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Will dumping Australia’s climate-savvy prime minister help the climate?

Will dumping Australia’s climate-savvy prime minister help the climate?

Alpha

Kevin Rudd is Australia’s new prime minister, again. Now he has to defend that job from an opposition leader who once called climate science “crap.”

In terms of climate policy, Australians face a choice between fairly good and downright evil in an upcoming federal election.

The face of evil belongs to climate skeptic Tony Abbott, leader of the opposition Liberal Party (which, in topsy-turvy Down Under fashion, is in fact conservative).

And the face of relative good is … in some disarray at the moment. Power brokers in the Labor Party, which narrowly holds power in the country, this week stripped the prime ministership away from Julia Gillard and handed it back to former leader Kevin Rudd. They believe this move will help them win the election, which is tentatively scheduled for September.

The stakes are high. Australia is among the world’s worst per-person contributors to climate change. The country is a huge producer of coal, exporting a lot and consuming a good bit itself. And it’s been suffering heavily from climate change in recent years, enduring epic heat, drought, wildfires, and floods.

But lately, the country been trying to mend its ways, and setting a global example in doing so. Over the last six years, under first Rudd and then Gillard, the Labor Party has introduced policies and taxes designed to battle and adapt to climate change. Reports are confirming that the new taxes and policies are doing what they were intended to do: curb power plant carbon emissions and accelerate investment in renewable energy.

But Labor’s been flailing in the polls and weighed down by infighting. Rudd had been agitating for the top job for months, destabilizing the party. Now, after he was sworn in as prime minister on Thursday, Labor’s members of parliament are vying against each other for positions in his new cabinet, instead of focusing on their reelection campaigns.

The conservatives have not hidden their glee at the pre-election upheaval within the governing party:

Labor’s move was a desperate one, and it might very well backfire. But many in Australia just couldn’t see Gillard leading her party to another victory.

As a stubborn champion of new taxes on the powerful fossil fuel and mineral sectors, and as a tough-as-steel woman leading a country still plagued by machismo and misogyny (and as an unmarried atheist without any kids, to boot), Australia’s first female prime minister was the target of ruthless and incessant attacks on her character and leadership. She had sandwiches thrown at her by men making the statement that a woman’s place is in the kitchen. Political rallies supported by Abbott were held to “ditch the witch.” Guests at a political fundraiser were served “Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail,” described on the menu as “Small Breasts, Huge Thighs & A Big Red Box.”

Now, with Rudd back in Kirribilli House, pundits are busily analyzing how the new prime minister’s climate policies might differ from the old one’s. He might change rules on how the prices for carbon emissions are set, for example.

Rudd, a nerdy policy wonk, once described climate change as the “great moral, environmental and economic challenge of our age.” He led the party during most of the first of its two consecutive terms in power, introducing climate-friendly policies before he was replaced by Gillard amid similar turmoil prior to the last election.

Gillard, though, had the courage to introduce climate taxes that had made Rudd hesitate (some would say wisely, politically speaking).

But while there are differences between the two leaders in their approach to climate and energy issues, they won’t matter if Labor loses the election. This week’s savage bloodletting was all about trying to avoid that outcome.

David Jackmanson

Tony Abbott, opposition leader and climate denier.

Abbott, for his part, once described the science behind climate change as “crap.” He has since recanted, but, as we explained in April, he has nonetheless pledged to eliminate the new carbon and mining taxes, dismantle a federal department of climate science advisers, and take other steps that would see the country retreat to its unbridled climate-changing ways of decades past.

Rudd now has until August or September to steady the Labor Party and navigate it to political victory (or thereabouts — as prime minister, he has the power to set the election date, which can be no later than Nov. 30). That won’t be easy amidst a political maelstrom of his own creating. But if his party can rediscover some unity, it won’t be impossible.

If Rudd does win, he’ll have a moral obligation to mull the environmental consequences of Australia’s substantial coal exports. But, then, that’s a world-warming beast that no leading Australian politician has shown any willingness to wrangle.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Will dumping Australia’s climate-savvy prime minister help the climate?

Posted in ALPHA, Anchor, FF, G & F, GE, LG, ONA, solar, solar panels, solar power, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Will dumping Australia’s climate-savvy prime minister help the climate?

EPA tells Ohio to stop keeping fracking secrets from first responders

EPA tells Ohio to stop keeping fracking secrets from first responders

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He needs to know.

Ohio firefighters, cops, and local officials might soon learn a little bit more about the poisons that frackers are storing and injecting into the ground beneath their feet.

The U.S. EPA told the state that a 12-year-old Ohio law that lets the fracking industry conceal information from emergency-management officials and first responders violates federal law. From The Columbus Dispatch:

The state law, passed in 2001, requires that drilling companies share information about hazardous chemicals only with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which is supposed to keep the information available for local officials.

But federal EPA officials take a different view. A letter mailed in May to state emergency officials and environmental activist Teresa Mills states that the Right-to-Know Act of 1986 supersedes the Ohio law.

The Right-to-Know Act requires companies to share a hazardous-chemical inventory with local officials.

Mills, an Ohio organizer with the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, demanded yesterday that the state revoke its law. Mills said local officials need to know which chemicals are used in fracking wells in case they have to respond to a fire, spill or other emergency.

Green groups have pointed to a January spill at an oil well in St. Marys, Ohio, as an example of the problem, the AP reports: “They said that when concentrated chemical odors were detected at the facility, local emergency responders were unable to access required chemical data that was supposed to be on file.”

State officials told the Dispatch that they were still reviewing the EPA’s letter and weren’t ready to comment on next steps, other than to say they would contact gas and oil companies “to make sure everyone is in compliance with their reporting obligations under state and federal law.”

The fracking industry disputed the claim that federal law is being violated. One of its representatives ridiculed the importance of the national rules to firefighters. From the article:

[Ohio Oil and Gas Association Vice President Tom Stewart said] fire departments can access a Natural Resources website that is supposed to contain information on fracking chemicals.

“(Before 2001), everyone was filing these paper reports on individual wells. They were storing them in boxes in firehouses,” Stewart said. “Is a firefighter supposed to rummage around in a box or go to an emergency?”

We’re pretty sure that’s not how it works, but there you go.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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EPA tells Ohio to stop keeping fracking secrets from first responders

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L.A. launches nation’s largest solar rooftop program

L.A. launches nation’s largest solar rooftop program

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Bits of a new solar power plant could go there. And there. And there and there and there and there and there.

The first small shoots of what will grow into a sprawling solar power plant have sprouted in Los Angeles.

L.A.’s Department of Water and Power is rolling out the country’s biggest urban rooftop program, which will pay residents for solar energy they produce in excess of their own needs. That will give residents a reason to install more solar capacity on their roofs than they can use in their homes.

On Wednesday, the first solar-generated watts produced under the Clean L.A. Solar program came from the rooftop of an apartment complex in North Hollywood. From the L.A. Times:

The goal of the effort, the brainchild of the Los Angeles Business Council, is to generate 150 megawatts of solar electricity, or enough to power about 30,000 homes. The council hopes to attract investments totaling $500 million from a growing list of companies that want to invest in L.A.’s push to go green by setting up large clusters of rooftop solar panels.

“It is really a no-brainer,” said Christian Wentzel, chief executive of Solar Provider Group, which installed the North Hollywood panels. Long-term contracts with the DWP cemented the Los Angeles company’s plans to invest $50 million in 17 projects to tap the region’s sun-drenched climate.

Four years in the making, Clean L.A. Solar serves as part of the city’s answer to the state mandate to generate 33% of electricity using renewable sources by 2020. DWP officials project the solar purchasing program will help L.A. reach 25% of the state mandated by 2016.

So if you start noticing Angelenos installing solar systems that are much bigger than they should need, don’t dismiss it as typical L.A. extravagance.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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L.A. launches nation’s largest solar rooftop program

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Study says tar-sands oil not more likely to leak; activists fault study

Study says tar-sands oil not more likely to leak; activists fault study

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Supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline cheered Tuesday’s release of a study that deemed diluted bitumen — the heavy crude mined in Alberta’s tar sands that Keystone would carry to Texas — just as safe to transport via pipeline as other forms of crude oil. They see the results as further clearing the way for approval of the pipeline.

But environmental groups criticized the methodology and limited scope of the study, which was conducted by the National Academy of Sciences. From Inside Climate News:

[T]he conclusions were based not on new research but primarily on self-reported industry data, scientific research that was funded or conducted by the oil industry, and government databases that even federal regulators admit are incomplete and sometimes inaccurate.

Critics also faulted the study for comparing diluted bitumen (or dilbit) to other heavy Canadian crudes, instead of to the conventional light oils for which most U.S. pipelines were built. Environmentalists have argued that tar-sands and other heavy oils, which must be diluted with chemicals in order to be moved through pipelines, could be more corrosive to those pipelines. And the study only addressed the likelihood of a spill, not the negative impacts — to the economy, the environment, and human health — were a spill to occur.

Inside Climate News again:

The report examined the potential for pipeline leaks but did not address the consequences of a spill, the key concern for environmentalists and people who live near pipelines. …

Carl Weimer, executive director of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Pipeline Safety Trust, said the report’s conclusions aren’t surprising, given its narrow scope.

The report “only tells us that the probability of a failure of a pipeline carrying dilbit is no different than the probability of the failure of an oil pipeline carrying other types of heavy oils,” Weimer said in a statement. Regulators have “so far failed to analyze whether the consequences of dilbit pipeline failures are greater than those of conventional oil spills.”

There’s good reason to be particularly worried about dilbit spills:

[D]ilbit behaves differently from conventional crude oil when it spills into water. A 2010 dilbit spill in Michigan’s Kalamazoo River is still being cleaned up nearly three years later. Unlike conventional oil, which usually floats on water, dilbit is composed of bitumen—a heavy crude oil—and light hydrocarbons used to thin the bitumen so it can flow through pipelines. During the Kalamazoo spill, the light chemicals gradually evaporated, leaving the bitumen to sink into the riverbed.

Because the study found no additional dangers posed by dilbit, it doesn’t recommend updating pipeline rules.

Of course, calling tar-sands pipelines no riskier than other oil pipelines isn’t exactly a huge comfort. From 1990 to 2011, more than 110 million gallons of oil spilled from U.S. pipelines. The question is not just whether there’s a high chance Keystone XL could leak, but what the consequences would be if — more like when — it did.

The report came out on the same day Obama made an unexpected mention of Keystone XL in his hotly anticipated climate speech. But Reuters ignored that plot twist in reporting on the study’s impacts:

While the report might not put to rest debate over the safety and impact of importing more Canadian crude, it added to growing signs President Barack Obama is likely to finally approve construction of the line after a more than four year wait that has frustrated Canadian politicians and operator TransCanada Corp.

“I think it’s harder to come up with reasons not to approve it than to approve it,” said Sarah Emerson, director at Energy Security Analysis Inc in Boston. “Most people in the industry expect it to be a foregone conclusion.”

But if Obama sticks to his word — that he won’t approve the pipeline if it’s found to “significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution” — the question of leaks along Keystone should be moot.

Claire Thompson is an editorial assistant at Grist.

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Study says tar-sands oil not more likely to leak; activists fault study

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Proven Success Comes Along With Reading These Solar Power Tips

Solar energy can be a natural choice for powering your home or home more affordable and environmentally friendly. Solar energy panels can help decrease your energy bills and help save the price of electricity bills and is particularly perfect for the surroundings. The content below has some great tips and info about the benefits of solar energy.

Start small in the event you begin using solar technology. You must not possess any problem finding these lights at the local hardware store near you. They may be as simple to install.[I:https://greenenergy4.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/AjaxIsaac24.jpg]

The efficiency of solar panels will be reliant on their density. Panels which may have higher densities often cost more, they also will cost more. Compare the density to determine which to purchase.

By using a hot water heater that runs on solar energy is a method in being good towards the environment significantly. You can pick from many different selection for solar heated water. You can put these in the location with full sun.

Perform the math before buying any kind of solar energy panels. Depending on your location, solar power panels is probably not worth the investment.

You may get hefty credits in the government for using solar technology. You may receive tax breaks approximately 30 percent of 30 % off of the initial expense of the device.

These products contain temperature sensors that turn the fan on whenever it gets too hot. This can remove your home’s heat and reduces cooling costs. As being an additional incentive, being solar powered, meaning they themselves add nothing to your utility bill.

Pathway lights are a low priced and fast approach to harness solar technology in your home and business. These little lights experience the sun’s rays throughout the day and shine a path with the night. They are really easy to install and offer charm to the outdoor area a nice look.

You may wish to install your panels possible since they are costly. Have got a professional perform an energy audit of your home or business. This will reveal identify where one can save energy simply by making a few changes. This may reduce the amount of solar panels within your plan.

It is usually advisable to install your panels in an angle which will maximize their exposure to one of the most sunlight each day. Check to be certain you will find no foliage blocking them from receiving sunlight.

Older solar power styles could be a cheaper investment first of all however they will not likely pay back also.

Try and stay away from walking on your solar power panels. If you have to walk upon them, avoid their ends, since they are the most fragile.

Hang your clothes to dry. This old strategy works today. As opposed to drying clothes within the dryer, just put your clothing around the clothesline to dry. This technique could save you money and hassle on drying.

Switching to solar technology is actually a decision that will require you to definitely do plenty of research. The various benefits feature a reduced carbon footprint and long term savings. Solar energy is really a choice that benefits your wallet along with the planet you live on. Utilize the following advice to assist you devise a good prepare for solar powered energy.

To learn more about home solar panels, visit Ajax’s site to find out more information about energy companies provide.

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Supreme Court will hear big clean-air case

Supreme Court will hear big clean-air case

Rainforest Action Network

Beware, neighbors.

It’s been a week of refreshing news for fans of unpolluted air. As Barack Obama on Tuesday was calling for greenhouse gas limits on power plants, clean air advocates were also celebrating a decision by the Supreme Court to hear an important case on power-plant pollution.

The EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was designed to cut down on life-threatening power-plant pollution that blows across state borders. It called for reductions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions at power plants in 28 states in the eastern U.S. The rule would mostly affect coal power plants, the dirtiest of America’s electricity plants. The EPA and supporters of the rule have said it would save tens of thousands of lives every year.

But owners of dirty power plants and some of the states in which they operate argued in court that the rule goes farther than the EPA is allowed to go under the Clean Air Act’s “good neighbor” provision.

Last August, the notoriously conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 in favor of the power plant companies, striking down the EPA’s rule.

But now the Supreme Court will hear the case and could reverse the circuit court’s ruling. From Reuters:

At the request of the administration, the American Lung Association and environmental groups, the [Supreme Court] justices will revisit an appeals court ruling that invalidated the Cross-State Air Pollution rule, which the EPA implemented to enforce a provision of the Clean Air Act.

Oral arguments and a decision are due in the court’s next term, which starts in October and ends in June 2014.

“The decision vaults the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule into the top five Clean Air Act cases heard by the Supreme Court,” said John Walke of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The ultimate ruling on this case won’t generate as much press as the Supreme Court’s heartening gay-marriage decisions, or disheartening Voting Rights Act decision, but it could save a lot of lives.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Supreme Court will hear big clean-air case

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Calgary floods trigger an oil spill and a mass evacuation

Calgary floods trigger an oil spill and a mass evacuation

Epic floods forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes last week in Calgary, Alberta, the tar-sands mining capital of Canada. More than seven inches of rain fell on the city over the course of 60 hours.

Now the floodwaters are subsiding throughout the province, leaving in their wake an oil spill, power outages, and questions about how climate change might affect flooding.

Keltek Trust

Soggy Calgary

Alberta Premier Alison Redford said the crisis was “like nothing that we’ve ever seen before,” the Calgary Herald reported Monday. “We will live with this forever.”

The heavy rains also appear to have shifted the earth beneath a pipeline near the city of Fort McMurray, triggering a leak of synthetic crude oil. On Monday, energy company Enbridge said a cleanup operation was underway in a wetlands area; initial estimates placed the size of the spill at 500 to 750 barrels. From Reuters:

The spill, which may have been caused by heavy flooding that has paralyzed the Alberta city of Calgary, headquarters of Canada’s oil and gas industry, forced Enbridge to shut two much larger lines as a precaution, threatening a serious disruption in the flow of oil sands crude.

So what role might climate change have played in flooding this hotspot of climate-changing oil extraction? From the Vancouver Observer:

[Environment Canada climate scientist David] Phillips said this storm was very unusual for Calgary, where systems tend to move on quickly:

“The storm just kind of stayed put,” Phillips said. … “[The storm] stood around like an unwanted houseguest and wouldn’t leave …”

“That kind of rainy weather may become frequent in the years to come as the earth’s climate warms up.”

From Climate Central:

A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change on June 9 found that flood frequency as well as the number of people at risk of inundation from flood events are both likely to increase as the world continues to warm.

The researchers didn’t study North America, but in a statement to Climate Central they said, “if the warming unfortunately proceeds, the flood risk on a global scale becomes larger.”

Ricky Leong

Calgary’s Bow River is running very high.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Calgary floods trigger an oil spill and a mass evacuation

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Obama: I will only OK Keystone if it won’t significantly increase CO2 emissions

Obama: I will only OK Keystone if it won’t significantly increase CO2 emissions

Reuters/Larry Downing

Big news from President Obama’s climate speech: He says he won’t approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline if it will “significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution.”

It’s hard to know exactly what he means by that, but it’s a surprise that he mentioned Keystone at all. Pundits expected he would keep silent on the issue.

Here’s what he said:

I know there’s been … a lot of controversy surrounding the proposed Keystone pipeline that would carry oil from Canadian tar sands down to refineries in the Gulf. And the State Department is going through the final stages of evaluating the proposal. That’s how it’s always been done. But I do want to be clear: Allowing the Keystone pipeline to be built requires a finding that doing so would be in our nation’s interest. And our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution. The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward.

It seems obvious that Keystone XL would significantly increase carbon emissions by encouraging development and facilitating transport of the dirtiest fossil fuel on earth — tar-sands oil. But in its draft environmental impact statement on the pipeline, the State Department asserted otherwise.

The U.S. EPA says State is wrong and argues that Keystone would notably boost greenhouse gas emissions. Even Canadian tar-sands boosters say Keystone is necessary in order to increase their oil production: “Long-term, we do need Keystone to be able to grow the volumes in Canada,” Steve Laut, president of big oil company Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., said last month.

Climate activists put so much pressure on Obama over Keystone that he felt compelled to address it. He certainly hasn’t killed the pipeline, but it’s notable that he attached a climate litmus test to it.

Lisa Hymas is senior editor at Grist. You can follow her on Twitter and Google+.

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Obama: I will only OK Keystone if it won’t significantly increase CO2 emissions

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DIY Solar Electricity – The Best Ways To Make Your First Solar Panel

Lots of people put up solar panels on the roofing systems of their residences due to the fact that in this situation the trees do not obstruct rays.

If you choose to install panels on the roofing system, it is best to do it at the same angle as that of the roof. After that panels will be much less at risk to damage in bad climate condition.

When putting in the panels on the roofing you must take into account the following disorders: the roof covering must have sufficient area to put them, the roofing needs to hold the weight of the panels, it ought to be brightened by the sun many of the day otherwise there will be no electricity.

If your roof does not meet these conditions, it is better to set up panels on the ground on special stands.

If you put in panels, utilizing the solutions of specific firms, it will certainly cost you fairly pricey. It is much cheaper to make DIY solar electrical power making use of a step by step overview that you can get on the net. Yet if you choose that you apply to professionals in this company, it would certainly still be a great financial investment, because panels are extremely economical to preserve, and gradually it will certainly be paid back and save you a bunch of money in future.

Also there are special government methods that urge people to put up photovoltaic panels in the home. The state provides wonderful price cut on the installation.

If you’re ever before thinking of selling your residence, solar panels will significantly enhance the worth of the home.

Now, many individuals are trying to put in the solar panels themselves. If you are not hesitant of the technical aspects of the installation, you will have the ability to build your initial panel promptly. The components required for the installation can be bought at any kind of gadget shop or on eBay, Amazon.

The primary and most costly element of solar panels is solar batteries. They change sunlight in to electricity. Some individuals buy harmed batteries to save cash as they cost significantly less than brand-new ones.

The common number of cells in one panel is 36, yet you can select another number to your selection.

Solar cells ought to be connected in collection. In between them there should be a little area, since when warmed they could expand.

Standard solar cell creates a minimum of 0.5 V. So one panel of 36 panels will certainly create you a minimum of 18V.

Once the solar batteries are linked together, they must be attached to a special board and positioned in a protective box. All these parts will certainly make a solar panel.

After that your panel must be made watertight. To do this you have to repair all the links with plastic.

Thus, you can make an actual photovoltaic panel in your home without putting on a specialized business. Normal life of the panel is 25 years with an appropriate care.

If you wish to make your own solar electricity system Do It Yourself without useding on a specialized business, you could read my tale of how my father constructed a solar power system in the house, and now he pay absolutely nothing to the electric company. build your own solar panels

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Locating And Selecting The Perfect Solar Panel Contractor On The First Shot

If you have several home improvement projects that need to be done by a solar panel installation contractor, ideally, you want to find one contractor who can tackle all of your projects. And if he is really good, you can keep him in mind for future projects. To help you in your search for a competent contractor, you’ll want to check out the following tips.

After a successful completion of the job has been attained, services of a professional inspector should be sort in order to guarantee the quality of the work before final pay is done to the solar panel installation contractor. A contractor should welcome this and he should never take it as an under estimation of the quality of his work.

Before firing a solar panel installation contractor, make sure you fire him according to the terms and conditions mentioned for firing in the contract. Some contractors involve a third party to settle their dispute so make sure you follow the right path before taking such an action.

Most people comparison shop for big ticket items, a solar panel installation contractor should be no different. Ask at least three contractors for detailed bids and references so you can compare price and quality of work. Also, ask for a business card so the physical location of the business can be visited.

There is so much information to absorb when choosing the correct solar panel installation contractor for your project. Don’t get bogged down with the all the useless information that will be provided to you by the contractor. You don’t have to know everything about the process which is why you are hiring the contractor in the first place.

Solar Panel Contractors can be very competitive. Always tell the solar panel installation contractors that you are planning on getting more than one bid. When most contractors hear that there is a little competition involved their bids seem to get a little bit better.

If you feel hesitant about anyone who will be working on your project, it’s best to talk to your solar panel installation contractor to make sure you can get feedback on these workers. One bad worker can set an even the biggest project back.

A great solar panel installation contractor can be recognized by their reputations, not by how much they harass you at your home and business. While others may offer steep discounts, they may not provide quality work that is not up to professional standards and it is best to hire a fantastic contractor first.

Before starting any work you should be aware of each and every clause mentioned in the contract. Any misunderstanding or mistake can lead you into great risk. It is recommended that you should consult your advocate or solar panel installation contractor if you have any concerns or doubts, so that you can get rid off heavy loss.

Curious about the topic of solar heating options? Be sure to go to Yahoo and enter go green energy today. You’ll be able to find quite a bit of information.

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