One of the biggest obstacles to many solar projects is the upfront costs. While solar products have come down dramatically in price over the past few years, having the upfront capital to reap the benefits of solar energy can be an obstacle. This is why we took the time to partner with a well-known, established financial institute – Admiral’s Bank – to provide a financing program to dealers and installers of our products.

Admiral’s Bank has created a financing program just for solar projects. This program offers low interest rates, fast approval, and an extremely simple application process. Both solar electric and solar thermal/hot water systems qualify for this program, and equity in the home is not needed.

The process is incredibly simple. As a dealer of SPP, you first sign up through us, filling out a single application and submitting it for approval. Once your approved, you will receive a packet of information and free training on how the program works. The financing program never costs you – the dealer – anything. No sign up, maintenance  or program fees or costs of any kind. Once you are signed up and  approved, you can begin offering your customers financing.

When you meet with a client who’s interested in financing, you have them fill out a short application and submit it directly to the bank. Once qualified, the money is dispersed before you begin work, so the materials and project is paid for.

With this solar financing program, more people can take advantage of free, clean energy, and reap the immediate savings. Often times, the monthly payment is less cost than the amount saved each month, meaning your customers would see an immediate savings every month for the life of the solar system – often times over 20 years.

More information on our solar financing program.

More information on becoming a dealer of SPP.

Solar Power International (SPI) was held in Orlando, FL, the week of September 13th. This trade-show is an excellent venue for all who are involved in the solar industry – from global manufactures to local installers. By all indications, the solar industry has continued to grow both in the US and throughout the world. A report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) showed that the 2nd quarter of 2012 was the second largest ever for the US solar industry. This trend is slated to continue into the future, as more than 3,400 megawatts of PV projects are currently under construction in the US.

It is because of this growth in the solar electric market that we researched, developed, and launched a revolutionary new PV product, the Plug & Play AC Module. This Module makes solar much simpler and more affordable for the end user, reducing the time it takes to install a system, as well as the number of parts involved. The panels simply mount to the roof, and a single cable ties all the panels together and runs directly into your panel box, where it plugs into a breaker. This system makes installing solar panels in your house easier than ever before, and because less components are needed, there is less cost involved.

Most homes can install a small system for around $2,500, and immediately begin generating their own electricity. The AC Modules are sold in packages, which are complete with racking, panels, and cabling – all the major components needed. The system can be expanded later if needed, so a homeowner can start with a small system and then add panels later to produce more power.

Making solar energy simpler and more affordable is making solar more desirable. Just a few years ago, solar energy was much more expensive, and so complicated that only a select few had it installed on their homes. Now, with the advances in technology, as well as the lower costs of manufacturing, it’s more affordable than ever. Combining this with ever rising energy costs, it’s little wonder that the solar market is the second largest growing industry in the United States.

For more information on our solar AC module, you can visit our AC Module Product Page – or contact us directly for more information.

Solar Panels Plus unviels the new “Plug & Play AC Module” at the SPI show in Orlando, FL.

Solar Panels Plus was an exhibitor at 2011 Clean Show in Las Vegas in June. SPP, a manufacturer of evacuated tube solar thermal collectors, was the only solar exhibitor at the show and showcased its SPP-30A US made thermal collectors. The Clean Show, the biannual show for the Laundromat industry, provides the latest trends, equipment and services available for Laundromats and commercial/industrial laundry professionals. With over 11,000 registrants and 430 exhibitors, the Clean Show offered something new and exciting for everyone. With huge increases in energy cost, energy efficiency was a major theme throughout the show and with many of the exhibitors.

The SPP booth was a major hit with many of the general participants, laundromat owners and exhibitors that were searching for new technologies to take back to their businesses. Solar thermal panels are a natural fit for Laundromats as an environmentally friendly and efficient cost saving method to pre-heat the water prior to entering the boiler. By reducing the dependency on the boiler to get the street water temperature to meet the 130F requirements of the washers, a Laundromat can save substantially on their gas utility costs. SPP has a full technical team to support any Laundromat interested and ready to analyze the opportunity for solar thermal panels at their place of business. SPP is always searching for qualified distributors and installers. If you are interested in working with us, please contact one of our helpful team members at 1-866- 576-5277.

Some of our team just returned from Linuo Power, the solar subsidiary of Linuo Group China, who has just commissioned a new solar cell and module manufacturing center in Jinan, China. With this expansion, Linuo has positioned itself as one of the leading suppliers of solar cells and panels for the global market. Linuo Power expects to continue the expansion of its current 100MW cell and 150MW module manufacturing centers by 2014 to a full capacity of over 300MW. As the leading business partner for Linuo Power in North America, Solar Panels Plus was present and participated in the inauguration ceremonies for this brand new production facility. SPP management congratulates the Linuo Power team on this accomplishment and looks forward to a continued strong working relationship with Linuo Power.

Beginning in mid-August, SPP will have completed its switch-over to the all-new 230 Watt PV modules. The new inventory is already in transit to our warehouse and is available for ordering at this time.

We have had a great deal of inquiries about these PV modules and we expect them to be gone sooner rather than later. The panels will be priced to move out the door quickly, so if you have any projects large or small, call our sales team to reserve your panels now.

Check out the specifications here:
http://www.solarpanelsplus.com/solar-panels/spp230.pdf

Homestead Family Restaurant is on the leading edge of energy savings by becoming the first restaurant in Southeastern Idaho to install Solar Panels Plus’s SPP-30 evacuated tube collector system. Solar Panels Plus is a producer of solar panels, solar water heaters, and solar air conditioning and heating systems.

The SPP-30 evacuated tube collector system installed by K&M Refrigeration at the Homestead Restaurant consists of five solar collectors, with each collector having 30 evacuated tubes. Bill Dishman, owner of the Homestead Family Restaurant, said that this system was designed to meet the 150ºF and above temperature requirements for the hot water demand at the restaurant. .

John Williams, COO, Solar Panels Plus, said the company is delighted to see its water heating system installed in the 130 seat Idaho restaurant and is eagerly looking forward to supply its efficient solar products to more restaurant owners. The company’s evacuated tube collectors are equipped with special optics and glass tubes with double walls to harvest the energy more efficiently, he added. The design benefit of the evacuated tubes versus flat plate collectors is that they are capable of operating efficiently in any climatic conditions including freezing or cold climates.

Dishman said that the restaurant is adopting several energy saving initiatives and this installation is one among them. He further added that he is very pleased with the product and is expecting to save more $500 a month in energy costs. Currently, the restaurant has one water heater for dishwasher and another one for food preparation, hand washing and cleaning.

Last weekend six of us went down to Orlando and set up our exhibit for the AHR (ARI/ASHRAE Heating and Refrigeration show) show, which was open this past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This was our third year exhibiting at the AHR show. We set up and ran our DC18 SplitCool DC/solar air conditioning unit in addition to displaying our line of thermal and PV products.

SPP at AHR Expo

It was amazing the way passersby would seem to become hypnotized by this nearly silent DC air conditioning unit blasting cold air out across the aisle. Maybe it was the shiny tinsel we had taped to the air vent outlet, fluttering in the air flow Whatever the reason, the SplitCool demo caused the aisle in front of our exhibit to be nearly blocked with spectators much of the time the show was open. Something about solar air conditioning seems to resonate with people in a special way.

We also had a lot of interest in our new “Buy American Act” evacuated tube solar thermal collectors. In addition to liking the fact that our new collectors qualify for federal “stimulus act” projects, it seems that many of the attendees – plumbers, electricians, HVAC folks – really appreciate our effort to create products and jobs here in the USA regardless of the economic stimulus opportunities. Of course, they like having a high efficiency, high temperature American label product to use for stimulus act projects too.

It wasn’t all work either. We also had big fun at Taverna Opa, check it out on your next visit. Quite a scene, with both staff and customers dancing on the tables!

Many thanks to all of the folks that came by to visit with us at the show!

SPP has received ecoEnergy approval from the government of Canada. The SPP-30 collector now has official approval as meeting the CSA Standard F378-87 which is required for Canada.

This certification is the first step in the company´s strategy for expanding distribution opportunities in the growing Canadian market.  The "ecoEnergy Program" is a four-year, $36 million investment from the Canadian government to increase the use of renewable thermal energy by industry, commercial businesses and institutions. The program is designed to encourage businesses, industries and institutions to install active energy-efficient solar air and/or water heating systems.

The SPP-30 is particularly well suited for the colder Canadian climate. That
is because the SPP-30 is the USA´s highest rated 30-tube "evacuated tube
collector". Evacuated tube collectors function very well and make plenty of
hot water even when the outdoor temperature is below zero, which is
frequently the case in the winter in Canada. We look forward to meeting up
with some Canadian resellers and installers to work with as we introduce our
product to Canada.

Solar Panels Plus is excited to introduce two new solar products at the upcoming Solar Power International Exposition. SPP invites you to visit us at Booth 2484 during the SPI Exposition in Anaheim, CA. Please contact our office at 1-866-576-5277 if you are interested in receiving one of the limited Expo passes. The SPI show is the largest solar show in North America and SPP is proud to be an exhibitor at this prestigious solar event. The two new product offerings are the US made SPP-30A and the highly anticipated SplitCool system.
First, SPP is proud to announce the SPP-30A which is the first Evacuated Tube Solar Collector that will comply with the “Buy American Act” requirement. The SPP-30A will be manufactured in the United States and will have an anodized manifold casing. From an energy production consideration, the SPP-30A is the equivalent version of the popular SPP-30 model which has one of the highest BTU ratings of any thermal collector currently available in the market.
Second, SPP is excited to announce the highly anticipated availability of the SplitCool air conditioner and heat pump system. SplitCool is a high efficiency air conditioner that is able to run directly from a DC power source such as a solar panel or batteries without the requirement of an inverter for conversion to AC power. Please stop by our booth #2484 at SPI from October 27-29 to see these two products along with all other solar products that we carry.
SPP distributes all its solar products through a nationwide network of experienced dealers. If you are interested in becoming a dealer, please contact our dealer representatives at 1-866-576-5277 at your convenience.

About the USA PV modules… there were 1600 kWs in the warehouse… and now there are none. We don’t expect to have more until Q1 2010. I guess there were a lot of stimulus-funded projects. Anyway thanks for the many inquiries and interest. We still have a good supply of 270w multi-crystalline inventory and our new 230w poly modules will be here around Christmas time. Will update more as we get more.