What Is the Best Way to Finance Solar Power for Home Improvements?

<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: left" dir="ltr" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">In the area of building renovation, solar hot water preparation is attractive to increase the</span></font><span style="font-size: 14pt; layout-grid-mode: line; font-family: 'Traditional Arabic'"> </span><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">efficiency of</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line"> conventional </span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; layout-grid-mode: line">W</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">ater Heating S</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">ystems</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line"> (WHS) and help mitigate the impact of electricity price upswings.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt"> Heating water with the sun also means long-term benefits, such as being cushioned from future fuel shortages and price increases. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">Recently </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">solar </span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt">PV</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">systems </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">are typically located on residential building.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line"> At the same time</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">the costs of</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt">solar PV</span></font><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Traditional Arabic'"> </span><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">systems keep on reducing and as advances in</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line"> </span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; layout-grid-mode: line">B</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">uilding </span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; layout-grid-mode: line">I</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">ntegration (</span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; layout-grid-mode: line">BI</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">) techniques continue to be made there is growing interest in grid connected BIPV systems.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line"> Since the heat production per square meter of solar</span></font><span style="font-size: 11pt; layout-grid-mode: line; font-family: 'Traditional Arabic'"> </span><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">PV array can be as much as four times greater than the electrical power produced so putting this heat to use improves the system total efficiency and cost effectiveness. S</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">olar</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; layout-grid-mode: line; font-family: TimesNewRoman"> </span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; layout-grid-mode: line">PV</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line"> </span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">and </span><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; layout-grid-mode: line">T</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; layout-grid-mode: line">hermal cogeneration systems are</span><span style="font-size: 12pt"> expected to play a significant role in the prospective Solar WHS.</span></font></p>

Utilities need an economic incentive to get on board, just like the customers need one. We've been using the stick, instead of the carrot on them for years. Investor-owned utilities need a tax break for encouraging renewable resources and co-ops need non-tax incentives&nbsp;such as&nbsp;the ability&nbsp;to sell RECs to the investor-owned companies. Give a utility the opportunity for enhanced profit and they'll go with you every time. Keep bashing them with unfunded mandates and they'll fight you tooth and nail. It's simply a matter of Economics 101 at work in the marketplace.

<p>I have a solution to the financing of renewable energy projects to the home. Here it is.</p><p>All existing mortgages should be required to allow these installations to be pushed into them. If you want to take out an equity loan it would be your option but major installations attached to a residence, code compliant and either off grid or net metering should be allowed to be just added to an existing mortgage with no fees.</p><p>Let the corporate welfare programs (like what is handed to the utilities now) pay the mortgage holder a flat few bucks to handle the paperwork. Interest on the install should remain tax deductable since it is now part of the mortgage and treated like the main asset as if it were there all along.</p><p>This would be federal if politicians can wake up. There would be no annual limitation on net metering. Let local codes deal with the amount of panels in the air. I would limit the solar part of the program to 125% of a roof area but not necessarily needed to install on the roof for up to 3 story homes. This way if someone nees to add roof area first they will have to finance with existing methods before qualifying for solar installation financing if it is to involve solar installation calculated on this addition. </p>

Hi. I want solar power, but I don't have it. I don't have it because Its hard to get. Its not made readily available, and then the terms used aren't always for the layperson ( me ) I am continueing to research. I do not want to be locked in to some high maintenence cost because of lack of knowledge. I know that more and more people are interested. I feel like the utility companies will soon be left behind. I also want something affordable. Its not that hard to make a solar panel. There are books available. jc-solarhomes.com is a person who has some pretty simple to understand information available. I agree with the previous comment. If the utilities want to be involved, they better hurry up, because I think folks are gonna start doing it without them. Its cheaper to cut out the middleman anyways :)

One good reason may be that an informative access to the public is just not being done by energy providers who can support a captive audience. The utility companies need to get on board and support the public interest by offering a simple formula for solar system installations that have a positive impact beneficial to everyone.

I think I will work towards installing solar with as little middleman help as possible.

<p>Some MetaPhysicist belive that memories can be and are passed along generation to generation by way of DNA.</p><p>&nbsp;With this in mind, we can look back at America's not to distant past and see that the North American continent was overflowing with natural resourses and one can&nbsp;easily imagine that this had a profound effect on how the thought process of our predecessors evolved. From how water was used to how homes where built and just plain&nbsp;living day to day&nbsp;in general. Of course human population was a lot less then as well.</p><p>If all of this is to be considered true, then we are&nbsp;heading into&nbsp;a future of even less natural resources, even more humans, armed with an antiquated conventional wisdom passed down from previous generations.</p><p>For some reason this all brings to my mind, Matthew, Chapter&nbsp;7, verses 24 thru 27. That was written 2000 years ago. What did they know about energy crisis?</p>

At Clean Power Finance, www.cleanpowerfinance.com, we are developing both tools and loan products to make the purchase of home solar power systems simple and affordable.

In California the majority of homeowners will find that their net after-tax cost of funding a solar installation with a HELOC is comparable to their current electric bill and that is before factoring in rising electric rates. Our tools will help you determine the right system for you, assist with completing the rebates, and match you multiple funding options.

Financing hot water solar installations is best financed with a HELOC or perhaps your local credit union may have a secured personal loan product with favorable rates (no tax deducton). When you explore home solar one thing to remember is that you are currently leasing your power with no control over its future cost but could own your power at a known long-term fixed cost.

$7,000 for a water heater?&nbsp; And you wonder why people are not rushing in hordes to have this installed in there homes.&nbsp; Let's be honest, this is out of reach of the average consumer.&nbsp; I would like nothing better than to generate enough solar electricity on my rooftop for all my needs.&nbsp; If I was a millonaire, I would do it today.&nbsp; Unfortuntely, I'm not so that's out of the question.&nbsp; Let's see other options: get a loan, get a second mortgage.&nbsp; These are the options we have?&nbsp; What happens if you can't get a loan because of the current credit market?&nbsp; Or let's say you borrowed the most you could?&nbsp; What if you got 100% financing and your home is worth less now becuae you bought during the boom?&nbsp; Oh, did I forget to mention how many states (including mine) don't offer tax incentives or grants for residential homeowners.&nbsp; How about the max fed tax right off is a paltry $2,000?&nbsp; We need realistic solutions for regular people, then you'll see people moving in droves to get solar panels on their roofs.&nbsp; Look at Germany, they managed to do it.&nbsp; That might be a good place to start.