Solar Energy and Energy Efficiency

Starfire Energy provides solar energy and energy efficiency services to the Denver metro area and throughout Colorado. We design, install, and maintain solar electric systems (also known as photovoltaic systems) for your home or business. You can see a detailed example of one of our installations here on our Solar Electric Systems information page, as well as photos of a variety of example solar electric systems on our Photos of Installations page. We also provide solar energy equipment such as the Attic Breeze solar powered attic fan to contractors and do-it-yourself-ers.

Our Philosophy

Starfire Energy is dedicated to making sustainable energy a reality. It isn't enough for us to just be a profitable business; we must provide high quality, affordable sustainable energy options so they can be widely adopted in our society. For sustainable energy systems, durability is a key factor in their value. Our design goal for our flush mounted solar electric systems is for them to last 50 years, the same as a high quality asphalt shingle roof. To do this, we use high quality materials and pay attention to the details of our workmanship. This approach has higher up-front materials costs, but it results in a more durable, lower maintenance system that provides better long-term value. We also emphasize energy efficiency to our customers. Energy efficiency is nearly always the lowest cost, fastest, most effective way to reduce one's utility bill. It also reduces the size of the solar system that is needed to provide the energy you need, letting you "go green" for less money.

Starfire Energy is proud to be an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau. We share their vision of "An ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other." To realize this vision, we place integrity above all other business imperatives and strive to give our customers accurate predictions of the performance they can expect from their sustainable energy systems. You can see the Denver Better Business Bureau's report on Starfire Energy on their web site.

Our Services

Starfire Energy can provide all of the services you need to start powering your home or business with solar electricity. Our trained photovoltaic system designers will work with you to determine your present electrical energy usage, survey your roof and grounds to determine the best location for your solar panels, and design a solar electric system that will meet your needs.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy go hand in hand. The least expensive energy is the energy that you do not use. We can work with you to reduce your electrical usage, which will reduce your utility bills and reduce the size of solar electric system required to supply all of your electricity. See our Energy Efficiency page for more details.

Our staff has over a decade of project management experience to make your system installation go smoothly. We use only high quality materials and we adhere to high standards for both system design and installation. We manage your installation from start to finish, contracting with skilled electricians, and roofers if needed, to ensure a high quality installation.

Thinking about building a new home? In addition to keeping up with the latest in photovoltaic products and innovative design ideas, we have a "green network" to help connect you with experts in wind power, solar thermal systems, architects, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other trades.

Solar Energy Rebates

Keeping your solar electric system connected to the grid can make you eligible for rebates and renewable energy credits from your electrical utility. It also allows you to draw power from the utility at night in exchange for supplying electricity to the utility during the day, removing the need for batteries to store your electricity. We keep track of utility interconnection policies and we can take care of the interconnection paperwork for you. We also keep track of rebate programs and tax incentives that help reduce the cost of your photovoltaic system. We can help you to take advantage of these programs quickly and easily.

Mortgage companies are learning the value of photovoltaic installations. The reduced electricity bill that comes with owning a photovoltaic system can open up mortgage refinancing options. We can help you locate "green mortgage" lenders to finance your home photovoltaic system.

An Investment in the Future

Why use solar electricity? Why not just keep building more power plants that use coal, natural gas, or nuclear power? There are many different reasons for using solar electricity, and different people assign different levels of importance to them. Here are some reasons that we have heard; if you have others, contact us and tell us about them.

• Solar electricity is free of pollutants. Solar electric arrays produce no atmospheric emissions. This reduces the amount of pollutants such as ozone, nitrous oxides, sulfur oxides, particulates, and heavy metals that are released to our atmosphere each year by coal-fired power plants in particular.
• Solar electricity can reduce the summertime peak loads on our electrical grid. The peak electrical demand each year usually occurs in the hottest part of the summer when many people are running air conditioners to cool their homes. These are usually sunny days, which is when solar electricity arrays produce the most electricity. The electricity produced in neighborhoods on hot sunny days takes the place of electricity that would have had to be generated at centralized power plants and transmitted long distances to cool that home. This reduces the load on the central power plants and the heavily burdened electricity grid. This helps us avoid having to build expensive "peaking" power plants and lets us do more with our existing power grid.
• Solar electricity is a step toward energy independence. Sunlight is plentiful, free, and cannot be embargoed. We do not have to import it from other regions of the world. Enough sunlight shines on the United States to supply its energy needs many times over. Increasing our use of solar electricity will help the United States base its foreign policy on our values of freedom and democracy instead of short term access to petroleum fuels.
• Solar electricity is aesthetically pleasing. Solar electric arrays have an attractive appearance, operate silently, and can help their owners feel more connected to the natural world. Their power comes from the sun, the same energy source that is used by our farms, prairies, and forests.
• Solar electricity helps homes sell better. A solar electricity array is a differentiator when a home is being sold. People are beginning to find that a well-designed solar electricity array increases the value of a home and makes it more attractive to home buyers.
• Solar electricity is free of carbon dioxide emissions. Solar electric arrays make their electricity without producing any carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the main contributor to global warming. Solar electricity is one of the key technologies that can let us power our modern energy-consuming society in a carbon-neutral way. This may let us avoid the most drastic global warming induced climate changes that will affect our future generations.