Fear can be the driver of many decisions. Sometimes fear is our friend and plays the role of the voice of reason, reminding you of all the logical reasons why something is a bad idea. But sometimes fear can act like a blind spot, haplessly positioned right between you and your better interests.

For those trapped by their dependency of the utility company for electricity, fear can prevent them from a much better alternative that exists. Renewable energy has come a long way over the past 10–15 years, but homeowners still paying these old world companies to power their homes are often left in the dark about how easy and effective it would be to make the switch. Because of this, these fears are never addressed and this often leads to the delays—or worse—prevention of one of the most economical and eco-friendly decisions...

Florida is widely known as “The Sunshine State” (and for good reason). Florida is in the top five sunniest states in the nation, right up there with Arizona, California and Hawaii. That being said, it’s no wonder why Florida’s incentives to go solar are some of the best in the U.S.

Both Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light (FPL) offer net metering programs for residential solar owners. Net metering allows homeowners to sell the excess energy created and stored by their PV system back to the utility companies.

In addition to attractive net metering incentives, solar is also exempt from property tax. That’s right, instead of property taxes increasing (as one might assume since value is being added to the home), homeowners will actually pay no more in taxes after the installation of their solar panel system. But Florida takes the tax...

Green Solar Technologies, a U.S. solar energy company, recently entered into an agreement with Spectrum Properties LLC, a California-based real estate investment company specializing in ADUs, to install residential solar panels on homes acquired by Spectrum Properties LLC. ADUs (accessory dwelling units) are separate living units either attached to or separate from the main home. The arrangement with Green Solar Technologies is an effort by both companies to offset the environmental impact of the ADUs’ additional energy usage.

Nicki Zvik, founder of Green Solar Technologies, and Shay Yavor, founder of Spectrum Properties LLC, are working together with the intention of improving people’s lives while addressing pressing environmental needs. With a rapidly expanding effort by federal and state governments to use and encourage the use of...

by Geddy Friedman

Congratulations! You made the first step. After all those years of paying off those pesky electricity bills from your local utility company, you’ve finally decided to take action and investigate some renewable energy alternatives. You know, this is precisely the kind of decision that leads homeowners to bump into odd serendipities like super lower electricity costs, a cleaner environment . . . and yes, the ever so liberating energy independence.

There are many forms of renewable energy, but for practicality purposes, it all boils down to wind or solar. Over the past decade, solar has left an indelible mark on the green economy and has proven its stripes as the most dependable (as well as affordable) means of energy production know to home and business owners across the United States. And this...

South Carolina customers of Duke Energy Carolinas could soon be facing drastic rate-hikes as part of a proposal made by the power company last year. Should the proposal be approved by legislators, there will be a 12 percent rate increase beginning June 1, 2019. On average, this rate increase will cost customers an additional $15.57/month for power (almost $200 more/year). Fortunately for Duke Energy customers, there is still time to avoid these likely increases. Solar energy is the most efficient and effective way to remove yourself from the grid and become energy independent, while also contributing to a cleaner environment. Solar energy systems use the sun as their source by converting its energy into usable electricity for your home or business. And with rapid advancements in technology, the efficiency of solar systems has skyrocketed. Not only can PV cells absorb more energy,...

Solar power. To most people this term probably evokes images of rooftop solar panels on homes and businesses, or huge solar panel arrays glistening in the sun in photovoltaic power stations, delivering utility-scale power to electricity grids. To be sure, these applications of solar energy are a crucial component of the renewable energy movement, but there are other, less obvious places, where solar power is making significant inroads into our lives. The way we travel, for example.

In our modern world, travel has become an integral part of how we live, work, and play. And solar power is appearing more and more as a viable power source for our forms of travel. Let’s take a look at some of these.

Boats and ships are one form of travel where solar energy has already proven to be incredibly effective. Boats are always on the water, and when...

by Geddy Friedman

So you come home from a long day’s work. You’re exhausted, stressed out, and just want to have a relaxing quiet night. You stop by your mailbox on your way to the front door. You walk inside, take your jacket off, and have a seat at the kitchen table. You’d rather grab a drink and sit in front of the television, but you figure you’d better not let the mail pile up and add to any stress at home too. So you sort through the mail. Two credit card offers, a postcard from your extended family on vacation, some junk mail, and… what’s this? Another electricity bill? Last month you paid $281 and you were upset about that. So how much is it this month? $350? Maybe you shouldn’t have gotten that spare refrigerator. Or maybe you should have gone solar.

Utility...