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From the Big Apple to Niagara Falls, people love New York. Today, New Yorkers can get some love back from the state and save money by going solar. They can lessen their reliance on fossil fuels and save for many years to come.

New York is turning into a solar-powered state, with powerful incentives making solar economically viable. New York State is a pioneer in solar advancement, and is empowering all New Yorkers to make the switch to solar power. More homeowners and businesses are running on solar power than ever, due to attractive financing programs that allow solar to be installed with no upfront investment and immediate savings.

Raising Public Awareness in New York

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has developed another program, School Power, which is an innovative system to teach New Yorkers about energy and the part solar power can play in providing clean energy to homes, schools, and businesses.

Solar power is highly effective given the right conditions, and with new systems popping up every day, more awareness about it is happening.

New York Is a Leader Among All Solar States

New York is leader among all solar states as far as aggregate solar capacity. Greater things are in store for the Empire State’s solar future. With the introduction of its dynamic Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) program, New York State is transforming itself into a solar powerhouse.

The NY Sun Initiative has set an objective of 3 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity to be introduced in the state by 2023, which is more than eight times the 338 megawatts (MW) available at present. Incentives and market development will ensure that solar energy remains a viable choice for homes and businesses throughout the state.

Going Solar in New York—the Three Best Ways

Going solar is a great way for New Yorkers to save cash, and because of the state’s growing rooftop solar industry, there are many solar companies to contend for your business, regardless of what part of the state you live in.

There are three fundamental ways you can go solar in New York. These choices are all accessible in New York through various solar installation and financing organizations. They are:

• Buying your solar PV system outright
• Financing it with a solar loan
• Entering into a third party ownership agreement (lease or PPA)

New York recently enacted a shared solar initiative to allow homeowners and business owners to benefit from large solar arrays if their site is not an ideal location for an installation. This is a new alternative for solar customers in New York, thanks to Governor Cuomo’s initiatives!

No need to think twice! This is the right time to go solar. Taking steps today can result in harnessing power from the sun for decades to come and reduce your reliance on fossil fuels.

About the Author: Alex Yackery- owner of Venture Home Solar, is passionate about writing and educating people about solar energy. He contributes in making a pollution free environment by taking an initiative to secure the world from global warming though his write-ups. He has served as the sales director at one of the NYC’s largest solar installation companies for 3 years.

Being a BA in Economics with business minor from Loyola University in Maryland, Alex is also a former division 1 national champion in lacrosse. You can reach Alex by email or on Twitter.

[This post has been generously supported by Venture Solar.]

As one of the leading markets for energy storage, the US is a great fit for hosting an event focusing solely on the commercialization of this element of our energy future, and next month’s two-day event in San Diego promises to bring together some of the top influencers for that purpose.

2016 Energy Storage Update USA, which happens in San Diego, California, on June 15th and 16th, will feature leading policy makers, financiers, utilities, developers, and manufacturers working in the energy storage industry. The event aims to bring industry insights to attendees through keynotes, dedicated sessions, and networking opportunities, and to cover a range of topics, including project financing, regulation, cost and performance assessments.

Energy Storage Update USA will include:

• 16 dedicated agenda sessions: Two days dedicated to regulation, project financing and technology cost and performance so that you can create a robust strategy to deploy your technology at scale and position your solution as the most competitive in the market
• 30+ speakers and 250+ decision makers under one roof: Brand new networking facilities to ensure you cement business relations with the industry’s most active players such as Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Con Edison, PG&E, Southern California Edison, SDG&E, Arizona Public Service, Sempra Energy, Generate Capital, Citi Bank, NEC and loads more

Day one will feature exclusive keynote sessions from experienced policymakers, utilities, financiers, and manufacturers leading the way in the energy storage industry, and offer insights into the commercialization of energy storage from a variety of different perspectives. With these sessions, attendees will gain a better understanding of the various business drivers and policy guidelines for commercial energy storage in order to best capitalize on projects and opportunities in both the near future and down the road.

Day two of this conference will focus on commercialization strategy, enabling businesses to can lead the charge toward large-scale deployment of energy storage. Exclusive insights from some of the leading players in the energy storage industry will help companies unpack a number of different aspects of the field, including cost, performance, projections, financing, and deployment at scale.

Access the e-brochure here to find out more on speaker line-up.

For more information about the event or to register, please contact Iulia-Lorena Rus, the Senior Industry Analyst for Energy Storage Update.

*This post has been sponsored by Energy Storage Update/FCBI Renewables

Installing solar panels on your home or business can be an effective way to reduce your fossil-fuel energy footprint, while also reducing your electric bills for decades to come. The investment in clean electricity through solar energy can offer an ROI as good as, or better than, many other conventional investments, but it does require a commitment, as a home solar array isn’t exactly a plug-and-play project, but is meant to be installed semi-permanently so as to offer years of maintenance-free service.

To get the most savings on your home solar panel installation, there are a few angles to approaching the project’s cost savings, with some of them leveraging your time or your money or your labor, and others leveraging the competitive nature of today’s home solar companies.

Save some now or save more later: When considering solar panels, it’s important to remember that they are built to last for decades, and that they can have a bit of a decline in efficiency as they get old (although not a significant enough one to make that a serious issue in most cases). However, there are also are a great number of different makes and models of solar panels on the market, so it’s possible to buy really cheap solar panels that offer an upfront savings, or to buy higher quality panels that cost more initially, but which will pay off in greater efficiency and longer life over the long run.

Save on finance charges: Paying cash for big-ticket items can almost always deliver a significant savings, when compared to the interest and fees owed due to borrowing the money, so if you have the means to cover the purchase of the solar installation up front, it can pay to do so.

Save through solar incentives: Many places have solar incentives, and whether they are national or local or regional rebates or tax credits (or utility-based incentives), it’s time well spent to find out what levels of incentives are available for you in your specific location.

Save by doing your homework: Before you go out and get some solar bids, it’s helpful to understand what the going rates are for solar installations, what the average size and capacity is, what your regular home electricity demand is, what your current cost of electricity is, and other related issues, so you know the right questions to ask of any potential solar installers.

Save by doing an energy audit first: Energy conservation is always cheaper and more effective than producing more energy, even if it’s renewable energy, so before you explore a home solar installation, have an energy audit done first, and then take action to reduce any unnecessary energy demands. When done first, your new solar electric installation will be as effective as possible in reducing your home energy bills, because you’ve cut out your energy waste.

Save by shopping around for bids: When looking into getting a home solar installation, be sure to get a number of different bids and proposals from qualified solar contractors, which will allow you to know that you’re getting the best deal possible before committing to it, and to find the best cheap solar panel installers.

Save by getting the right size of solar array: A solar array that is too small to offset enough of the home’s energy demands isn’t going to save much money, so it’s important that any solar proposals take into account the average baseline energy demand of the house, as well as any peak energy needs, so as to appropriately size the solar array.

Save with a DIY installation: If you’re handy with tools and don’t mind putting in the time and energy to do the work, most of a home solar installation can be done by yourself. A DIY-er can do everything from getting the permit to buying the solar panels, the mounting system, the inverter, and the necessary wiring, to installing the actual racking and panels, and can then have a qualified electrician do the wiring and any additional technical details.

Solar panels can save money for homeowners year after year, and although purchasing a home solar installation can require an investment, it’s possible to save more money on the project with one or more of these approaches.

This article has been sponsored by solarpanels.cheap

Image: Jeremy Levine