It used to be that if you opted for a solar roof for your home, it was an eco-conscious but not a particularly aesthetic choice. But all that changed in October, when Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduced a new solar roof that is as beautiful as it is green.

“If you install our solar roof on your house, you’re going to want to call your neighbors over and say ‘check out the sweet roof!’” Musk said at the October presentation.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the look of the new roof tiles is how well they blend into a traditional roof. The four distinct styles of product are made from quartz glass, which is transparent to solar but appears opaque when viewed from an angle, and even resembling traditional materials, from slate to terra cotta. This even means that you could add solar tiles to just part of the roof.

“We need to make solar panels as appealing as electric cars have become,” Musk said. “It needs to be beautiful, affordable, and seamlessly integrated. If all of those things are true, why would you go any other direction?”

In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the solar tiles are also quite durable, built to last about two or three times longer than asphalt tiles.

“They should last longer than the house,” said Musk.

And there’s another very good reason to opt for these panels over traditional roofing materials: these solar panels generate enough energy to fully power a household, even on a shady day; the Tesla solar roof will be sold in tandem with Tesla Powerwall battery units, developed with an essential new element of solar power – electricity storage.

Electricity storage is already common in solar-heavy regions, where the solar energy produced in the middle of the day can be stored and used at night.

“The future is going to overwhelmingly be solar plus battery,” Musk said. “They go together like peanut butter and jelly.”

By designing the solar roofs to work hand-in-hand with Powerwall, Tesla has created an all-in-one system with units that can store 15kWh of energy, enough to power a four-bedroom house for a day.

“In order to make his vision move forward, Musk is using design with a big D,” Andy Ogden, Chair of the Industrial Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, told Wired. “He’s thinking about an overall strategy, in how these things interact and support each other, so there’s some synergy.”

Tesla is partnering with SolarCity on the new products; Tesla will likely merge with the company, run by his cousins, depending on the November 17 decision of the shareholders.

While pricing information and availability remain to be addressed — Brian Cinnamon of Green Tech Media guesses that the Tesla solar roof will cost about $15,000 for a set that is capable of producing 9,000 kilowatt-hours per year — keep an eye out for these new panels in time for summer 2017, if the merger goes according to plan.

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In this age of tax incentives at both the local and federal level, installing solar panels for the home has gotten increasingly popular. Solar panels have gotten cheaper and more efficient, making them an appealing option for consumers rather than a quirky option for the most progressive neighbor on the block.

By choosing solar panels for your home you can reduce your carbon footprint by an average 35,180 pounds per year. That’s the equivalent of planting 88 trees each and every year. Not to mention that once you get past the upfront costs, solar panels for the home can mean big time energy savings as well as cashing in on tax incentives. The Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit is a 30 percent tax credit on residential and commercial properties that convert to solar before the end of 2016. And depending on the state you call home, more tax credits are likely available.

If you’re considering choosing solar panels for your home, here are a few tips:

• You’re probably not off the grid.

If you live in or around an urban area you’ll still be depending on your utility company for power at night. Only self contained, off the grid homes have to fill in the gaps when the sun is not out. Plus, most rebate incentives require you to still be attached to a utility company.

• Have an accurate idea of how much power you use per month.

Before you install solar panels, it’s important to have an accurate idea of the amount of power you use each month. It’s best to conserve as much energy as possible and then fill in the gaps with solar energy. If, for example, you have a child going off to college, then the amount of power that you use will likely be reduced.

• Plan for solar panel installation.

Before you have your solar panels installed, there are a few things you should know. First off, your roof does not have to be south-facing for solar panels to work effectively. And while solar panels do not add to your property taxes, you should add them to your home owner’s insurance so they are covered in the event of fire or natural disaster.

• Choose the right solar panel company.

The average upfront cost of installing solar panels is around $17,000, so do your research and make sure you choose the best provider. First look at warranties and choose a company that covers their panels for at 25 years and covers the inverter for at least 10 years. Make sure the company is based in the U.S., so if it goes out of business, your warranty will still cover you. And check with the Better Business Bureau to ensure that the company doesn’t have any complaints against them.

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Image of solar panels on a home from Shuttershock

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France just passed a new law that will require all new buildings in commercial zones to be covered with green roofs or solar panels.

Environmental groups hope to reduce the energy costs of commercial buildings while creating an urban jungle in the world’s most beloved city of progress.

According to The Guardian:

The law approved by parliament was more limited in scope than initial calls by French environmental activists to make green roofs that cover the entire surface mandatory on all new buildings.

The law will change the face of the urban landscape in France by promoting more urban greenery.

While solar panels have an obvious purpose, the benefits of green roofs are less well known. Not only do they beautify buildings and create space for community gardens, they have a number of other environmental benefits.

In the summer, green roofs retain 70 to 90 percent of precipitation and in the winter they retain 25 to 40 percent of precipitation. This reduces runoff and decreases the stress on sewer systems. The daily dew and evaporation cycle along with the light absorbed by vegetation, help to cool buildings down. Green roofs also reduce smog by slowing the distribution of dust and particulate matter.

According to Think Progress:

France has lagged behind other major European countries like Germany, Italy and Spain in solar power development. As of last summer, France had just over five gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity, accounting for around one percent of total energy consumption. Germany has nearly 40 GWs installed. France is heavily reliable on nuclear power for its energy, and nuclear generation in 2012 made up about 83 percent of the country’s total generation.

The combination of solar panels and green roofs create dual environmental tools. Both help reduce the power demands on the national grid, especially when temperatures peak in the summer time.

Green roofs are popular in Germany, Australia, and parts of Canada. Since 2009, Toronto has had a similar mandatory law for green roofs on commercial buildings. But they’re also gaining traction in the U.S. New York City leads the pack in green roofs and it’s home to the largest roof top garden in the country. James Farley Post Office is topped with a greening system that saves the massive post office $30,000 per year in energy costs. Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Portland are all home to a number of green roofs.

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Image of a green roof from Shuttershock

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Lobbying efforts attempt to fool public into thinking residential solar panels will cost everyone more.

Many utility companies contend that net rate hikes are necessary to even out the playing field in return for the credits that are paid out to households with residential solar panels. Many contend that it’s just a veiled attempt to turn the public against solar. So the question becomes: How much does solar energy really hurt the utility company’s bottom line?

Grist looked at this issue in Wisconsin where the state utility is trying to raise fixed rates by as much as 75 percent in some places. Wisconsin gets 62 percent of its energy from coal and only 7 percent from renewable energy, most of which is biomass, hydroelectric, and wind. With solar contributing to such a minimal piece of the energy pie, it’s hard to believe that it’s really worth jacking up prices a whopping 75 percent.

But here’s where it gets even weirder. According to Grist:

A Texas-based utility trade lobby, the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), attempted to intervene by claiming it found 2,500 Wisconsonites who support the rate hikes. CEA submitted the names to Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission during a public hearing earlier this month.

Eventually the list was tossed out because of numerous problems but it begs to question, why did CEA initially become involved?

Again, Grist:

The Alliance’s founder, DC lobbyist Michael Whatley, has been behind a number of large-scale PR campaigns designed to fight policies that would wean us off carbon-intensive fuel sources. His lobbying firm, HBW Resources, represents the interests of fossil fuel, utility, and tobacco industries.

So in a twisted turn of events, CEA wanted rates to be raised in an effort to turn the public against solar energy by making them think it’s WAY more costly than it is, but in order to succeed the rate hike would have to have support. But they would never have had the opportunity if not for the greedy utility company. Double dirty.

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Solar Power Rocks just released its residential solar power ratings by state (including the District of Columbia), based on criteria that lead to strong financial incentives to install solar panels. Find out your state’s solar power facts.

The report includes detailed discussions of each state broken down by criteria, including areas where each state excels and those where it falls short. It also shows how state legislatures can impact change on the solar market in each state. What are the prospects for your state? Read on to find out your solar power facts by state.

Top Ten States for Residential Solar Power

The top ten states include a slew of rebates and tax incentives for those that install solar panels on their homes which motivates residents to participate. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made a commitment to solar energy, allowing his state to perform the best. It’s strange that some of the states with the least usable power have the best incentives.

1. New York

2. Massachusetts

3. Connecticut

4. Oregon

5. New Jersey

6. Colorado

7. Maryland

8. Minnesota

9. Vermont

10. New Mexico

My home state of South Carolina came in 37 on the list because despite having one of the best solar tax credits in the country, its “RPS standards are laughable”. (RPS stands for renewable portfolio standards.) It’s a regulation that requires increased production of energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal. It obligates electricity companies to produce a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources.

Bottom Ten States for Residential Solar Power

These states all scored an F in terms of tax incentives, credits, RPS standards, and accessibility. Unfortunately, many of these states would have loads of solar power to use.

40. Georgia

41. Virginia

42. North Dakota

43. Mississippi

44. Nebraska

45. Wyoming

46. Kentucky

47. West Virginia

48. Alabama

49. Oklahoma

50. Arkansas

If you want to see where your state falls on the list, checkout the entire report.

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The White House Gets Solar Panels (Again)

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 A new construction project is underway at the White House, and it’s not a new bedroom for dignitaries or improvements to the bowling alley. It’s a fresh new set of solar panels. It’s unclear how much power the new array will actually produce, but for many, the act delivers more than electricity.

Despite the fact that it took Obama three years to fulfill his promise to restore the array, the seemingly small move is a big step, and says a lot about where we’re headed as a nation.

Nothing New Under The Sun

I often feel bad for former President Jimmy Carter. He’s always the butt of jokes, especially from conservatives, and criticized for his passive demeanor. Yet more than 30 years ago, Carter was championing solar power, and encouraging Americans to abandon fossil fuels for the promise of renewable energy. He walked the talk, putting 32 solar panels on the roof of the White House way back in 1979. What a different America–no, world–we’d be living in now if we’d only taken the hint and put our weight behind the solar energy industry back then.

But we didn’t. Instead, the oil lobby put its weight into our politicians, and in 1986, then-President Reagan had the panels removed. George Charles Szego, the engineer who persuaded Carter to install the solar panels, reportedly claimed that Reagan Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan “felt that the equipment was just a joke, and he had it taken down.”

Well, it wasn’t a joke. And now solar energy (along with wind and geothermal) represents one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States. Too bad we had to force the planet way over the C02 threshold and into human-accelerated climate change before we were willing to give it a chance.

Turning Up The Heat On Fossil Fuels

In 2010, President Obama pledged to install solar panels on his official residence as a sign of his commitment to renewable energy, and environmentalists were thrilled. According to the Washington Post, “at the time of the 2010 announcement, then-Energy Secretary Steven Chu and White House Council on Environmental Quality chair Nancy Sutley said the administration would conduct a competitive bidding process to buy between 20 and 50 solar panels.” The upgrade, “which will help demonstrate that historic buildings can incorporate solar energy and energy efficiency upgrades, is estimated to pay for itself in energy savings over the next eight years,” Sutley continued.

Now, several years later, the promise is bearing fruit. The Obama’s may not be touting it as an official signal that fossil fuels are on their way out, but there’s no denying it’s one of solar power’s biggest endorsements to date.

“No one should ever have taken down the panels Jimmy Carter put on the roof,” 350.org founder Bill McKibben said in an emailed press statement. “But it’s very good to know that once again the country’s most powerful address will be drawing some of that power from the sun.”

Pushing Americans to become more energy efficient has been a major focus of Obama’s Department of Energy, and there’s comfort to be found in an Administration that practices it what it preaches. But putting solar panels on the White House is the easy part. Changing deep-rooted policies that have favored fossil fuels for decades, that’s where the real work–and reward–is waiting.

Image: Francisco Diez

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As if Los Angeles needed another reason for bragging. It’s now home to the nation’s largest urban rooftop solar energy program, and it could make you money while helping to support clean energy initiatives in the state.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the program, called Clean L.A. Solar, makes it possible for Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power to now pay its customers if they generate solar energy via rooftop solar panels.

The Los Angeles Business Council is the driving force behind the program, and hopes that it will generate 150 megawatts of solar energy, “enough to power about 30,000 homes,” reports the Times. “The council hopes to attract investments totaling $500 million from a growing list of companies that want to invest in L.A.’s push to go green by setting up large clusters of rooftop solar panels.” And the solar energy program hopes to expand, rapidly. “Clean L.A. Solar proponents have their sights set high, aiming to expand the initial 150-megawatt goal over the next several years to 600 megawatts.”

The move comes as a result of the state’s mandate to generate 33 percent of its electricity through renewable resources by 2020. If everything goes smoothly, the Clean L.A. Solar program should help the city reach 25 percent of that goal by 2016. As well, the program will create more than 4,000 jobs for Angelinos.

Another benefit of the program is that it could also be extremely helpful to the city’s lower income neighborhoods. Some of the city’s poorest areas also have the highest amount of light available, making homes in those neighborhoods prime candidates for solar rooftops.

The program will pay 17 cents per kilowatt-hour initially, decreasing to 14 cents, according to the Times.

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E-readers are spineless compared with hardcover books, lacking the soulful carbon fingerprints of readers past. You cannot fold the pages of the wafer-thin gadgets, or make your mark with splotches of food or wine. And the idea of clutching the casing to your chest after reading the final line of a novel just leaves me cold. As one book club friend of mine waxes, “There’s just something about the smell of a book.”

Still, we all can smell and see the writing is on the screen when it comes to these devices outsourcing print media, sparing trees and saving money. According to ID TechEx, the total market size in 2010 is a whopping $131 million, and is expected to soar to $1.7 billion by 2014. Much of that growth is attributed to huge success of Kindles and other portable e-readers. “In 2020, the market value will reach $7.45 billion thanks to the availability of flexible, color displays and faster refresh rates,” the market analysts predict.

Why do users find them so friendly?

“I bought one for my wife for her birthday and enlarged the fonts so she can read the words on the screen without squinting or wearing reading glasses,” says Steve Montoya, a Bay Area IT consultant. “She’s an avid reader. Recently, she read a series she couldn’t get in e-print, and couldn’t wait to finish it and get back to her Kindle.”

While you can’t download all desirable titles now, the Amazon library and others are growing every day.

“You can get books, magazines, newspapers, even audio books to listen to with headphones,” Montoya says.

The graphite feature also is a huge power saver, he finds, noting you can get several days of reading on one charge. And since it works on a cellular network, it also makes it easy to instantaneously order books and have them appear on your library. Plus, the e-readers never seem to lose connection.

“My brother-in-law is in Afghanistan and his iPhone doesn’t work, but his Kindle does,” says Montoya.

If the prequel of our paperless future is the tragic death of magazines and newspapers, will the sequel be the disappearance of paperback and hardcover reads? Are there upsides to this plot? Here are some of the pros and cons of e-reading devices:

Cost

Pro: If you are a voracious reader without a library card, you probably will save money on an e-reader. If you are a voracious reader with a library card, you probably will save on late fees.

Con: You have to spend a lot for the cheapest iPad, which is wifi-only, holds 16GB of storage and sells for nearly $500. The Que is $649 and has a 4GB of data storage. The 3G wireless Amazon Kindle is more affordable at $250.

Storage

Pro: When the Kindle was introduced in 2007, travelers loved the benefits of of storing up to 1,500 books on a device the size of a small paperback read. And the library of available books to download keeps expanding (the first chapter of any book is free). Let’s face it, we are a storage-challenged human race with too much junk and not enough apartment and home space. This eliminates the need for shelving.

Con: Our private libraries are important for sharing with our friends and children and passing down treasured collections – classics and complementary fiction that rocked our world. Plus, it’s a lot easier to lose a gadget than an entire dusty collection.

Green

Pro: Many green publications, including Inhabitat, sing the praises of e-readers because they ultimately aid the environment by requiring no deforestation to manufacture, compared to the traditional paper publishing industry. This doesn’t even include the energy, materials, dyes and carbon from shipping that shames the print industry. According to a study by Cleantech, the carbon emitted in the lifecycle of  a Kindle, for example, is fully offset after the first year. And more earth-friendly models are on the move, like LG’s Solar ebook introduced last year, boasting a thin photovoltaic cell which keeps the juice pumping so your novel won’t go kaput during the climax.

Con: What is being offered is a new thing to buy, to keep you busy on the subway. High tech by nature is incompatible with green with exceptions such as solar panels, which also require an investment in energy to make. Green means a return to what your grandparents did, a return to simplicity: Walk a few blocks to school and work. Open a book on your front porch and snooze. That’s 18th Century technology. Also, the effectiveness of reducing emissions by popularizing these gadgets is dependent upon the publishing industry standardizing its adoption of the technology while committing to cutting down the production of physical books and other print media. Is this likely to happen anytime soon, other than by default?

Convenience

Pro: Toss the paper thin, lightweight, wireless device in your bag and you’re good to go. The new generation of Kindles is lighter than a paperback at 6″ and 10.2 oz. and you can hold it with one hand, which aids those carpal tunnel issues. This is why so many e-readers are the new companions of commuters. Hopefully, driving laws will keep users from biting into New Moon while behind the wheel. If you thought texting was was a dangerous distraction while driving…

Con: The tactile experience of gripping a book, magazine or Sunday paper can outweigh the fact it might be heavier to lug. It is this experience that is woven into our cultural wiring. No matter how hard technology tries, the tendency for consumers to prefer print over e-readers will endure for many years to come. With regard to our cultural connection to books, a graduate student at the University of Toronto wrote that his first experiences with a reader felt like “a courageous betrayal of every word written from the moment papyrus gave way to paper.”

Connection

Pro: We are a society that needs to stay connected now more than ever. In terms of signal range, e-readers never seem to drop out.

Con: Losing connection might be easier on the eyes. Having your head in a book just isn’t the same as having your peepers fixed on a screen for hours of pleasure reading. Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) cases are rising in people looking for relief from fatigue, strain and irritation caused by focusing on worlds and images on a surface without well-defined edges contrasted against backgrounds. Eyes simply respond better to most printed text of bold black letters on a bright, white background.

Images: E-readers

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It’s always a good time to install solar panels, buy an Energy Star rated appliance or swap your clunker for a hybrid. But we all know Federal and state tax credits and grants make it easier to get the gain without the pain.

“Solar systems typically run $20,00 to $30,000 for homes but with the credits, including  new grants coming available in California, you probably won’t spend more than $10,000,” says Noel Cotter of Luminalt, a San Francisco solar electric and thermal contractor.

Cotter directs visitors to his site to various city incentive programs, such as GoSolarSF for low income residential projects, as well as  the California Solar Initiative, a state rebate that when combined with federal tax credits can cover half or more of the system installed in San Francisco. It’s good to locate programs in your own city, whole checking out the federal programs.

Here are a few credits to entice you:

Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credits

U.S. Department of Energy: Tax Credit of 30% of the cost up to $1,500 (Cash for Caulkers). Encourages home improvements through rebates for  installing energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs and heating and cooling equipment in existing homes through December 31, 2010. Energy Star has a list of some of the appliances (furnaces, stoves, water heaters) and materials (panels, bulk insulation, metal and asphalt roofing) that qualify for the credits while also giving you great returns in lower energy bills.

Replacing Your Windows: Part of the IRS Stimulus and Recovery package signed into law Feb. 17, 2009: Raises the level of credits for windows, doors and skylights to 30% and increases the lifetime cap to $1500 for installations prior to December 31, 2010. Which windows get a break? They must have a combination of a less than 0.30 or less U-Value and a0.30 or less SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient). Window manufacturers are stepping up the ad campaigns now to get you to make the switch. You are advised to retain your NFRC certification label with their records, even though you don’t need to submit it with your tax return.

Home Buying Incentive

The Fed: In some cities, it’s challenging if not impossible to live the American dream of owning your first green home, but credits take a bit of the sting out of the process for those who can buy. Congress has extended the $8,000 credit ($4,000 for those filing separately) for first purchases. And an amendment added gifts a $6,500 break to current homeowners who have owned and lived in a home for any five consecutive year period during the last eight years (and must close a sale after Nov. 6, 2009 and before July 1, 2010). Naturally, there are other restrictions. The home’s price tag cannot exceed $800,000 and the income limit for individuals is $75,000 to $125,000 and for joint filers, $150,000 to $225,000.

State Incentives: CA Franchise Tax Board: States like California are desperate to stimulate the economy. That is why Governor Arnold has proposed extending and expanding the $10,000 homebuyer tax credit to include the purchase of existing homes in addition to new homes for first time buyers. The buyer must be a dependent and must buy a home that doesn’t belong to a family member. The tax board will extend the credit to buyers until the $200 million dollars in tax credits have been used up. Check with your state and learn what is being proposed to get taxpayers back on track.

Green Jobs, Too: California green industries putting jobs in place by 2014 could get in on hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits as part of President Obama’s $2.3 billion package to stimulate new clean energy jobs.

Buying or Leasing a Hybrid Car or Truck

The IRS: For vehicles in service purchased on or before December 31, 2010 that are primarily driven in the U.S. The amount of credit on new hybrid gas-electric cars or trucks depends on the fuel economy and weight of the vehicle. Sadly, Toyota and Honda hybrids no longer qualify. Hybrids that apply are those using less fuel than the average vehicle of a similar weight that meets an emissions standard qualify. These tax credits are phased out once the manufacturer has sold 60,000 eligible cars and trucks. A summary of the credit requirements for these cars is provided here. Various 2010 models can be found here.

Hybrid Cars says the biggest impact on green cars is the new tax credit for low-speed neighborhood electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, and three-wheeled vehicles. NEV’s – which cannot go faster than 25 mph – can earn the buyer a credit of up to $2,500, and has been slammed as “pork for golf carts.” Tesla Roadsters and a small number of other costly low-production plug-ins qualify.

Images: waynenf, jurvetson, Ian Muttoo, pfala

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Camels might be considered invasive creatures destroying the countryside and intimidating the locals in Australia,  but in Africa these nomadic animals are seen in a much more positive light. For years, organizations such as the Nomadic Communities Trust (NCT) have relied on camels to transport medicine and supplies to remote locales.

And now the camels are going solar. NCT, in partnership with Princeton University and The Art College of Design in California, have created solar-powered mini-fridges that strap to the camel’s back.

Featuring an ergonomic bamboo saddle, folding solar panels and a foot powered backup system, these solar powered mini-fridges can store vaccines and other medicines desperately needed in remote areas located off the power grid.

Once in the field, the solar panels will used not only to power the refrigeration systems but also to provide light at mobile clinic locations.

Currently being tested in Ethiopia and Kenya, it is hoped that these eco-friendly, camel-friendly solar powered mini-fridges will be in widespread use by 2010.

Image: Tambako the Jaguar

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