SOLAR TODAY - November/December 2008

If you ask for any action from your representative, demand that they get their fingers out of the till, end government interference, and let us, “we the people,” get on with it.

Cut my taxes some more and I just might be able to afford a nice bird-safe Oy Windside wind generator, solar thermal panels, and more insulation, reducing my need for bio-heat oil and stove wood.

James Wolfe

Bradford, R.I. jwolfe@wildwolfe.com

Selling
My Solar Home?

I find Richard and Yoko Crume’s article in the September/October SOLAR TODAY issue especially timely (see “Low-Energy Housing for Aging Boomers”). We have lived in a solar-envelope house in southern New Hampshire for the past two decades. As a retiring clinical social worker, I would love to live in a community of like-minded ecological individuals. To be in close proximity to services and be able to be carless is especially appealing. Are you aware of any resources that I can contact to sell my home? We are downsizing and have already

gone through traditional realtors who are not quite savvy in marketing solar homes.

Joanne C. rhodes

Sharon, N.H. joannechowrhodes@yahoo.com

Richard Crume responds:

Thanks for writing about our article, and I am happy you found it interesting. I have read that energy-efficient homes sell for $8,000 to $10,000 more than traditional homes — the trick is to find the right buyer who is not afraid to move into a home that is a little different from the status quo.

Finding an agent who is comfortable with solar, energy-efficient technology is essential. Try calling your state’s energy office (they probably have a solar energy program) and ask if they can recommend an agent. Or call local solar energy vendors or the state real estate agent association to see who they recommend. Be sure to have some literature at your house that describes the money-saving features of solar energy, and try advertising in any local or regional magazines that promote a healthy lifestyle. I hope this is helpful, and good luck with selling your house! r

E-mail us at info@solartoday.org. Letters may be edited for length and clarity and may be published in any medium.

Re News

Continued from page 25

Suntechnics Folds into
Conergy Brand

In conjunction with a global restructuring spearheaded by Conergy’s headquarters in Germany, the Conergy Americas region is consolidating the Sun Technics and Conergy brands under a single name. Internal reorganization of the two companies has been underway for a year to streamline operations and take advantage of significant economies of scale. The single brand will be integrated completely by year end.

“A single-brand strategy gives us the opportunity to increase brand visibility and position ourselves as the go-to company to anyone in the market for solar electricity,” said Kim McLawhorn, CEO of Conergy Americas.

Conergy’s large distribution network of solar energy solution providers meets the needs of residential, off-grid and small commercial customers. Conergy’s new Projects Group, formerly Sun Technics, focuses exclusively on commercial-scale projects.

“We are currently finishing construction of a 3-megawatt project in Pennsylvania and we have several multi-megawatt projects under way,” said Sarah Hetznecker, sales director of the Projects Group. “This is a unique skill set. Not everyone can do large projects successfully.”

Continued on page 75

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