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| More rates and news from California Jump Starts The Solar Vehicle(With gas and oil prices reaching unfathomable highs in recent months, more pressure has been put on governmental agencies to further develop the use of solar power. )
Other than the price relief, economists are calling for environmental relief as well. But this will not come to pass with a few solar panels here and there. There needs to be a mass bill carried out that implement the use of our natural energy.
“California Law May Open Solar Energy to Mainstream America,” an article published November 29, 2006 in Realty Times and written by Peter Mosca, explains how California is taking the initiative to make a lasting difference on the way consumers consume energy.
America has an enormous energy demand and the old way of producing coal and fossil fuels is just not making the grade anymore. In fact, the coal and fossil fuel resources are unable to replenish themselves and will eventually run out. Ah, the beauty of solar power; the renewable energy that will create a brighter future for Americans.
“For builders, this realization represents an ideal time to consider a new, profitable business model that includes solar power in new home developments. California's Million Solar Roofs Bill (SB 1), effective January 1, 2007, is the first step in what promises to be a jump start to an energy paradigm shift among property owners across the country.”
This is a significant step for California for a couple of reasons. Not only will this new bill probably be the prototype for national adoptions, it will also increase the state’s appearance as being environmentally conscious and innovative, which can only help its real estate marketability.
And face it; California’s real estate market can use all the good publicity it can get right now.
“‘With this new law, California is on pace to becoming the Saudi Arabia of the sun,’ said Bernadette Del Chiaro, Clean Energy Advocate with Environment California, the leading sponsor of the Million Solar Roofs bill. ‘The sky is no limit when it comes to how much of our energy can come from solar power. With high energy prices, rolling blackouts, and growing air pollution problems, everyone in California will benefit from the building of a million solar roofs in the next ten years.’”
Energy has been a major issue in California and this new bill can definitely go a long way towards rectifying it. But the main issue now becomes conveying to the American, or at least the Californian public for right now, that solar energy is a viable power source that needs to be utilized. Without mass conformity, the bill will never gain enough momentum to influence other states and regions.
“California Senator Kevin Murray, author of the new law, agrees with Del Chiaro. Murray, speaking at Solar Power 2006, dubbed the largest business-to-business solar energy event in the history of the United States, said that marketing solar energy to the public is essential if new laws like SB 1 are to be successful. ‘The technology is already here and it's reliable, but the message needs to be relayed to the general public that solar energy is not some future technology only celebrities or the extremely wealthy can afford.’”
Sharp Electronics Corporation, the Mahwah, N.J.-based marketing and sales subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation, is spearheading the marketing campaign for the new solar bill. It’s slogan : “Hello, Sunshine.”
What a great image boost this could be for the environment and the California real estate market.
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