Solar 101 for Women

OIL SPILL HAS WOMEN THINKING ABOUT ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

The BP oil spill in the Gulf brings to mind an old Cuban saying that goes: "The good thing about this situation is how bad it is." The oil spill disaster has got a lot more people thinking the way we have all along, which is that we need to reduce our usage of fossil fuels. They are dangerous! We are getting more calls for information about solar from women! As a woman who has worked most of her life in the high-tech, male-dominated field of telecommunications, I am thrilled with the calls from women.

When I designed our new website, two of my goals were to make the website warm and inviting and to help people learn a little bit about solar technology. Solar is much like computers were 25 years--only the geeks really understood it all.

SOLAR JUST MAKES ELECTRICITY, DOESN'T IT?

Solar is not that difficult to understand. It is basically just this--energy from the sun is collected to produce either heat (Solar Thermal) to directly heat the space or domestic water in our homes, or, with different equipment, make electricity (Solar Photovoltaics). The sun has been successfully making heat for over 5 million years. There is a good chance it won't stop any time soon. All we have to do is harvest its energy!

So how do you know which solar system you need in your home? Think in terms of heat and power. Nearly half of your energy dollars are spent for heat. Solar Thermal gives you more energy for a lot less money. Whether your furnace and hot water heater use gas or electricity, always use a Solar Thermal system to make the heat. For lights and most other appliances, use a Photovoltaic system. It is just that easy.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

Solar is an investment. You can compare it to the investment you would make for a new car or remodeling your kitchen. Every woman knows that you will never be able to sell a car for the same price you paid for it, but, a remodeled kitchen will increase the value of your home. If you sell your home, you can usually recoup the cost of the kitchen upgrade. Adding a solar system to your home will also increase the value of your home. You will also recoup the cost of the system if you sell your home. However, the solar system will make its own payments by the money you save on your utility bills! There is no other investment that you can make that will actually pay for itself!

HOW DO I KNOW THAT MIRASOL SOLAR WILL GIVE ME THE BEST VALUE

All of our thermal systems are designed according to ASHRAE standards. We use SRCC rated equipment. We follow all the state laws. We guarantee that a Mirasol Thermal system will produce more energy for you than a system from any of our competitors at the least cost per BTU. If you get a less expensive quote from another company, bring it to us. We will go over it with you and tell you what they left out to make the system cheaper and if we can also take out those parts and still make your system function the way you want it.

Check out our rating with the BBB.