Solar, wind and other clean technologies are key to fighting climate change. But what do you do if you can’t put solar collectors on your home or buy an electric car or tap into your own windmill? RE Royalties has an answer: invest in “Green Bonds” that help finance investments in renewable energy generation, energy efficiency management and sustainable infrastructure.

When RE Royalties offered to sponsor a post here so we could all learn more about their unique approach to fighting climate change and protecting the planet, I immediately said “yes!” Here’s what I learned by interviewing electronically their chief operating office and co-founder, Peter Leighton, a veteran renewable energy executive with over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, including wind energy and more. This year Peter was named as an Honouree to Canada’s Clean50 for 2020.

In a nutshell, what is RE Royalties?

RE Royalties Ltd. is a specialty finance company created in 2016 that provides innovative financing for climate change solutions. It does so by using a “royalty financing model” to build and support renewable and clean energy projects and companies globally. In other words, it collects royalties from the companies it finances, and uses those royalties to build more projects.

With climate change a pressing issue globally, RE Royalties has become an important and innovative source of capital for renewable energy projects. Royalties is a publicly traded company on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “RE,” It is the first to pioneer the royalty-financing model for renewable energy projects.

Green Bonds enable you to reduce your personal carbon footprint and directly fund the growing green economy.

Why invest in clean energy at all? It seems like the market for solar, wind and geothermal is taking off nicely on its own.

Renewables are currently the lowest cost source of new electricity generation in two-thirds of the world. But, we have many clients who still have trouble accessing low cost capital to help them deliver their renewable energy projects. Our goal is to help these clients build more renewable energy while delivering our investors with growth, yield and the opportunity to help the planet.

The fundamental vision of RE Royalties is to:
1. Help build a cleaner and more sustainable world; and
2. Generate a strong, economic long-term return for our investors.

Why do you need investment dollars when governments subsidize companies like yours so heavily?

This is an interesting question and I would like to answer it in three parts.

Firstly, RE Royalties does not receive any form of government subsidy, whatsoever. We pay tax, we pay our employees and our suppliers on a competitive market basis, and the capital we raise is priced based on investor choice.

Secondly, there is a broad perception that renewable energy is subsidized. I would agree that historically, government policy was necessary to develop the renewable energy industry and subsidies were required to get the monopolistic public utilities to encourage innovation. The fact is that today, renewable energy is the cheapest source of new electricity generation in two-thirds of the world and will be the cheapest everywhere by 2030.

Thirdly, I note that on your excellent website www.biggreenpurse.com, you state that you believe that “… the fastest, most effective way to stop polluters is by pressuring them in the marketplace.” I could not agree more!! I would turn your question around and ask it a different way. Why as a society, are we OK subsidizing the fossil fuel industry by not asking them to pay for the negative impact to the planet that they create?

Personally as a consumer, I am happy to pay a deposit fee to encourage me to recycle a pop bottle, or to pay an extra charge if I forget to take my knapsack to the grocery store and have to use a plastic bag. I am happy to pay for transit to get to work, if it is snowing and I cannot ride my bike. I am also happy to pay a premium for organic produce because I think that is better for my family and better for the global environment. In other words, I am already paying for the negative externalities associated with bottle production, plastic bag production, transportation, and industrial scale farming.

Our society has the opposite view of the fossil fuel industry. There is a groundswell of anti-carbon tax sentiment even though we know that global carbon emissions are causing climate change. Just ask the citizens of California, Washington and Oregon whether they would like to remove the subsidy that prevents the oil and gas industry from paying for their product’s negative externalities. This would be like me saying that I don’t want to pay the city for garbage pickup – that I would prefer to just throw it in the woods.

How risky are Green Bonds compared to other types of energy investments?

It is difficult to compare risk across investments unless you have a clear view into all of the details of each investment alternative, and a clear view of the investment risk horizon for each individual investor. The assessment of Green Bond risk depends on the following: the individual investor; the financial strength of the issuer; and the details (terms, conditions, covenants, etc.) of the offering.

RE Royalties Green Bond offering is different from others in the marketplace because the Bonds are senior-secured against the assets of RE Royalties Ltd. Think of this being like a car loan where the bank’s loan is fully secured against the asset, or car.

The RE Royalties Green Bond also pays a fixed annual rate of interest of 6%, paid on a quarterly basis for the life of the bond. This means that a potential investor knows exactly how much they will earn on this investment. Finally, the International Capital Markets Association oversee the Green Bond Principles governing the issuance of Green Bonds and this means that investors can be sure that the bond proceeds will be used only for truly green investments.

Would Green Bonds ever invest in nuclear power companies, given that some who are concerned about carbon see nuclear power as a solution?

Our investment mandate at RE Royalties would preclude us from using the proceeds of our Green Bond financing from investing in nuclear power companies.

Can Americans or Europeans or the Chinese invest, given that the company is based in Canada?

Yes, investors from the US, Europe or China can purchase our RE Royalties Green Bonds, but they will need to have a Canadian investment account to buy and hold the securities. Canadian securities regulations require a high degree of disclosure and transparency, so the fact that we are traded on the Canadian exchange may be an advantage for some foreign investors. The fact that we trade in Canadian dollars may also be some advantage to  US and foreign investors who are looking to increase their exposure to the Canadian dollar. Some investors in very low interest rate environments such as Europe or Japan may also find the 6% yield on our green bonds very attractive.

In addition to solar, wind and geothermal, are there other promising renewable technologies that Green Bonds might help boost?

Our vision is to create a cleaner future by investing in renewable and sustainable energy. We are agnostic to technology, meaning that we will support any technology. We like proven technology and we have a bias for operating projects. This is because we really like near term cash flow!

It is important to note that to meet our goal of helping to build a cleaner and more sustainable world, we are focusing on both renewable and sustainable energy. Put simply, the world’s carbon emissions are very broadly speaking, driven approximately one-third by electricity generation, approximately one-third by building heating and cooling, and approximately one-third by transportation. Currently we are focusing on the electricity generation piece, but we do see lots of opportunity to utilize our royalty financing product to advance projects in the energy efficiency and transportation sectors.

Is the 6% per annum interest rate guaranteed, regardless of how the economy (nationally and globally) performs?

Yes, the 6% interest rate is guaranteed for the term of the bond. There is no relationship between the interest rate and the performance of either the national or global economy.

What is the projected growth rate of the renewables economy over the next 5 to 10 years?

Globally, $289 billion was invested in renewable energy projects in 2018, according to the United Nations. This investment is expected to increase to $534 billion by 2030 according to the UN Environment Programme as of June 18, 2019.

You can learn more about investment opportunities with RE Royalties Green Bonds here.

The post RE Royalties Green Bonds Power Clean Energy appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Think solar energy only helps you reduce how much electricity you use? Think again! Here are 7 ways you can use solar to stop climate change that probably never occurred to you, with help from the solar experts at ExpertSure.com.

Big Bonus: Because you’ll use less energy from your utility, you could save $100 or more a year on electricity and gas bills, too.

1)Water Heating

Solar water heaters can provide homes with hot water for showering, laundry and other household needs. Solar systems are also being used more and more to heat swimming pools. If you live in a climate that’s warm many months of the year, you can install an outdoor shower with a solar water heater attached.

Here’s a great overview of solar hot water technology from the U.S. Department of Energy.

2)Underfloor Heating Systems

Radiant floor heating makes a room warm and cozy and a lot more comfortable if you’re walking with bare feet or sitting on the floor. The radiant system can easily be powered by photovoltaic solar panels on your roof.

The same type of system can also be connected to a greenhouse in order to regulate the air temperature inside, which is vital for maintaining the health and vitality of your plants.

3)Space Heating

The average American family spends over $2,000 a year in heating costs. But in addition to the money, the energy to provide that heat usually comes from fossil fuels, like coal, oil and propane.

Heating your home with a solar heating system can reduce your heating bills and shrink your carbon footprint significantly.

Here’s a good explanation of how solar works to provide heat.

4)Natural Solar Lighting

The cheapest, most natural way to illuminate a home is with the sun. You’ll get the most solar gain with windows on the south and east sides of your home, something to keep in mind if you’re building anew.

Even without solar panels on the roof, you can use lights fitted with small photovoltaics to power individual fixtures.

Many gardens now feature LED lights that are solely solar powered; they charge during the day, and emit light all night.

The same goes for security lights that come with PVs on top of their LED bulbs.

Solar lighting can be a great fit for not only off-grid and remote locations, but also for the urban gardener and hobby farmer.

5)Ventilation and Air Circulation

Having the proper amount of ventilation for fresh air intake and hot air exhaust is important in any home. Solar energy can be used to power and automate those systems.

The simplest versions use the heat of the sun to open a vent, which then draws warm out via natural convection.

More extensive ventilation systems use an exhaust fan, which can be powered directly by the sun or through a thermostat, maintaining a constant airflow.

6)Charge Your Electric Vehicle

You can use panels of photovoltaic cells to create electricity to power your car. That’s true whether you have an all electric vehicle like the Chevy Bolt or Tesla, or a plug-in hybrid like the Ford Fusion.

7)Power an Outdoor Fountain

Some garden fountains now come equipped with small solar panels that keep the water moving through the fountain so you don’t need to string an electric cord down to them. Note that the fountains won’t work once the sun sets, but you probably won’t be in your garden then anyway!

How else do you use solar power to reduce your carbon footprint?

Note: Sponsors like ExpertSure.com enable us to bring you the expert green living content you want at no cost to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own. Thanks!

The post 7 Unexpected Ways You Can Use Solar to Stop Climate Change appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Do you love the idea of putting home solar panels on your roof but think they’re way out of your price range?

Sad! Wrong!! Home solar panels have never been cheaper to buy than they are now. And given how serious climate change has gotten, they’ve never been more important to install.

Plus, a terrific company called PickMySolar.com makes it easier than ever to make sure you get the right system for your roof with minimum hassle and inconvenience.

We’ve teamed up with PickMySolar.com to help you get the home solar panels you want at a price you can afford.

They’ve put together this helpful free ebook that offers just about the best explanation I’ve ever seen of how solar works and how you can get the best system for your home at a price you can afford.

I suggest you download it now. It will make your life so much easier as you try to decide if solar is right for you.

Over the next 10 days we’re going to show you just why it’s so simple to get your solar system up and running. But first, let’s talk about the money.

Why are home solar panels so affordable?

THE SOLAR INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT

The federal solar investment tax credit (SITC) reduces the amount of federal income tax you pay.

How? SITC allows you to deduct 30% of the cost of your system dollar for dollar from the amount of taxes you would otherwise pay to the federal government.

For example, say your federal taxes were going to be $10,000 for the year.

If you bought a solar system in that same year that cost $25,000, 30% of $25,000 = $7,500.

You’d be able to deduct $7,500 from your $10,000 in taxes, so would only pay $2,500 in federal taxes rather than the total $10,000.

In other words, you could keep $7,500 of your federal tax payment to help offset the cost of your solar system. Rather than pay all taxes, you’d be buying solar. Doesn’t that sound smart?

STATE AND LOCAL TAX INCENTIVES AND REBATES

In addition to reducing your federal taxes, you might also be able to lower your state taxes when you buy solar. For example, in my home state of MD, I can receive up to $1,000 on top of my federal tax credit to install solar panels on my roof.

Contractors in the PickMySolar.com data base can help you figure out what state tax credits or rebates you can take advantage of.

By the way, some utilities reward their customers with cash rebates when they buy and install energy-efficient appliances and solar panels. Again, PickMySolar.com installers will be able to help you figure out if your local utility offers rebates to help offset the expense of your system.

REDUCED UTILITY BILLS

Another way solar panels generate cash is in money saved on your utility bill. Any energy you get from your solar system is energy you’re not buying from your utility. Depending on the size of your system and how much energy it generates annually, you could end up paying little or nothing for your power. The money you save on your utility bill can directly offset the cost of your solar system.

For example, say your system generates enough energy to offset $100 of your monthly utility bill. Over 12 months, you would save $1200. In just 15 years, you’d save $18,000 on your utility bills, savings that help offset the original purchase price of your solar system.

SELLING POWER YOU GENERATE TO YOUR UTILITY

When your solar panels generate more electricity than you can use, the excess power actually gets fed back into the utility grid, giving you another opportunity to offset the original cost of your system.

Usually, your meter spins forward to indicate that you’re buying power from your utility company. But when you send your excess solar power back to the utility company, your meter will actually spin backwards and you’ll earn a credit in your account! In most states, the utility will figure out your net energy use – how much you buy versus how much you send back to the utility – and only charge you for the net. The more solar your system generates, the less your overall electricity costs you.

Utilities may meet their requirement to derive a certain amount of their power from solar by buying what’s called an SREC from you (see below).

Take a look at this graphic explanation of how solar works.

Here’s how your investment in home solar panels saves you so much money.

Original cost of your system – ……………………………..………………$25,000
Federal tax credits ………………..…..$7,500
State tax credit …………….…….….… $1,000

Net System Cost (after deducting tax credits) …………………………$16,500

Utility bill savings over 25 yrs
(factoring 3% utility increase annually) …………………………….. $43,751.12
Projected 10-year SREC Earnings
(factoring $12/SREC reduction annually of current value): ……….$16,260 *
Total Savings Over 25 Years ……………………………………………… $60,011.18

25-year Lifetime Savings: ………………………………………………….  $43,511.18

* SRECs = Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. Utilities in some  states are required to derive a certain percentage of their energy from solar. They can get that solar from homeowners. Homeowners receive one “SREC” for every megawatt hour that their home solar systems produce. That amounts to about 12 SRECs per year with a 10 KW system. You can get paid a set price to lock in the value of your SRECs up front. This YouTube video explains how SRECs work to earn you more cash back on your home solar panels.

INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES

Here’s one other way that putting solar panels on your roof generates real cash in your pocket: by increasing the sales potential of your home.**

Home solar panels are viewed as upgrades, just like renovated kitchens or a finished basement. But they can cost a lot less than a new kitchen or downstairs and have a greater financial return.

Homebuyers across the country have been willing to pay $15,000 more for a home with the average size solar photovoltaic system mounted on its roof, report researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who studied the trend. They also found that homes that had solar panels actually sold faster than those that did not!

So if you install home solar panels, not only may you end up saving $8500 on your initial installation, and over $40,000 total on the lifetime of your system, but you could get $15,000 more for your home when you sell it.

How Do You Pay For It? Finance and Loan Options

If you need to finance your purchase, one option is to take out a Home Equity Line of Credit.

But another option is to take out a loan.

Essentially, you can replace a significant portion of your utility bill with a low-interest loan. That way, you can still take advantage of the federal tax credit and added home equity that solar provides.

The most popular loans are 12 years, though in most cases you can pay them off sooner if you prefer. Your panels are warranted for 25 years of energy production, so far outlast the length of your loan.

You can also lease your panels, though purchasing saves you the most money over time.

PickMySolar.com has pulled together this terrific explanation of all your options for purchasing, leasing and financing your solar panels. Their team can also help you figure out what state and utility rebates are available to help offset your costs.

PickMySolar.com Helps You Figure It All Out

PickMySolar.com can help you save even more by managing the process of getting competitive bids for your entire project. That’s because PickMySolar.com has built a competitive bidding platform that enables you to:

• estimate the size and kind of solar system you need
• get cost-effective bids from pre-qualified solar companies near you
• maximize your solar rebates and incentives

This bidding platform is what takes the hassle out of choosing your solar system, too. We’ll talk about that in the next blog post (but it’s all explained in their free ebook if you want to check it out right away.)

For now, I hope you’ve realized just how affordable picking your own solar can be.

By the way, it costs absolutely nothing to explore getting solar with PickMySolar.com (which is why we give it such a big “thumbs up.”

Their platform is free to use. You can go through the entire process of figuring out what system is best for you, what it will cost upfront, and what rebates and tax credits you can tap into without paying a fee or deposit of any kind.

PickMySolar.com will deliver three bids to build your system, but if you don’t like any of them, it still won’t cost you a dime.

So what do you have to lose? You can start the ball rolling here by downloading your free ebook.

Disclosure: Our partnerships with companies like PickMySolar.com enable us to bring you opportunities like this free way to figure out your solar options, at no cost to you. We only recommend companies we’re behind 100% so you’ll be able to make the best decision for you. Thanks!

NOTES:
** Increased property values based on Redfin survey.

The post These 5 Cash Benefits Make Home Solar Panels Too Cheap to Ignore appeared first on Big Green Purse.

I’ve been partnering with Our Power to let you know about community solar, and especially, to make sure that if you live in New York, you don’t miss your chance to sign up and find out when community solar New York projects become available. When Our Power’s Jessie Sitnick told me about her aunt, Toby, and why she signed up, it was such a great story, I asked her if she’d share it with you. I won’t be surprised if, when you read about Toby, you think to yourself, “That sounds just like me!”

How Toby Discovered New York’s Best Kept Secret:
Community Solar New York

As Toby flipped through the real estate pages of the New York Times last weekend, sipping her morning cup of coffee and enjoying the sunlight flooding her Brooklyn kitchen, this is the headline that caught her eye.

“I’ve been ready,” she told me. The problem was being able to take advantage of it.

“I never thought we could do it. Not where we live and not at the current cost.”

All that changed when Toby found out about community solar.

Admission: I was the one who let her in on the secret. I work in the environmental sector and we’ve bonded over the years chatting about social issues. We were on the phone and I asked her if she had heard about this new legislation that got passed in New York, which basically will make it possible for people to buy solar power from local solar gardens. That means no panel installations on your roof, no fire code worries, no big capital investments.

She said, “Count me in!”

Then I told her about Our Power, an organization that connects people to community solar projects as soon as they become available. “So I signed up,” she says, “because this is the kind of thing we’ve really been waiting for and I decided, I’m not going to miss it.”

Meet Toby – Child Psychologist, Life-long New Yorker, Hopeful Grandma

With her stylish silver hair, bright eyes, and bohemian jewelry, Toby is the quintessential baby boomer. Now in her mid-60s, Toby still works long hours as a child psychologist. Her husband is retired; her children are grown up and living on their own.

“The last big thing I want out of life is grandkids,” she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice.

“The thing is, when you get to this point in life – it’s no longer so much about you anymore. You start thinking a whole lot more about the world your kids are facing, the world your grandchildren might face. And you think, how can I make this better for them?”

Toby has always cared about the environment. She recycled before it was cool. When her son started having asthma attacks as a little boy, she worried about the air quality in the city. Was living here hurting him?

She’s kept her eye on the renewable energy movement for the past five years or so. She believes switching to solar is as much about taking a stand against climate change and pollution as anything else.

“I have friends who live outside the city – Long Island or out in the country – and they put in solar panels. It was a big deal. I mean, it was expensive, a big decision. But I was really proud of them for making that choice. Living here, it never really seemed like an option.”

“How Are We Not Doing This?”

As Toby scanned the New York Times article, the stories sounded familiar. Couples, about her age, taking out loans to afford the upfront cost of panels. Or being told that, even though they were willing to pay, that it wasn’t worth it because their roofs were flat or shaded by other buildings.

“It’s frustrating when you want to do the right thing, and you see other people doing it, but it’s just not available to you,” she said.

Toby knows that solar technology has become much more affordable in recent years and that there are also a lot of new government incentives in New York to help people convert. Living in the city is expensive, she notes.

If solar can help lower her electricity bills, that’s huge.

“When you read that these people’s electricity bill went from over $250 per month to about $36 per month, you think, how are we not doing this?” she asked, referring to the Brooklyn couple cited in the article (a filmmaker and TV producer in their late 60s).

“But then you read that it cost them almost $7,000 up front to install the panels! I get that that’s a lot less than it used to be. Still, that’s not a small amount money.”

Going, Going, Gone…

What surprised Toby the most was that the article didn’t refer to community solar at all. “They mention these solar co-op groups people are starting, which is great. But that still means people installing panels on their roofs and that’s not going to be an option for everyone. Our roof is flat, we’re surrounded by buildings. So for us, community solar will be a better way to go. But it still seems like it’s a bit of a secret.”

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I asked. “Well, I guess right now it’s kind of good for us because I expect that as soon as more people know about this, those community solar spots will fill up pretty quickly.”

It’s not lost on Toby that these new projects will only be able to serve about 2% of New York households.

Get in On the Secret

Nevertheless, she says, “ultimately I really hope people wake up to this idea. I hope the media start talking about it too because there are plenty of people like me who are ready for solar power. We want to leave the world a better place for our grand kids. We just need the opportunity.”

Are You in on New York’s Best Kept Solar Secret?

Become an Our Power Insider today.

NOTE About Our Partners – Partnerships with groups and companies like OurPower.solar enable us to bring you valuable information that helps you live the green life that’s important to you. Our editorial opinions remain our own.

Don’t Miss These Related Stories

The post Do You Know What Toby Knows? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Do you love the idea of going solar – but worry that it’s out of reach? Or too expensive? Or both?

 A new “community solar” program in New York will make going solar easy and affordable for everyone. But unfortunately, high demand also means that not everyone will be able to get in on it.

 I think the availability of community solar is such a no-brainer that I’m working with OurPower.solar so you won’t miss out. And I have one simple message for you:

 If you can sign up, you should. Don’t wait! Go here right now and do it. 

 But if for some odd reason, you’re still on the fence about it, please read this post all the way through. For one thing, you might find out you have something in common with Socrates – yes, that Socrates.

 You…and Socrates?

Harnessing the power of the sun is as old as humankind.  The Greek philosopher Socrates wrote about the advantage of building a home with overhangs to provide shade in the summer and south facing windows to draw in the sun’s warmth in the winter.

If you’ve put awnings over your windows for summer shade and keep the curtains open in the winter to let the warm winter sun in, well, let’s just say, you and Socrates could have been pals.

The Anasazi people who lived in the American Southwest more than 800 years ago didn’t know Socrates, but they were smart like him, and built their homes in south-facing cliffs so they could take advantage of the sun’s changing position in summer and winter both.

The Moon Landing, Panic at the Pump and Solar Power

Fast forward to the 1960s. Most people probably think the biggest technological achievement of those years had to do with us landing on the moon. But that’s also when we developed the modern-day solar cell. This breakthrough solution gave us the ability to transform the sun’s rays into electricity to power and heat our homes, warm our water, and fuel our industries and even our cars.

The oil embargo of 1973 sent Americans scrambling for energy – and also drove scientists to find an energy solution that would make us less dependent on oil from overseas.

Many of us would agree, given the hostilities we see in the world around us, that that goal is still important.

Today, we’re facing an additional threat—one that also risks world and national security and the future of the next generation: climate change.

But the silver lining in that very dark cloud is that, our dawning understanding that fossil fuels—like oil and gas—are driving serious environmental harm has spurred even greater innovation in solar technology.

Globally, since 2010, solar installations have risen on average 58% year after year.

Meanwhile, the cost of solar tech has dropped by 10% every year since 1980.

The US is on the verge of its 1 millionth solar installation.

No wonder Bloomberg predicts that solar is bound to be the most affordable energy generation technology across the world by 2030.

Why Don’t We All Have Solar Power?

Despite all of this progress and our increased desire and demand for solar energy, it’s still out of reach for almost half of Americans.

According to the National Renewable Energy Lab, 49% of US households can’t go solar, even if they want to, because they don’t have the right kind of roof, can’t afford the system, or because they don’t own their homes.

But that’s about to change—at least for some of us.

Community Solar Makes Solar Easy and Accessible at a Price We Can Afford

A new innovative program in New York called community solar will vastly decrease the cost of going solar and make it much easier for anyone to tap into the power of the sun.

That’s because community solar doesn’t require any kind of installation on your roof and, in most cases, no upfront capital costs.

Instead, it lets you tap into the energy produced by a local solar garden (a large group or array of solar panels).

Joining will be as easy as subscribing to a new cellphone plan.

And the cost savings will start right away, because the energy you buy from the solar garden will cost less than the energy you currently buy from your utility.

 So…What’s the Catch?

We know that the demand for this new program will far exceed the available spots.

94% of New Yorkers have said they are interested in using more solar power.

But community solar projects will only be able to accommodate 2% of New York households.

That’s why, if you want it, or even think you might want it, you need to sign up for it – now.

Good Thing Signing Up Is Free!

Signing up is free. It doesn’t cost anything to put your name on a list so that, as community solar projects get built, you can find out when you can actually start to benefit from them.

If you don’t sign up, someone else will. Shouldn’t you at least save your spot?

I would if I were you.

Photo Credits
Socrates – Dimitris Kamaras
Sun shot – Art4theGlryofGod by Sharon

The post The Best Chance to Get Solar Power You Might Miss Out On appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Solar power is good. But getting access to solar power? That can be hard, especially in tree-lined neighborhoods or crowded cities where you can’t put solar panels on your own roof.

Community solar power projects are coming to the rescue in states across the country, including New York.

They’re building solar gardens on old industrial sites, on top of churches, synagogues and grocery stores, even on local farms so people like you who want their energy to come from the clean sun instead of dirty fossil fuels can get it.

We’re partnering with OurPower.solar to make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to sign up for solar when it becomes available in your community.

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s So Great About Solar Energy?

√ Solar energy improves air quality, puts the brakes on climate change, protects our kids’ health, reduces air pollution, and is helping us achieve sustainability.

√ There is no limit to how much solar energy is available. We’re never going to run out of sunlight.

√ Plus, we don’t have to dig a big coal mine, or drill a polluting oil well, or send ships (and troops) to the Middle East. We just have to aim some solar panels at the sun and voilá. We’ve got power!

If Solar’s THAT Great, Why Don’t We Use More Of It?

Until recently, our utility companies and energy policies favored dirty fossil fuels over clean “renewable” energy sources like solar.

As a result, there weren’t enough solar panels being made and installed, which is why solar cost more.

In fact, all renewable energy has been something of a luxury item. You could get it, but you had to pay a premium for it. Sort of like buying a Gucci purse, or a Ferrari.

Community solar power has changed all that. Now you can get the solar version of Gucci or Ferrari without it costing you any more.

In fact, it’s going to cost you less. You’ll end up saving money on energy and getting rewarded for doing the right thing when you start using solar power generated in your own community.

How Does Community Solar Power Actually Work?

If you were to put solar panels on your own home’s roof, the panels would capture sunlight and convert it into electrical current. The more electricity you used from solar, the less you’d use that was generated by fossil fuels.

Community solar power works the same way, but instead of the panels being on your own roof, a lot of them – called an array – are installed in a convenient, shared solar garden.

As soon as the panels are installed, they start generating electricity.

That’s where you come in.

If you’ve signed up, you can replace part (or all!) of the electricity you get from polluting energy sources with energy from the sun. That’s all there is to it.

So…What’s the Catch?

The catch is that right now, more people want community solar power than can actually get it.

In New York State, for example, OurPower estimates that, based on the number of projects planned and how many people want to opt in, only 2% of households will actually be able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Yikes! I Don’t Want to Miss Out. What Should I Do?

The easiest and smartest thing to do is to sign up ASAP on OurPower’s “Insiders List.”

Signing up doesn’t obligate you to start using solar (though, if you’re like me, you probably want to power up with solar as soon as you can).

It just makes sure you’re on the inside track, so that as soon as community solar is available, you’ll be among the first to find out about it.

What’s It Going to Cost Me to Sign Up?

Nothing. Nada. A big fat zero.

All signing up does is make sure you’re on the inside track so you can be among the first to opt in when community solar starts working in your neighborhood.

Once you do opt in, you’ll get credited on your regular utility bill for the amount of solar you use, just as if you had put solar panels on your own roof.

How Will Community Solar Power Save Me Money?

Right now, you pay your utility company a certain price for every kilowatt-hour of energy you use. The same kilowatt-hour, when it comes from a community solar project, costs you about 10-20% less. So, the more of your energy use you cover with community solar, the more money you’ll save.

With most projects, you’ll get two bills, one from your solar provider and a second from your utility.

You only pay your utility for electricity you use that’s over and above what’s covered by solar.

How Do I Know I Qualify?

If you live in New York, count yourself lucky. Not every state has the right laws in place that make community solar possible. But if you are a New Yorker and you pay a utility bill, you can subscribe.

It’s that simple.

Why Should I Sign Up If the Projects Aren’t Actually Available Yet?

It’s like signing up for a new iPhone before you can actually buy it (though community solar is even better, because you don’t have to camp out overnight in front of an Apple store or wait in longlines).  Like those iPhone folks, you don’t want to miss out! Only 2% of people can participate in the next go round.

Signing up for OurPower’s Insider’s List guarantees that
you’ll be among the first to know when solar energy is available to buy
from your community solar power project.

(By the way, if you don’t live in New York but love the idea of community solar power, please still sign up so when community solar does come to your area, you’ll be the first to know.)

What Can I Do Right Now?

The most important thing you can do right now is save your spot by signing up. It’ll only take you five seconds. Seriously!

Partner Note: Partnering with great projects like OurPower enables us to bring you valuable information and opportunities to live a greener life that you might otherwise not know about. It also helps Big Green Purse fulfill our mission to help people shift to the greenest products and services available. Thanks!

The post Sign Up For Community Solar Power ASAP! Space Limited. appeared first on Big Green Purse.

What can you actually do to stop climate change? World leaders are meeting this week in Paris to address climate change on a global scale. At Big Green Purse, we focus on what we ALL can do at home and in our communities.

One important step we can take is to embrace the science. There is now near unanimous consensus that climate change is happening. Scientists know burning fossil fuels like coal and oil releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. That CO2 creates a gaseous blanket that traps heat between the upper atmosphere and the Earth, causing our planet to heat up. Scientists also agree that nations must transition to fuel from renewable energy sources in order to stop climate change.

Second, we need to switch from coal and oil to energy that comes from the sun, the wind, and other renewable energy resources. Already, the renewable energy industry is growing faster than almost any other industry in the U.S. But we can do more, by purchasing wind power through our local utility company, by installing solar collectors on our rooftops, or by joining community power plans that promote solar and wind.

Third, we can help stop climate change by saving energy at home. Insulating our homes, using energy-saving light bulbs and appliances, using a programmable thermostat, these are all measures within our reach.

Ready to get started?

Climate Change: What It Is, Why It Matters

Top 10 reasons to take climate change seriously

Climate change impacts on our health, our homes, our families, and our future

How climate change makes poison ivy worse

Why climate change matters to women

How You Can Help Stop Climate Change

10 ways to reduce the climate change impact of your house

Save energy, stop climate change, save money

Cool roofs save energy & money, help fight climate change

Carbon offsets shrink your carbon footprint

One way to solve climate change: clean cook stoves

Best electronics create least e-waste, climate change

6 things you need to know about the Clean Power Plan

5 sure-fire ways to lower your energy costs

The post What Can You Do to Stop Climate Change? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

The nuclear meltdown in Japan and the recent oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico may seem unrelated, but they’re not. Both catastrophes occurred because we’ve made three fundamental mistakes in the way we generate energy.

1) We have relied on centralized power plants that use dangerous fuels to meet energy demand. Most countries that can afford it build large power plants so they can centralize energy production. Big centralized power plants are easier to regulate than a bunch of smaller, dispersed facilities. And because they generate a lot of energy at once, big plants appear to streamline power production. But in addition to being outrageously expensive, centralized generating facilities require massive amounts of dangerous fuels to operate consistently. If that fuel is oil or coal, recovering it usually wrecks the physical environment (we saw that in spades during last year’s Gulf Oil disaster); burning it causes global warming and sickening air pollution. If the fuel is uranium, using it generates radioactive nuclear waste that must be stored for thousands of years.

Ironically, a significant percent of the energy these kinds of plants generate is lost because it’s distributed over old, inefficient powerlines that transport the energy far from the original generator, which means that the plants actually need to consume more fuel to meet demand. Centralized power stations are also highly susceptible to terrorism, human error, and natural disasters, like the Japanese tsunami that overwhelmed that country’s nuclear reactors. As long as we continue to rely on large centralized power generation stoked by fossil fuels or uranium, we should expect disasters like the current meltdown in Japan.

2) We depend on fuels whose devastating environmental and health impacts are overlooked because they generate so much money for the industries that control them.

Right now, oil costs almost $100 a barrel. Solar energy is free. And there’s the rub. Industries based on selling coal, oil, and uranium, the fuel that powers nuclear power plants, earn billions of dollars every year just selling the fuel, let alone the power it generates. They use the profits from those sales to lobby legislators and make huge campaign contributions that keep law makers beholden to the status quo rather than emboldened to support safer alternatives.

I’m not suggesting we figure out a way to charge for the sun’s rays. I’m suggesting we realize that, every time we use oil or coal or energy from a nuclear power plant, some portion of our dollars is being used to insure that we KEEP using oil and coal and nuclear energy, instead of cleaner, healthier options.

3) We have refused to embrace energy efficiency and renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Many people give “alternative energy” positive lip service. Most people think sun power sounds like a good idea. Just as many will acknowledge that they want to do more to save energy. Yet the majority who talk the talk don’t walk the walk. Municipal codes still allow homes and buildings to be built that leak energy like a sieve. Consumers are still buying far more gas-guzzling vehicles and appliances than their energy-efficient counterparts. As a nation, we subsidize the fossil fuel and nuclear industries by giving them substantial tax breaks, yet scrimp on providing essential research and development money to renewable alternatives. Each of us could probably reduce the amount of energy we consume by half while taking advantage of any programs our utilties offer to let us buy power that’s safely generated. Until we do, and governments and businesses follow suit, the situation won’t change.

There aren’t enough words to describe what’s happened in Japan. Horrible. Catastrophic. Terrible. Unimaginable.

But there are also words we shouldn’t use to describe what’s transpired: Unique. Isolated. Rare. Freak accident.

Let’s not kid ourselves. Disasters like the Japanese nuclear meltdown and the Gulf oil spill are going to become increasingly common unless we make a concerted global effort to change the way we all get and use energy.

The post Nuclear disaster in Japan, oil disaster in the Gulf. What’s next? appeared first on Big Green Purse.