Nederland Renewable Energy Project

http://iphone.cnet.com/site?sid=cnet_ip&pid=News.Detail&category=56&topic=10453303&changeTitle=A%20new%20wire%20twist%20on%20silicon%20solar%20cells%20-%20CNET%20News%20 New life for silicon cells in flexible panels that might be woven into clothing.  Inorganic cells have higher PV efficiencies than the flexible organic cells that have been proposed to date.

This efficiency could allow much smaller footprint solar farms.

http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2010/JAN/HELIOS_040110.htm

http://greeneconomypost.com/promising-thin-film-solar-startups-7588.htm?...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=are-engines-the-future-...

May be too unreliable but at 31% efficiency it is about double current PV efficiency....

http://coloradoenergynews.com/2009/11/affordable-solar-leasing-stakes-ou...

Other local companies also offer leases.  For example, Lighthouse Solar has their own finance arm.  My guess is that all of these lease options are somewhat similar.  The consumer (homeowner or business) commits to buying power from the lease company for 20 years at a set rate.  The lease company gets the benefit of all the tax breaks and Xcel rebates, and charges the consumer interest along with a small down payment.  Now, if the consumer could also get some tax breaks from this lease (definitely for businesses) it could be bigger a win-win.  From a cash flow perspective, leasing allows more people to participate with less cash up front.

http://envirothink.greenpress.com/uncategorized/add-salt-to-solar-for-li...

http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/ricesolar/index.html

This seminar will cover the bases for homeowners interested in investing in a residential solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system. The workshop starts with the basics: reducing electrical baseloads with a home energy audit and analysis. We then move in to local, state, utility, and federal rebate and incentive programs, and round out with the essentials of sizing, installing, and owning a PV system.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/business/energy-environment/27solar.ht...

For roughly the same amount of money spent in 1999, we got 5X PV capacity in 2009.  The difference is due to rebates, tax credits, and technology improvements.  While Boulder County's ClimateSmart loan program is excellent if you plan to move before the loan term ends (transferring the property tax assessment to the new owners), you might consider inexpensive home equity loans.  You can get adjustable rate home equity loans as low as 2.99% (prime - 0.26%) now...or go to a local credit union for fixed rate equity loans of 4.5%.

http://www.thirdfederal.com/homeequity.aspx

http://www.premiermembers.org/home/loa/rat

www.WillowWayWellness.com/pc

2009 PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE & Workshops