Energy

This sponsored guest post comes from Akil Marsh from Solar States, who discusses solar energy advantages with more energy than a Lady Gaga concert. Solar panels are increasingly popular as we can see them pop up on rooftops and sides of businesses. But it's not for you, right? The advantages of solar energy may convert you to a new look for your home or business. Solar energy doesn't seem convenient - In fact, it's the punching bag of right wing political pundits. Are you even able to afford solar panels on your roof? Here's the 5 biggest lies (and advantages!) of solar energy:

Have you made the switch to clean energy yet? It’s an easy solution to buy local and renewable energy: with Choose PA Wind. In Pennsylvania, we basically have two options of powering our homes. The first is natural gas, which is extracted through hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Supposed job growth or not, the side effects of fracking  in PA are plentiful enough to steer away.  Plus, those ‘secret’ fracking chemicals are toxic and scary enough to steer us away. The other option is a sustainable option: renewable energy, typically wind and/or solar. Pennsylvania has 24 (Find out more about this renewable energy option, after the jump!)

Happy Valentine's Day! Want to show some love for your mother today? We mean Mother Earth... Make the switch to clean energy with a PA Wind & Renewable supplier if you haven't yet! It's easy, won't break the bank and you'll be guilt-free of awful carbon emissions. Which one should you choose? I recently found out there's a few options to consider when I moved... (Find out more, after the jump!)

The summer heat can mean increased costs to stay cool in your home. Here’s a reminder about a program that may help fatten your wallet. EnergyWorks, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, is offering deeply discounted home energy assessments to homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. EnergyWorks combines all available rebates, tax credits, and low-interest loans with the expertise of certified building analysts and qualified contractors to make home energy efficiency upgrades more affordable. How does it work?

The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability is ambitious with its Greenworks plan to make Philadelphia the greenest city in America. One important part of the plan is the Philadelphia chapter of Solar America Cities, (one of 25 cities). Thank you Mayor Nutter & the Sustainability office for making easy to understand video tutorials for Philly homeowners. Here's the Intro to Solar video that explains how to use Solar Energy in Philly: Solar Tutorial 1: Introduction to Solar from One Way Street Productions on Vimeo. Still on the fence?

Returning Guest Blogger Clayton Bedwell is co-founder of energy marketing firm The Betasource Group, an operator of PA Energy.Org, a free service to educate PA on ways save energy, money & planet. He shares the 411 on the New Energy Works Program here: Recently, Mayor Michael Nutter introduced the Energy Works program. The program is designed to provide residents and business owners with rebates and low interest loans for energy efficiency improvements. The program is funded by a $25 million Department of Energy grant and will serve residents in the following counties:

Clayton Bedwell is our expert on Wind, Solar & Alternate Energy. Check out his latest post: With domestic wind energy development down 71% percent this year, it seems like an odd time for the oil industry to kick the anti-wind spin machine into high gear, but that's exactly what's happening. Recently, The Wall Street Journal ran "Wind Power Won't Cool the Planet" where Robert Bryce argues that the technical accommodations necessary to integrate the variable generation of wind energy into the grid ultimately result in little to no carbon reductions versus the traditional power plants they are replacing. Considering the complexities of electricity generation and distribution in addition to the the havoc that variable generation technologies (wind and solar) can have on America's aging grid system (designed for the constant generation of traditional power sources) Bryce introduces an interesting and unintuitive thesis only to sink the article with the choice of some of his source and how he interpreted others. Greentech Media countered "Wind Power Won't Cool the Planet" with

Making your home eco-friendly is a "green trend" we hope is here to stay. We're pleased that Helio Power Systems, a full service Solar Electric and Solar Thermal design and installation company, is getting in on the action.Founded by old friends Rene Ermilio and Gregory Katz, Helio's staff draws from property development experience business since 1999.

Guest Blogger Clay gives Julie's nostalgic obsession alma mater a shout out & updates us on the PSU Energy Hub. Read more below! "End-use-efficiency improvements are the cheapest, cleanest, surest, most rapidly expandable energy option we have…the ultimate limits on this option are…the lack of knowledge by firms and consumers about the opportunities that exist and how to exploit them.” -John P Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Penn State University has successfully lead a campaign to secure $130 Million in grant funding over the next five years to start an Energy Innovation Hub at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The Energy Innovation hub will focus on