Solar Hot Water and Financing Available!

IRE Solar of North Florida is proud to introduce new solar hot water systems! We now offer financing from $37/month.

How Many Miles Per Gallon Does Your Water Heater Get?

Did you know that your electric water heater can use as much energy as an automobile? A car that gets 22 miles per gallon and travels 12,000 in a year consumes approximately 11.4 barrels of oil. A family of four would use the same amount of energy in a year, just heating water, by using an average amount of hot water per day (80 gallons). In other words, installing a Guardian solar water heater for your home provides the same environmental and energy savings benefits as taking an average car off the road.

Our Guardian solar water heater draws energy from the sun to heat the water in your home.

"Guardian Solar water heater's are the "Worlds" Most 
Energy Efficient Home Appliance"

By choosing to install our Guardian solar water heater you will: take advantage of the sun's unlimited free energy, do your part to conserve our natural resources, save money off your energy bills and join the millions of people worldwide who proudly own and benefit from their own solar water heater.

 

Great Article on Solar Energy

We wrote this article on our other blog for IRE Solar and we would like to share it.

Found this great article at Solar Industry Magazine about the benefits of installing solar power. Here is the link to the original article and the article below:

 http://www.solarindustrymag.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.8418

Hidden Cost Savings: The Top 9 Public Benefits Of Installing Solar Power

by Jessica Lillian on Tuesday 02 August 2011

Even as the costs of solar power continue to decline, a widespread perception from the public and many policymakers that solar is "too expensive" remains stubbornly in place - much to the frustration of advocates and industry professionals. A new study challenges this assumption by delving into the numbers to compare the actual costs and benefits of solar power projects. The results confirm several key widespread public benefits of solar power and could provide the industry with a valuable weapon in the public-perception fight - a battle that remains crucial for long-term viability and growth. The report, authored by Richard Perez at the University of Albany, Ken Zweibel at the GW Solar Institute and Thomas E. Hoff of Clean Power Research, focuses on tangible benefits that solar power generation delivers to utilities, ratepayers and taxpayers. "It is clear that some possibly large value of solar energy is missed by traditional analysis," the report says. Notably, these advantages apply to a wide population, thus providing a rebuttal to the "what's in it for me?" argument. Many other well-known recent studies on solar power's benefits focus on real - but not public - benefits. For instance, the average taxpayer may not care that his neighbor's rooftop PV array has raised that home's value or that the solar sector has created jobs for other people. The new study, titled "Solar Power Generation in the U.S.: Too expensive or a bargain?," finds that, in all, solar PV installations deliver $0.15/kWh to $0.40/kWh to ratepayers and taxpayers. Although incentives have proven to be a vital driver of solar power growth, the report's authors argue that the gulf between "inexpensive" conventional energy and "expensive" solar is smaller than often portrayed, especially when solar's public benefits are taken into account. "This large apparent 'grid-parity gap' can hinder constructive dialogue with key decision makers and constitutes a powerful argument to weaken political support for solar incentives, especially during tight budgetary times," the authors wrote. Instead, according to the report, incentives can be viewed as a logical means of transferring value from the public - which is enjoying solar's $0.15/kWh to $0.40/kWh benefits - to those who invested in the solar plants creating those benefits. Where did the public-benefit dollar figure come from? What are these benefits, exactly? The report breaks down solar power's public value into the following nine accrued benefits (based on an analysis of relatively non-sunny New York City): 1. Savings on wholesale energy ($0.06-$0.11/kWh, of the total $0.15/kWh-$0.40/kWh). Locally generated electricity from solar installations reduces the amount of power utilities must purchase at higher prices on the wholesale market. 2. Reduction of demand-response expenses ($0.00-$0.05/kWh). "PV installations can deliver the equivalent of capacity, displacing the need to purchase this capacity elsewhere, e.g., via demand response," the report explains. 3. Savings on energy losses within the distribution system ($0.00-$0.01/kWh). Electrical losses typically incurred when energy is moved from large power plants to local loads can be avoided with distributed solar plants sited close to the load. 4. Reduced need for feeder equipment upgrades ($0.00-$0.03/kWh). Because distributed PV can deliver capacity at the feeder level, it can reduce the wear and tear on transformers and other feeder equipment. 5. Hedge against fuel-price spikes ($0.02-$0.03/kWh). "Solar energy does not depend on commodities whose prices fluctuate on short-term scales and will likely escalate substantially over the long term," the report says. 6. Grid security aid ($0.03-$0.06/kWh). Solar power's ability to closely mirror peak power demand can help reduce the chances of blackouts that can occur when the existing power system is overly stressed. Power outages currently cost the U.S. economy approximately $100 billion annually, according to the report. 7. Health-related and environmental gains ($0.03-$0.06/kWh). The deployment of solar power displaces the greenhouse gas emissions, mining-related consequences, water contamination, and other environmental- and health-related damages associated with fossil fuels. The $0.03-$0.06/kWh figure cited is "certainly a conservative range," the report adds. 8. Long-term taxpayer benefits from reduced fuel-price volatility ($0.03-$0.04/kWh). Using an estimate of a 150% rise in fuel-based generation costs by 2036 (deemed a conservative estimate), the report found that the "insurance hedge" of solar generation contributes a significant long-term value (in addition to the short-term fuel-price hedge value mentioned earlier). 9. Economic boost. The job-creation benefits of solar power have been demonstrated in numerous studies. Moreover, "Job creation implies value to society in many ways, including increased tax revenues, reduced unemployment and an increase in general confidence conducive to business development," the report explains.  Photo credit: U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Solar Hot Water Benefits

Happy March Everyone!


As Best Solar Buy and International Renewable Energy marches into the upcoming spring and summer of 2011, the sun is warming up Florida more and more. We have been finding that many people want to save money and be green in the recent months. One of the best solutions for this is solar power! 

IRE highly recommends solar hot water systems, which help heat your hot water tanks and pools. One solar hot water heater is powered by the sun everyday, even when the day is cloudy or raining. A solar hot water heater will help reduce your costs of your hot water bill by over 80%, and even as much as 100% of your heating bill can disappear from using solar hot water. Imagine receiving your electric bill with it being 30% less because of a solar panel!


IRE installs solar hot water panels for your hot water heater and your pool. If you are looking to save money every month and have a system that pays for itself in 4 years or less, solar is for you! Contact International Renewable Energy today!  www.BestSolarBuy.com


 Written by Eric Layton

The Five Things Everyone Should Know About Solar (Photovoltaics)

IRE Solar recently polled homeowners and local businesses in Gainesville, Florida and found that only 10% of people polled knew about the Feed-in-Tariff program that GRU (Gainesville Regional Utilities; Gainesville's local power provider) offers. This information is shocking because Gainesville is internationally recognized as a 'green pioneer' and an example to the world of how programs like this can work to help families and small businesses benefit and profit from renewable energy technologies.

1. Net-Metering
Most of the time the solar systems that people own generate electricity that is delivered directly back into the grid (the power company; the existing power infrastructure, i.e. power lines, transformers, etc.). Net-metering is when the power company pays dollar-for-dollar for the electricity created by solar, wind or any other grid-tied alternative power generation systems. This means that any electricity that is generated by these grid-tied system will in essence “turn back” the meter on the power used within a home or business providing positive credit from the utility company.

2. Feed-in-Tariff
This program is being adopted around the planet and it seems to have the greatest potential value towards the end-users in small, medium, large and even power production capacities. It is just like net-metering, but instead of dollar-for-dollar, the power company pays more for the power produced by the grid-tied system. In Gainesville, Florida the feed-in-tariff program, or FIT Program as it is also known, is currently providing $0.32 per kilowatt hour produced by newly installed systems. In most cases, the average price paid by the consumer is around $0.12 per kilowatt hour. Over time this type of program provides the opportunity for investors to make money on their systems, not just save money on utility bills. The best time to buy a solar system is when your local utility company sponsors incentive programs like this. The best incentive program on the market right now, hands down, is the feed-in-tariff.

3. Government Subsidies
Sometimes state and local governments sponsor programs that offer subsidies for families or businesses that are interested in investing in solar or other renewable energy endeavors. These subsidies and programs vary greatly, but these programs enhance the value of a renewable energy investments. For more information on potential programs in your state and local area, please refer to the DSIRE chart on our website at www.iresolar.com or www.bestbuysolar.com.

4. Tax Incentives
IRE highly recommends that if you are interested in investing in a solar system, or similar renewable energy technology, you should meet with a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to start the process. There are many tax related ways of minimizing the costs of renewable energy or solar investments. The federal government is sponsoring a 30% rebate that can work towards taxes or that currently can be used to supplement 30% of any home or business repairs that are involved and include the installation of any approved solar or wind system. This includes repair to your roof if needed in addition to the installation of any "green" investment, including lower priced systems like solar hot water systems, which are good for lowering utility costs in your home or business and are a fraction of the cost of a solar electric system. For some residential situations, and indeed most business applications, the cost of the products and materials that make up the system; that is the prices for the solar panels, the mounting hardware and all that makes the panels connect to the grid or battery system, can be depreciated over a short time. This essentially means that if you qualify, the costs of your entire solar system and all of it's hardware can be written off of your taxes. For more information, please speak to a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) about: Depreciation, Federal Tax Credits, and all other benefits the Federal, State and Local Government may be offering in your area.

5. Appraisal Positive
There are a many added benefits of adding solar to your home or business, like sales the tax-free status of certain approved renewable energy installations, limits on Home Owners Associations (HOA) enforcement with regards to regulations impeding the installation of renewable energy additions on homes in certain states and cities. For complete information on this, we recommend contacting your Home Owners Association (HOA), a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a local appraisal company or agency. “Appraisal Positive” is a recently coined phrase that defines the specific rules associated with solar additions to property values. An appraiser will not increase the value of solar additions to a residential or commercial property with regard to increasing property tax value to the IRS. This means that if your property was appraised at $100,000 before solar additions, then it will remain $100,000 for IRS purposes, though putting your property up for market, the additional value of any solar additions would be set by the seller and therefore could be included in the sales price. This is why renewable energy additions are classified as investments all over the world, and like all kinds of investments, it is important to weigh all the details before making any decisions. For more information, please respond to this blog or call us at (602) 524-1265 and we will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Solar Panels and Solar-thermal Panels

Here at International Renewable Energy and BestSolarBuy.com, we are commonly asked what the differences are between solar PV

(photovoltaics) and solar-thermal energy (STE).

Around the world, the one system that is most commonly used is solar-thermal for heating water. It requires no electricity and is used primarily in developing nations and China. Due to government incentives and initiatives to save energy throughout the country, solar-thermal systems cover an estimated 80% of homes and commercial buildings in China making it by far the most widely used system globally. Due to the lack of moving parts and need for no electricity solar thermal is the clear solution to water heating requirements around the globe. Solar-thermal systems can save an estimated 30% of the overall electrical requirements of a home and up to 50% in a business which requires heavy usage of heated water.

Sunda Solar-thermal Energy Panels that are common in Asia and in Europe (photo taken by Robb Childs).

Solar photovoltaic systems are more common in America than solar-thermal systems. However, both systems work in coordination in Europe and are part of the reason solar initiatives are working so well in places like Spain and Germany. Photovoltaic systems use the sun’s rays to create energy at the atomic level using a process first discovered by Dr. Albert Einstein. Dr. Einstein referred to this phenomenon as the "photoelectric effect". Today it is more commonly referred to as photovoltaics, or PV for short and is the cornerstone of electrical power generation on satellites in orbit or even on the International Space Station. These panels line the roof tops and fields across America.

Solar photovoltaic panels (Solar PV) panels installed on a rooftop (photo taken by Robb Childs) 

In short:

Photovoltaics (PV): transform free energy from the sun into electricity

Solar-thermal systems (STE): transform free energy from the sun into efficient heat. 

Together they are just a small part of the overall solution of energy independence and affordable solutions that will become the future of the common American lifestyle.

Written by Robb Childs and Eric Layton

Best Solar Buy Official Solar Blog

Hello Everyone!

This is the first official blog post from Best Solar Buy by International Renewable Energy. We are a provider and installer for solar photovoltaic panels and solar thermal panels. Best Solar Buy can provide solar panels, inverters, wiring, and mounting hardware. We can also provide installation services for any solar products. At the current time we have solar projects all over the world including: 

• Asheville, North Carolina
• Tampa, Florida
• Gainesville, Florida
• Guayaquil, Ecuador
• Beijing, China
• Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Sydney, Australia
• Mumbai and Solapur, India

Three entrepreneurs formed International Renewable Energy after realizing that solar is the energy source for the future. Eric Layton, a mechanical engineer from the University of Florida, used his experience with solar as well as biodiesel to help create a solar company. Eric Layton's research helps provide the best technology through www.BestSolarBuy.com. Robert Childs assists in solar installations and shipping products all over the world.

Eric Layton Next to Completed Solar Panels in Gainesville, Florida

Completed 1.3 Megawatt Solar Installation

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