November 14th, 2007

A Bright Idea: Sun Run Eases Solar Sticker Shock

by Jessica Jensen

Thinking about getting solar on your roof, but facing sticker shock? According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar systems for homes begin around $25,000 but can easily go higher depending on the size of a house and the amount of power they generate. (We wish the government incentives were better for solar– but hey, that’s a topic for another blog.)

We have come across an interesting company that is working to get solar power to more homes and make it affordable for the homeowners.

California-based Sun Run is the first company to make solar power a reality for homeowners who thought they couldn’t afford it. Through a service that works in a similar way to the electricity package homeowners currently have with local utilities, Sun Run owns and maintains the panels, not the homeowner. This approach eliminates the hefty upfront cost for the homeowner.

For example, Redwood City, Calif. resident Francoise Bourzat, an early Sun Run customer, wanted to reduce her family’s dependence on fossil fuels and get solar power on her roof, but struggled with questions like how to go about it, how to maintain it and — most important — how to pay for it?  Sun Run guided Bourzat through the installation process, purchased the best panels for her home and guaranteed maintenance on those panels for 20 years. “We found Sun Run to be the most cost-effective and hassle-free way to go solar,” she said. For Bourzat Sun Run reduced her upfront cost by more than 66%.

Currently Sun Run is only available in Northern California, but they are planning rapid expansion.  You can find more info at their website, www.sunrunhome.com.

October 5th, 2007

Eco-who? Eco-Me. These Green Home Cleaning Kits Are Swell!

by Monica Schenk

Move over Method - we love Eco-Me home kits for so many reasons. These do-it-yourself home cleaning kits empower consumers to make their own chemical-free cleaning products using ingredients found right in your kitchen. They provide reusable containers, scrub brushes, cleaning cloths, essential oil and easy how-to instructions for making your own cleaning products at home.  What makes them so great?  We’ll tell you.

• – We love the creativity and flexibility.
• – If you don’t like vinegar, just use lemon juice (and so on).
• – We love reusing containers. Reusing is 99% more effective than recycling at reducing waste, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
• – We love the familiarity of the ingredients.  Since 1950, 70,000 new chemical compounds have been invented and dispersed into our environments and only a fraction have been tested for human toxicity, says the Eco-Me news page.
• – We love the essential oil. The combination of tea tree, lavender, lemongrass and rosemary smells like a clean spa oasis.

You can find Eco-Me home kits and other Eco-Me products in our product directory or go to their website at  www.eco-me.com/.