It came to my attention the other day that solar power technologies have come a long way in the past few years. I was hiking up Camelback Mountain here in Scottsdale, Arizona, when I crossed paths with a young man wearing a solar powered backpack . I did a double-take, realizing there were small solar panels on his bag. I had to ask him what he was powering.

“My cell phone,” he said. “And my camera.”

I laughed, thinking about why he would need to bring his mobile phone on a hike. But it got me thinking about how solar panels have evolved to being flexible enough for backpacks, and efficient enough to power a cell phone on a wilderness hike. A good friend of mine recently bought a rather affordable solar panel system that he takes on camping trips to power his ipod.

It’s amazing how far we’ve come. From generators and high-voltage transformers to solar heating systems and wind turbines , green alternatives are changing the way we live. Solar energy for the home, for example, is a highly efficient way to not only reduce your electricity bill, but help maintain a clean environment. Solar energy for your RV can make lighting a dark night with quiet power possible.

If you’re thinking of converting to renewable energy and making the upgrade to solar power, there are a few things that you should know.

1. Know how many kilowatts you use in a day. This will allow you to see how much energy you will need to garner from your solar panels. Simply take the number of kilowatts of energy you use per billing period, and divide that number by the amount of days in the billing period. This will tell you exactly how much power you use. In order to find an accurate average, you may need to do this for more than just one month.
2. Have a pretty precise average for the amount of sunlight your rooftop receives each day. As a rule of thumb, most areas receive an average of five hours of sunlight. Of course, this will change whether you live in Seattle or Phoenix.
3. If you’re buying to warm your pool, or run your RV, know what type of solar panel system you need. There are many choices.
4. A one kilowatt solar panel system will generate about five kilowatts of energy per day. Use this number to calculate the size of solar panel system you will need. (Consult your manufacturer for specific energy information).
5. Solar panels these days last about 30 years, losing about 0.5 percent efficiency for each year that passes.
6. Maintenance is almost non-existent. You will simply need to hose off your system a few times every summer, and replace the inverter once every 15 years. Since it will last 30 years, you only have to worry about that once in your solar panel’s lifetime.
7. Think about the possibilities of shade from large trees in your yard or a neighbor’s yard.
8. Contact your utility company to find out about their utility connected systems.
9. Don’t forget about warranties.
10. Also, don’t forget to get all the necessary paperwork for your energy tax credit.

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, bringing about the “New Energy Economy” and some amazing new energy tax credits. The economic stimulus package consists of $787 billion dollars in recovery funds to get our economy back on its feet. Among those funds are incredible new green tax credits for simply upgrading your home or office to clean energy alternatives.

When you think about $787 billion, your mind probably starts to boggle, but as an environmentally friendly consumer, you need to know how to get your tax credits. First off, many of the 2008 incentives are still in effect. Those looked like this:

• Purchased a geothermal heat pump, solar water heater, solar panel, fuel cells (receive credit of 30% or up to $2,000)
• Purchased small wind energy systems
(receive credit of 30% or up to $4,000)

In the new economic stimulus package, energy tax credits have progressed from a tiny 10% credit on most clean energy alternatives ~ green products (windows, doors) to a whopping 30% credit. Of course, there is still a limit to what the government will give you for going green, but if you upgrade and purchase a clean energy alternative product, you will receive up to $1,500 in an energy tax credit that is yours to keep.

Here’s the catch. Your home must be the taxable primary residence, and the upgrade must be done between January 1 of 2009 and December 31 of 2010. I guess that’s not much of a catch when you stop to think about it. This includes all energy efficient upgrades, from windows to doors, to roofing and insulation. Air conditioning systems, furnaces, and water heaters all qualify for credit as well.

There are a few products that do not fall into the “up to $1,500” category, and can be credited for exactly 30 percent of the total purchase. These items include:

• Geothermal pumps
• Solar water heaters
• Solar panels
• Fuel cells
• Windmills

Wondering if your expensive install fees are included in the energy credit? Instillation is covered for the above products only, no doors or windows. Biomass stoves and HVAC products are covered as well. To receive your energy tax credit, be sure to have you Manufacturer Certification Statement, which is simply a signed statement from you manufacturer certifying that the product you purchased qualifies for the tax credit. Hint: ask before you buy!

If thinking of purchasing a clean air vehicle this year, you may be eligible to receive an energy tax credit of between $2,500 and $7,500, depending on if you get your car in time. The first 250,000 energy efficient cars will receive the full credit, while those who purchase after that will receive basically whatever’s left. The car credit begins to “phase out” after the first 250,000 are bought.

Home builders and businesses owners can also take advantage of the energy credit by upgrading their offices, or building efficient homes that achieve 50 percent energy savings over the existing standards. Home builders must achieve 50 percent energy savings over the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), offices must achieve 50 percent energy savings over the ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001

Check out all the energy tax credits at www.energystar.gov.

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