EvenGreen Technology

There are some Idahoans who have either never really considered solar power as a serious energy solution they could employ, or who have considered it and rejected it as a viable, realistic option. That lack of serious consideration or outright rejection is generally in response to a couple of common objections and assumptions. One of those beliefs is that solar is prohibitively expensive. Another objection, one that’s often related to the first, is that solar doesn’t make sense in Idaho. After all, the thinking goes, we’re not California, Arizona, or Florida. In Idaho we experience four distinct seasons, and they’re not all primarily defined by the sun being out. It turns out that while those concerns about a solar Idaho may seem to make somewhat intuitive sense, and may have been more applicable several years ago, the Gem State is actually a great place to get solar power. And in a lot of ways, Idahoans are a great population for solar—here’s why. It’s the Light...

A good argument could be made that there is no bad time to invest in solar power. Idaho solar installations have exploded in popularity in the past decade for quite a few reasons. One of the most important and commonly cited of those reasons is price. The cost of buying and installing a photo voltaic (PV) cell solar power system has decreased exponentially over the course of that decade. It’s further offset by a series of tax incentives, rebates, and credits offered to reward the adoption of renewable energy sources like solar. Not to mention the cumulative savings on the power bill. Additionally, it’s become increasingly clear that Idaho is extremely well-suited for solar power. We get quite a bit of sun in the Gem State and Boise consistently ranks among the sunniest cities in the U.S.But we don’t get as hot as the states traditionally thought of as the sunniest ones. And, while sunlight is obviously necessary for solar power, excessive heat can make solar power pr...