Harnessing the Sun

Solar electric technology is fairly ingenious. With your rooftop tiled in solar panels, you can harness the sun’s radiation to power your home, charge a battery, and even earn a profit. Compared to the conventional alternative, a solar-powered home is not only more ecologically responsible; it’s also more financially savvy.

Smart, Economical, Responsible

Originally, solar electric was mainly used for spacecraft and satellites, and in the beginning, it was expensive. But that’s changed. With advanced technology, greater demand, and more efficient manufacturing techniques, solar electric power systems have become popular among homeowners as well as scientists. In fact, most of the solar electric systems in the world today are grid-connected power generators, such as the ones Clarum Homes install on the homes we build.

Not surprisingly, these systems are good at what they do. At the Palo Alto Passive Home, we’ve found our solar electric power systems are able to generate 75 to 100% of a home’s power. As the cost of electricity rises, these savings increase. Sometimes, they even turn to profit. Whatever energy you don’t use in your home, you can sell back to the grid owned by the utility companies – making your energy meter actually run backwards.

There are other pluses too. Financially speaking, solar electric power systems require much less maintenance than the conventional energy equivalent, bringing operating costs down dramatically over time. Meanwhile, they increase the value of your home, making it appreciate 17% faster and sell 20% faster than non-solar homes on average, says the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In addition, there are incentives for homeowners with solar power systems such as the California Solar Initiative, which offers cash back for every watt of solar energy installed in your home.

Whereas fossil fuels are finite and polluting, solar is abundant and pollution-free during use. This makes Clarum Homes with Solar Electric a responsible, savvy choice all around: easy on your pocketbook, gentle on the environment.

Learn more about a solar electric power system remodel or new home with Clarum Homes. Call us at 650.322.7069.