Welcome to the
Run on Sun Monthly Newsletter

How Clean is Solar Power?

No doubt you have heard people ask the question: "Just how clean is solar power anyway?"

After all, solar panels require significant amounts of energy to manufacture, so are they really that much better than "clean-ish" fossil fuels like natural gas? How long - if ever - does it take for a solar panel to pay back the carbon debt from its production?

Recently The Economist published an article that examined a new study out of the Netherlands that seeks to provide answers to those questions. The study analyzed all solar panels produced since 1975, and noted that as solar panels have gotten more efficient, the time it takes to pay off that debt has fallen from about 20 years, to less than 2 years!

While it is certainly true that it is important to view the entire lifecycle of all of our energy sources, the bottom line is that solar panels, especially the super-efficient panels that we use from LG, are a great investment in improving the environment (to say nothing of saving you money).

Congratulations to Laurel for Earning NABCEP Certification

We have proudly proclaimed the value of being certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) as it truly is the "gold standard" in the solar industry. To achieve certification, an applicant must demonstrate that they have the requisite experience in the field as well as pass a rigorous written examination.

A few years ago NABCEP expanded its certification program to include not only installers, but also technical sales professionals - those vital individuals who are often the initial point of contact for potential solar clients. (From the horror stories that we hear, this is clearly an area of the solar industry that is crying out for the improvements that certification can bring!)

So it is with great pride that we can announce that the awesome Laurel Hamilton has just received her certification as a PV Technical Sales Professional!

Way to go, Laurel, take a bow!

Some Good News Heading into the New Year!

As we call an end to a tumultous 2016 and look forward to the New Year, we got to reflecting a little. For Run on Sun this was, in many ways, our best year ever. It was a year filled with personal firsts: Jim was a panelist at Solar Power International, and Laurel earned her NABCEP certification (see above).

As a company, Run on Sun continued its four-year streak of being named to Solar Power World's Top Solar Contractor's list. We got invited to participate on Neighbor-to-Neighbor (thank you, Victoria), and our collection of 5-star reviews on review sites like Yelp and Angie's List continued to grow, thanks to you, our wonderful clients.

We realize that with the New Year will come new challenges and many changes (more on some of those changes next month), but we remain convinced of the value of what we do, and the way in which we do it.

May 2017 bring us all Peace and Prosperity. Happy New Year!