It’s great for our country!

Increased use of solar reduces our dependence on imported oil.  Anything that reduces our crude oil imports – particularly from the Middle East – has much further reaching benefits to our country than just improving our balance of trade.  After the oil embargo of the early 1970s, the federal government started numerous initiatives to reduce our oil imports. At the time, imported oil accounted for about 40 percent of our usage.  We currently import over 50 percent of our oil…

Uncle Sam Wants You...  In 1997 the Federal Government initiated the “Million Solar Roofs” program. The program’s goal is to have a million solar systems installed in the U.S. by 2010.  Arizona’s target as part of the “Million Solar Roofs” initiative is to install 100,000 solar systems by the year 2010 and to date somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 solar systems have been installed.  So clearly we have a ways to go, but there has never been a better time to do your part!

Sources:

- Arizona Solar Energy Association

- Arizona Solar Center

- Arizona Dept. of Commerce Energy Office

- U.S. Dept. of Energy including their Solar Collector Activity Report

- Florida Solar Weatherization Assistance Program

- USA TODAY Weather Almanac