August 14, 2007

Today’s Real Estate

Green is more than the color of money

By Donna Nardi
Special to the Times

Our society is often focused on the color of money--green. While it takes money to make the world go ‘round, it can mean so much more. With our world’s rapidly growing population, we must focus on preserving the earth’s resources, or we may find our future, and that of our children’s, in jeopardy. Building with our environment’s preservation in mind is becoming a more and more popular way to accomplish this goal.

A host of cities are encouraging the “green” way of living and building. City officials in San Jose, Mountain View, Saratoga, Los Altos and Los Gatos are just a few of the many California cities turning “green” these days. Green is “in” and becoming more cost effective all the time. Cities understand “dirty” power using coal emits nitrogen and carbon dioxide into the air, which is bad for the environment and our health.

Recently, the San Jose Mercury News reported the San Jose Unified School District is beginning an ambitious solar power project (see story, page 9), expecting savings of $25 million over the next 25 years. Designed to produce ive megawatts of solar power, it will be the largest solar-energy program in the K-12 school districts in the nation. A three-way partnership will spare any up front costs to the school district.

I spoke with Steve Daniel and Isabelle Christensen of Akeena Solar in Los Gatos recently. Akeena Solar is on the cutting edge of the solar technology for our world today. They service residential and commercial projects. We talked about some of the economic advantages, as well as environmental advantages of building “green.” Christenson says, “We believe that producing clean electricity directly from the sun is the right thing to do for both our economy and environment.”

In the past, solar technology was cost prohibitive and would take many, many years to begin to see the investment pay off. As with most technology, as time goes by, the cost begins to level off, making the investment more appealing.

Solar power was first discovered in 1839 by French physicist Antoine-Cesar Becquerel. In 1923 Albert Einstein won a Nobel Prize for theories explaining the Photo Electric Effect. In 1941 Russell Ohl invented a silicon solar cell. In the late 1950s, the first commercialization of solar cells was included in top-secret missions. And, by the early 70s, the first wave of residential solar technology arrived. By the late 90s solar photo voltaic (PV) became cost competitive with conventional forms of electricity generation.

So what is a green house? It will be equipped with solar panels on the roof that power the entire house with clean electricity. An inverter is required from your electrical meter to convert DC power to AC power. The system will need to be tied to the power grid. What energy you don’t use daily can be stored for later use. There are many other products to enhance clean energy, used in conjunction with the solar panels.

Once a property owner decides to install a solar power system, there will be a pre-site and site analysis. After the contract proposal and acceptance, the system will be installed. Although space here doesn’t allow for detail of each process, it is most important to have each step fully carried out, with attention to each detail.

There are state rebate incentives that help to make solar installation most attractive. The California Solar Initiative (CSI) is part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s $3.3 billion, “Million Solar Roofs Program,” which has a goal to create 3,000 megawatts of new, solar-produced electricity by 2017 through self-sustaining photovoltaic solar energy.

The California Public Utilities Commission through the California Solar Initiative provides incentives for existing residential homes and new commercial, industrial, and agricultural properties. It manages a $400 million program to encourage solar in new home construction through its “New Solar Homes Partnership.” There are incentives for low-income, affordable housing, and pay-for-performance for high-performing solar projects.

To learn more, or apply for rebates, you may find the proper Web site for your needs at: www.californiasolarinitiative.org.

PG&E also offers awards in the form of solar rebates. The company is committed to renewable energy. More than 50 percent of the energy it provides comes from using emission-free solar, hydro electric, wind, geothermal, biomass and waste.

As with most newer technologies, better design efficiency and manufacturing will make these systems more popular and affordable with time. Educating ourselves about this extraordinary technology is our responsibility to our environment.

The time is here to install a power solar system. With improved technology and available rebates, solar energy is makes more sense now than ever before. It takes only a few years to recoup the costs, and have “free” or nearly free energy for life. But, best of all, we are preserving our environment for many generations to come.

Donna Nardi is a full-time Realtor with Prudential California Realty in Willow Glen. You may contact her at donna.nardi@prurealty.com, or www.happywayhome.com or call her at 408-918-4410.