Want to make your home even more green? Thought about adding solar panels, but can’t find the money needed? Saving on your monthly electricity bill is about to get much easier. The city of San Francisco approved a series of grants that will help every building in town add solar panels. You heard that right – every building in town.
Approved in June by city supervisors, the program creates a $3 million fund that will provide rebates to city residents, businesses and non-profits. The first year of the program will be focused on helping low-income residents and non-profits, but it will soon extend to all businesses and residents.
Just how much can you get? Individual homeowners can receive $3,000 to $6,000 to cover the cost of installing a solar panel set-up that produces at least 1 kilowatt of electricity. Businesses will receive $1,500 per 1 kilowatt production, up to $10,000. Currently, less than 800 of San Francisco’s 195,000 rooftops are equipped with solar panels – take a look for yourself on the San Francisco Solar Map.
Not only will these grants provide residents with an affordable, sustainable source of power, but solar installation businesses will see a dramatic increase in work. "This is just gonna spur the industry," said Kevin Gage, sales director for San Diego-based installer Borrego Solar in a CNet interview. "The market was essentially shut down in San Francisco. Now a lot of companies like ours are gonna move into San Francisco." We’ll be saving money, the planet, and creating new jobs. Sounds like a win-win to me!
You’re probably wondering how you can receive a grant. Visit the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission website for details on applying for a grant and upcoming GoSolarSF Fairs where you can learn more about how the new solar incentive program works.
Do It Yourself Energy Audits: Simple Solutions to Reduce Your Utility Bill and Carbon Footprint
Many home owners spend hundreds of dollars to hire a professional energy auditor to conduct a thorough inspection of their home's energy efficiency and to recommend ways of improving it, which results in better energy usage, and provides health benefits and greater financial savings.
Part of the Green Guru Guides series of books, Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits offers complete details on assessing home energy efficiency. It describes simple no- and low-cost measures that can be implemented to identify problems, and that will dramatically increase livability, efficiency, and expendable income each and every year. Whether the reader is moving into a brand new or existing home, or is trying to make a current residence more energy efficient, the practical tips and projects in this book will make it easy to be green.
Marcal® Small Steps® Launches Consumer Movement; Shows Going Green in Paper Goods Means Real Environmental Benefits & Zero Sacrifice
Marcal® Small Steps® Launches Consumer Movement; Shows Going Green in Paper Goods Means Real Environmental Benefits & Zero Sacrifice
Recently I had the chance to speak with Lindsay Jacobs from Marcal Paper. The biggest point that she brought home was 98 vs 2. I said at first, "What?" Lindsay replied, "The next time you change that bathroom roll, think ninety-eight to two. While almost unthinkable for an environmentally awake nation, 98 percent of tissue products used in American homes comes from trees cut down just to make them."
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Want to make your home even more green? Thought about adding solar panels, but can’t find the money needed? Saving on your monthly electricity bill is about to get much easier. The city of San Francisco approved a series of grants that will help every building in town add solar panels. You heard that right – every building in town.
