AltE

This seems to be a good tool not just for individuals but also for community energy efficiency, environmental, and sustainability groups like, in my area, Groton Local and Harvard Local. Will be sure to pass this info on and see if it can be used in some kind of community initiative or education program - perhaps an energy census!

Thank you, Holly! Please feel free to share with your FB friends as well! ;-)

Awesome!

What make it different with the traditional design on efficiency?

Someone should integrate solar panels into the roof tiles they use on homes where u have to connect each one to the other thus making the roof one big solar panel.

they are already on the market

This is news? Any grade schooler knows this. Remember the Weekly Reader?

Yes, it is certainly obvious. But we like to spread the word to those who don't yet know! By sharing simpler articles like this hope is everyone will share it with their friends who will continue to share it and then we spread awareness - which is one of our major goals here at AltE.

nothing is free, it all has to be paid somehow

I think one of the big stumbling blocks to moving "solar" from an idea to an action is that "going solar" is often too ambiguous. I read the article and followed the link to the 1BOG website, and started signing up. As I read through the information they were asking for, I was struck that they wanted only monthly electricity costs, no gas or other ... Read Moreutilities info need be provided. It began to dawn on me that 1BOG's focus seems to be PV (which we aren't interested in) versus solar residential hot water (which we are because we feel the ROI is much higher). I spent a while on the 1BOG website and found repeated references to "solar" versus specific references to PV, solar thermal hot water, etc. It almost seemed deliberately vague from front page to testimonials and so on - as if it was unimportant to go much beyond "go solar," like a trend or a brand name. I signed up in the hopes I'll be surprised and they will be able to help me with solar thermal hot water, but I'm not counting on it.I would have appreciated a lot more clarity, and a little less marketing.

Holly, you are totally right - and that approach surprises me. PV is great but solar hot water heating is a much easier and more cost effective entree, especially when coupled with an on demand hot water heater. That's one of the reasons we offer separate classes and information, and have separate experts just for solar thermal!