China trade credit

Do you run or plan to start importing from China but do not know whether your Chinese business partner is a legally registered company? This is a common problem when doing business with Chinese companies, especially when you do it through the Internet and use B2B portals like Alibaba.com. The question seems peculiar, but still not enough people ask themselves about it. Surely it would possibly avoid a lot of scams if the importer had access to this apparently trivial information about a supplier from China.

So how can you check if a Chinese company exists? Or how can you know about china trade credit?

It is worth to be sure that the company has a legal registration in China.

Entrepreneurs frequently ask for the company’s references, certificates, or financial statements, and at the beginning, it is good to start by checking if you are dealing with a legally registered company or with a cheater. The problem is that the importer believes that if a company has a website or an account on a B2B website, then certainly it exists and runs a legal business. Unfortunately, scammers frequently create invented names to give themselves credibility. It works. If you see that, on the website or in the e-mail signature, a name with the appendage “Co., Ltd.,” you assume that this Chinese company must be legally registered. This blind assumption can cost your company a lot of money. And unfortunately often you cannot do much about it.

The company was registered but the registration has expired.

Another common case is that the business license has expired. Sometimes it turns out that the company had a business license, but it was not renewed. Sometimes scammers use the license of another company that is no longer registered. You should not only check whether the company has a license but also whether it is valid. If not, then you should really reconsider whether you want to import from China using such a supplier. It is worth adding that the risk of fraud in this case increases drastically.
What can we do to protect our company from untrustworthy supplier?

First of all, ask our business partner to show a copy of the business license. With this document, you can check if it is valid and whether it actually belongs to the right company. Transferring other companies’ licenses does happen. You also must be sure that the document has not been fabricated in a graphics program (for example, in Photoshop). Every legally registered Chinese company has a business license, so do not believe in excuses (the most common are: the license is lost or the license is in a locked drawer and the person who has the keys is on vacation). In addition, for Chinese companies, the business license is their most important document.

 

Electric Bicycle VS Electric Scooter

An e-bike ebike is typically a bicycle with motor inside. It is also called an e-bike or electric scooter. The eclectic dirt bike can reach speeds up to 24-34km/hr (15 to help you 20 miles /hour) with regards to the motor and laws of the country. Many countries possess law restrictions vs speedy e-bikes rendering it illegal to offer for sale e-bikes that proceed past certain pace. Electric scooters are substantially cheaper as compared to regular motorcycles. Also, they are a lot cheaper not to lose and to generate.

Electric bikes belong to a different class of vehicles than motor bikes. In countries enjoy Canada and United states of america e-bikes are dealt with like bicycle (they can be even allowed in bicycle lanes) which imply that the rider doesn't need insurance or people license to operate one. There could come to be some age as well as license restrictions depending on the State or the Province. All States and/or Provinces require riders to wear a helmet designed for safety purposes.

Electronic bikes are battery operated helping to make them very environment friendly and affordable. With gas expense rising and global warming just about to happen e-bikes make wonderful transportation alternative. They are easy to operate, safe and most essential of all don't demand gasoline. They are smaller sized and lighter when compared to average motorcycle making them perfect for urban areas.

In a great many markets around the world e-bikes are replacing regular bikes in addition to motorcycles. The difference relating to the electric scooter and also the bicycle is of course that e-bikes have motors in them. The difference around motorcycles and electronic scooters is that electric scooters' applications are battery run. E-bikes are also required to have pedals to get manual use where motorcycles do not. That means whether battery charge is low one can find pedals to get hold of rider home safely.

Most of electric scooters possess safety key attribute which protects the idea from being ripped off and imposes safety.

Electric bikes are generally affordable. The price tag may weary coming from US$500 to US$3, 500. E-bikes are a great deal cheaper than motorcycle in particular when you take into account that electric scooters can also be more cost useful on maintenance.

In a great many countries around the world e-bikes outnumber normal bikes and motorcycles in the roads as they've been cheaper and more convenient way of transfer. In countries prefer China and Asia sales numbers meant for electric bikes double almost every year where off road electric scooter sales drop. Western countries which include Canada and Nation has recently discovered important things about e-bikes and now are in the process of implementing rules and regulations to increase number of electric bike owners.
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There are many kinds of folding sports gear and folding utility bicycles. Each one contains a little different system nonetheless basics are generally the same. I picked a particular one to use as an example to demonstrate how easy it truly is to operate the folding bicycle. -Always make sure your e-bike whereas parked is stable and the kickstand is locked at the same time.

Credit risk in China

Credit risk in China means the country will find it very hard to grow. Global credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings has warned that the extent of china credit could make it very difficult for the country to grow its way out of excesses as it has in the past. The comments suggest tougher times ahead, which could impact on businesses.

Over the last decade China has grown at an impressive rate making it an attractive prospect for firms worldwide. However, the report from Fitch Ratings found that the ratio of credit to GDP now stands at 200 per cent, leading to the agency predicting muted growth.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Charlene Chu, Fitch Rating's senior director in Beijing, said, "The credit-driven growth model is clearly falling apart. This could feed into a massive over-capacity problem, and potentially into a Japanese-style deflation.

"There is no transparency in the shadow banking system, and systemic risk is rising. We have no idea who the borrowers are, who the lenders are, and what the quality of assets is, and this undermines signalling."

China's credit bubble could affect British businesses operating in the region. Ensuring that suppliers and customers are regularly checked for stability and creditworthiness is key for maintaining a strong supply chain.

Graydon's International Credit Risk Assessment Monitoring services enables businesses to keep up to date with trading partners'current situations. The latest credit information is automatically added to a client’s database allowing them to monitor critical events and rating changes. Additionally, email alerts are sent the second new occurs so businesses can rest assured they will be well informed should risk emerge.

Many UK businesses have offset European losses due to increasing demand in China and other fast-growth nations but it is vital for them to remain cautious and alert for changing market conditions. 

The Greenest and Maybe Cleanest Vehicle on the Road

Is this the zero-emissions green vehicle of the future? For the masses, possibly not.  For me personally, maybe so. It’s a battery-powered electric scooter, with solar panels for recharging during daylight hours.

I’ve become a big fan, and a minor authority, on battery-powered electric scooters. I’ve owned a few. A Chinese-made electric scooter was my primary form of urban transportation while living and working in Los Angeles until moving to China last year.

Though I never saw another one on the road in LA, I’m a passionate believer in this mode of transport. In China, electric scooters are almost as common as passenger cars, with upwards of five million sold every year. The streets and sidewalks are crowded with them. They run on lead acid batteries, the same kind used in car batteries.

The electric scooters sold now in China rely on plug-in battery rechargers. That’s the biggest drawback of driving one. Lead acid batteries can take up to eight hours to recharge. This new solar-powered recharger should solve that problem. The battery recharges automatically as you ride around, as long as there’s sunlight. Assuming the solar recharger works, this electric scooter china becomes a street-legal perpetual motion machine, never needing, at least during daytime, to stop for a recharge.

I met the inventor, Zhao Weiping, at a trade exhibition. I could barely contain my excitement. We discussed the science, the capacity of the solar panels, and the potential to upgrade the batteries to lighter, longer-lasting lithium batteries. He’s only built prototypes so far. He expects the cost, for a base model, to be around Rmb3,000 ($440).

With lithium batteries, the price goes up to around $750. Lithium batteries take half the time to recharge.

Another benefit of lithium: the batteries weigh less than half lead acid ones. Less weight means less drag and so farther range on a full battery and faster top speeds.  Engineer Zhao guesses top speed should be about 50kph (30mph) compared to 30kph (18mph) for lead acid models.

To me, it sounds like the ideal form urban transport: zero emissions, reliable, fast enough to keep up with traffic, and will rarely, if ever, require mains electricity to recharge. In other words, zero cost per kilometer traveled.

It gets better: in much of the US, including California, you don’t need a driver’s license or insurance to drive an electric scooter, and you can drive it legally in bicycle lanes. Of course, few traffic cops know any of these facts. I was pulled over routinely in California, while riding my electric scooter. Eventually, I created a plastic-coated car card with all the relevant clauses of the state traffic code. I’d present it to traffic police, and they’d usually let me head off after a few minutes.

In LA, I drove a Chinese electric scooter upgraded with lithium. Top speed was about 24 mph. Recharging time: four to five hours. As commutes go, my 9-mile trip to work was about as pleasant and relaxing as any could be. Most of my route was along the Pacific Ocean, and then through some of the hipper areas of Santa Monica and Venice. When the roads were crowded at rush hour, I’d switch into the bicycle lane. You can park anywhere on the sidewalk, just like a bicycle.

The biggest hazard is pedestrians. The scooters are so quiet that people don’t hear it coming. I had a few near misses.

I never understood why so few in California ride electric scooters. I never saw another one on the road. California is certainly one of the most environmentally-conscious places on earth. Motorized transport doesn’t get any greener than electric scooters. Zero emissions, zero fossil fuels, zero direct carbon footprint.

Those green credentials were never my main reasons for riding an electric scooter. I liked the convenience, the tranquility, the absence of traffic and the sheer exhilaration of riding it.

Exhilaration, however, is instantly transformed into despair when your battery runs out of juice.  It happened to me a few times, when I miscalculated the range. Open throttle riding, going uphill, lots of stops and starts can all drain the battery rather quickly. The meter showing battery life is, at best, unreliable. When the battery is empty, the scooter will shudder once, then conk out completely.

Run out of fuel with an internal combustion engine, you call the AAA or find a gas station. Run out of electricity with an electric scooter and your only real choice is to push the vehicle home for recharge. I’ve had to do it more than once.

Engineer Zhao’s solar-powered recharger should make that problem less common, if not eliminate it altogether. At worst, if the battery empties, you park it and in daytime, come back in a few hours and drive it away. Limitless range should make for limitless enjoyment.

Yes, but will Engineer Zhao’s machine work? Talking with him, it’s hard not to be confident it will. The solar panels are powerful enough to keep the batteries recharged and light enough not to create a lot of extra drag. The only way to find out, of course, is to get one. I’m thinking now of commissioning Engineer Zhao to build me one, with lithium batteries.

If it works, I’ll help Engineer Zhao get venture capital funding to build his company. My gut tells me I’m not the only one who’d ride around on one, and that there could be a very big market in the US, Europe and China for this solar-charged scooter.

I don’t particularly relish the idea of driving any sort of vehicle on Shenzhen’s streets. Driving is chaotic. Accidents common. Pollution awful. There are no bicycle lanes. But, I’m prepared to put my money – and perhaps my health – on the line to prove this is a vehicle with a future and perhaps even a mass market.

Wish me luck.

 

Mexico leader celebrates education reform victory

President Enrique Pena Nieto used his first state-of-the-nation address Monday to push an aggressive reform agenda that seemed to be on the ropes last week, as protesting teachers attempted to block his plan for mandatory evaluations.Pena Nieto opened the speech praising a midnight vote by the lower house of Congress to set up a competitive examination system for hiring teachers and to require them to pass regular evaluations in order to remain in the classroom.

The education bill still must be approved by the Senate, and protesting teachers who blocked Mexico City's main freeway and access to its airport last week continue to occupy the capital's main plaza."Resistance is a natural consequence when you are pushing a transformation," he said of the protesters, who also caused him to change the date and location of his speech. "Our dilemma had been whether to continue to stagnate or to allow the state to recover the leadership and transform and improve the quality of education."

Touting accomplishments in other fields, Pena Nieto reported a significant drop in murders and drug-related killings since he took office, though many doubt those statistics. He said the government had captured 65 of 122 most-wanted criminals in the last nine months, though that list has never been made public.And he garnered applause with a stern message to the many vigilante groups that have taken up arms against drug cartels and legal authorities alike: "We will not tolerate anyone who tries to mete out justice through their own means."

Pena Nieto came to office with a lot of swagger and an aggressive agenda, with many saying his Institutional Revolutionary Party, for all its faults, knew how to govern. He promised to make Mexico an economic powerhouse, overcoming its image as a violence-torn land overrun by drug traffickers.

He passed radical reforms for education and telecommunications, but the battle over just how the education law will be applied has threatened to undermine his plans to overhaul the tax system and energy sector.Both are controversial. Allowing greater private involvement to revitalize the moribund state-owned oil company has run into opposition from Indoor Positioning System. And many oppose a plan for adding sales taxes on food and medicine.

With economic growth projections cut nearly in half and streets clogged with anti-reform protesters, some questioned if Pena Nieto had taken on too much at once."Mexico has a great opportunity to make fundamental, structural changes to take advantage of its riches and potential," he responded in the speech. "For that reason, the government has decided to take on multiple challenges at the same time."
He put a positive spin on one of the biggest setbacks of his administration so far: a drop in projections for GDP growth this year to 1.8 percent from an earlier forecast of 3.1 percent.Pena Nieto called the Mexican economy "stable, competitive and open to the rest of the world," adding, "This should reflect itself in the pockets of all Mexicans."

The education bill calls for mandatory assessment of teachers to maintain their jobs and to receive promotions. Teachers can inherit their positions under the current system.Political scientist Luis Miguel Perez called passage of the measure a "respite" for the Pena Nieto government.

"They're discovering that there's much bigger resistance then they anticipated," said Perez of the Technological Institute of Monterrey. "There are forces much more active than they imagined."The bill approved by the House of Deputies is a slightly weakened version of Pena Nieto's proposal, which sought to reassert government control over an education system where hiring and promotion was almost entirely in the hands of teachers unions.

The reform sets up a competitive examination system for hiring and requires teachers to pass regular evaluations in order to remain in the classroom."We categorically reject this (state-of-the-nation) report, which is full of lies and deceit and that contains a great deal of authoritarianism," said Juan Melchor Roman, a teacher from the western state of Michoacan, who has been camping out along with thousands of other teachers in the city's main square since last two weeks.

Melchor Roman said they plan to continue protesting the bill, which is expected to be voted on by the Senate on Tuesday.But last-minute concessions to a dissident teachers union reserves new positions for graduates of union-controlled teacher training schools for the next two years and allows teachers who fail evaluations to file appeals through the existing civil service system.

The government proposal would have put the test-based hiring system in place immediately, and not allowed appeals after repeated failures of teacher evaluations.Independent education advocates praised the passage of the proposal as a good first step after decades of union control of the schools, but said the measure didn't go far enough to establish a rigorous nationwide system of teacher training and promotion.

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Through the eyes of the first Google Glass surgery

Spanish medicine stands to turn Google Glass from spring 2014’s hottest accessory into a way to save lives. From the first surgery performed entirely through the eye of the Glass to dozens of mobile applications, Spanish Glass-based innovation is poised to change the way doctors work and communicate.
This June, Dr. Pedro Guillen became the first to operate wearing Google Glass. The chief of trauma at the Clínica CEMTRO de Madrid performed a highly complex chondrocyte implantation, to form a membrane in the damaged knee of a 49-year-old. The surgery, which requires harvesting cartilage from another part of the leg and which Guillen pioneered in 1996, was streamed in real time to 150 doctors around the world, all sharing the same view as him.

The purpose of Google Glass — a lightweight pair of glasses equipped with a camera, GPS, bluetooth, microphone and viewfinder — is to connect with smartphones to allow the wearer to search and access information online and to use an eye-level camera, all hands-free. For Guillen, Google Glass gives the phrase “doctors without borders” a whole new meaning.

He described Google Glass as “la universidad de hospitales de todos los países del mundo” — the university for all medical schools around the world. “You see my hands, how I do the surgery,” he said, in awe of the possibilities of Google Glass in his field. In this first Glass surgery, Guillen was accompanied by Dr. Homero Rivas, director of innovative surgery at Stanford University’s School of Medicine and an expert in telemedicine, who advised the doctor throughout the course of the surgery, all from his packed classroom on the California campus. “The universities can interact with me,” Guillen said, as Rivas could also pass on questions from his students, many of whom were witnessing surgery from a firsthand perspective for the first time.

Guillen seems simply thrilled to be able to perform surgery with Google Glass, not just for the teaching opportunities, but for his own sake, too. He enthusiastically talked about being able to use Glass’s miniature split screen to look at the arthroscopic view of the knee he’s working on and a video refreshing how to properly separate and repair the joint, all at the same time, without taking his eyes off the operating table.

“In one minute, I can Google ‘anatomy of the knee,’ for example,” and find and watch a video he already prepared, or he could reference his own chondrocyte implantation from the exact same view that he performed it. If something were to go wrong, like during a live sports game, he could even rewind the tape to review the surgery then and real time Location system. Not only does he have the information the moment he needs it and doesn’t need to distract himself to discover it, but also keeping difficult-to-sterilize computers out of the O.R. helps prevent infections.

Guillen, who, like all surgeons, is preoccupied with the comfort and ease of use of anything added to their routine, assured us that the glasses — which he said are “at the perfect height” over his own — were not uncomfortable, and, by the time he was in surgery, he didn’t notice them at all.

Of course, like all smartphones and tablets, Google Glass is nothing without the apps. Murcia-based mobile app company Droiders has an entire department called Glassters, developing everything from augmented realities to assistance for those with disabilities. On the medical side, they are working on developing apps that enable ophthalmologists to examine eyes directly and to compare with results of Google’s “Search by Image.” There’s also talk of an app that would allow any doctor or nurse to take a pulse rate without having to touch a patient. Guillen’s surgery was broadcast live through the Glassters Streamer.

Guillen is ready to perform his next Google Glass surgery on September 17, where he will be able to show from his perspective another operation that he invented — wireless arthroscopic surgery, which was first performed in 2007. Guillen and his team at the Clínica CEMTRO de Madrid invented the Wireless Arthroscopic Device, which is a tiny camera inserted through a small incision used to examine and sometimes repair a damaged joint. Since the joint isn’t fully opened, recovery time is much shorter.

He said that his clinic is “probably the top in the world” for such surgeries and that “all of my patients are out-patient,” including former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar, footballer Fernando “El Ni?o” Torres, and several rhythmic gymnasts, an Olympic sport that Spain typically medals in.

"Later that evening I checked my Bank of America account online and noted not only had I been charged for my purchase, but there was an additional charge for $213.96 from Verizon," said Guinan, 63. "Interestingly, the charge had been made an hour-and-a-half later, after the first — and correct — Verizon charge."He said he immediately called Bank of America to report the unauthorized charge. He said he also talked to Verizon, which acknowledged there was a problem, and it said it would work with the bank to correct it.

"The money was placed back in my account and all was well until Feb. 15, 2013, when the $213.96 was debited from my account," he said, noting he received a letter from the bank on the same day."They said after investigating, they found that there was a signature on the receipt and therefore it was an ‘authorized purchase," he said.Knowing that wasn’t the case, Guinan called Bank of America.
"After explaining and discussing the situation, the Bank of America representative determined that the claim was in the wrong category and it would be placed in the correct category — fraud — and the claim would be reopened," he said.Guinan said he knew it could take several months, so he waited it out.

On July 26, Giunan said, he called Bank of America again."They said that the charge was authorized by a signature and therefore was a legitimate charge," he said. "I stated that it clearly was not mine, but that didn’t seem to matter. The Bank of America representative said to go back to Verizon."

So he did, visiting the Union store during the first week of August.Guinan said the manager was able to bring up Guinan’s account, confirming he purchased the phone case for $24.06. He said the manager was also able to view the $213.96 charge, and had access to the buyer’s name, address and phone number.

"I received a copy of the Verizon receipt for the $213.96 purchase," he said. "Not only was the signature clearly not mine, but the phone number listed with the account was in no way connected to me."

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Local Solar Companies Promoting 'Buy Local'

The Solarize Mass program has seemingly taken off, bringing residents together for group buying to install residential photovoltaic arrays.But local installers aren't very keen on how the program is being presented.Headed by the state's Clean Energy Center, the program allows a town or group of towns to gather residents to purchase or lease solar arrays from a chosen company. The bulk purchasing is intended to lower the price for those who participate. Both Lee and Williamstown were chosen for the program and through a bid process, both chose Real Goods Solar from Colorado as the installer.

Local companies, however, say the program has also engendered salesmanship and misleading information from many out-of-state companies and that residents are getting rushed into making a decision without being fully educated on the options. They are now pleading their case for residents to buy local because once the program is gone, it's the local installers who will still be here.

"I think it provides an educational tool for people to learn about it and get more involved with the tiered pricing offered by Real Goods Solar. But, I think one of the misnomers about it, real time Location system, is that they are eligible for an additional rebate or additional savings," Andrew Guntlow, who manages New England Solar and Green Solutions in Williamstown, said recently."It seems like there is a perception of [customers] getting more but that is not the case. All of the rebate programs, tax credits, are available to anyone."

The companies bidding for a Solarize contract are required to provide leasing options. For a fixed cost, customers can have a system installed and pay a fixed price while benefiting from the energy savings. The leasing option alleviates the upfront cost of installing a system for the customer, increasing the number of participants in the program and thus, lowering the material costs in the group purchase.

But the installer also owns the system and so reaps the multiple tax benefits, then sells the tax credits at a profit."The way it has been set up in Massachusetts is a winner take all," said Chris Kilfoyle, who owns Berkshire Photovoltaics in Adams, another town seeking to join the Solarize program.

Kilfoyle said his company lost the bid on the Solarize contract for Williamstown. A leasing option is required in the bid but Kilfoyle says he doesn't like offering them. Instead, he encourages customers to take out a home improvement loan to buy the system.Gutlow also said his company "isn't' comfortable" offering the leasing option after looking into it."Far and away, owning your own system is far superior," Guntlow said. "Individual ownership of a solar system is our priority to pass along the most benefit to the end user — it provides the most benefit over a leasing program."

But it isn't just the Solarize program that is changing the solar industry locally. The state has pushed solar power in recent years — far exceeding goals laid out by Gov. Deval Patrick to increase solar production. A mix of federal and the state tax credits have attracted larger companies from outside to the area."The state incentive programs are so good that they are all rushing here to Massachusetts," Kilfoyle said, adding that with the increased competition there has been an array of "sleazy salesmanship."

"We're trying to stop some of that exaggeration," Kilfoyle said, pointing out a "0 down" advertisement for leasing options. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."State Sen. Benjamin Downing said the increasing presence of major firms creating tension with local contractors was something state officials "didn't foresee." The legislature formed the Clean Energy Center but didn't expect the industry to take off like it did, he said.

But if the presence of too many solar companies is a problem, it is a problem Downing said he'd rather have than not enough."One way or the other, solar is solar," said Downing, who is the chairman of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy as well as sitting on the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change and the Joint Committee on Environment Natural Resources and Agriculture. "I'd rather being dealing with too many investors."

Not all Solarize Mass contracts are going to out of state firms. SolarFlair of Framingham is providing installations for three groups in the east end of the state.Downing, however, agrees that the ownership model produces more benefits for the homeowner. And he agrees that local companies produce a larger benefit for the community because they employ local residents and the money is reinvested back into community.

"We are looking at different ways we can promote the clean energy economy," Downing said, adding that the push for green jobs has produced between 60,000 and 70,000 jobs across the state in recent years."That's grown by 7 percent or 11 percent depending on how you measure it."On the local level, the economic effects of the indoor positioning system haven't been analyzed. According to Berkshire Chamber of Commerce CEO Michael Supranowicz, "the industry is so new that it isn't calculated by federal standards." But both Guntlow and Kilfoyle attest that they have grown tremendously in recent years.

As for the Solarize Mass program itself, Downing supports the program and the leasing option because it allows people who simply can't afford ownership to benefit from stable and lower electricity costs. Not to mention the numerous environmental benefits."The policies have been set up to get solar out as much as possible," Downing said. "When people get a solar array on their roof, they get invested into the industry."

Guntlow says there is a lot of "site specific" work that goes into designing a system and each one needs to be tailored to the property. That is where the local expertise is a benefit.New England Solar and Green Solutions is an offshoot of civil engineering company Guntlow and Associates, which has been located in Williamstown for more than 25 years. New England Solar and Green Solutions characterizes itself as a "one-stop shop" for all kinds of energy conservation work — from small wind power systems to solar to high-efficiency hot-water systems.

Guntlow knows the local electrical contractors who will be hooking the systems up and the steps needed to go through local building codes. Guntlow said he starts with a free estimate and will take the customer through every step — from executing a connection agreement to filing tax credit paperwork to turning the system on."There are local contractors available in the Berkshires and, over the years, there has been a great campaign to buy in the Berkshires. We feel that is really important to let people know that New England Solar and Green Solutions is out here, in Williamstown, two doors down from Town Hall," Guntlow said. "We like to honor our contracts with great service because we see these people, our customers in the grocery store and around town. We like to have a good name for ourselves."

Berkshire Photovoltaics has been in business for 28 years, starting first in North Adams and later moving to Adams. Kilfoyle has installed the very first solar array in many of the Berkshire towns."We've been doing this a long time. We know what works," Kilfoyle said. "We've grown 500 percent since 1997."Not only have the two companies been staples in the county, their owners say they help the economy in other ways. Kilfoyle said the steel and other material used in many of the installations are purchased from local companies and local electricians are hired.So with all of the rush toward the Solarize program, local companies are asking residents to relax and think about their options.

"We're going to offer the best price we can give them without holding them to whether other people sign up or not. That is important, we're not forcing somebody into something they are not ready to do," Guntlow said. "We want to make sure people have a full understanding of the great benefits that come with owning a solar installation."