As Safe As Houses

Remember when we had the idea that investing in real estate was a safe bet? It was such a commonplace idea that this would generate a return on the investment, that it became a cliche: “As safe as houses”.

Now, despite our real estate values dropping like a stone, there is still part of your building that you can use to generate a certain return yearly.

That is that abundant farmland that you have on your roof.

You didn’t know you have farmland on the roof? Northern California’s PG&E thinks so. If you have solar potential (a flat roof or 20 degree slope to the South, Southwest or Southeast with no shade) you could actually generate a decent return on investment, regardless of your declining property value, from your sunshine harvest.

You could earn 8% a year on an investment in a solar roof. How?
There is a little known Feed in Tariff in Northern California. PG&E offers a contract for solar power that they will buy from you, paying a set amount per kilowatthour for 20 years. Until I started working in the solar industry a few months ago I had no idea that PG&E will buy on a Feed in Tariff from anyone who can produce it. While it is far from a get rich quick scheme, it is definitely a way to earn money doing the right thing.

You don’t have to be some giant business selling megawatts of electricity to PG&E like those huge solar farms out in the Mojave.

I just calculated two spaces here in the Bay Area, one where a landlord owned a group of buildings in one neighborhood, and one on a house of worship with enough square footage to make a community center using 10,000 kwh a month completely carbon neutral. Making a building like that net zero takes a huge system; 80KW in this case. It had enough square feet available for an 80KW system; which could earn $36,000 a year, with the income repaying the system in just 11 years.

This Feed in Tariff is different from the rebate program whereby the California Solar Initiative pays an upfront payment for your solar system, at $1,550 a kilowatt ($1.55 a watt) for homeowner systems or now down to $1,100 a kilowatt for commercial buildings, and then additionally credits you back (monthly) for any excess electrons you produce thereafter, giving rise to the often-described joy of watching the meter running backwards.

This is different. PG&E’s Feed in Tariff is a straightforward sale of electrons produced. While it is far from the generous Feed in Tariff that propelled Germany’s cloudy rooftops to #1 in solar production in Europe and caused Spain to drain world silicon supplies a few years back, this is a surprisingly solid return on investment in a market where real estate is by no means a safe investment any more.

I will be describing how to use the Feed in Tariff at the Interfaith Power Information Night in the East Bay in mid April if any groups, coop members or building owners have any questions about how to get started.

(These inspiring and exuberant images of the infinite potential of the sky always make me think of a really sustainable future for us humans; that it’s possible.) They are by Flikr User fjny

Peak form: Get the best out of your body shape.(FEMALE TIMES)

The News Letter (Belfast, Northern Ireland) November 13, 2002 Byline: Marina Bradford Although we inherit our basic shape from our parents, it is still up to us how much fat we eat and how much we exercise.

There are a few other amazing exercise tricks you can do to bring out the best in your shape. Choose your body shape and check out the best way of maximizing it’s potential.

n PEAR Your hips and thighs are normally wider than the waist and chest. Do activities that get you slightly out of breath, such as walking, swimming or cycling, 3/4 times per week and concentrate on exercises that tone up the chest, arms, back and shoulders, using some weights. This will help your upper body to balance out the hips and will make the waist look smaller. site lower back exercises

n APPLE You carry most weight around your tummy, but tend to have slim legs and arms.

Concentrate on tummy, waist and lower back exercises and fat-burning exercises, such as walking, swimming or cycling, 3/4 times per week. Work on arms, shoulders, buttocks and legs to improve your overall shape, with light to medium weights (3lbs-5lbs).

n HEART Broad shoulders and chest, narrow waist, hips, arms and thighs, usually quite athletic looking. Any activities that get you slightly out of breath, such as walking, swimming or cycling, etc should be done 3/4 times per week, as well as muscle toning exercises with weights, concentrating MOSTLY on legs, buttocks, and abdominals. go to website lower back exercises

n RUNNER BEAN Basically slim, straight up and down, without much shape or curves. To achieve curves, definition and lean muscle, you need to concentrate on heavy weight training (5lbs-10lbs+), 2-3 times per week. Build up slowly, using light weights first. Aerobic work should NOT be any longer than 20 minutes 2-3 times per week. Unlike the rest of the shapes, you can get away with eating a lot more calories – as long as you keep it healthy.

n HOURGLASS The envy of them all; curvy and slim (but not necessarily thin), chest and hips measure roughly the same, small waist and flat tummy. Looks athletic and tends to weigh heavy on the scales. Do fat-burning activities, such as walking, swimming or cycling, etc 3/4 times per week, and tone legs, buttocks, tummy, waist, arms and shoulders using weights to maintain good shape.

No matter what you may think of your own body, remember it has more potential than you ever thought possible