When considering solar power for your home or business, it is essential to consider the company you decide to work with; know which panels you’re choosing and consider the company and panel manufacturer warranties.

EmPower Solar is among the premier solar installers that explains to customers exactly which panels will be placed on their roofs. For us, the most common modules used are SunPower, which have been rigorously tested (see the proof here).

SunPower, in addition to the other panels we provide, such as Yingli, Hyundai, and Suniva,  are among the highest quality in the world. But don’t just take our word for it — ask us, ask any company you are considering what will be placed on your property.

Panel quality is important, but warranties are just as important to consider. Then, if something does go awry, you’re covered. EmPower offers a ten-year workmanship warranty, and the panels we provide offer a warranty between 20 and 25 years.

While it’s unfortunate that some solar companies and manufacturers are cutting corners and providing low quality products and customer service, remember that they are in the minority. If you ask questions and do some research, you will go solar with no problems.

Click here to view the original New York Times article, “Solar Industry Anxious Over Defective Panels.”

Students simply form a team of 2-4 friends and create an essay and video submission answering questions related to solar power and how it fits into today’s energy paradigm. Then, the winners each get $1K and an all-expense-paid trip to the U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon in Irvine, California.

Participation sign up deadline is June 15, 2013, and the project submission deadline is July 1, 2013.

Just watch the video for more details, or check out the specifics under our ‘News & Events’ section here: http://www.empower-solar.com/overview/empower-solar-student-competition/

Click here to view the embedded video.

In addition, Governor Cuomo has proposed a far more limited role for LIPA, and an expanded role for PSEG, including control over budgets and overall management. The goals of the changes are to have a more accountable and transparent utility structure, while maintaining the benefits of the lower debt payments associated with the non-profit LIPA holding company structure.

Impact on Solar Incentives
LIPA presently offers the most attractive solar incentives in New York State that help make solar an attractive investment for residential, commercial, and non-profit clients. So given the proposed changes to LIPA, what impact will it have on solar incentives?

While it is certainly possible that the specific incentive levels and rules might change, and historically incentives get reduced incrementally each year, we do not think there will be a dramatically reduced solar program. First and foremost, Governor Cuomo has demonstrated a significant commitment to developing solar in New York. In non-LIPA territory, The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) currently offers a solar rebate of $1.40/watt for commercial-scale solar systems, up to 50 kilowatts (kW) or $70,000, and 7kW for residential systems or $9,800. This is significantly lower than the solar rebates that are currently available in LIPA territory, which are capped at:

-$17,900 for purchased residential systems;
-$17,200 for leased residential systems;
-$172,000 for commercial-scale systems;
-$225,000 for non-profit, government, municipal, or educational customers;

However, NYSERDA’s rebates are still significant enough to drive solar growth (EmPower Solar is very active in Con-Ed territory with NYSERDA rebates).

For large scale solar projects, NYSERDA offers incentives for large scale net-metered systems, which compare favorably with LIPA’s Feed-In-Tariff Program. We anticipate that, under PSEG, LIPA customers will only be eligible for NYSERDA’s program, and not the robust incentives that are currently available today.

It is also important to note that PSEG has been commended for its commitment to solar energy in its New Jersey service territory, particularly through the release of their Solar 4 All program.

One specific concern is that the Governor also announced a rate freeze for three years. This might imply a reduction of budget available for renewable energy projects.

Take Advantage of LIPA’s Rebates Today
It is anticipated that the solar rebate available from LIPA for commercial and residential customers will stay at or near current levels throughout the rest of 2013. If you are currently considering acquiring solar power for your commercial facility or home, now is a great time to go solar and secure LIPA’s strong rebate funding.

To learn how you can go solar, call us today to set up a free consultation, (516) 837-3459.

There are so many reason Americans are stressed, and lately I’ve been reading about it a lot.

While mental health experts and bloggers continually tout prioritization, reorganization, and simply letting the small things go, I think the key is tackling problems head on to avoid them in the future.

What should be no surprise is that money, or its absence, is a huge stressor. And yes, most bills are like taxes. There will always be some you have to pay (at least for the next 20 years).

The good news: some bills can be cut dramatically including, wait for it, your electric bill.

Most homeowners just accept that an electric bill will arrive each month and they’ll have to pay this ever-increasing cost. I’m delighted to tell you, they’re wrong.

Now, thanks to utility, state, and federal rebates, as well as a solar lease, homeowners can significantly reduce or eliminate their electric bill with solar power.

“What? Use the sun to power my home,” you may ask.

Absolutely! And this can be accomplished with little to no money out of pocket so you can start saving immediately.

Are you intrigued? Have a bunch of questions? That’s great! Simply call or email us to connect with our solar experts and find out how solar can save you money, and reduce stress: info@empower-solar.com, or (516) 837-3459.

Hiring a solar contractor can be a challenging task, especially when limited time after work is spent caring for children and pets, and accomplishing more pressing tasks. Homeowners also want to protect themselves to  ensure they are making a reliable, long-term  investment after receiving the best service and products available.

At EmPower Solar, our goal is to make a difficult decision as easy as possible. To assist you in this process in becoming an educated consumer, we’ve composed a list of the Top 12 Topics to discuss when hiring a solar company. Every home is different and every homeowner has different priorities, but starting with these questions will simplify the process.

1. Company History: How long has the solar company been in business?  How many energy systems has it installed?

2. Company Licenses: Is the company properly licensed and insured?  Specifically, what licenses and insurance does it carry? Does the company carry liability insurance and workmen’s compensation coverage?

3. Subcontractors: Does the company subcontract? If so, what is the background of the subcontractor, and what work is performed?

4. Project Timeline: What is the timeline for design, permitting and installation?

5. Paperwork: Who handles the paper work for permits, solar rebates, and tax incentives?  Do I have to do that myself?

6. Engineer/Designer and Installation Team Qualifications:  Are there trained engineers and architects on the design team? What about the installation team? Are they NABCEP certified?

7. Solar Equipment: What type of solar panels and inverters are recommended?  How strong are the manufacturers financially? What is the contractor’s relationship with that manufacturer?

8. Installation Technique & Roof Impact: What method is used to attach the system to my home and will that violate my roof warranty?

9. Monitoring System: Is the system monitored remotely to make sure it’s functioning properly? Is the monitoring system included in the cost? Is consumption monitoring an option?

10. Historical System Performance: How accurate is your prediction of how much energy my system will produce?

11. Warranty: Who is responsible for system maintenance once it is up, or will you come back and check on it? What does the workmanship and panel warrantee include?

12. References: Can I talk to someone who already has a solar system installed by your company? What about someone who has required service work – was the company available in a timely fashion?

Once you finish interviewing solar contractors, it’s time to research references. EmPower has a series of YouTube Videos that highlight “EmPowered” homeowners sharing their solar experience. Upon request, we can also provide you with direct contact information for families who have chosen to go solar with EmPower. We’re especially proud of our response to those impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

Additionally, Renewable Energy Long Island (ReLI), a non-profit energy advocacy organization, has a network of hundreds of homeowners who have gone solar and are ready to tell their stories. Access that network to discover what homeowners liked best about their contractor what they wished they did differently.

Certainly not all solar companies are the same. When comparing companies and pricing, it’s critical to put apples next to apples, and not lemons. Take into account what products, services, and guarantees are offered. Consider the skill and certification levels of employees. The installation becomes a critical part of your home or building that should produce clean kilowatt hours for many years to come. It is a  long term investment.

The EmPower Solar team could talk until your face turns blue about why we are the #1 solar contractor on Long Island and New York City, ­­but we won’t. We value the health of our employees too much. However, we do feel obligated to provide homeowners  with the information and tools necessary to make educated decisions about selecting their solar provider so please contact us with any and all questions: Sales@Empower-Solar.com (or) 516-837-3459.

Former Vice President Al Gore, seen on the big screen, spoke at the LIA luncheon on March 8.

Taking action against climate change was just one topic former Vice President Al Gore discussed at the Long Island Association Annual Luncheon on March 8. The political, business, and environmental visionary also shared his decision to enlist in Vietnam war, the best lesson he’s ever learned, and economic inequality in America during a sit-down with Kevin Law, LIA president and chief executive.

EmPower Solar, one of many sponsors at the event, gladly attended and here are some memorable Gore quotes and comments from the event:

POLITICS

The vice president’s role is “totally dependent” on the person’s direct relationship with the president.

On his relationship with President Bill Clinton: “It’s cliché to say we were like brothers . . . but we were.”

Number one learning experience from a business standpoint: pick the right partners.

On Vietnam: “There were plenty of ways to get out of the draft,” he said. Many other Harvard students didn’t want to participate in the war, but he felt called to serve his country rather than just sit by and watch others risk their lives for his freedom.

He believes the democratic system is “magic” when it’s working the way it was intended.

“There is virtually no reform of any kind that can pass the House today,” he said, because of the power of money and votes.

“I’m a recovering politician. I’m on step nine,” he said on not running for president in 2016.

COMMUNICATION

Thomas Payne was the J.K. Rowling of the 1800s.

Information consumption has changed dramatically since the 1800s. Now, the average person is rarely heard, he said. The Thomas Payne era has ended.

“The problem today is that facts have become battlegrounds,” he said. The general population is only hearing people with large microphones who are ignoring facts.

He believes the digital revolution is still in its early stage.

CLIMATE CHANGE

He hopes that regardless of party affiliation that people will be moved by what they hear enough to act.

He said several times that the LIA should be speaking up about global warming legislation and support putting a price on carbon.

“We’re having once in a thousand year [destructive environmental] events every year,” he said, referring to homes flooding in Nashville, where he lives, as well as Superstorm Sandy.

He said that people criticized him when the World Trade Center memorial was flooded in an “An Inconvenient Truth,” released in 2006, but his prediction came true sooner than suspected during Superstorm Sandy.

“Pollution is free. Pollution is invisible . . . just use the skies as a sewer.” Gore said this adding that’s how many still think.

His focus today is educating and fighting climate change. The goal is to “win the conversation” on climate change, he said.

BACKGROUND

Al Gore is the author of several bestselling books, the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, and the co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He is currently on the Board of Directors of Apple, Chairman of the Climate Reality Projects, Chairman of Generation Investment Management, and Senior Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. He was previously elected to the U.S. House of Representatives four times and the U.S. Senate twice. Gore then served eight years as the 45th Vice President of the United States. He was a central member of President Bill Clinton’s economic team and the leader of a wide range of administrative initiatives.

It was a cold and windy day, but the speakers at the “Forward on Climate” rally ignited passion and energy for the movement. Specifically, we asked the President to reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline planned to run from Alberta, Canada to Texas and to take real action instead to prevent climate change.

Aside from highlighting the fact that millions of Americans will sit in front of a T.V. featuring nothing for more than 30 minutes, the blackout also magnified our uncontrollable reliance on electricity and the need for backup power.

In the 21st century, the utility cannot always keep up with electricity demand, and the demand will continue to rise. But, there is an answer to the pressing dilemma–solar power.

Solar power is now generating power for homes, municipalities, and more recently, sports stadiums. In fact, the 49ers will soon be going solar with SunPower panels (offered by yours truly).

“. . .Eco-friendly fans and city leaders in New Orleans are competing to maximize sustainability practices to the fullest,” states the U.S. Department of Energy. They have added more than 26,000 LED lights in and outside the stadium, but they have failed to adopt solar and battery backup options — a move that was blatantly apparent last night.

Incidentally, the Super Bowl was a success for a new reasons this year–highlighting the need for grid reliability, a goal that can be achieved with solar power.

The lease allows customers to immediately reduce or eliminate their electric bill and pay a simple solar payment that is up to 50 percent lower than their current fee. And, with a 20 year warranty offered by SunPower, the solar panel manufacturer, customers are guaranteed to save big.

The solar lease is a unique product. A third party financing company owns the system, uses the rebates and tax incentives to purchase the system and subsequently offers a low-cost monthly payment to homeowners. EmPower’s lease partner is SunPower Corporation, the same company that manufactures the panels.

While the solar lease is new to Long Island, it has become an extremely popular choice for residents in California—the first state to approve the solar loan. According to a recent Forbes article, “How Solar is Democratizing Solar for the 99%”, nearly two-thirds of solar customers opted to lease their system in 2011.

Similarly, EmPower Solar has also seen a significant amount of customers go solar with the lease in New York City, where this financing option was made available earlier this year.

With the lease in LIPA territory, you can look forward to reducing or eliminating your $200+ electric bill and immediately roll into monthly savings of $100 or more with the program’s low monthly payments. With an average residential system, you will save over $1,000 a year.

Additional benefits include:

-25% tax credit of $5,000, paid out over multiple years
-20-year SunPower production guarantee
-The most powerful panels on the planet

With the elimination (or extensive reduction) of their electric bill, this will results in huge savings for homeowners.

For immediate inquiries, please call our sales department at 516-837-3459×1. If you haven’t worked with one of our representatives already, you may contact our Sales Associate, Ali DeCarlo, directly by e-mail at adecarlo@empower-solar.com.

We look forward to EmPowering you.

David Schieren and Neal Lewis discuss the "Future of Clean Energy on Long Island" at the 2012 Smart Growth Summit on Nov. 16.

“If you don’t grow, you die,” said Donald Monti, of Renaissance Downtowns, at the Vision Long Island Smart Growth Summit on Nov. 16. Rebuilding right was the focus of the event that drew politicians and business owners from throughout the island, but this year, Sandy also took center stage.

While Steven Kreiger, a commercial developer at Engel Burman, implored that houses on the Long Beach canals need to be lifted to prevent future flooding, David Schieren, CEO of EmPower Solar, urged residential and commercial solar installations as essential to grid reliability.

The grid, lamented Neal Lewis, of the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, was “shaken” by Sandy’s impact. This, he said, may lead to the dismantling of the Long Island Power Authority. “You can’t ask what LIPA will do in the future,” he said, “because LIPA may not exist.”

According to Lewis, who is also a LIPA board member, while the communication breakdown by LIPA was a colossal failure, he praised the organization for its attempt to restore power to hundreds of thousands of people. It’s unfortunate, he suggested, that the “Herculean effort by LIPA will not be remembered.”

While Long Islanders are quick to pounce on comments that praise LIPA after sitting in their darkened homes for weeks, Lewis said that New York City politicians did have some positive words for the organization’s restoration in the Rockaways, but there is only a one-sided story in the media that pictures everything as a failure, he added.

Due to the unprecedented nature of Sandy, LIPA was unprepared, but, said Lewis, there are ways to improve grid reliability in addition to utilizing renewable resources. Wood utility poles can be replaced with metal ones, which did not fall during the storm, and some electrical lines, like those powering hospitals, police stations and the Long Island Railroad, can be transition from above to underground.

It is clear, more than ever before, that Long Island needs to rebuild right, said Schieren, and solar will play a major role. Backup power, he said, will also be at the forefront and EmPower Solar is ready to provide these services.