Here comes the sun: Solar power's price is now within
reach
Aug 01 - The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Missouri)
2010 just might go down as the year solar energy gained mainstream
acceptance.
Local stores that sell solar products are seeing major boosts in sales
compared with last year, some as much as 40 percent.
The sun-powered momentum is fueled by less expensive products that are
made more affordable through federal tax credits and rebates at a time
when utility prices are rising.
Another contributing factor to the rising interest in renewable energy
is the recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
"It's made the masses realize the difficulty of getting fossil
fuels," says Rita Norton, a retired schoolteacher who invested in a
solar panel electrical system several years ago for her Kansas City Cape
Cod-style home. "More people are talking to me about solar, which is
simply free energy from the sun."
The biggest hurdle with solar power is the initial cost of equipment and
installation. The 12 panels for Norton's 1,400-square-foot home, which
she bought before today's major incentives, were a hefty sum. Still, she
finds her investment paying off.
The panels on Norton's roof convert sunlight into direct current
electricity, which travels through a wire-filled conduit to batteries in
the basement. Her system is connected to the city's electric grid but
also can run independently with the exception of the clothes dryer (she
prefers line drying anyway) and air conditioning.
"I'm a wuss when it comes to heat, so I use air conditioning," Norton
said. "Last summer, my top bill was $85. I suspect I will always have
low bills (between $30 and $40) for taxes and service charges."
Although solar panel prices are likely to continue to decrease, not
everyone can afford them. But other solar options are available.
The Argentine Neighborhood Development Association in Kansas City, Kan.,
recently built several affordable energy-efficient homes. Although these
aren't fully solar-powered homes, they have several solar features. And
they are popular.
"The houses were sold before they were finished," said Ann
Brandau-Murguia, executive director of ANDA and a commissioner of
Wyandotte County's Unified Government. "We liked how these features make
utilities affordable for residents in the neighborhood. It's important
because it's populated by people with middle to lower incomes."
Isabel Reyes, Rocky Orozco and their three daughters moved into one of
the houses, a blue two-story with a wraparound porch. You have to go to
the backyard to tell the house has solar features. In their case, it's a
framed black panel, a solar air heater, attached to the back of the
house. The panel can be mounted on the roof.
"It's attractive, almost elegant even," said Reyes, who works in
nutritional services for the Kansas City, Kan., school district. "It's
like a black mirror."
The heater worked well, too, Reyes said. In winter, hot air comes out
two circular vents, similar to dryer vents. A thermostat can be set to
blow the warm air into the house. In the summer, the vents are closed,
and Reyes and Orozco conceal them with a tall houseplant.
Upstairs, they have solar daylighting tubes, which provide natural light
sources from ceilings like small round skylights. "It's nice because you
don't have to turn any switches on," Reyes said. "It's always as bright
as it needs to be."
The house also has a solar attic vent-fan, which cools the attic and
lowers the temperature in the upstairs living quarters.
Residents learned about the features in their houses at an informational
meeting with the systems' installers. A common question was about the
efficiency of solar on cloudy days. They learned the power still
charges."If you consider a home a car, this is a 2010 Cadillac," said
Orozco, a postal service mail handler. "It's got different styling and
updated functions, so occasionally you have to get out the owners
manual."
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FAQ How do I determine what size photovoltaic system my house would
need?
Review your last 12 months of electric bills. A home's square footage is
not necessarily related to energy usage.
Will my utility pay me for the excess power I produce?
Missouri has a "net metering" law that credits for the excess energy
produced. The credits can be used to pay your electric bill in a given
month. Kansas doesn't have a law. But Kansas City Power & Light has
implemented a program similar to Missouri's for its Kansas service area.
Other utilities pay an avoided cost rate for excess power, under
volunteer programs.
What types of permits are involved to install a solar system to generate
electricity?
All cities and most counties require an electrical permit be obtained
before a system is installed. Also, the local utility will require an
interconnection and net metering agreement. Your system will be
inspected for local codes, by the utility's licensed engineer or
electrician, and sometimes by the fire marshal.
What is my payback period for a solar PV system?
It's dependent upon net metering, costs of electrical energy, incentives
and real estate market for sustainable features. For a 3-kilowatt
system, it's typically a 12- to 15-year payback period but could be
close to 10 years in Missouri because of incentives. Solar hot water and
air heating have much shorter payback periods.
How can I heat my home or water with solar power?
These panels are different from those that produce electricity. Solar
air and water panels capture heat from the sun on their surface and
transfer the heat to a holding tank or vent.
How big of a solar hot water system do I need?
The size of a system is based on the size of the household. The average
person uses 20 gallons of hot water per day. So for a home of four, an
80-gallon system is needed.
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Pros and cons of solar panels + Free source of electricity after initial
investment.
+ No pollution produced. The only pollution is from their manufacturing,
transportation and installation.
+ Can harness electricity in remote locations that aren't linked to a
national grid.
+ Reduces dependence on the world's fossil fuel supplies.
+ Tax credits and rebates are available.
- Initial cost is high.
- Can be a bureaucratic hassle. Although most cities and homeowners
associations have no problem with them, some do. Some stipulate using
solar shingles for roofs, which are more expensive and less effective.
- Weather and pollution levels can affect efficiency. This comes to play
in densely populated urban areas, which tend to have high pollution
levels.
Source: www.clean-energy-ideas.com, Energy Savings Store
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Resources -- American Solar Energy Society, Boulder, Colo.,
303-443-3130, www.ases.org
-- Decent Energy, 800-358-5790, www.decent energy.com
-- Energy Savings Store, 913-495-9434, 15209 W. 99th St., Lenexa,
www.ewindandsolar.com
-- Lennox SunSource Home Energy System, 800-953-6669, www.lennox.com
-- Mid-America Renewable Energy Solutions, 816-524-5616,
www.midamericarenewables.com
-- Real Goods(catalog of solar products including phone chargers),
800-919-2400, www.realgoods.com
-- Solar Outlet, 816-942-6614, www.solarwaterstore.com
-- Solar Solutions of Kansas City, 6418 College Blvd., Overland Park,
913-469-8100, www.daylightkc.com
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Incentives for solar energy systems FEDERAL
Tax credit: 30 percent of cost with no upper limit. Expires Dec. 31,
2016.
Includes: Photovoltaic panels, water heaters, attic fans and air
warmers.
LOCAL
Rebate: Kansas City Power & Light offers Missouri customers $2 per watt,
up to 25 kilowatts, for solar systems. That translates to up to 25
percent off, on top of federal incentives. Most homes have a 3- to
4-kilowatt system.
Includes: Qualified photovoltaic solar systems.
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Solar prices Installation costs included (but not incentive reductions).
-- Air heater, $2,900
-- Attic vent-fans, $550
-- Daylighting tubes, $550
-- Lawn mowers, $750
-- Photovoltaic systems, $8,000 to $50,000
-- Water heaters, $7,000 to $9,000
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One Kansas farm powers up with solar and feeds energy back to the grid.
Green Home -- D2
To reach Stacy Downs, send e-mail to sdowns@kcstar.com. Source: Energy
Savings Store
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