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Go Solar in Arizona
Energy Efficient Solar Homes

What is an Energy Efficient Solar Home?

1. Cooling and Sealing a Buildings Energy Envelope - Due to the climate in Arizona, an energy efficient home needs to utilize radiant barriers to keep the sun's UR radiation out of the building's attic. A solar attic fan should be installed to pull hot air out of the attic and replace it with cooler air.
   
   Reducing the operating temperature of the attic makes it easier for the AC unit to cool the air both inside the ac unit as well as the air ducts that transfer the air throughout the house. These practices lower the attic temperature where many air handlers are located and keeps heat from entering the buildings energy envelope.
2. Heat Water with Solar Energy - The second step is to use the sun's energy to heat the water with a solar thermal hot water heater. Heating your water 24-hours a day requires a lot of energy. Heating and storing water until it is ready to be used will save a lot of money, especially if you have an electric water heater.
3. Produce Free Clean Solar Power - Once you have reduced as much energy as possible, the building can then use photovoltaic (PV) solar energy modules to generate free electricity from the sun.
4. The Result is an Energy Efficient Solar Home -While the science to convert sunlight directly into electricity and solar thermal to generate hot water from the sun has been around for decades, in recent years both the technology and economics have improved for solar energy systems, and now these systems are becoming mainstream.

   Combining the energy production potential of solar with energy efficiency technologies allows homeowners to get more out of their solar power, saving them more money while reducing their carbon footprint.

Energy Efficient Solar Home Make Good Cents in Arizona

1. Get paid for energy efficiency - Homes from builders participating in Arizona Green Building Programs should be at least 15 percent more efficient than current state building standards, and builders are encouraged to achieve 30 percent greater efficiency. Arizona's utilities offer additional incentives to meet these efficiency levels. Moreover, if a particular PV system generates more electricity than the home needs in that moment, the utility company credits the homeowner's account through a program called "Net Metering."
2. Protect against rising energy costs - Energy efficiency and solar energy give homeowners more energy independence because they are better protected against rising energy costs. Solar homes generate power when electricity is the most expensive.
3. Further, solar homeowners can be assured that their solar system works because they are backed with a 25-year system warranty. A solar home with high energy efficiency features offers homeowners:
   • Clean, renewable energy;
   • Utility bill savings; and
   • Protection against rising electricity costs in the future.
4. Earn tax credits - Solar homes also qualify for a federal income tax credit of up to 30 percent of the system's cost through 2016. Energy efficiency measures may qualify the home for an additional federal tax credits. Learn more about these tax credits by visiting www.energystar.gov/taxcredits.
5. Good for the Environment - Best of all, buying an energy efficient solar home is one of the most significant personal actions one can take to cut air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. PV systems not only help conserve precious energy resources for future generations, but also reduce California?s need to construct costly new power plants.

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More Links to Learn about Solar:

• What is an Energy Efficient Solar Home?

• What is Solar Thermal Hot Water Heater?

• What is Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Array?

• Top 10 Reasons to Go Solar in Arizona

• Call a Local Solar Installation Company

• Advertise on Go Solar in Arizona

• Read Up on Solar Products and Services

• Become an Arizona Solar Advocate

• Build Your Own Solar Community Outreach Program

• Find a Solar Subject Matter Expert

• Take a Solar Training Course to Learn about Solar Energy

• Find a Solar Job

• Support an Arizona Solar Feed-in Tariff

• Promote Energy Efficiency 203k Green Home Mortgages

• Create Green Building Programs for Your City

• Create a Solar Builder Reognition Program for Your City

• Streamline Solar Permits with Incentives and Rebate Options

• Create Solar Educational & Resource Assistance Programs

• Monitor Fraud with the Arizona Solar Watch Dog Program