Solar Panel Facts

I think it’s interesting to look at how far we’ve come when it comes to solar– and yet how much things have stayed the same.

In 1979, the developer of a condominium village in New Hampshire decided to bring an environmentally responsive alternative to the market. He designed the building to used solar energy. The solar panels are made of glass, offering a beautify view of the scenery. Buyers responded very well, leading the developer to design several more similar buildings.

Construction began in 2006 in Boulder Colorado on a project called Solar Row. The project consists of nine homes using only solar power. This was the first solar home development project in the Boulder area. The design of each home has been carefully set up to allow the home to use and creates its own energy. Around the country, communities like this continue to grow.

Some states are pushing for solar powered housing. Several years ago California officials proposed half of all new homes built run on solar energy within ten years. In 2004, they created the California Solar Initiative, which encourages builders and homeowners to embrace solar. A recent report showed the annual rate for new installed capacity in California nearly doubled in 2008 over 2007, and early numbers indicate that 2009 will have at least as many installations.

Currently, the federal government has many initiatives and incentives either in play or in the works. Recently, legislators extended the 30 percent solar investment tax credit, which was set to expire. Parts of the recent Recovery Act include funding for solar projects.

In spite of this, solar remains out of reach for many. Obstacles, from financial impediments to homeowners associations, still stand in the way of people who long to embrace solar power as a part of their lives. But if we continue to work, then hopefully in the future solar will be a more common part of people’s lives.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 25th, 2009 at 10:22 pm and is filed under Solar Panels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.