Stuff to check out:

Interested in green energy? You've got plenty of reasons to be! The latest Puget Sound Energy rates are up to 7.8292¢ per kilowatt hour for the first 600 kWh and 9.6101¢ after that.

However, PSE does have a cool new Green Power Program. You can enroll to buy green energy to offset the power your home uses, even before your personal solar, wind or hydro system is set up! Just $4 buys 320 kWh of green energy!

One of PSE's green energy suppliers is the NW Solar Coop, which buys energy from people like you! If you own a small, grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) power generating systems in Oregon, Washington, Idaho or Montana, check out the NW Solar Coop. At the moment they aren't accepting new members, but keep checking back.

WA state incentives:

Washington was the first state to implement a Renewable Energy Production Incentive, SB 5101. Your utility company will pay you $0.15/kWh to $0.54/kWh for any green energy your system produces.

The base rate is $0.15/kWh. If your inverter is made in Washington, the base rate is multiplied by 1.2 ($0.15 * 1.2 = $0.18/kWh). If your solar modules are made in Washington, then the base rate is multiplied by 2.4 ($0.15 * 2.4 = $0.36/kWh). If both are made in Washington, $0.18 + $0.36 = $0.54/kWh.

The law has been extended to 2020 and the payout is capped at $5,000 per year.

For kids:

Hey, younger kids! Want to know more about this solar energy business? What's the big deal, anyway? Here's a site just for you!

Hey, older kids! Confused about solar energy, photovoltaics, solar thermal and all that jazz? Or, just want to know more about how it all works? Check out this site for older kids!