Buy a standard Aurora new homes design with solar panels and what you end up with are a lot of savings and an ecologically, guilt-free conscience!

New Town Builders, a Colorado construction company, is installing solar panels in all of its Aurora new homes, which is helping you do both!

Photovoltaic is just another name for a solar cell - therefore, energy derived from the use of solar cells. These cells take solar radiation (energy) and turn it into electricity. "Solar panels are comprised of several individual solar cells. These solar cells function similarly to large semiconductors and utilize a large-area p-n junction diode. When the solar cells are exposed to sunlight, the p-n junction diodes convert the energy from sunlight into usable electrical energy. The energy generated from photons striking the surface of the solar panel allows electrons to be knocked out of their orbits and released, and electric fields in the solar cells pull these free electrons in a directional current, from which metal contacts in the solar cell can generate electricity." (www.solarpanelinfo.com)

(Photo courtesy of newtownbuilders . com.)

(Photo courtesy of newtownbuilders . com.)

A solar panel is the surface on which solar cells are arranged and hooked together in order to be able to collect the sun's radiation. "The more solar cells in a solar panel and the higher the quality of the solar cells, the more total electrical output the solar panel can produce." (www.solarpanelinfo.com)

Naturally, the most obvious benefit is the decrease in your energy bill each month. Also, with recent legislation such as the 2004 Energy Bill, the use of solar panels in your Denver new home will serve as a tax deduction. Another reason why solar electric panels in your New Home in Aurora are beneficial is due to the fact that they serve as an investment.

Lastly, due to the fact that these panels are not stand alone (off grid) systems. They tie into the public electric utility. When it is cloudy, the house draws from the utility. When it is sunny, the house sells any excess electricity generated by the solar panels back to the utility company. A "Synchronous Solar Panel Inverter", which also comes with your Aurora New Home, is used to maintain a dynamic between your solar cells and the power grid, and is the best way to get your meter running backwards. It is also beneficial, because when your solar panels become unreliable, damaged, or hindered by inclement weather conditions, you can still use power from the city's power grid. This provides a continous flow of electricity year round, and most of it you will produce yourself." (www.solarpanelinfo.com) This feature is extremely cost effective for the homeowner.

In order for new homes in Denver to qualify for the Energy Star Rating it must satisfy certain requirements such as "an effective insulation system, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment and ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and appliances." (www.energystar.gov)

The benefits of your Aurora new home being Energy Star compliant include "added confidence knowing that the home they are purchasing fulfills strict energy saving guidelines; lowers ownership costs; better performance; smart investment and, environmental protection." (www.energystar.gov)

With the threat of global warming upon us, using fossil fuels to provide us a source of energy has proven to be detrimental to the environment. "Fossil Fuels are the most widely-used means of generating electricity, and have been for some time. However, fossil fuels, as we have discovered, are a limited and non-renewable resource. Estimates have determined that fossil fuel reserves may well run dry by as early as 2050. Not only are fossil fuel reserves dwindling, but byproducts and emissions from burning fossil fuels are harmful to the environment, and have been associated with global warming theory." (www.solarpanelinfo.com)

The solar panels in Aurora new homes are a source of renewable energy. "Renewable Energy is a term that refers to energy sources that are renewable in nature, meaning that more and more is continuously generated, and for all practical purposes, that are virtually limitless in supply. Energy from our sun is one such example." (www.solarpanelinfo.com)

By reducing the conventional energy consumption in your Aurora New Home, you will "cut your energy bills, and help out the environment by reducing your reliance on pollution-generating sources of energy." (www.solarpanelinfo.com)