FXSTD – Alternative Energy Center

By: Daniel Marcus Manson
When people think of solar power and its potential to supplement or even replace traditional energy sources, sunbelt States like California, Texas and Florida usually top the list. The assumption is that if it’s hot, the available solar energy must be far superior to that of colder climates. However, northern States can also benefit from utilizing this technology and solar installation in Philadelphia is beginning to grow in popularity. While the Philadelphia solar power tax credit is certainly helping to boost consumer interest in adoption, technological advances, increasing energy costs, improved installation options and a growing environmental awareness are all playing their part in driving use.

The long held belief by many people that solar wouldn’t be viable in northern States has been proved a myth. The effectiveness of solar collectors isn’t just a factor of the strength of the sun year round, but is also affected by the degree of cloud cover an area receives. So a colder climate with less cloud cover may be just as capable of sustaining solar power generation as a warm climate that’s subject to frequent cloudy conditions. A solar panel in Philadelphia could be just as effective as one mounted on the roof of a building in Miami. An excellent proof of this phenomenon is the fact that Germany -hardly a tropical country in any sense of the description- is the largest solar energy market in the entire world.

The northeastern United States is home to a growing green movement. Many people are determined to choose sustainable options wherever possible, whether that be through hybrid cars in their driveways, eating produce grown locally instead of buying cheaper long distance shipped imports, organic and green farming methods, telecommuting or installing a solar panel in Philadelphia. Legislators encourage these movements, and both Federal and State governments are helping to push the adoption of renewable and alternative energy sources in Pennsylvania through Federal tax credits, a Pennsylvania State rebate program and the Philadelphia solar power tax credit. Increasing power costs from utilities that buy power generated through burning fossil fuels like natural gas, oil or coal is providing additional impetus to consumers to consider going solar. The advances in solar technology since it first began entering the marketplace in the eighties are considerable; modern panels from EOS Energy Solutions are more efficient than the early versions and many of the aesthetic issues have been dealt with as well. Thin film panels and a wide range of different installation options make for a complementary look that can be incorporated into virtually any building. Today, seeing a solar panel in Philadelphia is no longer unusual.