solar energy at home

Solar Energy Alerts! | January 2010 |
Solar Energy Alerts Newsletter

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In This Issue...

  1. Focus On: Getting Started With Solar Energy
  2. What's New on Solar-Energy-At-Home.com
  3. Upcoming Solar Energy Events
  4. Solar News for Homeowners

Focus On: Getting Started with Solar Energy

2010 is finally here!

Is this the year you'll create your solar home?

Creating a solar home can require a large financial commitment. But you can get the ball rolling with very modest costs on your part. Everyone's situation is a little different, so it's important to take the time and really determine what YOUR solar desires are. Once you know what you want, you can then create your plan on how to get it. And getting started doesn't cost as much as you think.

The first thing you should do is create a Solar Energy Master Plan. This will help you determine the best way for you to create your solar home and let you know what it would cost for you to go solar.

There are 5 steps to create a Solar Energy Master Plan...

  • Step 1: Understand Solar Energy and Its Applications
  • Step 2: Understand Your Environment
  • Step 3: Define Your Solar Energy Goals
  • Step 4: Create Your Solar Energy Vision
  • Step 5: Develop Your Solar Energy Roadmap
For more details on each step, check out our page on Getting Started with Solar Energy.

Create your own Solar Energy Master Plan today and chart your path to solar success in 2010!

What's New on Solar-Energy-At-Home.com

Take a look at our newest pages... If you'd like to be automatically notified every time I publish a new page, subscribe to my RSS feed. If you don't know what an RSS feed is, then click here to learn what it is and how it can make your online life easier.

Upcoming Solar Energy Events

Featured Solar Energy Events

These are the events that Solar-Energy-At-Home.com readers have submitted to our database...

Other Solar Energy Events

Here are some other solar and renewable energy events that you may be interested in attending...

Date Location Event
Jan 11-15 Nicosia, Cyprus Energy, Water and Climate Change in the Mediterranean & Middle East
Jan 13-15 Mumbai, India Green Industrial Evolution
Jan 14-18 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia 1st International Students Symposium on Environmental Science, Technology and Management: Solutions to Climate Change
Jan 15-16 Chandigarh, Punjab, India National Conference on Smart Energy - Generation, Promotion & Conservation - 2010 (PDF File)
Jan 19-22 Hastings, New Zealand New Zealand Association for Environmental Education Biennial Conference - Takin the Next Steps
Jan 21-22 Miami, Florida, USA Carbon Markets North America 2010
Jan 22-23 East Lansing, Michigan, USA The Science, Practice & Art of Restoring Native Ecosystems 2010
Jan 26-27 Toronto, Canada Renewable Energy Infrastructure
Jan 27-30 Meerut, U.P. India Green Technologies For Greener Environment
Jan 28-29 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India Energy and the Environment

Do you know of any solar energy or green-living events happening in your area? Add them to the database using our online Submit Form. It's quick and easy.

Solar News for Homeowners

Lowe's has started selling solar panel kits in California and will begin to stock them in their stores across the country during 2010. This is making it easier for homeowners that like DIY projects. The kits are starting at $893 and Lowe's will have kiosks to provide information about claiming rebates, installation, etc.

For more information: Solar Power Coming to a Store Near You


In Oregon, the Building Codes Division committee for the state has been tasked to look at the nations first state-wide code for solar installations related to firefighter safety. They are looking into creating a 2-foot pathway around a solar array to allow firefighters space to perform their duties. Current residential installations take up as much space as possible to provide homeowners with the greatest amount of solar power they can collect. By creating a 2-foot pathway, they provide an example where a home would lose 33% of it's solar power generating capability.

For more information: Solar Code Proposed for Firefighter Safety


A coating on windows or solar panels that repels grime and dirt? New Tel Aviv University research, just published in Nature Nanotechnology, details a breakthrough in assembling peptides at the nano-scale level that could make this futuristic vision come true in just a few years.

For more information: A Window That Washes Itself? New Nano-Material May Revolutionize Solar Panels and Batteries, Too


California based SunRun is now offering solar leases to Colorado residents. SunRun has started a program to install solar arrays for as little as $1,000 down and then sell the electricity to the homeowners. The biggest obstacle for residential solar energy has always been the large up front costs. Solar leases make it possible for even middle and lower income homeowners to go solar.

For more information: California Company Offers Solar For Lease in Colorado


Sandia National Laboratories scientists have developed tiny glitter-sized photovoltaic cells that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected and used. The solar particles, fabricated of crystalline silicon, hold the potential for a variety of new applications. They are expected eventually to be less expensive and have greater efficiencies than current photovoltaic collectors that are pieced together with 6-inch-square solar wafers.

For more information: Glitter-Sized Solar Photovoltaics Could Revolutionize the Way Solar Energy Is Collected and Used


Retired car salesman Keith Mackenzie has created vertical blinds that act as passive solar heaters. The blinds are hollow and are designed to bring cool air from below the blinds and expel hot air from the top of the blinds. He's created a company called Solar Choice Heat through which he is selling his unique blinds.

For more information: Cool Window Treatments Turn Up the Heat

In Closing...

Is there a residential solar energy topic you'd like more information about? If so, let me know through my Contact page (make sure to note that you subscribe to Solar Energy Alerts! so I can put your request to the top of the list). I'm always looking for topics of interest to Solar-Energy-At-Home readers.

Wishing You a Happy New Year...

Michael's Signature