriers to solar adoption by reducing the initial up-front costs of installing solar systems on residences and businesses. More
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The Rise of Rooftop Solar Among
the Middle Class
This report from the Center for American Progress looks to dispel the perception that solar is only for well-to-do Americans. Middle income and lower income homeowners are especially sensitive to the cost of energy, and see solar with its no-cost fuel source as a way to lock in prices in a volatile market.
By Mari Hernandez
Homeowners across the United States have begun a rooftop solar revolution. Since 2000, more than 1,460 megawatts of residential solar installations have been installed across the country, and more than 80 percent of that capacity was added in the past four years. In 2012 alone, rooftop solar installations reached 488 megawatts, a 62 percent increase over 2011 installations and nearly double the installed capacity added in 2010 .
The question is: Who is buying up all of those solar power systems? Through our analysis of solar installation data from Arizona, California, and New Jersey, we found that these installations are overwhelmingly occurring in middle-class neighborhoods. More
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How to Choose a Solar Installer
By Lucy Stolzenburg
Because of the price of solar has dropped dramatically over the past few years, there is a solar installation boom among homeowners in the country. In Texas, according to
Tracking the Sun from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, the median price of a solar installation is $3.90 per watt, the lowest in the country. Depending on the size you install, with a federal tax credit, a potential incentive from your utility, and perhaps a group purchase as outlined in our article Solarize Plano Initiative Exceeds Expectations, you could be looking at $2-$3 per watt or less.
Texas has a wealth of responsible and qualified solar installers and we have pulled information from various sources, specifically the
American Solar Energy Society, to lay out a guide for you to choose the installer that fits your specific needs. You'll know more about what to expect, what's a fair price, and how much energy you will produce if you follow these guidelines.
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The Solar Reflector is a publication of the
Texas Solar Energy Society
The Texas Solar Energy Society, a 501(c)(3), was founded in 1976 as a non-profit organization created to increase awareness for the potential of solar and other renewable energy applications and to promote the wise use of sustainable and non-polluting resources.
Chairman - Chris Carter Boyer
Executive Director - Lucy Stolzenburg
Intern - Kimberly Tanner
Editors - Lucy Stolzenburg
Jackie O'Keefe
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