February 2017 | GreenSpark

A Better Choice in Renewable Energy

Article Written By Mary Nicholas, Community Solar Organizer To find out more about GreenSpark and what makes us a better local option, get in touch. In an era of booming renewable industries and exponential growth for solar and wind, energy choices have become empowering and affordable options for individuals to substantially chip away at their carbon footprint. While Energy Service Companies (ESCO) had previously been viewed as one of the best options for customers, recent studies and investigations have brought to light the large-scale disenchantment with ESCOs, highlighting the questionable (at best) ethics involved in gaining customers as well as…

Affordability and Accessibility of Clean Energy

Article Written By Matt Vanderbrook, Senior Project Developer We've come a long way with the usability and cost of solar and wind energy according to a recent Greentech Media article. Thanks to federal tax credits, state-level renewable energy standards, and a drop in manufacturing and install costs, the cost of a wind or solar project install has dropped. The time between initial interest and completion of project has also decreased thanks to new technology and continuous developments in the solar and wind industry. Compared to a large gas or nuclear plant construction which has to go through years of planning and…

Van Schie Residence

Prepared for: Van Schie Family Location: Pittsford, NY Project Size: 7.2 roof mount Reduction in electric usage: 87% Average annual savings: $1500 Lifetime Savings: $37,400 Payback Period: 8 years The Van Schie's installed a 7.2kW roof mounted system at their home in Pittsford in December of 2015. The array is expected to cover nearly 90% of their electric usage, saving them about $1,500 annually. The system will pay for itself in under eight years and the Van Schie's will realize at least $40,000 in savings over the next 25 years.

Seneca Nation of Indians

Seneca Nation of Indians Solar

Choate Residence

Location: Rush, NY Project Size: 14.84kW ground mount Electric usage: 100% reduction Average Annual Savings: $3,000 Lifetime Savings: $75,000 On their one year anniversary, Al and Bethany Choate were pleased to share their successful solar numbers in year one. "Our first year of operation produced 18,264 kwh, compared to the 17,456 kwh estimated. Meanwhile, because of the mild weather and some conservation efforts, our usage was only 13,846, compared to a more usual 17,500. So that is a success!" Due to a mild winter, 2016 proved to be a great solar year, stories like Al's are a growing trend among…

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