Why install a solar heating system now?

The time has come. All levels of governments are providing strong financial incentives and SolarPlusGreen is providing additional incentives for going solar. It is now virtually free to you to install a solar heating system and there are many significant benefits to you:

(1) Save a lot of energy costs in 20 years (the normal life span of a solar heating system is 20-30 years). You save ~$25,000 electricity used by an electric water heater, assuming $35/month electricity cost for electric water heater and 10% annual inflation rate. You save ~$60,000 electricity used by a heat pump, assuming $160/month electricity cost for a heat pump for the heating season and 10% annual inflation rate. The assumption of 10% utility inflation rate may be too low. We have to pay more money to discharge sewer than getting clean water, but power companies have been free to discharge carbon dioxide, sulphate, mercury and other pollutants into the air. They will definitely have to pay huge amount of money to buy permits to discharge these pollutants. They will definitely pass the increased costs to consumers by increasing electricity rates. Ulitity rates are already twice or three times the U.S. rates in some countries where people are more concious about the environment.

(2) Do your part to reduce pollution and climate change and feel great about saving money and the environment.

(3) For home sellers or landlords, the installation of a solar heating system will instantly increase your property value by thousands of dollars. Homes with important green features like solar heating are outstanding and are more attractive to home buyers and renters who care about their energy consumption/cost and their impact on the environment (who wouldn't care?), and this kind of homes sell or rent quicker and at higher prices.

(4) For home builders, homes with solar heating systems are outstanding and sell quicker and at higher prices. If you are building NC HealthyBuilt homes, a solar system will earn you a lot more points than other green features, that is, 12 points for solar domestic water heating, and additional ~20 points for using solar to meet 60-70% of the house heating need. This will easily help achieve enough points to be certified as a HealthyBuilt home. In contrast, other green features earn 1-3 points, e.g., 1 point for Low-E windows (U-Factor of .36 or less), 2 points for attic roof insulated with spray foam; 1 point for building on site within 1/2 mile of existing water and sewer infrastructure. See: http://wncgbc.org/healthybuilt/checklist.php

(5) Businesses using solar heating systems not only save money and net more profits, but also create better businesses images and are more attractive to customers, which leads to more profits.

(6) Many intangible benefits: e.g., it is quite soothing with great satisfaction while taking a shower or enjoying your warm home and knowing that it is heated by the endless free solar energy. Doing your part or taking a lead to do something for a better environment for yourself and your children and grandchildren is very satisfied and rewarding, similar to donating money for worthy causes (except you are saving money for yourself by going solar), and certainly is more satisfied than spending several thousand dollars on granite counter tops.

Each residential solar water heater installed will reduce about 2000 lb carbon dioxide per year, the same amount as a car produces in half a year. It reduces climate change and its astronomical mitigation cost; it reduces other pollutants and the long-term health costs for everyone. It reduces our dependence on foreign oil and the associated financial and life costs and increases our national security.

Israel is the first country to require all new homes to have solar water heaters. Now about 90% of homes in Israel have solar water heaters. China has many times more solar water heaters installed in a single year than all the solar water heaters currently in the U.S. In 2005, Spain became the second country to require solar water heaters for all new homes. Hawaii just became the first state in the country to require all new homes to install solar water heaters. California or North Carolina will likely follow soon to require solar water heaters for all new homes. North Carolina has become very progressive, especially in promoting green technology and green economy, and largely because of this, many of its cities recently rank among the top places in the country for Best Places for Business and Career according to the prominent national business journal Forbes. Raleigh ranks as #1 and Asheville ranks as #6 in the nation as Best Places for Business and Career. Buncombe County is #1 in the state for green culture and green economy as more than half of the green builders of the entire state (100 counties) are located in Buncombe County and about 60% of the Green Builders in the entire state are located in the greater Asheville area (Buncombe and surrounding counties). Asheville is among the top cities in the country that most aggressively promotes solar and other green energy, including giving free permits for solar and other green system installation for Green Homes. The largest builder in Asheville - Biltmore Farm (Builder of Biltmore Park, Biltmore Lake, etc.) proudly announced that they are installing in Biltmore Park one of the largest solar water heating systems in the nation. We are very fortunate to live in Asheville, one of the best places to live in the U.S. according to many national journals and the best place to buy a second home according to MNSMoney.com and EscapeHomes.com, and we should go solar to make Asheville even better.

Solar panels are status symbol for people and businesses that are smart, progressive, patriotic, and caring for the environment and everyone on the same global village. Smart people don't wait but lead, especially in the ever more important green economy.

SolarPlusGreen LLC, 1104 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803; see location map.
Ph: 828-301-2021, Fax: 828-277-1240; office@SolarPlusGreen.com