In Vermont’s state legislature, a bill is under consideration that will help owners of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems put more green into their pockets.
It’s not a rebate or an incentive program to reduce installation costs, but a change to net-metering policies–a change that can reap substantial savings for Vermont residents.
For pricing on a home solar system, click here.
What Is Net Metering?
When a grid-connected, residential solar system generates more electricity than the home is currently using, the home’s electrical meter literally spins backward, sending the surplus energy back into the electrical grid. In many states, the customer then gets a credit for that energy on the monthly electrical bill.
Net metering is one of the primary reasons that going solar has become so affordable. Even with a small home solar system, there are periods of the day when it will generate more energy than the home needs. When that excess electricity is credited to a home energy bill, it cuts down on the costs of the conventional energy that a homeowner may need to supplement the PV system.
Why is Vermont’s Net Metering Policy Changing?
Across the nation, public utilities are mandated to invest in renewable energy. Many utilities partially meet these mandates through net metering, but states are allowed to dictate the percentage of solar-generated electricity that utilities credit their customers. Last year, Vermont raised the cap on the amount that utilities can get from net-metered PV systems to 4 percent.
This, along with Vermont solar rebates, was good news for residents, but the new law restricted the size of eligible solar panel systems to only 5 kilowatts. In Vermont, the average home PV system is around 7 kilowatts, leaving most homeowners ineligible to take advantage of the extra savings without undergoing a taxing application process.
House Bill 475, which just passed in the state’s house of representatives, allows for a simple application process for PV systems sized up to 10 kilowatts. Best of all, the bill also credits customers with home solar systems more money per kilowatt hour for surplus electricity. The bill must still pass the state’s senate.
What About Other States?
Almost every state has programs in place that garner extra income for PV system owners. In many areas of California, for example, net metering savings can be augmented by taking advantage of tiered and time-of-use (TOU) rates. Tiered rates are those that rise as the customer uses more energy. TOU rates increase during peak-demand periods. Home PV systems typically generate enough electricity to keep customers in the lower, base rates.
Other states like New Jersey award home solar system owners a Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) for each megawatt-hour of electricity that their systems produce. New Jersey SRECs are currently selling for $675 each.
Cutting installation costs through rebate and incentive programs is only the beginning of solar savings. Programs like net metering not only offer ongoing savings for homeowners, but decrease the payback period for their systems. Once that period is over, those savings become sheer profit.
For more assistance paying for a home solar system, check out solar lending programs, offered in Vermont and across other states as well.
Going Solar in Vermont is about to Become Profitable
Picture This: Powering Up Your Trippy-Looking Solar House with Xbox
This house is beyond cool. Those in Southern California should swing by the California Science Center in downtown Los Angeles to tour a solar home nonpareil.
Known as the CHIP house, for “Compact, Hyper-Insulated Prototype Solar House,” the home was designed and built by students of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
The project won first prize in the Energy Balance division of the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition held in Washington, D.C..
On approach, the CHIP house looks as if it’s been turned inside-out. CHIP wears the heart of its green technology on its sleeve. Most of the home’s exterior is wrapped in insulation, a flexible, quilted vinyl membrane.
It’s this exterior insulation, combined with solar technology, that creates the high R-values necessary for a net-zero dwelling. The home looks a bit like a giant pillow topped with a solar panel hat.
For solar pricing on a project in your area, click here.
CHIP is equipped with 45 solar panels, enough to provide three times the amount of energy the house consumes. The intention was not only to power the home, but to keep two electric cars up and running as well. As the primary sponsor for the CHIP project, Hanwha SolarOne, from their North American headquarters in nearby Costa Mesa, provided the panels.
It’s not the solar panels that make this 750-square-foot home so distinctive, but the way that the panels, and the entire home’s green technology, are operated. The CHIP home interface uses Apple iPad apps and an Xbox Kinect system as a master command center.
Residents not only can operate the home’s lights and electronic devices, but monitor the home’s energy systems by using natural gestures like pointing and waving their arms. The home is equipped with 3-D cameras, too, that signal light to turn on and off as residents move through the space.
The interior of the home features a single, open space, with living areas defined by a series of platforms, terraces that climb upwards and inwards into the home. Private areas occupy the highest platforms. The open floor plan is arranged around the natural flow of daily activities.
It took more than 100 students, two years and $1 million in funding to build CHIP, although the project team estimates that replicating the home elsewhere would cost about $262,000. You can take a look at the CHIP home, inside and out, at the California Science Center, through May 31, 2012. Free tours are available every weekday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Picture This: Powering Up Your Trippy-Looking Solar House with Xbox
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Fashioning Your Solar Power System
The main stimulus behind installing a solar power system is energy efficiency, even energy independence. There is no doubt about that. But that does not mean you need to sacrifice style and aesthetics for energy savings. In fact, there are plenty of ways to get power free and clean while incorporating style into the mix. Here are some tips for getting the look you want from your solar power system:
- Choose a mounting system. Not every solar system is a rooftop system. As a matter of fact there are several mounting systems, from ground mounts to pole mounts to rooftop arrays. While much will depend on the location of your home and your land, the odds are you’ll have at least a few choices in this regard.
- Plant a solar tree. Just another fun way to go solar, solar trees are not only a unique way to capture solar energy, but there are also different species! Check out Google for a fine example of the potential of solar trees.
- Panels vs. tiles. Most solar electric systems utilize conventional PV panels. But since when does solar stick to conventions!? Don’t forget about building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), which typically come as solar shingles or tiles. These thin-film panels integrate with your roofing material for a seamless solar system. They are, as of yet, less efficient than their conventional counterpart, but what they lack in efficiency they make up for in aesthetics. (more…)
Illinois Couple Gets Solar Wedding Present
The wide and winding solar energy highway took a romantic turn recently as Illinois couple Sarah and Kiril Lozanov put solar at the top of their wedding wish list. While most couples opt for a wedding registry full of housewares and plush sheets and towels, the Lozanovs decided to focus their attention on the solar electric system they just couldn’t afford on their own.
As planning for the wedding progressed, the couple really got to thinking about what sort of gifts they might want. When it came down to a list of priorities for their future, they just couldn’t ignore solar as their number one choice: “We thought about the clean, healthy world we value,” said Sarah, a specialist at Solar Service in Illinois, “and concluded that the only thing we really wanted was a solar system.” So they sprang into action.
Illinois Couple Gets Solar Wedding Present
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Solar Power Isn’t Feasible?
Here’s a sweet little gem from our friends at Ecopreneurist:
Originally featured on the cover of SolarGas by David Hoye, the cartoon illustrates the frustrating battle of Big Oil versus Solar. Oil corporations have a stranglehold on every major energy source except renewables. How can the fledgling yet highly accelerating solar movement break into such an industry? From the ground up.
Residential solar at the local level is our best bet to flag the attention of policymakers in the U.S. Demonstrate that the demand is there, and incentives to go solar will increase, making solar more and more affordable for all.
Interested in home solar power? Click here for cost information in your area.
With Incentives Cut, is Going Solar in Arizona Still Worth it?
When it comes to sheer number of solar installations, Arizona comes in third among states, following California and New Jersey.
Until last December, Arizona’s incentive programs were among the best in the nation, with public utilities offering generous per-watt rebates in addition to a state rebate.
Solar Rebates are Fading Fast
In December, however, the Arizona Corporation Commission, the state’s regulatory board, agreed to allow utilities to decrease rebate amounts.
Public utilities are mandated by law to invest in renewable energy, and since 2006, electric utilities in Arizona have been partially meeting that mandate by offering customers who install residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems rebates, based on the system’s size.
Some rebate programs were as high at $3 per watt. Those rebates, when combined with the federal tax credit incentive program and the state’s $1,000 rebate program, made going solar in Arizona highly affordable.
To check current pricing on solar in your area, click here.
Beginning in 2010, however, utilities began to pressure the Commission to approve reductions in rebates for residential and commercial installations. Utilities like the Tucson Electric Power Company, who recently received financing for the construction of a 6.1-megawatt solar energy plant, are seeking to meet renewable energy mandates through large-scale solar farms.
In December of 2011, the Commission responded by agreeing to allow utilities to decrease rebates and to continue to decrease them as more residential solar systems are installed. California’s utilities operate their solar rebate programs under a similar tiered system. The Commission also reduced overall funding for the rebate programs.
Is Solar Still Worth it? Answer: Yes
The good news for residents of the Grand Canyon State is that Arizona is still one of the most affordable places to go solar. In sunny Arizona, an average size for a home solar system would be about 3 kilowatts and cost about $25,000, before rebates. The federal incentive program would cut up to 30 percent of that cost. The state rebate would shave off another $1,000, leaving a total of $16,500.
Most of the Arizona utilities are currently paying $.75 per-watt rebates, reducing the cost further to $14,250.
Residents could expect to recover the installation costs in around six to nine years through savings on their monthly energy bills. After that payback period, homeowners with home solar systems can enjoy years and years of free electricity, knowing that each kilowatt hour generated by their systems helps reduce the nation’s reliance on gas-emitting fossil fuel generation.
To take full advantage of the existing incentive programs, however, Arizona residents need to act soon. The new tiered system for the utility rebates allows the per-watt rebate to be reduced to $.10 per watt.
In addition, funds are limited for the current year, and it is likely that cuts will continue to the program next year. There are still substantial solar savings available in sunny Arizona, and there may never be a better time to go solar than now.
Click here to get cost information on solar panels in your area.
With Incentives Cut, is Going Solar in Arizona Still Worth it?
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Time to Ban Advertising for Solar Panels?
Referred to by one website as “an industry thought leader,” Carl Seville is known for making some important (though perhaps controversial) remarks. In a recent blog, Seville suggested that advertising for green products should be banned.
“These products — solar modules, geothermal equipment, spray foam insulation, high-performance windows, bamboo floors — can all be effective parts of a green building,” wrote Seville, “but none of them will add much to the project if not integrated properly. Maybe it’s time to ban advertising for green building products — they did it with cigarettes, didn’t they?”
Carl Seville, a former contractor, makes his living through speaking engagements, writing articles and by performing certification inspections for green building organizations, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
And now, a recent article that he wrote for Fox News states that “fancy solar panels decorating your roof” do less to conserve energy than other green building strategies. To be sure, Seville is correct that “process over products” makes the difference in a home’s performance. And many of Seville’s suggestions are good ones, such as unplugging electronic devices and turning off lights.
Just Build another House?
Unfortunately, Seville’s primary suggestion is not one that many Americans can follow. He suggests building a smaller house. Small homes are easier to make energy-efficient, he argues, and by constructing a new home, people can easily orient the house toward the sun to cut energy costs.
The argument that new construction is greener than green home improvements to an existing home is hard to fathom. New home construction not only entails a substantial amount of energy expenditure, but adversely affects the environment.
According to the EPA, “building-related construction and demolition debris totals approximately 160 million tons per year, accounting for nearly 26 percent of total non-industrial waste generation in the U.S.”
Seville: Forget Those “Fancy Solar Panels”
Seville’s main argument that homeowners can save more money by unplugging electronics, opening windows and adding insulation than they would with “fancy solar panels” is insupportable, which may explain why he doesn’t attempt to back up any of his claims with data.
Residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems typically reduce conventional energy usage by about 45 percent or more. After installation costs are recovered through monthly savings on energy bills, home solar systems provide years of free, green electricity.
Seville does not address the environmental benefits of solar energy. He seems unconcerned about the negative consequences of continuing the nation’s reliance on gas-emitting fossil fuels, a strange stance for an advocate of green building to assume.
In interview after interview with solar system owners, they point out how going solar has made them more aware of other energy-saving strategies. Solar panel owners often revel in home improvements that make their system run even more efficiently. It spurs them on, fueling their interest to make their homes even greener than they already are.
These homeowners have learned something critical: that when combined with common-sense energy-saving home improvements, a residential solar power system not only saves homeowners the most money, but helps conserve the planet’s precious resources as well.
What Do You Think?
Start the conversation in the comments below.
Photos via EUObserver and Elephant Journal
Time to Ban Advertising for Solar Panels?
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Go Solar the Affordable Way: 10 Ideas That Really Work
There’s never been a better time to go solar, and solar has never been more affordable, either. Here are 10 cost-cutting ways to join the movement to make the world run on clean, green, renewable energy.
1. Get a Home Assessment
The first step is getting your home assessed for solar potential. The only way to know for certain if solar is right for you–if it will indeed save you money–is to have it inspected by a licensed solar contractor.
For free solar estimates, pricing and contractor info, click here.
Another good tip is to get an energy audit. Energy audits save homeowners money by identifying how an individual home is using, and perhaps wasting, energy. Some states offer rebates for energy audits. In fact, Californians may be eligible for a $500 rebate from the California Energy Commission.
2. Start Small
Solar panels are modular. Extra panels can be added over time. In areas with tiered electrical rates, even a small residential solar photovoltaic (PV) system can save you money. Tiered rates include a low base rate that covers the primary amount of electricity homes use. The addition of a small PV system can lower usage enough to keep you paying that low base rate.
3. Low-Income Programs
Some states offer special solar grant programs for low-income homeowners, paying for all or some of the upfront costs. The household’s income is compared with median incomes in the area to determine eligibility. Funding for these programs, however, is limited.
4. Solar Leasing
Homeowners can lease home solar power systems for little or no money down. The solar company purchases, installs, maintains and insures the system. The homeowner usually pays the company for the electricity that the system produces, typically less than they were paying before for traditional electricity.
5. Home Financing
Some solar contractors, financial institutions and banks offer solar financing, energy-efficiency home equity loans, or mortgages at discounted rates.
6. Group Buying
Companies like 1BOG organize group buying opportunities for homeowners by collecting names of interested residences in a neighborhood online. The company then negotiates for a discounted group rate, typically around 20 percent lower than most solar installations.
7. Incentive Programs
Homeowners can save up to 50 percent or more by taking advantage of solar rebate and incentive programs available in their areas. The federal tax credit program alone covers up to 30 percent of installation costs.
8. Solar Renewable Energy Credit
About 39 states give homeowners Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SREC) for each megawatt-hour of electricity their residential solar power systems generate. The SRECs operate as a financial instrument, sold to either utilities or solar energy markets. Depending on the state, prices range from around $200 to $700. They can drastically offset your electric costs.
9. Net Metering
Net metering allows you to send surplus electricity that a home solar system generates back to the electric grid. A few states will pay you directly for the excess electricity, while some credit your electrical bill.
10. Time-of-Use Metering
Many utilities use Time-of-use metering that allows them to charge customers more for conventional electricity used during peak-demand periods. Peak demands periods usually occur during the afternoon, when home solar systems are operating at the most efficient levels, allowing homeowners to avoid using high-rate conventional electricity.
12-Year-Old Transforms the 3-D Solar Cell
Amazingly, a 12-year-old from Portland, OR has facilitated the latest in solar industry headlines. William Yuan, a seventh grader, has researched and revolutionized the three-dimensional solar cell. First invented by scientists at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, this new generation of solar cells can absorb both UV and visible light, possibly improving cell efficiency dramatically.
Yuan, as part of the craziest homework assignment I’ve ever heard of, researched and developed his own version of the 3-D solar cell. Typical solar cells are flat and can only absorb visible light. The 3-D solar cell, however, greatly improves absorption by collecting UV rays as well. There is no doubt that young Yuan has found himself a spot on the cutting edge of solar technology and research. He earned himself a $25,000 scholarship and a trip to the Library of Congress for his efforts. (more…)
12-Year-Old Transforms the 3-D Solar Cell
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5 Common Complaints Against Home Solar (and How to Combat Them)
The solar industry is in constant flux, with new technologies, manufacturing processes and applications constantly improving.
Even solar enthusiasts may find it challenging to keep up with the latest advances. It stands to reason that those against solar power often base their arguments on outdated or incorrect data.
Here are five common complaints and concerns about residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems that don’t hold up under a careful examination of the facts.
I should note that the best way to determine if solar is right for you is to get a solar home assessment. Only a solar contractor can accurately provide that information.
For pricing or more info about going solar, click here.
1. Residential solar power will never be cheaper than conventional electricity.
In the sunniest states like California and Arizona, and in states where the cost of coal-based electricity is higher, such as New York, solar power is expected to be cheaper than conventional power within the next five years. In Hawaii, it already is.
Installed costs for home solar is typically calculated per watt, while standard electricity is measured per kilowatt-hour. To avoid comparing apples to oranges, we must factor in the life of the solar panel system for an accurate comparison.
2. Solar power requires large tracts of land for solar farms.
Some people mistakenly assume that it takes large, centralized systems located in remote deserts for solar power to make a difference in the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels. As with almost every cultural revolution, real change comes from a bottom/up model.
In California alone, 52 percent of the state’s energy needs could be met by residential solar systems, according to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory report. Homeowners who install home solar systems are the real heroes of the green revolution.
3. Residential solar power installations are too expensive.
The upfront costs of a residential solar system has always been the biggest barrier to installing rooftop arrays, but a variety of financing options, solar rebates, and lower component prices have made home PV systems more affordable than ever.
Homeowners who still find the initial costs too high can often lease systems for little or no money down and immediately enjoy lower monthly utility bills.
4. The government is spending too much money on subsidies for solar power.
The federal incentive program for home solar systems can cover as much as 30 percent of your installation costs. Some people disapprove of such government programs, but it’s important to realize that every energy industry receives subsidies from the government.
In fact, no energy industry has ever thrived in the United States without subsidies. Fossil fuel subsidies are actually an astounding 13 times higher than renewable energy’s. A 2011 International Energy Agency report states that “Subsidies to renewables and low-carbon energy technologies can bring long-term economic and environmental benefits.”
5. Solar panels lower a home’s resale value.
The exact opposite is true. In a recent analysis conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, researchers found that a home solar system adds between 3 percent and 4 percent to the value of a home during the first 10 years of the system’s life.
A study conducted early last year by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory also noted an increased resale value. In California, a home solar system fetched an average premium of $17,000 for a two-year-old 3.1-kilowatt system.
5 Common Complaints Against Home Solar (and How to Combat Them)
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