Clean energy firms choose summer solstice to promote solar power



The summer solstice this year as a transition in the seasons, could be a turning point for the solar energy industry as well. A California utility holding company chose the summer solstice, when the sun shines longer than any other day, to announce a $ 100 million fund to finance solar power systems for the home. The summer solstice is also being used by clean energy companies as an occasion to influence public attitudes about solar power as Congress debates climate and energy legislation.


Source for this article: <a title="Summer solstice ideal day for clean energy to promote solar power" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2010/06/21/clean-energy-summer-solstice-solar-power/">Clean energy firms choose summer solstice to promote solar power by Personal Money Store</a>



Solar power soars on summer solstice



In PG & E’s summer solstice announcement, the company said the $ 100 million tax equity fund is the largest solar leasing pool yet. PG & E’s summer solstice announcement, The New York Times reports, signals that clean energy financing is an emerging trend. The summer solstice announcement follows PG& E’s creation of a $ 60 million tax-equity vehicle in January for SolarCity, a Silicon Valley company that also leases solar energy systems to homeowners. Earlier this year, the president delivered a speech advocating his positions on the climate and energy bill at a clean energy company in northern California called Solyndra.



Free solar panels for your home



Up to 3,500 homes in Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts and New Jersey will have solar energy systems financed by the $ 100 million fund announced on the summer solstice. Hassle-free solar energy for homeowners is the main objective of the program. Homeowners don’t pay for the solar energy systems, which can cost more than $ 30,000. Instead they sign a deal to buy power from SunRun at a fixed rate for up to18 years. In exchange, SunRun installs, owns and maintains the solar energy systems.



Solar energy in the public eye



Applied Materials is a clean energy company that also chose the summer solstice to publish a survey that says two-thirds of those living in the U.S. think more solar power should be used for American energy. MarketWatch reports that increasing renewable energy and decreasing dependency on oil should be the country’s top energy priorities. The representative sample of 1,000 American adults also found that 67 percent of Americans would be willing to pay more for their monthly utility bill if their utility company increased its use of renewable energy, and 49 percent would be willing to pay $ 5 or more each month for an increased amount of renewable energy.


Additional information at these websites

green.blogs.nytimes.com

www.marketwatch.com