When it comes to outfitting your home with solar equipment, a key component to solar success is finding an experienced, reputable installer. Not sure where to find one? Here’s where to start…

To ensure your switch to solar is a success, employ a reputable solar professional.
- Check with professionals from local green building and solar organizations; they can be valuable resources for finding established, reliable installers.
- Contact your local chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), a nonprofit organization formed to raise awareness of solar energy and increase its use in the U.S., for the names of local professionals.
- Sponsored by the ASES and Cooler Planet, FindSolar.com is a national database of solar professionals. In addition, you’ll also find a wealth of solar resources, tools, and calculators.
- Call local solar companies and ask if they employ any installers certified by The North American Board of Certified Energy Practioners (NABCEP), which certifies both SWH and PV installers. Or check with the NABCEP website. Certification is voluntary and entails a wide range of certification programs.
- Check with local community colleges, green trade organizations, solar equipment manufacturers, or any other group or organization that may provide certification or training for solar professionals.
- As with any service professional, do your homework and check the affiliations, credentials, and references provided by all prospective installers.




The Hilton Asheville aims to bring sustainability to its hospitality when it opens this month. Representatives for the hotel outlined goals for green practices, including reduced use of natural resources and the implementation of a 


Many of the items we buy and use can be recycled. Craft projects from recycled goods are one great way of ensuring that our limited natural resources are optimally used.









































