Solar Your Office

Between meetings and multitasking, caring for the Earth sometimes drops to the bottom of your priority list. But with energy costs rising, your wallet is suffering – and so is the planet.

The typical U.S. family spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills. Solar energy can be a long-term, cost-efficient option for your home and office.

“Solar is easy and accessible today. It’s cheaper than your utilities and doesn’t require a big lifestyle change,” says Lynn Jurich, co-founder and president of Sun Run, Inc. “Solar power makes a big difference in the environment,” she says. A home solar system equals planting almost 200 trees or taking 10 cars off the road.

Thinking solar? Sun Run shows if your area is appropriate for solar energy and what other renewable energy resources are available.

Solar is unavailable in your area? Reduce your utilities by getting to know your energy bill and looking for trends in usage, suggests The Daily Green. Plus, use the DIY Energy Audit checklist to keep track of your findings.

With customers like FedEx, Wal-mart, Google and eBay, Bloom Energy’s Bloombox provides inexpensive, clean energy out of a portable box without an electric grid, along with tax breaks and lower energy costs.

Bonus PINK Link: Check out the top MBAs with a Conscience.

PINK Profile: Working toward an MBA and launching your own start-up? Jurich shares how she did it.

By Muriel Vega

“Living simply has resulted in us becoming more aware of the
environment and the impact we have on it.” Catherine Pulsifer