Astralux is happy to announce two new employees to our ever-growing staff. We welcome solar installers Jake Wilson and John LeGate, they will be contributing to the best installation team in Colorado!

Despite the economic woes of today, Astralux continues to expand with an eye on a bright future ahead!

The following is an excerpt from The Woodmen Edition newspaper in Colorado Springs.

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Here comes the sun. And for the Leitz family, here comes lower electricity bills, a way to help Colorado Springs' energy needs and a method to make a positive impact on the environment.

In early Nov., the Leitz's, through a company called Astralux Power Systems, installed 36 panels on their roof hoping to glean enough sunlight to keep their house's electricity totally powered during daylight hours.

Mr. Butch Leitz said he worked with Astralux because their design helped the panels blend in with the rest of the home...Leitz said the connection between the panels and the city provided electricity proved seamless and he's yet to see any problems.

"It's really a no-brainer when it comes to solar energy. It's a simple concept" he said. "The environment is only getting worse; there's no reason not to invest right now."

[Source: The Woodmen Edition, Maren Sorensen]

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We commend the Leitz family on their new system and front page story in the Woodmen Paper! They are setting an example for others in Colorado Springs (and beyond) to follow.

Congratulations to:

Janet Daniels - Denver, CO

She has won a portable solar charger courtesy of Astralux Power Systems. At each home show, Astralux will be giving away these very neat (and very useful) solar energy chargers. Just visit our booth at one of these upcoming shows to register...

Denver Home Show - National Western Complex (3/19 - 3/22)
Garden and Outdoor Living Show - Douglas County Fairgrounds (3/29 - 3/30)

The grand prize of $2,000 towards a new solar energy system will be drawn at the end of July.

Link: http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/03/16/daily18.html

This comes as no surprise, as this is Xcel's 5th increase in a little over 2 1/2 years.

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Xcel Energy on Monday filed for permission to raise electricity rates in Colorado by 2.6 percent.

The approval has to come from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. If approved, the higher rate would take effect April 1 and bring in $14.6 million more in the second quarter.

Xcel files with the PUC every quarter an Electric Commodity Adjustment (ECA), which takes into account the costs of fuel used to generate electricity and to purchase energy.

Xcel said that although those prices are down by about 44 percent, the requested increase reflects a $61.5 million shortfall in the previous quarter. The shortfall comes in the utility’s deferred balance.

If the new rate is approved, the average residential customer’s bill would increase by 2.61 percent, or by $1.43 a month, to $56.23. The average small business customer would have a 2.67 percent increase, or $2.33 a month more, to $89.91.

Astralux recently completed a 31kw commercial installation on the IBEW 113 electrical union building in Colorado Springs. The local news stopped by the cover some of the work being performed. If you would like to see a small bit of the report on the system click here:

Astralux News Footage

Congrats to all the members of IBEW 113. It is your leadership that will help chart our path forward to energy independence.

Hello fellow solar lovers. Osea Nelson here, back after an unintentionally long break. Today I want to share some thoughts with you I have been compiling over the last few months concerning the investment side of solar energy.

As you know there are many, many other reasons to look into adding solar to you home or business. For now let’s agree on that long list and put it aside. To make any new technology viable for the masses the market must accept it on its financial basis and nothing more. It is the nature of the very fundamental tenant of our free market system that the market will lift up sound new ideas, and will punish products and ideas that do not have a future out the door. Some today certainly argue that we are all suffering now, today, because the market finally did correct the wrongs that were created in consolidated debt obligations, sub prime loans, and the like. We are all in this pickle together, and times certainly are hard right now, but I also know that people do have money still saved, and are looking for sound areas to invest. It is hard to believe that any investment today could be considered sound. Our brokers are telling us to get back into the market, and yet reports seem to be circulating that we may have more drops to come before the actual floor is hit. They tell us to invest in government debt for more secure gains, just as other countries are walking away from our T-bills as they don’t see the returns they are looking for.

It seems there really is two questions to ask. First, “what should I do with my money today?” and second “how do I actually define an investment? “

Now if you listen to my grandmother she would tell you to stick every penny you have left under your pillow and walk away. I love my grandmother, but don’t take her advice. There is no such thing as a guarantee in this life but solar comes darn close.

Solar provides its owner with a GUARANTEED positive return on money invested. The only way that solar will not provide a solid positive return is if energy prices suddenly and permanently decline. I think that most of us can agree, that is not going to happen. With the recent announcement of possible cap and trade legislation, increased concerns over supply, coupled with turmoil in the fossil fuel rich nations around the globe, the era of “cheap” energy is rapidly coming to an end. This is where solar really starts to shine, pardon the pun. Looking at an investment snapshot today, solar makes a lot of sense. It provides a modest positive return on your money from day one. It also allows you to capture money that would have gone to federal taxes and disappeared forever to be reinvested directly into your home. But the real value that solar has to offer each of us, comes in the years ahead. Each time energy prices rise (California’s energy is 56% more expensive than Colorado’s) your investment just made money, your payback window got cut substantially, and your ROI just went up. This will happen year after year, decade after decade, as your solar system ages. It will actually make you more money each year you own it. Returns possible with a modest 8% a year energy increase hover around 10%+ annually and over 300% return on the investment. That is at 8% a year. One local utility just announced a 23% rate increase for next year. Solar insulates you from these dramatic shocks now and for decades to come.

So let’s revisit our questions. To answer our first question of what to do with your money these days, I say there is no surer bet than solar power for your home or business. As to the second question, I believe the true definition of an investment is something that generates a realized income stream over time without my personal involvement everyday. Solar is that investment. You are generating a guaranteed income stream that is better than anything we could ask for out there today with the added bonus that as rates fluctuate over the coming years you and your family will make more and more each year on your investment. Now that redefines a sound investment!

Go forth and invest wisely, invest in solar!!
Cheers,

Osea

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Astralux now has sales positions available in the following areas:

Grand Junction / Western Slope
Alamosa
Pueblo

Please visit http://www.AstraluxSolar.com/employment.htm for more details...

Congratulations to:

Carol Schultz - Arvada, CO
Gene Mooneyham - Littleton, CO
Margaret Sandeli - Greeley, CO

They have each won a portable solar charger courtesy of Astralux Power Systems. Each home show, Astralux will be giving away these very neat (and very useful) solar energy chargers. Just visit our booth at one of these upcoming shows to register...

Denver Home and Remodeling Show - Denver Merchandise Mart (3/13 - 3/15)
Denver Home Show - National Western Complex (3/19 - 3/22)
Garden and Outdoor Living Show - Douglas County Fairgrounds (3/29 - 3/30)

Our last e-newsletter indicated that the Renewable Energy Grants in the recent stimulus legislation would be available for both commercial and residential. Unfortunately, it turns out that the grants will be available ONLY for commercial. Residential systems will still be eligible for the 30% Federal Tax Credit.

For more information, visit: http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/incentive2.cfm?Incentive_Code=US37F&State=federal&currentpageid=1&ee=1&re=1

Here is a link to a story done on the 30kW Solar Energy Installation on the IBEW office in Colorado Springs.

http://www.kktv.com/news/headlines/40319987.html

Continuing our 5 part series on Solar Electricity in Colorado.

"One home using Solar Energy prevents over 150,000 pounds of Coal from being burned..."

Read more ... http://www.astraluxsolar.com/Solar_In_Colorado_Part3.pdf