A Green Eyed View - green ideas and advice

PACE Yourself – Solar Energy Has Finally Gone Mainstream

Even if you wanted to install solar panels to off-set your power bill, you have to consider the up front costs and weigh those against the benefits. It isn’t an equitable math problem. The cost of solar panels and systems is coming down but the average installation on your average home will still run you about $25,000.00. But don’t stop reading because there is hope on the horizon.

 

PACE energy bonds are becoming available in more and more neighborhoods. PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy and according to the official website www.pacenow.org, the bonds work like this - “A PACE bond is a bond where the proceeds are lent to commercial and residential property owners to finance energy retrofits (efficiency measures and small renewable energy systems) and who then repay their loans over 20 years via an annual assessment on their property tax bill. PACE bonds can be issued by municipal financing districts or finance companies and the proceeds can be typically used to retrofit both commercial and residential properties.”

 

So why is PACE a good thing? The key to the program’s success is that the energy savings earned from installing solar panels can then be applied to paying the added fees on your property tax. The fee remains set but energy costs inevitable will continue to rise. So in a matter of a year or two you will be actually saving money while everybody else will still be paying higher energy bills.

 

Seventeen states have passed PACE legislation including Florida (Not all local governments in Florida offer PACE financing; contact your local government to find out if it has established a PACE financing program.)  

 

According to a report by Ty Gorman and Amanda Zidek for The North Carolina Solar Center as of March 9^th, 2010, Florida was number 3 in total solar grant/rebate spending for all states with such programs.

 

For more information go to PACE Now.

Keep Your Kitchen Cool - Cook With Sunshine

One of the coolest appliances for cooking this summer is the Global Sun Oven. Turn off your stove and have some fun in the backyard, at the beach, while you are camping or boating. The Sun Oven is also a terrific solution when you’re without power due to one of Florida’s hurricanes or any other natural disaster. No need for fuel or electricity to be able to bake, boil or steam your food.

 

You’ll need two things to make this oven work – the sun and your imagination. While you’re working in the yard you can be preparing a meal. One of the keys to getting the most out your Sun Oven is to monitor the angle of the sun and occasionally reposition or refocus your oven to follow its movement.

 

It isn’t heavy, weighing in at 21 pounds, but to make it easier to use, put it on a rolling cart which can be easily turned to the right position. A cart will also get the oven up off the ground for easier access. There is a built in leveling leg on the back of the oven for more accurate focusing. There is also a “levelator” which keeps your dish level even when you raise the angle of the oven. It is the surface on which you place your cooking dish and it works like a swing.

 

The construction of the oven is top notch. The reflectors are made of mirror-finished anodized aluminum. They won’t rust, corrode or oxidize. The inner chamber is aluminum with a non-toxic powder coating. The body is insulated with a heavy batting of non-toxic fiberglass insulation. This is the same insulation used in commercial ovens and furnaces.

The Plexiglas cover seals air-tight with a patented gasket that resists UV damage. Properly cared for this oven will last a lifetime.

 

Remember it’s an oven. It gets hot. Use pot holders and trivets when handling the dishes you are taking out of the oven. But don’t worry about burning your food because the Sun Oven doesn’t have any hot spots. The temperature of your food rises evenly. It’s a bit like your old crock pot because it heats evenly and doesn’t require stirring.

 

While you’re cooking in the Sun Oven you’re saving energy and keeping your kitchen cool and reducing your carbon footprint.

 

Let the sun shine in.

 

Click here for all the FAQs.