Mistake # 1: Choosing the wrong shape/style.

The most common category is the standard flat style light. These lights generally come in square or rectangular shapes. But you can also find dome skylights, curb mounted lights, and customized shapes and styles. When choosing, most home remodelers only look at one or two aspects… and thus set themselves up to fail. For instance, say you’re just concerned about aesthetics only. So you pick a flat light. But you fail to note the potential for debris from a nearby tree to accumulate on the skylight. Cave in hazard, anyone?

Mistake #2: Failing to note how (or even whether!) the area will get sunlight.

In an ideal world, you want the sun to actually shine through the skylight.

But if you build the skylight at the wrong angle or on the wrong side of a particular room, you will get far less light than you ideally want. Or you might get too much sun! Or sun at the wrong time of day! Or any other number of problems. So you need to pay attention to where and how the sun transits across your home and roof

Mistake #3: Failing to plan to protect against leaks and insulation problems.

If you do your skylight improvement project “DIY,” you can easily make errors that can cost you big time in terms of heat leaching and structural weaknesses. A badly installed skylight is an easy and convenient place for mold, mildew and leaks. What’s frustrating is that your subtle mistakes may only reveal themselves months or years after you finish construction.

To make sure your skylight project goes smoothly – to avoid the subtle mistakes we just talked about that can potentially cost you money, heartache and thousands of dollars – connect with the experienced construction team at Century Roof & Solar.

Call us toll free at 888-233-7548 to get immediate help with your Bay Area skylight construction project.

Northern California’s leading roofing and solar company Century Roof and Solar’s owner Tony Diaz and GAF bring you this video segment from Designing Spaces. “Avoiding Roofing Disasters.”

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According to The Department of Energy’s official site: www.energy.gov, consumers can receive profound tax credits just for installing renewable energy systems in their homes and businesses.

Consider this blurb regarding federal tax credits for energy efficiency:

“consumers who install solar energy systems (including solar water heating and solar electrical systems), small windsystems, small geo-thermal heat pumps, residential fuel cell and microturbine systems canreceive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before Dec 31, 2016.”

Also of interest:

“In addition to federal tax incentives, some consumers will also eligible forutility or state rebates, as well as state tax incentives for energy-efficient homes, vehicles andequipment.”

A tax credit is actually much more powerful than a tax deduction. A deduction chips away at the percentage of monies you might owe in taxes; whereas a tax credit slashes your taxes “dollar for dollar” basis. In other words, by deploying a solar or renewable energy solution for heating and powering your home, you will get money literally flowing into your bank account from thegovernment as a kind of “Thank you” for reducing your energy footprint.

Of course, the tax credit alone might not be enticing enough for you to break out of your current inertia and make the switch to solar or some other “green” renewable energy solution. Whenyou consider it in the context of other benefits – helping the environment, reducing your long-term energy costs, being a good example for your community, freeing yourself from the whims and arbitrary dictates of power companies, preemptively sidestepping power outages – the solar alternative appears brighter and brighter and brighter (pun intended).

How do you get started?

Talk to the professionals at Century Roofing and Solar. For over 15 years, our Bay Area roofing contractors have led the region in light-weight roof systems and PV solar systems. Our team is known for reliable, quality, clean, and timely results. We are a Diamond Certified Company and proud members of the Committee for Fire-Safe Dwellings, Master Elite, and the Better Business Bureau. Connect with us now at 510-780-9489, or explore resources to help you make your decision at www.centuryroofandsolar.com.

Since the 1970s – and perhaps well before – many pundits have proclaimed that a Golden Age of solar energy was “just around the corner.” Soon, they promised, solar would replace more polluting energy sources, such as coal and natural gas. In the decades since solar’s first “big promise,” the technology has seen its ups and downs. At this point, consumers are significantly confused. Where is solar at? Will the fabled solar energy revolution ever arrive? If so, when?

Evidence is mounting that we may indeed finally be on the verge of revolutionizing our energy grid and switching over to solar in a large scale way. Consider the following factors conspiring to bring about and accelerate the solar revolution.

1. The “green energy” revolution has gone mainstream.

Irrespective of your political persuasion or your views on alternative energy, you cannot deny how much attention the media, politicians, and our culture at large have been lavishing on “green energy solutions.” America is obsessed with green energy as never before. This collective obsession cannot help but fuel the fire of the solar revolution.

2. Powerful new consumer motivators.

Homeowners are tired of paying through the nose at the pump and on their utility bills.  Economic times are tight. Consumers want new, innovative ways to save without compromising their lifestyles. Once you install a solar array, you essentially maintain total independence from the grid power utility – and you can keep this independence up for a lifetime without investing in maintenance. Consumers are also more inclined to install solar for social reasons. Solar is not for the eclectic or overly wealthy anymore: it’s a viable, even fashionable solution.

Finally, there are serious financial motivations. For instance, a federal government tax incentive program recently provided $4,000 in tax credits for homeowners who installed solar. That’s a$4,000 deduction in money you would owe at the end of the year.

3. Radical improvements in solar technologies.

The “barrier to entry” for homeowners has never been lower. The decades of R&D, combined with the passion and urgency of solar advocates has led to the development of exciting, novel,cost effective, and well-engineered solutions. All that said, designing, developing, and executing a solar energy solution for your home can be a daunting task, unless you have a partner whom you can trust to facilitate the experience tomake sure it hews to your principles and budget.

Fortunately, you can connect with the most trusted name in roofing, Century Roof and Solar. For over 15 years, our contractors have installed premium roof systems throughout the San Francisco Bay area.  Learn more about how we can help you save money, protect the environment, and get free of the grid with a solar solution at www.noutilitybill.com, or connect with us at 888-233-7548 for a free roofing and/or solar quote.