Bright ideas

Solar Solutions and Skylights harness power of the sun

Solar Solutions and Skylights LLC will be at the PRO Home Improvement Show this weekend at Seagate Convention Center.

Solar Solutions and Skylights LLC, a local company focused on bringing solar energy and sunlight into homes throughout the tri-state area, was established to meet the growing consumer demand for ways to live greener, more economical lives.

"It's really the way of the future and something in which we and our customers can feel great about investing," said General Manager Sam Villarreal.

In 2008, the company participated in an extensive training program to become a VELUX Certified 5-Star Skylight Specialist, and still are the first and only 5-star authorized Velux installer in the region.

Standing by the product

Solar Solutions and Skylights LLC will be at the PRO Home Improvement Show this weekend at Seagate Convention Center.

Solar Solutions and Skylights LLC says it now is offering a 15-year leak-free warranty on all skylights and Suntunnels, which according to Villarreal, is a great wayto bring natural light into you home. In fact, he said Suntunnels are a wonderful option if a homeowner has a small, poorly lit space they want to add light to because they can fit into small areas and flood them with brilliant natural light.

Mixing sun and water

Villarreal said his team recently continued their education in the field to become the area's first VELUX Certified turn key installer of the VELUX water heating system.

"This area is a perfect market for this technology because we are fast becoming the solar capital of the country and the technology is becoming less foreign and more affordable," said Villarreal.

The solar thermal system is one of the most economical ways to incorporate solar into a residential home. In addition, federal tax credits help pay 30 percent of the cost with no upper limit. The anticipated payback for the solar hot water system is only 3-7 years. The system also has a lower first-time start up cost than installing a solar photovoltaic system, and between tax credits and energy savings, the solar hot water system offers a faster return on your investment than other solar energy systems.

Make your electric company pay you

Villarreal also said some systems may qualify for the SREC program -- a program that provides a means for Solar Renewable Energy Certificates to be created for every megawatt-hour of solar electricity created by a solar system. These certificates can then be sold to electricity suppliers to allow them to adhere to laws regulating them to procure a certain percentage of their electricity from solar energy. With this option, Villarreal said homeowners could potentially get paid to have a solar hot water system in their home.

Solar thermal systems are a great way to help ease our carbon footprint as it uses an unlimited resource that does not produce harmful emissions or require transportation or pipelines like electric energy does. Solar hot water heating system is a great energy choice as conventional energy prices continue to rise.