Solar Panel Reporter Podcast
By Solar Panel Reporter Podcast
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Podcast Description
How much does a real solar system cost to install? How much electricity will they produce? Who can you trust to tell you about the downside of having a solar panel system? Where can you go to get solar panel experts help? - - Your questions about Solar Panel Systems are answered in the Solar Panel Reporter podcast - a service of SolarPanelReporter.com a website for those who own, install or make solar panels ... or might want to... fields all across the world.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
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| 1 | CleanVideoPay For Solar For How Long? | How Long Will It Take To Pay For These Solar Panels? Good Question -- And Kevin Kraft, a homeowner in New Jersey has worked out his calculations. If you are thinking about it yourself, you'll be glad you took a moment to check in with Kevin & Holly as they talk about their own home. Let's face it, those solar panels do not come for free. In this episode, Kevin Kraft says with confidence that the finance of thier solar panel system is somehting he has carefully considered. The Kraft family solar panel project seems to be motivated by much more than the finance cost. So it is important to get a clear understanding that they are not forgetting about the money. Well, that's just what Kevin and Holly Kraft have been thinking about. Watch now in this short piece of our interview the way that Kevin explains this important part of any solar installation. "How Long Will We Pay For These Solar Panels?" | 14 4 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | CleanVideoSolar Panel Installer For New Jersey Family Home | Find all episodes at http://www.SolarPanelReporter.com In this segment you will get the secret key to getting started right from Kevin and Holly Kraft. It was getting a qualified solar panel installer to give them a proper evaluation. Here in this episode, we hear important pointers that make all the difference. See for yourself what a quality first step toward installing solar panels looks like when you watch this part of our interview. Then come over to SolarPanelReporter.Com and request your own evaluation. If you have started to consider solar panel system, then get started right. Put your information in our form and we'll get you what you need to make yourself a solar panel system owner. If you want to help us promote our work, please leave a review with lots of stars at iTunes. We Thank You! | 9 4 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 3 | CleanVideoSolar Panels On The Roof - Ugly? Dangerous? | Holly Kraft talks about a couple things she is considering about putting solar panels on her roof. What about the way they are going to look? Probably okay. Maybe even a good new style could result. It's hard to say ahead of time, but Holly seems upbeat looking forward to seeing them up there. What about safety? This is a question for sure. We heard from Matt Morra in our interview with a Solar Panel Installer at SolarPanelReporter.com that there are strict building codes for this. Mr Morra explained that there had to be a written plan. After the plan was approved by local authorities and a permit given to the installer, there would be inspections by the local authorities that the plans had been followed. That all should address Hally Kraft's questions about safety. But does it? Watch this short episode for yourself and then stop by SolarPanelReporter.com and leave a comment or a note. | 26 3 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 4 | CleanVideoA Good Investment -- For Now And The Next Homeowner Too | The investment into installing solar panels pays out over the coming twenty to thirty years. The equipment manufacturers warranty their pieces for most or all of that range. Though no one has used the present technology for that long yet. Payments for the electricity the solar panels make will come from the utility company. The investment then gets evaluated by how quickly the cost gets paid back. How quick will that be? And how much money will come out after the real total cost is paid back? For sure the question Kevin asks about what the next homeowner might value the original investment is a great one. What do you think? Are you going to want your next home to have a soalr panel system already up and running before you move into it? | 26 3 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 5 | CleanVideoThis Solar Panel System Will Pay For Itself | Kevin Kraft directly says what he feels is going to happen. A solar panel system on their home will pay for itself. | 26 3 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 6 | CleanVideoHolly Kraft Has Some Great Questions About Solar Panel Installation | Solar panel installers will have a lot of information for you. Ask them! In this episode, Holly Kraft asks a few questions. Can you answer them? Please drop us a line at editor@solarpanelreporter.com | 21 3 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 7 | CleanVideoOne Reason Kevin Says He Might Not Go For It | "Down the road, the investment we make today into a solar panel system could pay off. But after a period of time, that investment will be used up." After 20 or thirty years or so, Kevin thinks. That is a substantial period of time. So, it seems his comments are a bit 'tongue in cheek' and he is really sure that his family is going to get full and real value. The finances of getting a solar panel installation to work are not trivial. There are a lot of factors and several participants. The money is not small either. It may be more than thirty of even forty thousand dollars total cost to complete the Kraft solar panel installation. Will all of that money come from sources that do not 'cost' the Kraft family finances. No. So there are serious concerns and we encourage you to drop your comments into the discussion. We also answer all questions at editor@soalrpanelreporter.com We will have more episodes with Kevin & Holly Kraft soon. Sure. We'll go with that. | 13 3 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 8 | CleanVideoSRECs & More | There is a lot to learn about when it comes to solar panel systems. In this episode, Kevin explains a bit about one of the key funding programs know by the letters SREC -- he says 'S-Rack'. We're keen to discover what you are doing to get educated about solar panels -- other than listening to and watching our podcast. Comments and Questions can be sent to editor@solarpanelreporter.com | 8 3 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 9 | CleanVideoKevin is Convinced He's Got theNumbers | Here is Kevin Kraft with a brief statement on his expectation of the solar panel funding numbers in New Jersey. | 8 3 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 10 | CleanVideoWhat About Your Own Objections? | Is there a question holding you back? In this episode, Kevin Kraft gets into the one thing that bothers him about putting a solar panel system on his roof. If you have started to consider getting a solar panel system for your home or business, you will appreciate his thoughts. Keep those comments and questions coming in to us. We will be using them to help us shape our future interviews. The email address is editor@solarpanelreporter.com If this podcast is interesting and useful to you, the best way you can help us out is with review at iTunes | 27 2 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 11 | CleanVideoWhy Isn't Solar Hot? | Solar Panels are Not Such A Big Thing So; "Think Smaller" is how Holly puts it. There is a lot to understand if you are going to make the decision to install a solar panel system on your own home. For many people, the idea can be quite overwhelming. So for Holly Raye Kraft, her interest in getting informed carried her through the initial experience of approaching the "Big Idea." Once she had the opportunity to get more familiar with the terms and concepts -- as the result of a meeting with Matt Morra ( featured in another interview series here on SolarPanelReporter.com ) the idea didn't seem to be such a big one. So Solar is Too Big An Idea. It is Too Different for them to appreciate... or what? Maybe it is Too something and that is one of the main reasons why solar isn't much of a hot topic. What Makes Solar So Un-interesting Anyway? No Down Payment Nobody seems to care that in nearly 1/2 of States in the United States a homeowner can get a solar panel system installed with zero downpayment. Maintenance Free They do not appreciate that a solar panel system works without maintenance for 25 to 30 years. Lower Electric Bill They do not value the immediate reduction in their electric bill. Reward Payments They never heard of getting receiving reward payments (in New Jersey they are called SREC certificates) that are worth over $600 a piece -- and that the average homeowner will get 6 every year. None of that. It's Just A Boring Subject... Oh well... Kevin has been finding that the people he tells about their project have little or no response. He can't say why that is other than that people maybe think that he is telling about it because he is motivated by some financial opportunity from promoting solar panels. But they just don't get much reaction from people one way or another. That is a key question for the solar energy industry. What makes solar so uninteresting? Solar is just not controversial. Nobody is marching against the expanded use of solar panels. Not like they are against the installation of windmills. The wind energy lobby loses a lot of sleep answering complaints that the equipment makes a 'humming or a whirring sound' and that the blades knock birds out of the sky. Nobody complains about solar panels with any of those kinds of complaints. Most people have nothing to say at all. Give it a test for yourself: Walk out your front door on a pleasant sunny day. You can easily find people who will complain that the weather is too warm or not warm enough or too windy or too dry or that those few clouds look like rain is coming. But not so about solar -- unless they are directly emplyed by the solar industry. Kevin seems to have it right when he says people are challenged to accepts something new. It may not be until people see solar panel systems on the roof of their neighbors' house. Then the idea will reach people directly in a form that will make them interested. Holly said she broke it down into elements and made it a smaller thing for herself. What Are Your Thoughts About Solar? We encourage you to write us with your thoughts on why solar gets so little attention. If you are starting your own solar project, we would also like to share your story so others can learn more from your experience. Write us at editor@solarpanelreporter.com as soon as you can! | 12 2 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 12 | CleanVideoWhat's the 'Catch'? | There Has To Be A Catch! Kevin and Holly Kraft gave a candid interview to Solar Panel Reporter. We asked them about the way people respond to hearing about their plans to 'Go Solar'. Well, it seems that they aren't too curious or excited about it. They don't seem against it. They don't seem to be for it. It's sort of like they don't really know what to make of it. Isn't that interesting? Our audience is certainly interested and curious in the Kraft family experience. And you will be well rewarded when you hear this segment of our first interview. Beyond telling about how people have responded to the news, Holly and Kevin explain the benefits they expect to get from using solar. They point out that there are several benefits that are available right now. Some of those benefits and the most beneficial leverage is going to the projects that begin producing energy the soonest. We are eager to get feedback from you and hope you will write a review of Solar Panel Reporter podcast at iTunes and comments at SolarPanelReporter.MyPodcastWorld.com to let us know how we are doing. - Sonny Days | 11 2 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 13 | CleanVideoDiscover the Process - Kevin & Holly Raye Kraft Are Having A Solar Panel System Installed | Our Third Segment at the Kraft Home Here is the third segment of our interview with Kevin and Holly Kraft. They are just getting started and you are invited to come along and hear from them what they are experiencing as they begin the process of getting solar panels installed on their home. Home Depot and BP Solar have recently upgraded their efforts to spread the word about solar. The Krafts live in New Jersey where the state goverment is very strongly supporting the industry. Our recent interview with Andres Salas who works at PSEG - the electrical utility the Krafts use - has several key details about the financial aspects of a solar panel system. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please send your emails to editor@solarpanelreporter. | 7 2 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 14 | CleanVideoJust Getting Started - 2nd of a Series of Interviews | Solar Panel Reporter interviewed Kevin Kraft & Holly Raye Kraft -- they are starting the process of getting a solar panel system for their own home. Home Depot solar panel expert, Matt Morra, is guiding them as they work out a plan for solar energy. In this episode, Holly recounts her thoughts about getting started -- from first hearing of Kevin's discovery of the Home Depot program though her first meeting with Matt Morra. | 1 2 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 15 | CleanVideoHome Owners Kevin Kraft & Holly Raye Kraft -- Getting Started with Solar | Just Getting Started -- 1st of a Series of Interviews Solar Panel Reporter interviewed Kevin Kraft & Holly Raye Kraft -- they are starting the process of getting a solar panel system for their own home. Home Depot solar panel expert, Matt Morra, is guiding them as they work out a plan for solar energy. | 20 1 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanSolar Loan Program at PSEG with Andres Salas - Solar Program Lead | What Does It Take To Qualify For A Loan? Well, if you are financing a solar panel system in the area served by PSEG... it's not all that difficult. In this episode, Mr Andres Salas, Solar Program Lead for PSEG, will explain the simple requirements. Download this episode and listen through it right away. Why? Because the funding program has limits. No surprise there. Specifically, the limits are tied to the total sum of loans -- by type of project -- within each fiscal/calendar quarter of the year. And as my life insurance salesman recently joked, "If you look as good on the inside as you do on the outside... I think we could get you a better policy." In terms that relate to the PSEG financing offer, it means that the earlier a plan gets submitted, the better the overall terms.That is revealed in the Solar Developer Presentation (link to the PDF is at SolarPanelReporter.com) You want to take a look there to read about the step-wise SREC base rate plan they have. Visit the PSEG website in the Solar Program area for general details. Go to this link for the Solar Developer Presentation on the complete details of the PSEG Solar Loan II Program which Andres Salas leads. There are good lists of helpful resources at the Board Of Public Utilities - New Jersey - website (we said BPU in the audio). The site with the list of companies interested in solar -- what they refer to as 'Trade Allys' is on the New Jersey Clean Energy website. Mr Andres Salas is an excellent source of information and we are sure you will get tremendous value from listening to this episode. | 11 1 10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 17 | CleanVideoHow Much Does A Solar Panel System Cost? | The usual answer is that it depends... As it turns out that is a reasonably fair answer. It is the same as asking how long it takes to mow the lawn. There are a few factors to consider. So it is with solar panel system. Okay; Fair enough. But still... Can we narrow it down a bit?? Yes; We can -- Thanks to Matthew Morra, a member of Green Energy People. He answers the question directly and clearly. Here you go: | 7 12 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 18 | CleanVideoSolar Panel Funding for More Than 100% | It looks like it DOES add up! We added up all the funding sources and it looks like a homeowner in New Jersey (and some other states too) can actually get MORE than 100% of the money needed to get a solar panel system. How? Well, it all adds up -- Listen to Mr Matthew Morra explain it to you. Then go to our Guidance & Assistance page. Fill out the form and you will get a call to start the ball rolling for your house. | 7 12 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 19 | CleanVideoWhat Equipment Do You Get Installed When You Get A Solar Panel System? | Are you getting good quality, top-of-the-line equipment? Or are you getting the cheapest components that the guy could find? Well, who even knew that you could ask such questions. We didn't until a friend asked us to find out from Matthew Morra. Mr Morra represents BP Solar and helps customers of The Home Depot who are interested in getting solar panel systems. Since Mr Morra is out driving across New Jersey and talking with people every day on the subject, we put the question to him and got a clear answer. Take a listen. | 7 12 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 20 | CleanVideoWill My Solar Panel System Charge Batteries? | What About Batteries? What about storing the electricity you use right there at your own home? Is that possible too? According to the research we have done the answer is clearly, "Yes." But if you take advantage of the opportunity to get a system with "No Out of Pocket" costs from The Home Depot and BP Solar, you will not need batteries. You will not need them because your home will stay connected to the utility line. The energy you do not use when the sun is shining will spin your electric meter backwards. The watts you send into the utility line will be subtracted from the ones you take out at other times. The goal of the system will be to get the net number at the end of a thirty day cycle to be as close to zero as possible. We interviewed Matt Morra who represents BP Solar as part of his work with the Green Energy Team -- the organization behind The Home Depot's solar system installations. | 7 12 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 21 | CleanVideoHow Do Solar Panels Work? | Do You Know How Solar Panels Work? The qestion, "How do solar panels work?" seems like such a basic one. Solar panels are in the news all the time. Every few weeks the President will make one announcement or another about renewable energy. Almost without fail the news involves the installation of solar panels or solar collection systems. So if they are showing up all over the place why is it that there aren't many people who know how a solar panel really works. | 15 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 22 | CleanVideoWhat If Our Solar Panels Break? | What about repairing a broken solar panel? Can a solar panel system break? Who knows what it takes to repair one if it does? You can believe that there are not many people who have answers to that question. Here is how one expert - Matthew Morra, from the Green Energy People, answered our question. | 15 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 23 | CleanVideoSolar Panel Funding for More Than 100% | Go to our Guidance & Assistance page > Fill out the form> You will get a call to start the ball rolling for your house right now | 14 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 24 | CleanVideoToo Good To Be True? | Maybe the folks at The Home Depot and their friends at BP Solar are just playing a fast one. The opportunity in New Jersey - and some other states - to get a solar panel system not only for free, but that will actually SAVE you money off of your electric bill AND PAY you THOUSANDS of DOLLARS over the coming years -- isn't this story just a BIT too good to be true?!!? We put that question to Matthew Morra. He's on the Green Energy Team / BP Solar / The Home Depot team. He says; "No. It's not too good to be true. It is for real." Click Play to hear him for yourself. | 13 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 25 | CleanVideoWill The Electric Utility Be Fair? | Who's to say that the utility company will play fair in their dealings with the homeowner? What's to stop them from taking the electricity and skipping out on payments? Are those questions too far fetched? Maybe; But we put them to Mr Matthew Morra to get his response. He represents BP Solar as part of his work with the Green Energy Team. That is the organization behind The Home Depot's solar system installation systems. Since they are among the leaders in this business, it would be instructional to hear his answer. | 12 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 26 | CleanVideoWhat is an Interconnect? | An interconnect agreement is the statement of your right to generate electricity and the utility company's acceptance of that energy into their lines. Well, basically... To hear a professional answer the question; Click the Play arrow below. Matthew Morra represents BP Solar as part of his work with the Green Energy Team. He is a part of the organization behind The Home Depot's solar system installation systems. | 12 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 27 | CleanVideoDoes The Homeowner Need A Lawyer? | Do You Need To Consult An Attorney? If there are building permits, utility company agreements, SREC certificates, financial documents, and lots of other written communication moving around ... should you get a lawyer to look everything over? The short answer is: It's up to you. The answer given by Mr Matthew Morra who represents The Home Depot/BP Solar as part of the Green Energy Team is certainly worth hearing. Click Play and hear it for yourself. | 11 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 28 | CleanVideoIs Warranty Coverage Included? | Likely these systems will not last forever. What kind of protection do you get to be sure that the equipment works for more than the first couple of years? Typical consumer electronics have a warranty for the first year or two. Solar panel systems ought to have at least that much. Other items that we purchase as homeowners such as furnaces, hot water heaters, air conditioners -- they all have at least one year warranty coverage. Well, good to find out that BP Solar gives a twenty-five year equipment warranty from the moment of installation. That is reassuring since we really have no way to discover whether the materials and methods they are using to manufacturer the equipment will be durable enough. A twenty-five year warranty is not too common in equipment for residential installation. The other side of the coin is the workmanship of the installation and any effects the system could have on a house. It would be a good thing to have coverage for that too, if possible. Though it's not too likely that many of the smaller firms who are doing solar panel installation can afford to guarantee their workmanship beyond a short intial period of usage after installation. When Matthew Morra, the BP Solar representative in New Jersey answered our questions about waranty coverage, we were a bit surprised. According to the BP Solar / The Home Depot offering, homeowners will get ten years of full service coverage for the solar panel systems they install. Now that is a warranty -- particularly because The Home Depot is putting their name on the paper. Take a listen to this part of our interview and then fill out the form on the Guidance & Assistance page, "Will You Qualify" so you can get started. This is a rare opportunity for a homeowner. | 11 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 29 | CleanVideoDo You Need Plans or Permits? | Do you need plans on paper or some kind of permits or licensing to get a solar system? Three Questions /Three Answers: Yes; Yes; Yes! ... usually! Sure; There are clear and easy to follow guidelines for getting solar systems up and running. "Easy" for the people who have done it more than a couple times, that is. So be sure that you get plans and permits and get written proof that the people doing the work have a license (maybe even insurance!) for the work on your solar panel system. To get the straight story, we interviewed Matt Morra who represents BP Solar as part of his work with the Green Energy Team. That is the organization behind The Home Depot's solar system installation systems. | 10 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 30 | CleanVideoWho Protects The Solar Panel Homeowner? | These are big things. It means big money must be moving around too. So; with all this money moving around, how can a homeowner have a chance to get a fair deal? And; Who is standing up for the homeowner's rights in all of this? Since there are a lot of people who want to know the answers to these questions; we interviewed Matt Morra who represents BP Solar as part of his work with the Green Energy Team. That is the organization behind The Home Depot's solar system installation systems. And he gave us a straight answer. | 9 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 31 | CleanVideoWhat if the Roof Leaks or the Solar Panel Breaks? | Who is responsible to fix the roof or get the system up and running again? Get this answered by anybody who is talking with you about putting a system on your roof! We interviewed Matthew Morra who represents BP Solar as part of his work with the Green Energy Team. That is the organization behind The Home Depot's solar system installation systems. He is going to tell you that BP Solar has a 25 year warranty on their products and The Home Depot warranties their solar systems for 10 years - FULL Service! That's going to be hard to beat. | 9 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 32 | CleanVideoGet A Solar Panel System for Zero Out of Pocket | We thought we didn't hear him right the first time. So when we went back to interview Matthew Morra, we brought a video camera. And he said the same thing again: Yes; You can get a solar panel system for your home in New Jersey for zero out of pocket. Really. To get a system for zero out of pocket, though, you're going to have to use all of the resources he talks about. And the window of opportunity will not stay open forever. Give the video a play; Go to the Solar Panel Reporter Guidance & Assistance page - Fill Out the form "Will You Qualify" and we will help you get the ball rolling. | 8 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 33 | CleanVideoWill Solar Power My House? | Can you reasonably expect that a solar panel system will deliver enough electricity for your house? That depends on a few factors. Naturally you will not get electricity from a solar panel at night. And on cloudy and overcast days the system will produce less too. But the peak output of a system is determined by something other than the amount of sunlight. The number and efficiency of the solar panels themselves matter. | 5 11 09 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 33 Episodes |
