Oil Import Goals Are Well Within Reach

Pres. Obama called for a 33% reduction in US oil imports by the year 2025.  This is not even close to what is poossible and I hope we do much better that this goal.  Since 2005 oil imports have declined 25%.  Read the full story at: http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=13259723

Pros & Cons of Solar Power

I recently ran across the post Pros & Cons of Solar Power/Panels, by Sheila Bocchine on Earth911.com.  It was written 2007 and provides a good description of some of the benefits of solar energy systems. 

However, I do not necessarily agree with the cons described in the article.  For cons are mentioned:

1. Price
2. Climate Variability
3. Aesthetics
4. Not 24 Hours

With solar energy system rental programs, such as Citizenre's REnU program, price is no longer a consideration for homeowners.  The REnU program provides a homeowner with a solar energy system with no purchase or installation costs.  The homeowner just rents the system for about the same as they pay for electricity today or less.

With the utility interconnection agreements and net metering, climate variability and not 24 hours are not a problem at all.  Any excess electricity produced is delivered to the grid and held as a credit by the utility.  The homeowner draws electricity from the grid when the PV system is not generating as much electricity as is being consumed.  This is a great benefit for the homeowner.

As for aesthetics, I think a solar PV system enhances a home's curb appeal and value.

You can find more information on the benefits of the REnU systems here.

Protecting Forests Protects Water

I have a deep interest in our natural resources and found the post, Protecting Forests to Protect Water in the U.S. South, by Logan Yonavjak and Todd Gartner to be very interesting.  This article describes the importance of our forests in providing clean water.

Social Networking for Solar

As an Regional Sales Director (independent) with Citizenre, we have been using social networking for the promotion of the solar PV industry for years.  Stephen Lacey's article, Solar as a Social Network?, brings to light other ways in which others are using social networking for solar.

Will Distributed Solar Disrupt the Energy Industry?

Technology has been a disruptive influence in many industries.  Newspaper readership has declined dramatically in the last decade.  Why read one newspaper when I can all the news I want from around the world over the Internet.  I read all of the news I want on my phone. 
Today, I read or listen to books on my phone.  How much longer will books be published on paper?  I don't think it will be much longer. 

Is distributed solar a disruptive influence in the energy industry?  I think it is and enjoy assisting homeowners generate their own clean, renewable electrical energy.

An article by Tom Konrad addresses this topic, how distrubuted solar could disrupt the energy industry.  You can read more here.

Ban on Yellow Pages

It is about time someone took the steps to ban the delivery of the Yellow Pages.  I have not used the paper directory for several years, but it is still delivered to me against my will.

Check out what San Francisco's doing at:

San Francisco Considers Ban on Yellow Pages

Solar cheaper than gas

Could this be true?  Could electricity generated from solar be cheaper than electricity generated from natural gas?  This artical provides an interesting comparison.  Solar PV Becoming Cheaper than Gas in California?

Is solar better than wind?

In this study, solar generated about five times more electricity than wind.  You can find more information at: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/01/solar-takes-wind-in-test?cmpid=rss

By 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean energy sources.

In the State of the Union address, President Barack Obama, declared that, "By 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean energy sources."  Sajed Kamal, author of The Renewable Revolution, provides some thoughts on this goal at: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/earthscan/news/article/2011/02/a-renewable-revolution-the-sustainable-solution?cmpid=rss