Top 5 Reasons to get solar for your home. In Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina, the abundance of sunlight combined with favorable tax incentives and environmental benefits make solar power a compelling choice for homeowners and businesses alike.

At Sugar Hollow Solar, we view the transition to renewable energy as a dual commitment to both environmental sustainability and social equity.

We want to share a major milestone we’ve achieved as we continue to push forward in our mission.

The philosophy behind the business by Co-founder, Doug Ager. Read about some early lessons in caring for the land, learning to run a business and the business principles Sugar Hollow Solar strives for.

You might be surprised to discover that there are many options underneath the grand umbrella of building a green home, and we wanted to share those other considerations with you as well.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “carbon footprint” before, but have you ever stopped to figure out what, exactly, it is? Do you know your own household’s carbon footprint? By understanding your carbon footprint, you’ll be able to identify areas where your household can make the most significant improvements. If we were to all band together and collectively lower our carbon footprints, there’s no doubt that we would see positive climate changes worldwide.

If you’re seeing EVs all over right now, it makes sense. Electric cars may finally be having their moment — with a projected surge in 2021. Led overwhelmingly by Tesla, of course. But maybe you’ve also heard conflicting opinions about whether electric cars are actually a helpful solution for climate change or not. With that in mind, we wanted to share our thoughts on a question we’ve been hearing more and more as EVs gain popularity: are electric cars really better for the environment?

Do you seek out education and resources about sustainability and climate change? Spend time considering your part in working toward the future you envision? Are you always on the lookout for ways to support your local community and small businesses? Us, too. If you’re nodding along, this sustainability and climate change book list is for you.

You may have heard by now that there’s a last minute and quite significant change that was made to the Duke Energy NC Solar Rebate recently. We’re getting a lot of questions about it and wanted to share broadly how this is affecting the prospect of going solar in NC right now, as well as our promotion of guaranteeing ½ of the rebate in order to keep the value for our customers.

The following seven sustainable living ideas will take various amounts of time or energy to get established, but after they’re up and running they’ll consistently work in the background to make your home and lifestyle more eco-friendly without any additional work on your end.

Sustainabiilty isn’t only about planting trees.

It’s about people, too. Which is just one reason we’re thankful for Just Economics, an Asheville-based nonprofit that advocates for economic justice in Western NC.

Whenever you research online, you see varying claims for solar savings.

They seem sensible. Or are they far-fetched?

It’s hard to find the truth.

Maybe you’ve even seen those ads claiming solar energy is free.

Before we dive into whether solar can save you money, we’ll clear up that tall tale: switching to solar is not free.

Nope. Never. Nice try, tricky advertisers.

Sigh.

Well, looks like we’ll all be staying home quite a bit. For a while.

Flattening the curve and all that.

But social distancing and avoiding crowds doesn’t need to mean throwing our (well-washed) hands up and doing nothing.

Imagine: It’s 6:30, morning, a frosty blue ridge Thursday: You roll over in bed, switch off your chirping alarm. Slippers on, you pad down the hallway. Start the coffee. Nudge the heat up. Hop in the shower.

Ever notice how quickly young people get to the heart of the matter? When the team behind I Heart Pisgah asked local youth what they love about Pisgah National Forest, Ronya, thirteen, said: “I love this forest because it’s a habitat for so many creatures. And because it’s full of life — and I don’t think we can take that life away.”

“Where does a homeowner start? How do I know what is the best alternative for my house?” Excellent question.

If you’re new to the concept of solar energy, one of the most difficult pieces of the puzzle to understand is how installing a solar energy system actually saves you money.