6 of 6
BACKNEXT
Quad State Solar
Quad State Solar
Jonathan Lane, CEO of Quad State Solar, stands near one of his solar panels.
While climbing gas prices are the bane of most businesses, it is a blessing for Jonathan Lane, founder and CEO of Quad State Solar.

Whenever gas prices go up, his New York company, which designs, sells, and installs solar electric systems, gets inundated with calls and inquiries.

"Rising gas prices are good for business," he said.

Using solar power allows people to be less dependent on electricity, explains Lane. When gas prices go up, it encourages people to seek out other kinds of renewable energy.

Lane's systems use giant solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity. They also run silently and do not put out toxic emissions, he said.

The upfront cost is steep -- as much as $75,000 -- but Lane said that after five to seven years, customers can enjoy free electricity for decades.

Despite the lift in business, Lane does not want gas prices to climb over an extended period. If that were to happen, "people might stop buying all kinds of things, including renewable energy systems.

--TP



More galleries
LAST UPDATE: Apr 22 2011 | 2:04 PM ET
Kids music: 5 cool, profitable bands Think kids bands are corny? These five groups are bringing rock star cool to kids music and making a mint doing so. More
6 states with the highest startup ratesSparked by widespread layoffs, government incentives, or just a plain can-do spirit, Americans launched businesses at the highest rate in 15 years in 2009 and 2010. More
Small businesses that are actually hiring! Even though many small businesses are struggling, here is a handful of companies that are growing. More
Sponsors

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.