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The pros and cons of solar energy

The pros and cons of solar energy 

Want to lower your energy bill? One alternative source you might consider is solar power. Solar cells use semiconducting materials to convert sunlight directly into electricity, powering many homes and businesses.

How much does solar cost?

The average house in the U.S. needs anywhere from 400 to 800 square feet of solar panels to power it. This depends on the hours of sunlight the home receives per day, as well as the home's average energy consumption. A typical system usually costs around $25,000 to $35,000 to install, but many utility companies offer incentives and some subsidize as much as 50% of the system costs.

Solar advantages:

Disadvantages:
  • With no carbon emissions, it's some of the cleanest energy you're bound to find.
  • You won't be dependent on the power grid system - no more being at the mercy of outages and rate hikes.
  • Solar energy is becoming cheaper, more accessible, and vastly more efficient each week.
  • Many companies make it possible to sell any excess energy produced to your electric company.


  • Solar energy is only able to generate electricity during daylight hours.
  • Solar panels must be protected from mechanical damage (in particular against hail impact, wind and snow loads, ice). This is especially important for wafer-based silicon cells, which are brittle.
  • Solar panels may contain hazardous materials that could be released if the panel is damaged or disposed of improperly. Despite this, solar energy is still considerably cleaner than fossil fuels.
 
If you want to invest in a power source that will eventually pay for itself and you're interested in reducing your impact on the environment, solar may be the way to go.  
For More Information:
Ascot, Atrium I Condominium, Atrium, Baldwin, Bentana Park , Bowman Green , Brandermill, Bristol House Carlton House, Charter Oak, Chestnut Grove, Crippens Corner, Deepwood, Dockside, Edgewater At Town Center Equestrian Park Estates At Wyndham Hills Executive Ii Office Fairway Executive Center Faraday Professional Center Fox Mill Woods Generation Glade At Hunters Woods Glenvale Hampton Pointe Harbor Point Hunt At Lake Fairfax Hunters Crossing, Hunters End,Hunters Green, Hunters Square Hunters Woods Village , Lake Anne Of Reston Lake Fairfax Park Estate, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Madison Park At West Market Madison Park At West Market, Market Street Town Center Mercer Midtown At Reston Town, Midtown At Reston Town Center Midtown North Nantucket At Reston, North Point Villas Northgate Oak Park Paramount Parcreston, Polo Fields, Reston Savoy At Reston Town Center Shadowood Shaker Woods, Southgate, Stratford Park Home Buyers relocating to Reston - Herndon, If you already live in this area or if you are relocating from somewhere else. Two important things to note: If you live locally and have a home to sell, I am more than willing to give you a free estimate of your home's value. If you are relocating to our area I have an amazing relocation package to send you. Kim Kroner Realtor - Associate Broker Top Producer - NVAR Multi Million Dollar Sales Club Member - Long & Foster Chairman's Club Long & Foster Christie's International kim@kimkroner.com (703) 946-2526 (800) 9611328 www.kimkroner.com 309 Maple Ave W. Vienna, VA 22180 Easy Living Homes If you have family members or friends with physical limitations, you may have areas of your home that they’re unable to visit. This is especially problematic if you yourself become disabled or have a disabled person move in with you. How do you accommodate these needs? By building an EasyLiving Home, of course. According to the EasyLiving Home web site, the EasyLiving Home program is “the nation's first voluntary certification program that specifies criteria in everyday construction to add convenience in your new home and to welcome all friends, family and visitors regardless of age, size or physical ability.” The EasyLiving Home program was developed by a coalition of public and private organizations to encourage the voluntary inclusion of key features that make a home cost effective, accessible and convenient for everyone without sacrificing style or adding substantial construction costs. EasyLiving Home certification enhances both the initial and resale value of a home, and can be achieved for practically any home regardless of price, building site or architecture. EasyLiving Home features: l Step-free entrances provide easy access and are never more than 1/2" from a driveway, sidewalk or other firm route into the central living area. l Exterior doors provide and interior passages provide easy passage because all doors and hallways on the main level (including bathrooms) offer ample clear passage space. l Easy use with no less than one bedroom, a kitchen, some entertainment area, and at least one full bathroom with sufficient maneuvering space all on the main floor. The EasyLiving Home program certifies that homes meet the program requirements through a non-profit coalition of organizations committed to making homes more accessible, including AARP and several access advocacy groups. While EasyLiving Homes offer a substantial number of special features, virtually any home buyer can afford one because these certified homes are available at all price levels from the most modest starter home to country club estates. The EasyLiving Home program shows builders how to make their homes more convenient by making small improvements that add little or nothing to the cost of new construction, but would be very costly to retrofit later. EasyLiving Homes are all about convenience. By grouping all the most essential living areas on a single floor with ample-sized doors and a step-free entry, the EasyLiving Home allows easy access for bulky furniture and getting around whether you’re on foot or in a wheelchair. “While you may be in perfect health now,” the web site states, “the day may come when you or a family member experience health problems that could cause limited access to be a real problem. Elderly relatives will appreciate the easy access and extra entry width when they visit you in your new EasyLiving Home. And in an aging society, an EasyLiving Home will have a higher resale value when it's time to sell.”    
Kim Kroner Realtor - Associate Broker
Top Producer - NVAR Multi Million Dollar Sales Club
Member - Long & Foster Chairman's Club
Long & Foster Christie's International
kim@kimkroner.com
(703) 946-2526
(800) 961-1328
www.kimkroner.com
309 Maple Ave W. Vienna, VA 22180 
 


The pros and cons of solar energy Want to lower your energy bill? One alternative source you might consider is solar power. Solar cells use semiconducting materials to convert sunlight directly into electricity, powering many homes and businesses. How much does solar cost? The average house in the U.S. needs anywhere from 400 to 800 square feet of solar panels to power it. This depends on the hours of sunlight the home receives per day, as well as the home's average energy consumption. A typical system usually costs around $25,000 to $35,000 to install, but many utility companies offer incentives and some subsidize as much as 50% of the system costs. Solar advantages: Disadvantages: With no carbon emissions, it's some of the cleanest energy you're bound to find. You won't be dependent on the power grid system - no more being at the mercy of outages and rate hikes. Solar energy is becoming cheaper, more accessible, and vastly more efficient each week. Many companies make it possible to sell any excess energy produced to your electric company. Solar energy is only able to generate electricity during daylight hours. Solar panels must be protected from mechanical damage (in particular against hail impact, wind and snow loads, ice). This is especially important for wafer-based silicon cells, which are brittle. Solar panels may contain hazardous materials that could be released if the panel is damaged or disposed of improperly. Despite this, solar energy is still considerably cleaner than fossil fuels. If you want to invest in a power source that will eventually pay for itself and you're interested in reducing your impact on the environment, solar may be the way to go. For More Information: Ascot, Atrium I Condominium, Atrium, Baldwin, Bentana Park , Bowman Green , Brandermill, Bristol House Carlton House, Charter Oak, Chestnut Grove, Crippens Corner, Deepwood, Dockside, Edgewater At Town Center Equestrian Park Estates At Wyndham Hills Executive Ii Office Fairway Executive Center Faraday Professional Center Fox Mill Woods Generation Glade At Hunters Woods Glenvale Hampton Pointe Harbor Point Hunt At Lake Fairfax Hunters Crossing, Hunters End,Hunters Green, Hunters Square Hunters Woods Village , Lake Anne Of Reston Lake Fairfax Park Estate, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Madison Park At West Market Madison Park At West Market, Market Street Town Center Mercer Midtown At Reston Town, Midtown At Reston Town Center Midtown North Nantucket At Reston, North Point Villas Northgate Oak Park Paramount Parcreston, Polo Fields, Reston Savoy At Reston Town Center Shadowood Shaker Woods, Southgate, Stratford Park Home Buyers relocating to Reston - Herndon, If you already live in this area or if you are relocating from somewhere else. Two important things to note: If you live locally and have a home to sell, I am more than willing to give you a free estimate of your home's value. If you are relocating to our area I have an amazing relocation package to send you. Kim Kroner Realtor - Associate Broker Top Producer - NVAR Multi Million Dollar Sales Club Member - Long & Foster Chairman's Club Long & Foster Christie's International kim@kimkroner.com (703) 946-2526 (800) 9611328 www.kimkroner.com 309 Maple Ave W. Vienna, VA 22180 Easy Living Homes If you have family members or friends with physical limitations, you may have areas of your home that they’re unable to visit. This is especially problematic if you yourself become disabled or have a disabled person move in with you. How do you accommodate these needs? By building an EasyLiving Home, of course. According to the EasyLiving Home web site, the EasyLiving Home program is “the nation's first voluntary certification program that specifies criteria in everyday construction to add convenience in your new home and to welcome all friends, family and visitors regardless of age, size or physical ability.” The EasyLiving Home program was developed by a coalition of public and private organizations to encourage the voluntary inclusion of key features that make a home cost effective, accessible and convenient for everyone without sacrificing style or adding substantial construction costs. EasyLiving Home certification enhances both the initial and resale value of a home, and can be achieved for practically any home regardless of price, building site or architecture. EasyLiving Home features: l Step-free entrances provide easy access and are never more than 1/2" from a driveway, sidewalk or other firm route into the central living area. l Exterior doors provide and interior passages provide easy passage because all doors and hallways on the main level (including bathrooms) offer ample clear passage space. l Easy use with no less than one bedroom, a kitchen, some entertainment area, and at least one full bathroom with sufficient maneuvering space all on the main floor. The EasyLiving Home program certifies that homes meet the program requirements through a non-profit coalition of organizations committed to making homes more accessible, including AARP and several access advocacy groups. While EasyLiving Homes offer a substantial number of special features, virtually any home buyer can afford one because these certified homes are available at all price levels from the most modest starter home to country club estates. The EasyLiving Home program shows builders how to make their homes more convenient by making small improvements that add little or nothing to the cost of new construction, but would be very costly to retrofit later. EasyLiving Homes are all about convenience. By grouping all the most essential living areas on a single floor with ample-sized doors and a step-free entry, the EasyLiving Home allows easy access for bulky furniture and getting around whether you’re on foot or in a wheelchair. “While you may be in perfect health now,” the web site states, “the day may come when you or a family member experience health problems that could cause limited access to be a real problem. Elderly relatives will appreciate the easy access and extra entry width when they visit you in your new EasyLiving Home. And in an aging society, an EasyLiving Home will have a higher resale value when it's time to sell.” Kim Kroner Realtor - Associate Broker Top Producer - NVAR Multi Million Dollar Sales Club Member - Long & Foster Chairman's Club Long & Foster Christie's International kim@kimkroner.com (703) 946-2526 (800) 961-1328 www.kimkroner.com 309 Maple Ave W. Vienna, VA 22180


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