A & R Solar strives to embody the ideals of environmental stewardship, social justice, and consumer fairness. According to Founder Reeves Clippard, employee ownership is the most important piece to that puzzle. “Pride of work and pride of place are other important aspects we focus on in our business,” says Reeves.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Reeves. Ever wonder which product lines the solar experts use most? Here’s the line-up for A & R Solar:

• Most Installed Solar Modules: Sanyo PV
• Most Installed Thermal Collectors: Thermomax Mazdon
• Recommended Storage Tank Lines: Heat Transfer Product’s Contender and SuperStor lines
• Other Recommended Names: Sunny Boy and Xantrex

According to Reeves, these products look great and work great. They get a lot of use on the A & R jobsite. “We treat every customer as if their system is a showpiece. So we always try to use the highest quality components, and install them in such a way as to maximize their life and minimize maintenance. If we do our job right, our systems should be sitting on these businesses and homes for as long as the building still stands.”

At the same time, the company stays up-to-date on the latest solar solutions. “We have our favorites, but we are always looking around the market for other solutions that might best fit our customers’ needs,” Reeves says.

Want to know more about A & R Solar’s business philosophy? Check out my full interview with Reeves on Ask the Solar Pros!

One of the greatest challenges the solar industry is facing is educating the public about solar thermal systems, and I know most solar thermal companies have wrestled with this, is the idea that a solar thermal system can have other applications in your home or business beyond domestic hot water for the dishes or showers. Solar thermal systems that use evacuated tubes perform very well to create very hot water, which can be used for a number of innovative applications, such as:

1. Radiant heating: Radiant heating is an effective way to augment your home’s heat needs and, with a floor installation even makes your floor comfortable on a cold winter’s night. While the installation would preferably be made in new construction, the radiant tubes may also be retrofitted to be placed in existing floors and walls to allow the warm water to travel throughout the system and emits heat throughout your home or building. This heat will radiate from your floor or wall panels, and though it will not significantly raise the air temperature in your home, radiating from the different surfaces it will make you warmer without having to run your thermostat on high all winter long. Evacuated tubes are ideal for this type of application because they are able to operate efficiently even in low outside temperatures. Radiant heating makes a huge impact on your energy bill by decreasing your dependence on your current heating system and relying on the solar-powered-heating being emitted from the floors or walls.
2. Hot tub, swimming pool and spa heating: Solar thermal systems can divert heat from hot water for everyday chores; solar thermal systems to also provide hot water for your hot tub, spa, or pool. A solar thermal system that uses evacuated tube technologies like Apricus, is designed to heat water to a high temperature, and can do so even with low outside ambient temperatures. So while a solar thermal system is beneficial for a swimming pool or spa, hot tub owners are truly the best candidates for the solar thermal system because of the high temperature and amount of water needed. From an economical stand point, a solar thermal system makes a serious impact on your monthly bills. The average outdoor hot tub can cost $300-400 a month to power. A solar thermal system, because of the amount of power it is able to produce, has the ability to cut those monthly bills by 50-60%. The environmental benefits are tremendous for hot tub owners invested in solar thermal – and imagine if the hot tub in your backyard or in the hotel swim area was heated from clean energy?
3. What’s ahead for solar thermal – Air conditioning: One of the most surprising applications of all – solar thermal systems can actually help to cool your home as well. There are two applications in which solar thermal can help with your air conditioning. First, solar thermal can aid in the regeneration of the desiccant in your air conditioning system. Solar thermal energy can be used to create hot air that is blown over the desiccant in your air conditioner. The desiccant is then dried considerably and able to absorb more humidity out of the air and create more pleasant cooling. Also, solar thermal can be used in absorption chilling applications. Absorption chilling is one of the original forms of mechanical cooling ever employed, and involves putting different liquids under pressure that absorb heat as they expand – originally ammonia. The heating element in these systems is often electrical or combustion based and creates the pressure for the liquid element used – but a solar thermal system can effectively provide the power to drive these systems at a fraction of the cost. Though it may seem counterintuitive to some, solar thermal applications to help cool your home and make the air more comfortable have been evolving for years, and we are already seeing a number of innovative applications come onto the market in the United States.

These are just three ways that solar thermal can be integrated into practically any lifestyle. When installed and used properly, solar thermal systems provide the most reliable and cost-effective energy for your home, office, factory and every building in between. Solar thermal is just more than hot water for your dishes and laundry; it can be a realistic change for those looking to have a more environmentally responsible lifestyle.

Four Colorado institutions will fund CRSP, with matching funds coming from the state of Colorado. These institutions are University of Colorado (CU) Boulder, Colorado State University (CSU), Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

CRSP will focus on third-generation solar photon conversion to develop revolutionary ways to convert solar energy directly into electricity. Initially, 12 projects received funding from the CRSP. Six of these include the NREL, four each by CSM and CSU, and three projects for the University of Colorado. Nine projects are beginning this fall and all 12 should be up and running by the end of January. Each project will receive between $75,000 and $100,000 to start.

Not only will direct electricity generation be studied, but also the possibility of using solar energy to produce liquid and gaseous fuels. The CRSP is also seeking federal funding to expand its research.

Find information on saving money on your solar power investment: Colorado’s Solar Rebates and Incentives
Find solar contractors based in Colorado: Colorado Solar Energy

I recently posed the question to Mick Humphreys, Founder and CEO of Apricus. Apricus is a global company that provides solar hot water solutions to homes and businesses. Here’s Mick’s spiel on the underlying causes for solar thermal’s position on the backburner:

1. Public awareness of solar in general. Solar is not just PV, and in fact solar thermal is a much more viable option to PV in terms of saving money and reducing CO2 (carbon footprint). There is much shorter payback, lower embedded carbon in the manufacturing, and much less pollution than PV in manufacturing – but solar thermal tends to take a back seat in the public consciousness.
2. Lack of government support for the industry. SRCC – the national certification body – is poorly funded and as a result understaffed and cannot afford new equipment for testing collectors. With so much money flooding into the oil and natural gas industries from the government, this disregard for testing and certification of a proven renewable technology is a major hindrance to the progress of thermal. The federal government needs to take a responsible and proactive approach to growing this industry.
3. Qualified installers. Strong training programs are needed to make sure installers are knowledgeable and qualified, and consumers are reassured because solar technology can be intimidating at first. Quality installers that are able to provide all the information that a homeowner needs in a transparent and direct fashion are vital to the growth of this industry.
4. Commitment to change. There is a serious need for the American public to look past the singular focus on their checkbook and make choices and investments which make them part of the solution in combating climate change. This is already happening in Europe and Australia, but the U.S. as a society is far behind in terms of environmental responsibility.

- Humphreys talks much more about these issues in a 2-part interview for CalFinder Solar’s “Ask the Solar Pros.” Check out Part 1 of his interview here: Solar Thermal’s Untapped Heating Potential, Part I. Part II to come soon!

We recently posted a blog on one such community in Alberta, Canada. But these Drake Landing residents are not alone, as the following 6 examples show. Not only do community solar projects save money, they demonstrate the power of working together and making a positive change, through teamwork.

Pebble Creek Community Goes Solar
Several dozen homeowners in the Pebble Creek Community in Goodyear, Arizona are taking advantage of an American Solar Electric “Sunny Community” group discount program to consolidate their solar buying power. Together, the homeowners will save over $17,000 on installs.

Muir Commons Solar Co-Housing
The Muir Commons co-housing community hosts one of the largest residential PV systems in Davis. Almost 4,000 square feet in size, the common house has a 10,000 watt system that produces 70 percent of the house’s electricity from the sun.

Crime-Ridden City in Mexico Goes Green
This community of nearly 6,000 residents in Mexico City will receive millions to become a prototype for green development. As a whole, the community will save about $300,000 per year on electricity bills.

Nyland Colorado Co-housing/Sharp Solar
Nyland, Colorado was one of the first co-housing communities in the country. Consisting of 42 private homes, Nyland welcomed 22 new solar installations by the end of 2007.

One Block Off the Grid
With the help of 1BOG.org, San Francisco hopes to welcome 10,000 solar roofs by 2010, encompassing the largest solar community conversion in the U.S.

The Crucible Arts/Industry Community Solar Project
The Crucible, a non-profit arts collaboration, is saving tens of thousands of dollar a year by using solar panels to help generate the electricity for its 56,000 square feet of studio space.

Tell us about your community’s effort to go solar and save!

photo credit: cooperativecommunityenergy.com

Solar Attic Fans. All of these have their own panels built-in, drawing energy from the sun, directly to the motor!

Jet Fan Attic Fan
Sun Rise Attic Fan
Solatube Attic Fan
Green Home Solar Fan
Creative Energy Technologies Fan

Other Fun Fans, for Cars, Fridges, and More

Solar Fridge Fan. This includes a complete kit, but is only for fridges that use DC power.
Maplin Solar Fan/Charger/Clock
Auto Air Vent Fan
Robert Reese Solar Fan. This portable fan includes briefcase sized folding panels.
Smaller solar fans, all with their own panels

Finally, Solar Home Fans that Run on DC power and Don’t Include Panels. However, these fans offset the need for an inverter, saving you energy that way.

Ventilation fans
Solar ceiling fans

We hope this helps you narrow down your search for a solar fan. Thanks for reading!

Power for the Neighborhood

This groundbreaking, intricately planned project represents compelling evidence as to the power and potential of solar energy, even in harsh climates. Drake Landing’s solar energy is collected via a heat storage fluid, which runs through solar panels attached to each and every roof, and garage, in the community. The fluid is then transferred to a neighborhood energy center before being sent into the ground where the heat is stored beneath an insulated layer

What Working Together Can Achieve

Working together, the community is able to harness enough heat from the sun to provide the overwhelming majority of their heat and hot water needs. During the summer, the stored fluid reaches temperatures over 170 degrees Fahrenheit – plenty warm and insulated enough to be used to provide heat throughout the winter.

It is important to note that the entire community was built with solar power in mind. Homes are moderately sized with above average insulation levels to reduce energy needs. The houses are located in close proximity to each other, resulting in a neighborhood that promotes walking and cuts down on distances that the heat storage fluid must travel.

Get a visual idea of how the system works and the layout of the community at Green Building Elements.

To get direct pricing on a solar system in your area, click here.

Each calculator is different, helping you determine things like the tilt your panels should be, the system size you should purchase given how much energy you want to save, the amount of usable sunlight you can expect in your area, and other helpful information.

Use the calculators before or in conjunction with talking to a professional contractor. Solar calculators can potentially help you determine how many solar panels you need before you purchase, or help you understand your system better after installation. Keep in mind, though, that the calculators aren’t error-proof!

1. PV Watts Calculator. After typing in your location, system information, and cost of electricity, this calculator will help you track your panels’ energy production and its dollar value.
2. Solar Trading Post Calculator. This calculator will help you determine what kind of system you need. Simply enter your location, average electricity bill, and desired return, and the calculator will recommend a system size as well as automatically generate the cost of the panels in your area. It even pulls up rebate information in your area.
3. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Calculator. This calculator will help you determine the sun’s position and intensity, given different locations and times.
4. Square One Research Calculator. This interactive calculator also helps you determine the position of the sun, given a latitude, longitude, and time.
5. Where-RV-Now Calculator. For all you RV owners, this calculator will help you discover your solar panels’ power output, given the specs of your system.
6. Maxesun Solar Calculator. This calculator has a system output estimator and panel angle calculator. It is set up for Australia, but you can use one of the other calculators on this list to determine the number of hours of sun you get per day, and fill that number in.
7. Solardat Calculator. Fill in your latitude, longitude, and time zone, and this calculator creates a PDF chart of the path of the sun for the specified time. It could be used to evaluate hours of usable sunlight. (hint, hint, see #6)
8. Kensolar Panel Angle Calculator. Enter your latitude, and this calculator will help you figure out which angle your panels should face.
9. Midsummer Energy Calculator. This calculator will help you calculate approximately how much energy you use every day.
10. PV Economics Calculator. Describe your solar set up and this calculator will break down how much power you can expect to get and how economical of an investment it will be.

• Maintains the aesthetics of a tile roof, integrating into the roof’s existing shape while generating electricity.
• 10-year warranty available for 90% output, 25 years for 80% output.
• 10-year warranty available on the inverter.
• 10 years of free Internet-based, solar system monitoring.
• Can be used with existing electrical equipment.

According to Eagle Roofing, solar electric systems increase home value and recover more than 100% of their cost. In addition, the system can be sized according to how much power you want to produce. Contact a certified solar contractor about installation.

A solar window, or solar tubular light, however, distributes light far differently from its counterpart. That’s because the very shape and materials of a solar tubular light are meant not only to let light in, but to distribute it as well. It’s made from reflective materials that emit more light. Also, light travels across the solar window through a dome-like shape and diffuser that help to disperse it evenly throughout the room.

In contrast, skylights frequently result in dark patches in the room it is intended to light. Solar windows can be up to three times brighter. They also block harmful UV rays and minimize the transfer of heat and cold into the home through sealed shafts. Solar windows can produce 70 percent less heat while letting in the daylight. Traditional skylights, on the other hand, can generate unwanted heat and when unglazed, enable rising warm air to cool in the winter.

This is not to minimize the beauty and possibility of a skylight. Essentially a window placed on the roof, skylights are picturesque and minimize energy costs by reducing electricity usage. They also have the option of being double or triple glazed.

Solar window is actually a misleading term for the solar tubular light. That’s because solar windows are those located along the south-facing side of a passive solar home. However, solar tubular lights placed on the roof are frequently called by the same name. Varieties include the Natural Light Tubular. You can get free estimates on installation from a certified solar contractor in your area.

Photo Credit:dropmyenergybill.com