Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c2/xcel-energy-sock…

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15906843

Need another reason to go solar in Colorado? Here you go:

Denver had the second-highest increase in electric rates in the country in the first half of this year — 21.4 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics…

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15906843

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Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c2/solar-talk-lease…

http://bit.ly/a9KriB

By Osea Nelson, Astralux Solar

This first column addresses a topic that has dominated the solar scene this year — SHOULD I BUY OR LEASE MY SOLAR PV INSTALLATION? The decision can be boiled down to two questions. First, what is my investment time horizon? Second, what is my primary reason for going solar?

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Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c1/astralux-solar-s…

http://bit.ly/don4tX

Astralux Solar is a sponsor of AM760 David Sirota’s Low Impact Week:

I was inspired to reduce my carbon footprint after having a conversation with Colin Beavan who created the book and movie “No Impact Man.” You can do it too! It’s a one-week challenge to reduce our carbon emissions and have less of an impact on our environment in general. No, you don’t have to build a hut in the woods and wear a loincloth. I’m breaking it down to 5 simple things we can do without. Each day of the week we’ll add one more thing to try and stick with it for the remainder of the week…

Click here to join the challenge: http://bit.ly/don4tX

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Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c2/xcel-energy-turn…

From June 1st to September 31st, electricity for Colorado homes will cost up to $0.15 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Traditionally this year, electricity from Xcel Energy in Colorado has run around $0.105 per kWh.

With the new two tiered rate system just released by Xcel, every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity above 500 used by a residential home in a given month will be subject to this much higher fee. The average household electricity consumption in Colorado is around 700kWh per month - which means the average family would pay the 2nd-tier rate on about 200kWh of their usage.

Here’s a simple breakdown

Traditional Rate System:

700kWh (Usage) x $0.105 (Avg. Electricity Rate) = $73.50

New 2-Tier Rate System:

Tier 1 - 500kWh (Usage) x $0.10 (Avg. Tier 1 Rate) = $50.00
Tier 2 - 200kWh (Usage) x $0.15 (Avg. Tier 2 Rate) = $30.00
Total = $80.00 ($0.115 per kWh)

This would represent a 9% increase. For bigger users of electricity, this new tier will represent a significant…

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Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c2/stimulus-funds-e…

(Alamosa, CO – May 21, 2010) – Astralux Power Systems, a leading solar energy integrator in Colorado, has finished a 19.74 kilowatt (kW) solar energy system installation on the Crouse Organic Farm in Alamosa, Colorado. This project was partially funded through the Colorado Government Energy Office’s (GEO) New Energy Economy Development (NEED) grant program. The Crouse solar project was one of 17 projects to be funded out of over 200 applicants. The NEED grant program was created with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The Crouse Farm solar project is an integral step towards transitioning into a “green farm of the future”. This certified organic farm is currently producing 500-600 tons of alfalfa hay annually. The electricity produced by the solar energy system will offset an estimated 55% of the 64,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity needed to irrigate the farm’s crops. The system will also prevent approximately 24,000 pounds of coal from…

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Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c2/astralux-solar-e…

One Fort Collins community is taking full advantage of the substantial group discounts offered by the Astralux Energy Partners Program. Thus far 8 households in this neighborhood have committed to going solar.

Client services representative Osea Nelson helped build this group of solar enthusiasts. “It’s great to see entire communities going solar - we are able to give sizable discounts when we can install several solar systems in one area,” Osea commented, “you see an almost viral mentality - when one home installs a system, others in the neighborhood start to get interested and want to learn more about solar - even if they haven’t considered it before.”

Other solar energy group purchasing programs are offered by 3rd party companies who charge installers for collecting these groups, which means extra costs to cover their fees. Astralux Solar offers the Energy Partners Program directly, so solar customers know they are getting a true discount for gathering their community…

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Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c2/do-kvar-units-re…

Some solar energy integrators are offering kVAR units with their systems. These companies claim that this unit increases the value of the system - saving you up to 20% or more on your electricity bill than a solar energy system alone.

But do these units really save you money?

Who better than the EPA’s Energy Star program to address this issue.

—
Do Power Factor Correction Devices (sometimes called Amp Reduction Units or kVAR Units) really save money? Can they earn the ENERGY STAR label?

ENERGY STAR does not qualify any Power Factor Correction Devices. Please send us an email at logomisuse@energystar.gov if you see one that claims to be ENERGY STAR certified.

Power Factor Correction Devices claim to reduce residential energy bills and to prolong the productive life cycles of motors and appliances by reducing the reactive power (kVAR) that is needed from the electric utility.

We have not seen any data that proves these types of products for residential use accomplish…

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Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c1/geo-to-launch-so…

From the GEO Website:

“Coloradans can soon tap into millions of Recovery Act dollars and take steps to save money, boost the economy and save energy as the Governor’s Energy Office and partners prepare to launch a sweeping, statewide rebate program April 19. This initiative is designed to bring energy efficiency and renewable energy to tens of thousands of Coloradans and will provide nearly 75,000 rebates worth approximately $22 million.”

For 2010, the Colorado GEO solar rebate is set at $1.50 per watt (up to 3kW for residential and 10kW for commercial projects). Several rural and co-op electric utilities in Colorado are offering matching funds to the GEO rebate, bringing the overall solar rebate up to $3 per watt. This is more than the current Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy solar rebate of $2.55 per watt in Colorado.

Astralux has special GEO 3kW solar packages for Residential and 10kW packages for Small Business projects. These packages come with a free energy audit of…

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Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c2/eliminating-the-…

The widespread acceptance of solar energy will require the solar PV industry to mature to the level necessary for adoption amongst the entire population, not just the early adopters and green enthusiasts.

There are several common concerns amongst current and potential solar buyers, more so for those population groups that are less inclined to adopt a new or unique technology (late adopters and laggards). These concerns are mostly due to the lack of general information about solar energy, including a lack of knowledge of laws and initiatives on both the state and federal level that greatly mitigate the risk of going solar.

The following are some of the primary concerns commonly expressed by potential solar adopters, excluding the most important factor in the majority of solar installations – financials.

Reliability of Solar Energy Providers

With well funded national solar integrators and well established local players, this is becoming less of a concern for potential solar…

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Author: Jesse Malcomb
Website: http://aessolarenergy.com/blog/index.php/c2/adoption-charact…

Everett Rogers popularized the Diffusion of Innovations in 1962, a theory of how and why new ideas and technologies are adopted by a population. The adoption of solar energy can be analyzed through the following intrinsic characteristics that influence a purchase decision:

Relative Advantage
Potential solar energy adopters want to know how electricity generated by a solar system is better than electricity generated by the utility. With correct engineering and design, the electricity produced by a solar energy system is no different than the electricity delivered by the utility grid. Solar energy can be more reliable and secure than utility electricity when integrated with a backup system – enabling a truly uninterruptible source of energy for the building.

Solar also has a financially advantage to increasingly costly traditional utility electricity. Solar energy both reduced the fixed cost of electricity for the building owner and hedges against further electricity price…

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