By tradition, Japan and Germany have shown the way in promoting the use of solar energy for daily consumption by converting sunlight into electricity. Nevertheless, it appears that the state of California in the US is making rapid strides in the sustainable and renewable energy industry.

At this rate, in the foreseeable future it will take giant step forward in the generation of pollution-free and renewable solar energy. Here are the major reasons why California is poised to become the world leader in ‘clean energy technology’ and why this is possible.

California has an excellent background in supporting technological advances, as is evident in computer industry. As per the Climate Group, $523 million was invested in ‘clean tech industry’ in California in 2005. The clean tech industry is a combination of energy generation concepts, research and development and manufacture of equipment that generate pollution-free and renewable energy.

It envisages an investment of $167 billion in the industry all over the world by 2015. It also considers that around 20,000 to 83,000 jobs may be created in California in the clean tech industry.

At present, for the first quarter of 2007, the venture capital enterprises have funded the clean tech industry in California to the tune of $307 million. This is twice the amount invested in the whole of Europe for the same period. This inflow of funds has shown downward trend for two most significant reasons.

The first is that the state government has promoted the use of ‘cleaner energy’, particularly solar energy through state laws and financial assistance. Around $3 billion is being earmarked for investment in a 10 year plan that expects to see solar panels on every roof -top throughout California. The state Government anticipates that 20% of the energy generated through renewable sources, especially solar energy will be utilized in homes.

Legislation is on the anvil that will focus on supporting those business enterprises that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation proposed will also include a clause for rewarding companies that can be more Eco-friendly in future as well.

The second aspect for supporting pioneering efforts in the area of cleaner energy resources is the novel nature of business traditions in California. Lots of companies and their products are developed on the strength of finance provided by venture capital institutions. Liberal investors are prepared to put their stakes on a specific concept or product.

While some may not yield any positive results, others will be successful. This has been established in the computer industry which draws people who have flair for innovations and encourage speedy development of products. This is specially the case in the solar energy industry where solar cells and panels continue to be developed making use of new materials.

One of the bottle necks in the solar industry was that earlier silicon was used to produce solar panels. This was very costly and also involved considerable time to develop as silicon stocks had exhausted. The new panels designed are much easier to install on the usual places, such as roof top.

Research efforts are under way to enhance the working efficiency of solar cells and panel. Clean tech industries and especially, solar power are fully geared to become a growth industry in California. This is not because of any locational advantages of the state but due to the determination of the industry and the government to ensure that the sound solar technology is very useful in day to day life.

Around 120 years back, the first ever solar Photovoltaic (PV) cell was built using selenium and gold, but unfortunately the efficiency of such a cell was just 1%. With the introduction of photovoltaic panels, the energy production has increased substantially and can suffice the entire household.

These days such panel can generate enough power not only using energy from the Sun but also by using wind energy on those days when Sun energy is not available. With the vast improvement in the technology of both solar panels and solar thermal field, consumers have a choice to decide about which system to purchase.

There is an option of flat plate collectors, these devices can turn heat radiated by the Sun into hot water, one can also use evacuated tube collectors which have same function to perform, the manufacturing technique is different using several cylindrical collectors, which sit in parallel and collect more solar energy as the cylinders are capable of capturing sun energy from many angles.

The main function of photovoltaic panels is to save electrical energy by converting sunlight into electricity, we have now many such solar panels which can have multiple functions. The A-frames has brought new innovations and are specially designed for flat roof tops, this makes positioning easy and can be placed at the right angles to get maximum advantage from the solar panels.

New racking options have made installation easier and cheaper, though all the panels need regular maintenance but cost differs depending upon the type of solar panels. If you want to install hot water solar system, it comes with a warranty of ten years and does not require much maintenance, the annual inspection is recommended with the advice of MCS approved installer on regular intervals.

Solar photovoltaic panels if cleaned regularly last long and requires minimum maintenance, the care should be taken that the shades from the adjoining trees does not hamper sunlight. Such checks should be conducted with the help of MSC technician.

Stand alone system which means that these are not connected to grid system require maintenance on all the parts including the batteries. To encourage the use of solar energy the Governments are now trying to supply businesses, communities and home owners with more incentives, this will ensure the improvement of personal carbon footprint.

You can be rewarded for generating your own sustainable energy; this comes under the feed-in-tariffs. This scheme will pay you for every unit of electricity generated by using MCS approved renewable technologies like solar PV, irrespective of the fact that the energy is used in home or exported back to the grid.

Government as an incentive has started providing financial aid to the individuals, communities and businesses, which is termed as Renewable Heat incentives for using other fuels than fossil fuels for heating etc. if you adopt this scheme, you will have to switch from fossil fuel to other energies for heating like gas, oil and coal. This scheme allows you to get paid a set amount as incentives annually for adopting the eco-friendly schemes.

Many people are attempting to save money by purchasing inexpensive models of electrical equipment or gadgets for their residence as well as business premises and in that process; they ignore small aspects that could really save them a lot of money.

These people are under the impression that they should take comprehensive steps and buy electricity saving devices; whereas factors that are really necessary to modernize the facilities should be considered. As a starting point, you should assess how much energy your business establishment is utilizing and in particular, whether there is any misuse of energy.

Nobody can try to reduce electricity consumption if he does not know the areas where there is wastage of energy. It is important to identify first the high energy consumption points before initiating steps to reduce excess utilization of power.

Scrutinizing these details carefully, particularly, if you have installed any new equipment in the office, will go a long way in setting specific targets for the energy usage, monitoring them closely to achieve an overall reduction in energy consumption and consequently, cutting down energy costs.

For example, you can save substantial amount of money on lighting by altering the type of electrical illumination used in the entire office. Whether you buy fluorescent lights, LED or Philips lighting, it is important to ensure that the office is properly illuminated with superior quality lighting and that these lighting does not utilize high wattage of power.

Many people overlook small aspects that can help in saving a lot of energy. For example, ‘motion sensors’ ensure that a particular room receives the right amount of light at the correct time. The motion sensors detect the movement of the light as one enters the room and automatically adjust it illuminating the room.

Similarly, the moment your workers or staff leaves the room, the light on its own switches off. In other words, this way there will not be any wastage of energy and consequently, your business will benefit considerably in terms of savings in energy costs.

There are numerous other gadgets that will help in conserving energy. People normally use an extractor fan in offices. This device is a manual one and if it is used for long duration, consumes a lot of electricity, which amounts to gross wastage of power.

However, several new models of extractor fans are available in the market. These new models are very useful energy saving devices. You can set the fans to turn on automatically depending upon movement in the room, thereby, making the best possible use of the exhaust fan.

In addition, you can program the extractor fan to turn on or off at specific periods during the day so that the fan does not run constantly causing wastage of energy. In the same way, a person running a business establishment should review all the electrical fittings installed and electrical devices currently in use in the business premises from time to time.

You should replace any old or outdated items that are responsible for high electricity consumption with latest equipment and fittings that not only saves energy substantially but also are long-lasting as well.

These small measures will certainly contribute significantly in conservation of power and reduce cost of energy for your business enterprise.

There is one way you for you to reduce your solar home improvement project cost. It is by making use of the government home solar power rebates. What are solar rebates?

In simple term, a rebate is the amount of money given back to a customer after he or she makes a purchase. For example, some manufacturers give out rebate for their products. You buy a solar system or component, and the manufacturer gives you either an instant rebate at the checkout or one that you need to mail in your purchase receipt.

A government solar power rebates is pretty much the same. How the rebates are being paid out?

Generally, the rebates are paid to the professional solar contractor when a work is done. As a home owner, you do not need to finance the entire solar power system and then wait to get the rebate back. This is, in effect, a secondary rebate because it allows solar users to more easily purchase a solar system.

But before you rush to buy a home solar energy system, there are a few things you have to know. Getting the government to pay you is not a simple process.

To get your home solar energy rebates, the procedure involves tones of detailed paper work generally incomprehensible to the average lay person.

Let’s use the state of California as an example. California has its own state solar incentive program known as The California Solar Initiative (CSI).

The CSI is part of the Go Solar California campaign that offers solar rebates to customers of utility territories such as Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E.) The California Solar Initiative is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission.

Here’s a quick run through how the rebates are calculated. California Solar Initiative rebates vary according to system size, customer class, and performance and installation factors.

There are two types of rebate paths you can choose:

1) Expected Performance Based Buydown (EPBB)

If your home has installed a solar system with less than 50 kilowatt (kW) power output, you may apply for an up-front cash rebate known as the Expected Performance Based Buydown (EPBB).

2) Performance Based Incentive (PBI)

If your home uses a solar system that has an output between 50 kW and 1 MW, you can apply for the Performance Based Incentive (PBI) structure.

PBI incentives are a five-year stream of fixed monthly payments determined by the actual output of the system, as metered and reported to the utility.

The whole scenario of getting your home solar power rebates is complicated nonetheless. It would not be a good idea trying to get it done by yourself. It is best to engage a solar contractor or solar professional.

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