Photovoltaic panels are being installed on the roof. Bob talks with Jeff Wolf from groSolar about the photovoltaic panels. As sunlight hits the panels, electricity is generated from the photons. That direct current comes down through a wire into the house and is channeled into an inverter. The inverter is in the basement of the home. The inverter converts the direct current from solar power into an alternating current. That alternating current is fed into the main electrical panel and feeds the house with solar power. When the house is not using its electrical energy generated from the panels, the electricity is fed back into the utility grid and spins the meter backwards, creating a credit for the customer. The photovoltaic panels are a clean way of generating energy for the household. Many states have programs to help subsidize the cost of installing solar panels to make them more affordable for homeowners. Many parts of the country are seeing electricity costs escalate by as much as 80 percent so this is a good idea. groSolar operates throughout the country and has a website at www.grosolar.com where people can find out how to work with them to install solar panels on their home anywhere in the U.S. This installation in Norwell is about a $15,000 project and considering the amount of equity it builds in the house, it is something worth considering. With assistnace from state programs, the cost can come down to half that figure, making it a very affordable investment for a homeowner.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. When photovoltaics or the conversion of solar energy to electric power came on the scene 30 years ago, it was so inefficient that few thought it could ever power American homes. But the technology has come a long way, and demand for PV systems in the U.S. is now growing at almost 25 percent per year. In sunny California, brownouts and energy crises have pushed the state to set an ambitious goal of putting photovoltaic systems on a million roofs by 2016. The cost of installation can be daunting for homeowners, but government incentives make them much more enticing. The federal government rebates $2,000 per system. In California, the state not only gives a property tax reduction for the cost of the system, it also rebates $2.50 for every system watt. So, a 4-kilowatt system that costs $36,000 only winds up costing the homeowner $24,000. In Florida, homeowners can get $4 per system watt, so the same system costs only $18,000. Add to that the value of the electricity generated by the system which, depending on your area, can be between $250 and $750 per year and photovoltaics start to make a lot more sense. As roof-mounted panels or even integrated into asphalt roof shingles, photovoltaic cells contain silicon wafers which react to sunlight by releasing free electrons. These electrons create direct electric current, or D/C power. The system s inverter switches the D/C to the alternating current, or A/C, that powers our homes. Household photovoltaic systems have become simpler and better adapted to mainstream use now that grid-tied net metering is easier and no battery backup is needed. Any electricity the system generates that s not used in the home gets sold directly back to the power company. In sunny areas, the larger 4-kilowatt systems available today can generate half or more of what the average household consumes. Even where it s not so sunny, photovoltaic systems have become so viable that many forward-thinking developers are pairing them with geothermal heat systems to market the new non-polluting, low-energy home. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

A new concept in solar power, photovoltaic shingles, can help protect your home from the elements while generating pollution-free electricity.Wires from the photovoltaic cells on each shingle connect to a junction box. The current is sent to a battery for storage, and an inverter converts it to AC power. You can operate everything from a home computer to a security system with the electricity generated by these shingles.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. We all know that switching to fluorescent lighting saves energy and money. But if it s such a good deal, why aren t we all doing it? One reason is the bad rap that fluorescent lighting has gotten from those old-style fixtures we all remember from schools and commercial buildings of decades past. T-12 type standard fixtures are infamous for humming, buzzing, flickering and giving an unflattering cast to everything they illuminate. Those older fixtures can be upgraded with an electronic ballast. They can also be replaced with the new t-8 type fluorescent fixtures that eliminate humming and flickering. T-8 type fixtures last just as long or longer because they weigh less and run cooler, and they save 40 percent on electricity. Installing them on timers or occupancy sensors saves even more energy, and that s very good for business. At home, a lighting upgrade is much simpler. Now you can find a compact fluorescent bulb to fit almost any fixture in your home. While they may take a few seconds to warm up, they produce more accurate color and less glare than standard bulbs, which reduces eye strain and headaches. A new generation compact fluorescent bulb will cost more than a regular incandescent bulb anywhere from $5 to $25. But each one can save you $100 in electricity and last up to 13 times longer. As if that weren t motivation enough, some utilities offer free light bulbs or rebates for homeowners who are willing to make the switch. Best of all, upgrading your lighting saves greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing just one 75-watt light bulb with an 18-watt compact fluorescent can keep one ton of carbon dioxide emissions and 20 pounds of sulfur oxide out of the atmosphere. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Basement Waterproofing Before! After…
…TripleSafe TripleSafe with SaniDry A wet basement is a common problem in all types of basements…
…of each type. Learn what causes your basement water problems and how they can be fixed…

…dreams can come true when you put your trust in The Basement Tuxedo finishing panels. Congratulations! You…
…the most advanced and elegant way to finish your basement. The Basement Tuxedo was developed specifically for basements by…

…have finished work in the basement to make sure that it isn…
…colder than the air in the basement. In fact this is a situation…
…mold growth. Windows Basement remodeling may present a good…
…replace old windows with new Energy Star windows. While costs do not…

…Change the World: Start with Energy Star" campaign to combat global warming…
…asks consumers to take the new Energy Star pledge and perform the following…
…on home computers. Choose Energy Star-qualified TVs and other home…

…constructed single family homes with Energy Star ratings, it's New England. Woohoo…
…credited with the highest number of Energy Star rated homes constructed. The list includes…
…New York, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. Energy Star homes are 15 percent more efficient…

…existing homes. There are already Energy Star homes that are at least 15 percent more…
…code would be 100 on the scale. An Energy Star home would be 85, meaning that home…
…including the installation and use of all Energy Star appliances. Pulvermacher expects that…