Direct Connect Solar Electric is a new and, for me, an exciting offshoot of the green home building business I developed in 1993, Ancient Hills Cottage Builders. While I had been involved in both building homes and installing electrical systems most of my adult life, going green was inspired by the natural beauty and environmental consciousness of my adopted home, Floyd County. Building with cob and straw bales; designing in small footprints, passive solar orientation and green roofs; using non-toxic and renewable building materials, all led me to the next step in my evolution – to offer grid tied solar PV systems to my green-minded customers. In 2000, with the introduction of grid tied systems, solar electricity became less expensive and more attractive to more and more people who want to use a clean, carbon-free energy source. In America we have enjoyed the benefits of cheap reliable electricity. Electric utilities have created a reliable electrical generation and distribution infrastructure, and along with it, pollution and a culture of waste. Grid tied solar systems make use of this resource, and may be an evolutionary step toward cleaner, affordable electrical generation that will serve, not bankrupt future generations. I think conservation and PV systems are part of the solution and that is why I am doing that work NOW.