On the Edmunds Scientifics’ website you can find more than 25 Solar Fun products! Check out a fabulous “Solar-Powered Rainbow Maker” to an affordable “Solar-Powered Miniature House.”

Let’s face it -- the Solar-Powered Rainbow Maker gives new meaning to making lemonade out of lemons.  For just $24.95 you get the full spectrum of the rainbow without any of the rain! The Rainbow Maker features a genuine Swarovski crystal and green-energy motor that affix to your window via the magic of 21st century suction cup technology. The motor slowly rotates the crystal which refracts the natural sunlight to create a swirl of rainbows around your room. Even the gears of this conversation piece are multi-colored.

You get:

• Rainbows, on demand

• Demonstrates both solar energy and light refraction

• Genuine Swarovski crystal and green-energy motor

• Motor uses solar energy to rotate crystal and produce a rainbow

• Pots of gold (sold separately)

The Solar-Powered Miniature House is an excellent complement to your Baker Electric Solar-installed residential home solar system.  The $29.95 kit can help educate your family members on just what steps you are taking to use the sun for your electricity.  Build an environmentally friendly miniature house with working appliances. The kit provides the main components to power a solar ceiling fan and light bulb. You construct the house with materials specified in the included blueprint incorporating the kit's three solar panels. When completed, the house is a working demonstration of solar thermal, solar energy, and photovoltaic power.

You get:

• two working panels and one demo panel

• one panel powers an included mini-light bulb

• second panel powers an included mini-ceiling fan

• third non-working demo panel is for showing how solar energy could be used to heat your water. Tubing is included.

 To check out these and other great solar fun products go to:
http://www.scientificsonline.com/alternative-energy/solar-powered-products.html

Did you know you could lease your solar system?

As a SunPower Elite Dealer, Baker Electric Solar is providing our residential customers with an affordable way to go solar with a $0 down, low monthly payment lease available through SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR).  The solar leasing option is spot-on for cost-conscious residential customers.  It eases the upfront cost jitters!

According to a SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association) survey, despite the cost of solar electric panels decreasing by 30% since the beginning of 2010, 48 percent of Americans cited cost as their biggest concern with choosing solar energy.  Education on solar power system financing options is a challenge for solar integrators. With our customers’ best interests in mind, our sales staff makes it a point to explain loan and lease financing options in detail at the time of an estimate.

With the advent of the zero down SunPower® Lease, it’s helping an entire new market of solar powered energy supporters ‘go green.’ What once was a five-digit upfront cost is now a credit check, zero down and low monthly fixed payments over 20 years (with other terms available). The lease is transferrable and is not secured by the home. At the end of the lease, the solar home owner can renew, buy or return the system.

“The SunPower® Lease option is exciting for our team here at Baker Electric Solar,” said Ted Baker, president of BES. “What once was a closed door for people who wanted to go solar is now a door wide open with opportunities. When we mention that the equipment, as well as the maintenance of the solar power system, is covered in the lease, it makes both dollars and sense to start saving on electricity immediately with the lease option.”

California-based SunPower is a leading manufacturer of high efficiency solar cells, solar power panels, and solar systems. With Baker Electric’s 73-year history in the electrical contracting business and SunPower’s 27 years of experience in the solar industry, lease customers can rest assured they are powering their home with stable solar companies.

Click here for more information or call (877) 543-8765 to set an appointment.

 http://www.bakerelectricsolar.com/financing.htm

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, average retail electricity prices in the U.S. rose steadily over the decade before 2009, growing from 6.64 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 1999 to 9.82 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2009 -- never once declining from year to year.  A typical electric bill in San Diego might run between 13 and 29 cents per kilowatt-hour today. With the local utility’s tier energy system. The more you use the more you pay! Using the data above, we can easily predict the cost of a kWh will continue to go up -- not down. So what exactly are we paying for?

What is a kilowatt-hour?  

In order to understand how much electricity costs, we have to know how it's measured. When you pull up at the gas tank, you are charged by the gallon. When you buy electricity, your electric company charges you by the kilowatt-hour.  It can be broken down to the fact that when you use 1000 watts of electricity for 1 hour, that's a kilowatt-hour or kWh.

For example:
Medium window AC Unit: Wattage:1000 watts, Hours Used: 1 = 1 kWH

42” Ceiling Fan: Wattage: 24; Hours Used: 10 = 0.24 kWh

Light Bulb: Wattage: 100; Hours Used: 730 = 73 kWh

If you’d like to figure out what some of the devices are costing you around the house, here's the formula to figure the cost of running them.

Wattage   x   Hours Used  ÷  1000  x   Price per kWh  =  Cost of Electricity

An example would be -- let’s say you leave a 50-watt bulb running approx 10 hours per day (300 hours a month), and you're paying 0.15 cents per kWh.  Your monthly cost to run the bulb is 50 x 300 ÷ 1000 x $0.15 = $2.25.

If your device doesn't list wattage, but lists amps, then just multiply the amps times the voltage to get the watts. For example:  2.5 amps   x   120 volts   =   300 watts

The important message here is that the cost of a kWh or kilowatt-hour is going to continue to go up and up and up.  One way to minimize the effect of these inevitable increases is to go solar and create your own clean energy!

Call us at (877) 543-8765 to speak with one of our helpful representatives.

Every year we are given an opportunity to turn over a new leaf when January rolls around. Rather than settle for old standby resolutions like weight and exercise -- why not check out some easy “clean energy” ideas. Read through these eight. You’ll be amazed at how by just reviewing them you’ll be more inclined to act on some of the suggestions.

1. Recycle -- plus, give up both plastic and paper bags.

2. Get a cool reusable water bottle and nix buying bottled water. 

3. Stop receiving unwanted catalogs.

4. Check for annoying leaks in your toilet.

5. Run your dishwasher fully loaded -- using the energy saver setting.

6. Set your thermostat at 78 in summer and 68 in winter. With 55 good for when you are away.

7. Check your tires. Proper tire pressure saves on gas.

8. Get a no-obligation quote on “going solar” to save money and “go green.” Why choose us? You’ll experience better customer service than any contractor you’ve ever worked with. Plus, we have the financial strength to make your project run on-time and on-budget. And, we’ll be in business to service your system long-term. But, enough about us, back to you!               

We rarely hear about the importance of going green on our health. Most of the concerns focus on global warming and environmental sustainability. But going green isn’t something that just benefits the planet. There are very real benefits that you can enjoy as far as your health is concerned. 

Click here for 25 health benefits of making the decision to be greener in 2012.

According to a GTM Research and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) research report titled, “U. S. Solar Market Insight: 3^rd Quarter 2011,” the third quarter of 2011 was solar’s best quarter ever, with a new record set for installations (449 MW in Q3) and growth (140 percent year-over-year).  The numbers reflect utility-scale project completions, a strong residential market, effective policies and the plummeting price of solar panels.

The domestic solar market is booming. The residential PV market grew 21 percent over the second quarter of 2011 to reach nearly 75 MW. California regained a substantial share of overall PV installation in Q3 2011 with 44 percent. Much of this growth is due to the Department of Treasury's 1603 program, which is set to expire on Dec. 31 unless Congress extends it.

"The U.S. solar industry is on a roll, with unprecedented growth in 2011. Solar is now an economic force in dozens of states, creating jobs across America. But our industry needs a stable policy on which to make business decisions,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA.

To keep the industry growing and creating jobs in the U.S., Congress needs to extend the 1603 program after December 31, 2011. The 1603 program has done more to expand the use of renewable energy than any other policy in U.S. history. “Our country is not in a position to have Congress turn their back on American industries. It is critical that Congress extend the 1603 program in the few days left before the end of the year," added Rhone.

If you support clean solar energy like we do at Baker Electric Solar, take the time to email your congressman. Encourage them to vote “yes” on the extension of the Section 1603 Treasury Program.

Click here to identify who your House of Representatives congressman is -- it will also open an email text form for you to send him/her your request for their support of the 1603 Treasury Program. 

Click here to identify who your Senators are -- it will also open an email text form for you to send him/her your request for their support of the 1603 Treasury Program. 

It’s exciting to send a shout out to our military -- especially when the good news spotlights our Marines during the month of November, on the heels of Veteran’s Day. The long and short of it is -- our company teamed up with a number of quality companies to bring solar energy to the new Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQs) complex at the U. S. Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. Registered LEED Platinum, the new complex almost achieved Net Zero Energy, with a 92% energy offset.

It was an honor to be selected as the subcontractor for all of the electrical and solar construction for the BEQ-9 Project. It included three 4-story BEQs (576 two-person rooms), a landmark projection tower, 500-seat outdoor amphitheater and 706-space 4-story parking garage. The 464,000 square feet solar installation consisted of four separate solar array structures, featuring 4,680 SunPower® E19/318 Solar Panels -- generating on-site “lights on” solar electric power.

We partnered with Davis-based Blue Oak Energy, a full-service photovoltaic systems engineering firm, in the design / build of the 1.5 megawatt system. The installation reduces energy costs for the military base while providing premium desert shading for two parking areas, the amphitheater and recreational park. We coordinated multiple trades and added a second crew shift to ensure the installation was completed on time, just over two months from start to finish for the above ground installation.

“Blue Oak Energy enjoyed partnering with Baker Electric on this very unique NAVFAC project,” said Tobin Booth, president and CEO of Blue Oak Energy.   “The success of this job demonstrates the efficiency and creativity that results from a close collaboration between engineering and construction.” 

Our hats and hearts go out to our military -- with special appreciation to our Marines just 146 miles northeast of our corporate headquarters!

According to the Environment California Research and Policy Center recent report titled, Building a Brighter Future -- California’s Progress Toward a Million Solar Roofs, the California state initiative is helping reduce the cost of solar.

Here are some exciting facts excerpted from the report about how the initiative is helping to reduce the cost of solar energy in California.

> Since the program began, the total installed cost of residential solar energy systems in California has fallen 25 percent – and the cost of commercial-scale systems more than 40 percent. In 2007, residential systems typically cost $10 per Watt, while costs in 2011 average $7.60 per Watt (through August, in 2011 dollars).

> Given available incentives, many customers are already seeing immediate cost savings by going solar – especially customers with larger electricity use in parts of the state with tiered pricing or time-of-use electricity rates.

Exciting news to share -- our company has been accredited as a SunPower Elite Dealer by Silicon Valley-based SunPower Corp., a manufacturer of high efficiency solar cells, solar panels, and solar systems.

To earn the Elite Dealer title, a SunPower Dealer must achieve a 90 percent or greater customer satisfaction score on past installations and successfully complete two advanced certification courses in topics such as the installation and design of SunPower products. Our team at Baker Electric Solar has demonstrated its dedication to customer service with fast turnaround on customer inquiries, customer satisfaction tracking, and a post-installation site inspection program.

As a SunPower Elite Dealer, we are now authorized to offer residential customers SunPower’s exclusive solar lease program, which expands financing options to homeowners interested in high-efficiency SunPower solar power systems offering the most efficient solar technology available today.

Some examples of BES / SunPower projects include:

• The Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command / Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.  This large commercial project consisting of four solar canopies featuring 4,680 SunPower® E19/318 Solar Panels now generates on-site solar electric power, reducing energy costs for the customer and providing premium shading to two parking areas, a park and outdoor amphitheater.

• San Diego-based nonprofit Father Joe’s Village Place solar project was a 53.4 kW high efficiency SunPower roof-mount solar panel system with annual production estimated at more than 70,000 kW hours - delivering up to 50 percent more energy than conventional solar panels.

• Hundreds of custom-designed residential solar installations, as well as an 85.7 kW SunPower solar installation on the Baker Electric, Inc. company headquarters in Escondido, Calif., the largest solar installation on a solar company in San Diego County.

 “SunPower Elite Dealers are selected for their commitment to providing customers with outstanding service in delivering the most efficient and reliable solar technology available today,” said SunPower President Jim Pape. “We are very pleased to welcome Baker Electric Solar as a member of our Elite Dealer network. Together, SunPower and SunPower Elite Dealers are raising the bar in the solar industry with unparalleled, high-quality products and services.”

“By partnering with SunPower, an innovative and progressive company, as a SunPower Elite Dealer, we know together we are stronger,” said Baker Electric Solar President Ted Baker. “SunPower was our first choice when we began providing solar systems over four years ago. Working side-by-side with SunPower to install energy saving solutions while educating the community about their solar options has been to our mutual benefit.”

1. Turn your water heaters to “away” mode. 
When you go on vacation or a long business trip, take the time to switch your water heater to the “away” mode. It will still keep the water warm, but won’t be spending extra energy keeping it shower hot. If your water heater does not have this setting, it’s a hint it may not be energy star efficient.

2. Cook fresh food vs. buying frozen or prepared meals.
A freezer loaded with frozen dinners is more energy draining than cooking on your stove or in your oven. When we analyze the steps to produce freezer items, we find it actually costs more in energy resources to freeze, ship, package, and display at the grocery store then when we eat in-season, local foods cooked from scratch.

3.  Make a list of your weekly errands.
Sounds simple enough, but how many times do you pass the dry cleaner on your way to work? If you find yourself stopping to do errands three to four days a week, you are a prime candidate for using “The List” strategy for carbon footprint weight loss. You’ll save time, money and energy when you bundle your auto trips.

4. Let your kitchen timer tell you when the cookies are done.
Did you know -- when you open your oven door to check on the baking process, up to 25% of the heat escapes.  Peak through the glass door or do baking test runs, so the next time you have a good idea when your food is ready.

5. When your electric bill arrives, make a call to a local solar installer like Baker Electric Solar.
Get the facts on what it might cost to go solar.  Don’t just assume you can’t afford it. There are excellent financing programs available. A qualified BBB A+ rated solar installer will be able to give you the sun, moon and energy stars information on how you can reduce your carbon footprint by going green. 

A great book resource is “How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint -- 365 Simple Ways to Save Energy, Resources, and Money” by Joanna Yarrow.  http://amzn.to/rgXZ4p