Solar

So - I asked my friend about her solar panels, and she said that she has no idea how they work, or how they do what they do, but she did say that her electric bill this month was $2.00

That's right. $2.00. As in, the same amount that newspaper bicycle kid was nagging on about in Better Off Dead. Two Dollars.

That's really un-believable! She also said that the previous owners had paid $15,000 to do the solar panels to their home, and that they get money back in their taxes for doing it. But, the previous owners took the tax credit thing with them and didn't give it to my friend, the new owner of the home. Its apparently a credit they can claim for the next few years. Shouldn't that have come with the price of the home? Well anyway, I guess thats none of my business, or really the point of the matter. The point is that for an investment of $15,000, of which, you get some amount back every year in a tax credit, your electric bill possibly goes down to $2.00 a month, plus, and here's the true value -- you are doing something great for the earth by using solar energy. That's beyond cool.

Welcome!

I've been kickin around this idea for a while -- To write a blog about "Going Green" from the perspective of one who has No Clue what that is, or means, or how the heck to do it. I mean, I have some idea. But not a Big Idea. Not enough so I can talk about green things with people who are already green savvy and not sound like a complete idiot.

So - I will tell you a bit about myself: I live in the Garden State - NJ - but just last spring actually did my first bit of gardening. My neighboor, Judy, has a wonderful Green Thumb, and she came over and helped me plant some really beautiful flowers next to my driveway. And miracle of miracles -- they Lived! Up until then, anything I ever planted turned black and died within just a few days. But these lovelies lasted all spring and summer long. So I was hooked. With gardening. And now this spring I've planted some new lovelies and am eagerly waiting for them to bloom.

But I digress... I was telling you about my Going Green idea.

So - I was thinking -- I have all these questions about environmentalism. Truly, I am without a clue on so many things. Like, down the street from me, there is a house with solar panels on its roof. Now, I realize that solar energy is not new, and I understand that the reason for it, is because using the sun for energy is truly better than using other things for energy... But like, how does it all work? And how much does it cost? And what about it is the draw to do something like that to your home? Can the average person do it, or do you need to be quite well off to even Think about it?

So this blog will be my journey into researching all kinds of green things. How things are done. Why. How much it costs.

Join Me!