Fortunately, this reluctance to include solar panels as a standard feature is beginning to change. Some national homebuilders offer solar as a standard option, and the overall economics of rooftop solar continues to improve. A recent study has found that the single most important factor driving whether a given homeowner installs solar is peer influence — essentially, whether their neighbors have solar, also. So new home buyers, custom home builders and home remodeling companies are more likely to ask their architects for rooftop solar. 

My guest this week is Marvin Bamburg, the principle at MBA Architects, a San Jose-based residential and commercial architecture firm. His firm has been incorporating rooftop solar in his designs for over a dozen years. Please join me on this week’s Energy Show on Renewable Energy World as Marvin provides an architect’s perspective on incorporating rooftop solar in the design, sale and construction process for residential homes.

Find more episodes of The Energy Show here.

About The Energy Show

As energy costs consume more and more of our hard-earned dollars, we as consumers really start to pay attention. But we don’t have to resign ourselves to $5/gallon gas prices, $200/month electric bills and $500 heating bills. There are literally hundreds of products, tricks and techniques that we can use to dramatically reduce these costs — very affordably.

The Energy Show on Renewable Energy World is a weekly 20-minute podcast that provides tips and advice to reduce your home and business energy consumption. Every week we’ll cover topics that will help cut your energy bill, explain new products and technologies in plain English, and cut through the hype so that you can make smart and cost-effective energy choices. 

About Your Host

Barry Cinnamon is a long-time advocate of renewable energy and is a widely recognized solar power expert. In 2001 he founded Akeena Solar — which grew to become the largest national residential solar installer by the middle of the last decade with over 10,000 rooftop customers coast to coast. He partnered with Westinghouse to create Westinghouse Solar in 2010, and sold the company in 2012.

His pioneering work on reducing costs of rooftop solar power systems include Andalay, the first solar panel with integrated racking, grounding and wiring; the first UL listed AC solar panel; and the first fully “plug and play” AC solar panel. His current efforts are focused on reducing the soft costs for solar power systems, which cause system prices in the U.S. to be double those of Germany.

Although Barry may be known for his outspoken work in the solar industry, he has hands-on experience with a wide range of energy saving technologies.  He’s been doing residential energy audits since the punch card days, developed one of the first ground-source heat pumps in the early ‘80s, and always abides by the Laws of Thermodynamics.

Lead image: Green microphone via Shutterstock