Colliers International-Greater Phoenix, a commercial real estate firm, recently issued a solar energy report for the state of Arizona. While I didn’t read the entire report, the overarching message is that Arizona is positioned to become a leader in the solar industry. This is a far cry from the position Arizona was in earlier this year. Several months ago, I actually wrote about the challenges Arizona was facing in becoming a leader in the solar industry and the steps that needed to be taken to better position our state (according to government officials and industry experts). Obviously, the wheels were set in motion and action has been taken, because Arizona has gone from being entirely behind the eight ball to now being in the running for leadership status. Industry experts are actually hopefull that solar energy will become one of the state’s economic engines. Aside from the obvious abundance of sunshine, there are several other factors according to the solar energy report that give Arizona a fighting chance. By 2025, APS and SRP must produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources, with 30% coming from rooftop solar systems. Based on these figures, Arizona has one of the most aggressive renewable energy standards in the country. The renewable industries bill that was passed this year provides competitive incentives for solar companies to choose Arizona as their home base. Something that I wasn’t aware of is that ASU houses the World’s first school of sustainability, in addition to their renowned solar power and photovoltaic testing laboratories. Governor Brewer also commented in the report that money from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Energy Act will be used for public building solar projects and a grant program for commercially created renewable energy. These factors combined, among many others, help to position Arizona has a driving force in the solar industry. The full report can be found at www.colliers.com/phoenix

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Nearly every industry is in a price bidding war right now. Amazing deals are to be had at every turn: Dinner for two at a gourmet restaurant for $39. A sea of clothing racks where everything is $6.99. Free admission to museum and zoo exhibits. A solar system for $.10 per kilowatt. Okay, I made that last one up. However, it seems as if businesses are doing anything they can right now to keep customers in the door, even if it means practically giving their product or service away. I understand why we are in a bidding war, but I’m concerned with the discount centric culture in which we’ve become. As a consumer, the bargain basement deals certainly make life easier. However, I also wonder if these dirt cheap prices are really helping businesses stay afloat, or if they are hurting them. Overpaying for goods and services is not necessary, but underpaying is not going to help anyone either. Consumers are becoming accustomed to getting everything at a discount, and businesses are going to continue losing money. Large ticket items are not immune to the bidding wars either, including solar systems. Solar companies, just like the restaurant next door are forced to undervalue their product just to stay in the game. It’s unfortunate, but that is the way of the World right now. Solar companies and other businesses have to hope that in the long run consumers will value them for more than the lowest price tag. When the dust settles, nobody is going to remember who had the best sale. Quality, integrity, constituency, and reliability are all things that keep consumers coming back, and with an investment like a solar energy system, these are worth paying for.

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I have fond memories from my childhood of sitting on the back patio at night watching Monsoon storms roll in. One thing that is vivid about that memory is the sound of a wind chime that hung from the awning. Until the wind blew, I would almost forget the wind chime was there. Its soft jingle in the darkness was a beacon of the change in weather that was about to come. My fondness for wind chimes has never gone away, and I’m always on the lookout for one that is worthy of a place on my back patio. While shopping online at Target, I came across an unusual wind chime, a solar wind chime. Intrigued and confused, I clicked on the product to figure out what a solar wind chime is. Simply by the name, I thought maybe the sun powers the wind chime, causing it to chime. I couldn’t figure out why anyone would need a wind chime that is “powered” by anything other than the wind. However, after reading the product description for the solar wind chime, I realized my assumption was wrong. The solar wind chime has a decorative disc at the top that absorbs sunlight during the day, so the wind chime glows at night. It’s possible there is someone out there who has a similar story to mine, but rather than listening to their wind chime, they like to watch it as the storm rolls in. In that case, then this glow-in-the-dark, solar wonder is for you (and it comes in several styles). Personally, as much as I love things that are powered by the sun, this is one item I’m okay if it disappears into the darkness, as long as it doesn’t do so quietly.

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