Go Solar Power For Homes

Well, you might argue that the solar power car doesn’t have anything to do with solar power for homes, but I disagree. You can park your solar power car in the garage, cant you? (Have the garage doors open and shut with solar power for homes!)

Besides, any good development to do with solar power anywhere has a knock on beneficial effect on solar power for homes in my opinion. Everything is connected!

So, how would you like to buy a brand new solar power car for $5,500, leave it outside in the sun for a day and a half and then do a 150km road trip without ever stopping at a gas station? No petrol costs. No environmental  issues. Just the journey and the destination!

Well here is some good news. The Chinese company, Zhejiang 001 Group has just produced China’s first ever completely solar- powered automobile.

The compact efficient solar power car uses solar panels on its roof, turning sunshine into the electrical solar energy that moves the solar power car. They say that the solar panels will absorb 95 percent of the solar energy that lands on them, transforming roughly 15 percent of that into electrical current to activate the solar power car.

The solar power car is a response by the Chinese government to head off an oncoming energy crisis. So far the group has only made a few of these cars. They are set to sell for 38,000 yen, roughly US$5,500.

According to their scientists, if you give the car 30 hours of sunlight to feed off, it will give you back 150km of clean good driving, leveling out at 5km per hour of sunlight.

To have a car that will transport me to and from my work every day, while making no carbon emissions, I think US$5,560 would be very reasonable.

Think about it. Given that you would have no fuel costs, how long would it take for you to get your money back? Well, let’s work it out …

According to the AAA’s media site for retail gas prices, the average cost for a gallon of regular today (11/30/2008) is $1.825 and for a gallon of diesel the price is $2.756. (Believe it or not, in mid July 2007 those figures were $4.114 and $4.845 respectively!)

According to  fueleconomy.gov the most efficient car right now is the Toyota Prius at roughly 45 miles per gallon.

So at the very lowest costs, every 45 miles of driving would cost you $1.83. So, I’m no mathematics genius but correct me if I am wrong. You would need to drive your solar power car for just 3,005 miles to break even. After that, all your ‘fuel costs’ would be free.

Don’t know about you, but my car is already at 75,000miles, so I’m thinking that this might be a winner. (Maybe pimping up the look a bit might help though!)

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

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Info via:  yellowsandblues.com
The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/chinese-go-solar-power-for-homes-with-solar-power-car by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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Have you ever dreamt of an easy to install, plug n play solar power for homes system?  A solar power for homes system that gives you all the benefits that come with being connected to the grid via your solar system, but without any complicated installation process?

Well, we have located a solar power for homes system that may well be of great interest to you. GoGreenSolar.com’s Plug N Play starter kit system gives you all the benefits of a solar power for homes system that is connected up to the grid, but without any difficult installation processes. You just plug it into any AC outlet, just like any regular appliance. Then, stand back and feel that warm glow in your heart as you watch your meter spinning backwards!

This diy solar power for homes system is perfect for those just starting out. It allows you to capture 250 watts of solar power and thereby massively reducing your electricity bill. This solar power for homes system does all this together with the potential of full expandability.

The 250 watt grid-tie Plug N Play Solar Power Kit is designed as a starter kit for easy installation. How easy? Well, it’s so easy that the inverter can plug straight into your AC electric wall plug! The kit consists of two high quality 130w solar panels and a SWEA Plug N Play inverter. Going forward, the Plug N Play starter system can be combined to form a larger solar power for homes systems according to your requirements.

GoGreenSolar.com’s Plug N Play starter system can reduce your bill and in some cases it might even eliminate higher cost electricity in places that have progressively increasing rates.

One 250 watt solar power kit in average conditions will produce 1 kWh (kilowatt hour) of electricity per day.

Plug N Play Kit Advantages:

•    Easy Install: Just plug it into an AC Outlet
•    Reduce your electric bill
•    A fully expandable system.
•    Grid-Tie without the difficult installation
•    Great kit to “get started with solar power”

To make this offer, we at Go Solar Power For Homes have partnered up with GoGreenSolar.com because they are the #1 consumer focused renewable energy website. They have been established since 2006, and have helped thousands of people just like you to become energy independent.

They have the experience to help and support you as you protect the environment and save money.

Other hot selling products from GoGreenSolar.com include:

•    Solar Panels
•    Complete Solar Energy Systems
•    Complete Wind Power Systems
•    Inverters / Chargers
•    Wind Turbines

To be sure you are clear exactly what an amazing we are offering you, let’s go over the deal once again. The GoGreenSolar.com 250 watt grid-tie Plug N Play Solar Power Kit is designed for easy installation. It’s so easy, the inverter can be plugged right into your AC outlet! The kit consists of two high quality 130w solar panels and a SWEA Plug N Play inverter. The Plug N Play starter system can be combined to form larger solar power for homes systems to meet your requirements, in the future.

Simply click on the following text link to purcahse the Plug N Play 250w Grid-Tied Solar Power Kit.

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

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The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/plug-n-play-solar-power-for-homes by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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(This article follows on from the article entitled, How To Install Solar Power For Homes)

OK. So I want to install solar power for homes. I’ve followed your instructions and now I’ve got myself 20 x 250 watt photovoltaic solar panels, but how does it all work after that?

Well, in order to install solar power for homes, I hope you don’t suffer from vertigo, because you next have to get up onto the roof. Your lovely new panels need to be secured to your roof on a rail mounting system. This should come that with the panels when you buy them. If not, you need to buy this separately. If you have a sloping roof you can either flush mount the panels or have them tilted up to fit.

A word of warning here. Either have an expert fit your panels or be sure to follow the directions carefully. Be especially careful to ensure everything is sealed. While the panels will protect your roofing, fitting them badly can cause leaks when it rains. If you’re not careful, roof leaks can go unnoticed for some time, causing more extensive damage.

If you want to run your solar power for homes completely off grid, you will also need a bank of batteries. Thereby, your solar power for homes would run from solar cells to battery bank to power inverter. If not, then you will be adding solar power for homes to your traditional power use. Off grid, you will need to store enough energy in your batteries in the daytime to power your house at night (when there’s no sunlight running things). Bare in mind that night time traditionally is the time when people like to do things like have hot baths, run washing machines and so forth, so be sure your calculations when planning the installaion of solar power for homes incorporates these extra power demands.

Now, let’s talk about the power inverter. This is an essential bit of kit when introducing solar power for homes. Costing roughly $2000, the average inverter has a 15 year lifespan or thereabouts. The power inverter converts the solar energy and the stored energy in your batteries (if needed) into energy your home can use.

When everything is all connected up right, the solar power comes back to us as direct current (also known as DC). Whether it is fed into a battery for storage or goes straight into use, it will originate as DC electricity. Household appliances require alternative current (also known as AC). So we need something to take the DC power and it turn it into AC power. That is what the power inverter does.

You really should get a qualified electrician to work with you to make everything safe at this point. What we need to do is to run the power from your inverter into your electrical service panel or breaker box. From there, the power can be distributed around your home where it is needed. If you choose to run both grid power and solar power in conjunction, I would add a second box beside your service panel representing your solar panel feed. That way you can switch this feed on or off when needed.

In the day time, if the sun is shining brightly and your energy use is low, if you are not using an off-grid battery storage system, you can feed any excess energy that’s not needed as solar power for homes back to the power company. Many people love the thrill of watching their mater running backwards. This counts as credit against your final bill, but be aware that you will not be able to gain so much credit that the power company owes you money.

Your energy company will buy your power back off you at the rate you buy it from them, but they will pay you up until your net energy bill is at zero. After that, they will continue to take power from you but will not pay you, so don’t go building your solar power for homes system larger than you need, banking on making money in this way! There will always be some charges from the power company, normally amounting to about $10/month, for things like reading your meter and maintaining the grid.

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

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Info via:  ehow.com and solarpowerprojects.blogspot.com  Pic via: iStockPhoto
The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/how-to-install-solar-power-for-homes-part-2 by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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Talk about making diy solar power for homes? Here is an amazing YouTube video which shows you how you can make yourself a solar shingle roof that is as cheap and easy as anything. In fact, making and fitting a solar shingle roof is so inexpensive it would cost more to have a normal traditional tile roof installed!

So watch this video as our solar shingle roof guy shows you how very quickly and easily you can make your own solar shingle roof and have it give you free energy, meanwhile solving the problem of cladding your roof. This really is a genuine way for you to make diy solar power for homes.

The guy shows you how to build the solar shingle roof from basic materials. This solar shingle roof is built in front of your very eyes so there is no mistaking how you too can create diy solar power for homes for yourself and your family.

In order to build the solar shingle roof he starts with a mock up for the roof. Starting with plywood covered with Polystick TU Plus, you can watch as your diy solar power for homes takes shape!

He incorporates metal shingle which is easy to find at most hardware stores. He then puts Unisolar solar film on it to make this type of roof a solar shingle roof that will produce electricity for your house in a ‘diy solar power for homes’ type of way!

By using dummy shingles with exactly the same looking frontage, making a solar shingle roof in this way means you don’t have the problem of two colors to your roof. This way the whole roof looks the same color as the whole roof is either solar shingle roof panels or dummy solar shingle roof panels.

At the top of the solar shingle roof panels run the electrical wires that are easily connected together as you fix the solar shingle roof panels to the plywood.

To make the diy solar power for homes installation even easier, the solar shingle roof panels come with a little slot that allows each of the the solar shingle roof panels to slip into the next easily. In this way, everything is made watertight.

Safe underneath a raised gable trim at the end of the solar shingle roof, the main cable takes the electric power away and feeds it into your home. Fitting a complete solar shingle roof can be done for less than the cost of a traditional tile roof.

As the man says, “If you’ve got to put a roof on your house anyway, why not make it pay your electric bill?”

Good work, solar shingle roof guy!

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

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Info via: YouTube.com
The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/do-it-yourself-solar-power-for-homes-here%E2%80%99s-how by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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As a rough guide to installing solar power for homes, the other day we discussed how to quantify the total amount of electric power your home runs on over the course of a year. Today we are going to take the next step in installing solar power for homes. We are going to choose the solar panels for homes you are going to use.

So, once you have established your home’s total energy usage, you want to add on an additional 30% to that total in terms of the real amount of power that you will really need for you to have complete peace of mind.

Now, before you get cold feet thinking that this is a tall order from your solar power for homes system, please remember that you don’t have to go the whole way and take your home completely off the grid. Most people have a solar power for homes system that runs with both home made solar power for homes and some electric power from your local energy company. You could even set it up like that for now and then slowly take yourself off the grid little by little.

Using a combination of solar power for homes and traditional electric power works for many people because they are covered in the case of all kinds of emergencies. If there were a power cut, then the solar power for homes system kicks in. If something should happen to the solar power for homes system, then you still have the safety of the traditional power company supplying their energy to your house, expensive and dirty though it may be!

The next thing you need to do is to go shopping for some solar panels. As was mentioned earlier, there are two main types of solar panels. There’s ‘solar thermal collector’ solar panels which tend to be used for heating peoples’ water supplies. This type of solar panels for homes is rarely used for all the energy needs throughout the home.

Then there are photovoltaic solar panels for homes, which are the more popular type of solar panels for homes. Rather than heating just water, photovoltaic solar panels for homes work by converting the sun’s energy directly into electricity. The electrical energy created is either used at that time or can be stored in a battery or system of batteries to be used later.

As has been discussed, some people feed the overflow of their solar power for homes back to the electric company. The utility company then pays you for the energy, though rarely will you find a deal where they actually give you cash back. Most often they take the energy as part payment of your bill with them. Although often you will be reimbursed on a 1 to 1 ratio, you tend to be asked to sign an agreement whereby they won’t pay you for any extra energy you supply them over and above the amount you have taken from them. That my friend is just how it is I’m afraid, but don’t hold back in asking for a better deal!

OK, I digress! Back to solar panels for homes. As I said, it is most likely you will want to use photovoltaic solar panels for your solar power for homes system. My advice is to buy nothing less than 250 watt solar panels for homes. Anything less will simply not be sufficient for this type of an installation.

If we are talking about an average household, then I would suggest that you buy at least 20 of these 250 watt solar panels for homes. This will deliver you 5000 watts of power to your house, which could be just about enough to run your home’s lighting, heating, water, water pumps, refrigerator and other electrical appliances. This size of a solar power for homes system is minimal. Ideally, once the initial solar power for homes installation has taken place, you would want to get more panels over time.

Nowadays, you will find that photovoltaic solar panels for homes have come a long way. Their productivity is excellent. The relative size is a great deal smaller than it once was, so they take up less visual space on or around your home.

They can come in all different kinds too. Aside from the traditional clean looking solar panels for homes, you could also choose solar shingles or the very latest solar roll out sheets, some of which can be as thin as a credit card. With their sticky backing you simply lay them down, connect them up, and off you go!

However, most people continue to opt for the traditional photovoltaic solar panels for homes because they are still the cheapest and most efficient to choose from.

From their earliest days, solar panels for homes have always been extremely durable. It is quite possible that you will come across solar panels for homes that are 20 and maybe even 30 years old. Certainly these days you can expect a good 30 years lifespan out of them. Indeed, if I were buying good quality solar panels for homes, I would want and indeed I would expect at least 30 years endurance from my solar panels for homes.

Solar panels for homes tend to come with a 20 year guarantee and it is said that they lose roughly one half of a percent from their optimal efficiency levels per year. Their upkeep is minimal. All you need to do is to squish them clean with your hosepipe once in a while to get rid of any grime and dust. 

Now that you have made your choice and gone out and bought the solar panels for homes, your solar power for homes system is beginning to take shape!

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

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Info via: ehow.com Pic: iStockPhotos
The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/how-to-install-solar-power-
for-homes-2 by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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Are your average electricity bills soaring upwards? Has your average expenses, the cost of your average electricity and gas bill for example, got you feeling nervous about the future?

Sadly, it’s clear that the current trend of dramatic price rises is not likely to stop any time soon. So here are some money saving tips - ways to save money off your average expenses when the going gets tough.

Right now, most people are finding the cost of living average to be just about bearable. The average bills and other average expenses are not fully biting just yet. However, as the average bill for fuel escalates, the cost of everything else connected with oil will send the cost of living average up. As the average bills for transport go up, so will your average expenses on food, vacations and so on. People will be looking for money saving tips and any other ways to save money they can find.

I’m sure you know your cost of living average, the price of your average bills and your other average expenses (like your average electricity and gas bills). Can you imagine if the price of your average bills and your other average expenses were to go up by 50%? Would you still be living the same lifestyle if your cost of living average went up by that much?

A 50% increase almost certainly is not something that most people could sustain.

So now is the time to take action. Now is the time for each of us to take responsibility for our own environmental footprint. Now is the time for each of us to improve our environmental efficiency on an individual level. This would not only make a difference to your total average expenses. It will also significantly help to save our planet.

As more and more people take this on, so the big energy companies will have to stop raising prices regardless of the declining price they are buying it in at. With a reduction in demand for fossil fuels, their prices will have to decrease to attract us back. That will beneficially impact the price of foodstuffs and so on. By adopting these money saving tips, the cost of living average will decline. As the price of your average electricity bill falls, so will the price of your average expenses generally.

Also, as people take on board these money saving tips, they become more efficient in the way they use unsustainable products like fossil fuels. There will be less wastage. A decline in demand for these unclean products will ensue. Prices will fall until they reach a price that people are prepared to pay. At that point, the cost of living average should stabilize as peoples’ average expenses become bearable once again.

This all starts with people living more efficiently.

‘Yes, but how?’ I hear you ask.  Well, there are many ways people can incorporate energy efficiency into their lifestyle. Don’t expect to get much support or encouragement from the major companies. They’ve been thriving on our heavy wastage levels for too long. Wastage drives their profit levels up.

So let’s start with the basics. Let’s take a tour of your house. Make a list of all your electrical appliances. Check that everything that isn’t in use is fully switched off. Are there appliances that you tend to leave on regardless, without thinking? For example, do you ever leave your TV on standby? If so, then get in the habit of always turning it off when it’s not being used.

Be sure to bring your whole family in on this or else your life will become very frustrating. You could suggest they all play a fun game where every one of you becomes responsible for the well being of the planet. These are the steps … then show them round the house outlining what new actions will be needed to make your home more energy efficient. Explain to them how this will reduce your average expenses.

Is your computer monitor switched off? Doing so, even for a few minutes, will save you money. Are all of your light bulbs energy efficient?  One bulb might save you as much as $100 over its lifetime.

If you tighten up your energy efficiency levels for just 30 days, you could save as much as 33% off your average electricity bill.

I have mentioned just one or two ways to cut down your average expenses. These money saving tips really do work. Most of them are just good common sense. There are many other ways to save money and reduce your average expenses. For example, you could look into the cost of installing solar power for homes. What about wind energy? Depending on your location, that may be best for your home. Renewable energy options often have a hefty initial outlay, but long term, the savings are almost always extraordinarily attractive.

If you are interested in finding out more and you want to benefit from a wide range of excellent money saving tips, then you would do well to visit the efficientplanet.com website. Simply click through on the text link for lots more ways to save money.

These money saving tips will reduce your cost of living average, particularly reducing your average electricity bill as well as other average bills and other average expenses. So what’s keeping you? Click through to the efficientplanet.com website right away!

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

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The Trackback, /solar-power-residential/little-known-ways-to-save-money-on-your-average-expenses
by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

It’s a popular misconception these days that the price is too high to install solar power for homes. Many people think that unless you have a huge amount of roof space and live in a very sunny area, there is no point in having a solar power for homes system installed in their house. However, this is simply not true as you can build your own safe, reliable, cost-effective and efficient solar power for homes system by using the “Earth4Energy” system. Rather than spending thousands, you can actually install your very own solar power for homes system for as little as $250.

Once you have installed solar power in your home using the “Earth4Energy” system you will immediately enjoy a large decrease in your electricity bill. If you are dedicated and cut down on unnecessary power wastage by doing basic things like turning lights and the air con off when you’re not using them, you could even get rid of your electricity bill altogether!

Another great thing about using solar power for homes is the fact that you might be able to sell any excess energy that the solar power for homes system produces back to your utility company. You won’t be sending them checks. Instead, they’ll be sending you money!

The other great thing about using solar power for homes with the “Earth4Energy” system is the fact that you will be helping the environment. Even if you don’t believe in global climate change, you cannot deny that using renewable resources such as the energy from the sun is a very good thing. It cuts down on pollution, thereby reducing health risks and saving public health money. With Earth4Energy and solar power for homes, you will actively be creating a healthier, more pleasant environment for yourself, your family, and generations to come.

More and more people are buying the simple the “Earth4Energy” guide to create their own solar power for homes. Isn’t it time that you joined in? With solar power for homes, you too can save money on your utility bill and help the environment?

Click here to learn more about the “Earth4Energy” system, including how much power and money you will save every month, how much it will cost to install, and whether it is as safe, reliable and easy to use as professionally installed systems.

Learn more about solar power for homes when you buy the “Earth4Energy” system today!

————
Jeff Palmer is an economist, but has also worked in the alternative energy industry since its early days, installing and helping to develop mainly solar and wind power generation systems.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_A._Palmer

Today, Tuesday, 4 November, 2008, is an historic day. It is the day a crucial election will take place. It is a day when the U.S. people must make a choice. Having weighed up all the pros and cons, we, at Go Solar Power For Homes Dot Com, find ourselves in full support of Barack Obama, the Democratic party candidate.

Under the Republican, George W Bush, we have seen eight failed years that started with a dubious electoral count, a devastating attack on the World Trade Centre and the invasion of Iraq. This appalling presidency has ended, perhaps fittingly, with a $700 billion bill, the cost to the American people for system-wide endemic government mismanagement.

Here are some reasons why Go Solar Power For Homes Dot Com support Mr Obama:

Barack Obama has outlined his New Energy for America plan in which he promises he will:

* Provide short-term relief to American families facing pain at the pump
    
* Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
    
* Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
    
* Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars — cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon — on the road by 2015, cars that, if possible, will be built in the U.S.

 * Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.

McCain meanwhile has presented his response, the Lexington Project, an energy manifesto that he describes as an ‘All of the Above’ Energy Solution that will:

* Expand domestic oil and natural gas exploration and production  

* Commit $2 billion annually to advancing “clean” coal technologies

* Construct 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 with the ultimate goal of eventually constructing 100 new plants

Barack Obama has an energy policy that looks forward with structured plans that are thought through. McCain’s policy is a reflection of the past with no constructive thought for the future, leaving unanswered questions like “Where will the nuclear waste be stored?” and “Why not get behind renewable energy?”

Seems like McCain is as tightly tied in to the fossil fuels sector as the Bush family. The world simply does not have time any longer for such indulgences.

Here’s a couple of videos from Barack Obama. We think you should take a look:

Vote Barack Obama on 4 November 2008.

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

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Info via: Respective candidates websites. U.S. Election Logo via blog.nielsen.com
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by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

As the U.S. election approaches, it’s pleasing to see that energy is one of the most central issues for both presidential candidates. Here’s a look at what Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican rival John McCain are saying about solar power for homes and other energy issues.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Obama proposes a $7,000 tax credit for those buying “advanced” vehicles. He wants one million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015. Obama wants to increase the Renewable Fuel Standard to at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol by 2030. He suggests we should build out ethanol distribution infrastructure, making it law that all new vehicles be running on “flexfuel” within four years. By 2013, Obama wants to see the U.S. producing 2 billion gallons of “cellulosic” ethanol from switchgrass and other non-corn sources.

McCain meanwhile opposes all ethanol incentives saying he’d take away any import tariffs on sugar cane-based ethanol. He is opposed to all kinds of tariffs and subsidies that distort the marketplace. McCain has supported moves for a $5,000 tax credit for those buying zero carbon emission cars while other cars should benefit from tax credits on a graduated scale where lower carbon emission cars receiving higher tax credits. McCain agrees with moving over to “flexfuel” vehicles.

ELECTRICITY

Obama’s plan is to have US utilities taking a quarter of their electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar power by 2025.

McCain opposes the red tape blocking increased investment in the national grid. He sees a massive potential for the grid in charging for refilling electric cars. McCain supports SmartMeter technologies that offer customers a more accurate picture of their energy usage, thereby gaining more cost efficiency in this area.

OFFSHORE DRILLING

There is a congressional moratorium on drilling in federal lands off the U.S. coastline. Obama opposed lifting this ban but would agree to limit offshore drilling to help solve America’s energy problems short term.

McCain wants to expand offshore drilling, pointing to an estimated 18 billion barrels of oil on the US outer continental shelf.

WINDFALL PROFITS TAX

Obama supports a five-year windfall tax on large oil company profits. The proceeds from Obama‘s tax would go towards a $1,000 tax rebate for low- and middle-income families to support them as they struggle with increased energy prices.

McCain does not agree with raising taxes on oil companies.

NUCLEAR POWER

Obama supports nuclear power, but is concerned about the issue of disposing of U.S. nuclear waste. He opposes the suggestion to store nuclear fuel at the Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada desert. Obama is also urgently seeking a solution to nuclear proliferation.

McCain wants to build 45 new nuclear reactors by 2030, and ultimately wants 100 new nuclear plants built in U.S. He supports the Yucca Mountain plan.

GASOLINE TAX HOLIDAY

Obama opposes temporarily lifting the federal tax on gasoline. He believes the suspension of this tax would only amount to a saving for each American family of less than $30. It is therefore not a real solution.

McCain agrees with a gasoline tax holiday. He wants to divert funds from general government revenues to pay for transportation projects funded by the tax.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Obama makes the radical pledge to cut carbon dioxide emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 while reducing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. This would mean fuels suppliers would have to cut carbon content by 10 percent by 2020.

McCain prefers a cap-and-trade CO2 approach. Last year, he sponsored a bill to cut emissions by 30 percent by 2050.

OIL USE

Both Obama and McCain advocate cutting down on U.S. dependence on foreign energy imports. Obama would reduce overall oil consumption by at least 35 per cent (10 million barrels per day) by 2030, to offset imports from OPEC nations.

McCain wants the US to be independent from foreign oil by 2025.

ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Obama opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

McCain supports increased offshore oil drilling, but does not support ANWR drilling “at this time.”

ENERGY RESEARCH

Obama suggests the U.S. should invest $150 billion over 10 years on low-carbon energy sources. He wants to double research and development spending on solar and wind resources as well as biomass. Obama wants to invest in low-emissions coal plants while creating pressure to accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids.

McCain meanwhile wants to make a $300 million prize up for grabs to the auto company that develops a next-generation car battery that will move the U.S. away from their dependence from oil. He wants to put $2 billion annually into the advancement of clean-coal technology.

VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY

Obama wants to see a doubling of fuel economy standards over the next 18 years. He would give car manufacturers added tax credits to upgrade their plants with a focus on the addition of advanced lightweight materials and new more eco-efficient engines.

McCain voted against the energy amendments in 2003 that would have boosted the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) to 40 mpg by 2015. He aims to increase fines for car companies that fail to meet CAFE standards, offering tax credits relating to vehicles’ carbon emissions.

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

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Info via: US Chamber of Commerce, campaign websites. U.S. Election Logo via blog.nielsen.com
The Trackback, /solar-powered-celebrities/obama-or-mccain-on-solar-power-and-more
by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.