Green solar jobs have arrived in the Hudson River Valley of New York. SpectraWatt, a company that produces silicon photovoltaic cells for solar panels, held a grand opening last week at its factory in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., not far from Poughkeepsie.

The factory opened earlier this year and in its current state will be capable of producing 16 million solar cells per year under 24x7 operations. However, when fully outfitted with equipment, the facility has the capability of producing over 50 million solar cells annually, enough to power 35,000 homes annually, according to the company’s website. SpectraWatt also has operations in Oregon.

Solar electric panels and solar hot water are becoming more affordable for homeowners and businesses, thanks to state and federal solar rebates and tax credits that can cut the price of a solar installation in half.

If you’re considering a New York solar panel installation, sign up at dasolar.com for a free solar evaluation. One of our local certified solar installers will contact you, set up an evaluation date for your site, and explain your options.

New York ranks seventh out of all the states in solar electric capacity installed last year, and seventh in total installed solar capacity.

Solar energy incentives in New York can be confusing depending on where you live, but when combined with federal solar incentives, they can cover about 60 percent of the cost of a solar panel installation. Now is a great time to look into solar, for the planet and for your pocketbook. Solar companies like SpectraWatt create green jobs--in this case up to 150 green solar jobs. When you buy solar, you support those workers as well as clean energy. Sign up for a free estimate at dasolar.com today!