GO Indoor

SPRING2014 9 for the environment," says Gabe. "We're kind of a wasteful species. I wanted to make the building as green as possible. It meets some pretty strict energy guidelines." "Few people think of their roof as an energy making system," says Justin. However, because the sun shines on it, that's exactly what it is. Solar panels provide a return on investment of 8% to 15% or more. "This is a money-making proposition for rooftops." "There is an up-front cost," says Gabe, "but for those who look long-term–and hopefully people in our industry do look long-term– it's gonna pay for itself. The biggest sell for me was that electric rates are going to rise. I can pay zero forever or spend more and more money every year." "Some people choose cash, others finance," says Justin. "Instead of paying their monthly electric bill, they make a loan payment. Their monthly savings outweigh the monthly cost of the loan." For those who fear they can't afford the cost of a solar energy system, Justin says, "You're already paying it!" With state and federal tax credits, incentives from utility companies, and warranties up to 25 years, business owners can invest in a system and purchase electricity for less than half of what they currently pay. RECs Because the energy generated from solar panels comes from a renewable source (sunlight), every kilowatt-hour of energy generated from the system generates a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC). By purchasing RECs, buildings without solar panels can participate in green energy, too. All consumers of electricity–whether from coal or natural gas or solar panels or wind turbines–use energy transmitted on the same grid. Energy sources feed electrons into the grid the same way. According to USIndoor member APPI Energy, an independent team of energy experts, "Electrons mingle on the grid and are not distinguished as 'green' or 'brown.'" Therefore, consumers–whether they have solar panels or not–can use 100% green energy by purchasing enough RECs to equal the amount of electrons it takes from the grid. "Each REC represents one megawatt-hour (MWh) of green energy created from a renewable source somewhere in the United States. Purchasing RECs is the widely accepted way to reduce the environmental footprint of your electricity consumption and to help fund renewable energy development." RECs can be purchased in two ways. The first way is directly from a local utility company. "Many electric utilities in the U.S. offer bundling programs. RECs and electricity delivered to you are invoiced together on your bill." Also, RECs can be purchased from an independent third party, including most competitive electricity suppliers. "This approach is typically less expensive than buying from the local utility. RECs provide income to farmers and other landowners who lease their property to third parties who generate renewable energy." "Net metering is about the same from one utility to the next here in New Mexico and elsewhere out of state, but RECs differ greatly from utility to utility," says Justin. Affordable Solar installs systems for residents of New Mexico and serves as a wholesale distributor and online retailer for the fifty states and for 96 countries. For more information regarding green electricity or purchasing RECs, call your local utility or contact APPI Energy at 800-520-6685 or info@appienergy.com. WARMED AND COOLED BY THE SUN

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