Owners of solar energy systems shed light on investment
A McClellandtown man is harnessing the potential of solar power that he said has significantly cut his monthly electric bill by three quarters.
Dale Kessler said he decided to “go green” about four years ago and had a residential solar energy system installed because of his interest in renewable energies.
“It’s environmentally friendly and cost effective,” said Kessler.
Solar energy is a renewable resource that uses the sun’s rays to generate electricity that can be used in homes.
It can reduce energy costs and contribute to a cleaner environment by cutting down on the use of fossil fuels.
A residential solar-energy system works by using solar modules made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells to harvest the sun’s energy and turn it into electricity that can be used to power lights, appliances and other electrical devices in the home.
The cost of the system is measured in dollars per watt installed with the size is determined by the electricity load of a structure and available roof space.
After checking into the benefits of solar, Kessler said he felt it was the smart way to go to help produce electricity for his 2,100 square-foot home with the system paying for itself within seven years.
According to Kessler, the system has saved him about 95 percent on his monthly electric bill.
Kessler is also able to see how much energy is being used through a performance monitoring website he is hooked into.
Kessler said he opted for a ground mounted system that has two rows of 13 panels each instead of on the house roof because of better efficiency determined by the installer. He also has a heat pump with an oil back up.
A grid-tied PV system is the most common for residential use, according to Lennox, a nationwide provider of home HVAC systems.
It allows the homeowner to use their own solar-generated electricity to save energy and reduce costs.
At times, like at night, when the PV system isn’t producing electricity, power is then provided by the utility company’s grid, or network of power stations.
Officials from Lennox said one of the benefits of a grid-tied system is that any excess electricity produced by a solar system can be fed back to the grid through a net-metering process.
With net-metering, the meter spins forward when you use electricity from the grid.
The less electricity used from off the grid, the slower the meter spins.
When the system is feeding electricity back to the grid, the meter spins backwards saving even more money.
For Bob Confer of Uniontown, the addition of solar roof panels to his home three years ago has resulted in a 35 percent to 40 percent reduction across the board in his monthly electric bill.
“It turned out better than I anticipated,” said Confer, who described himself as environmentally friendly.
Initially, Confer learned it would take about 12 years to break even on the $120,000 solar energy system and new roof he invested in that generates electric for his 4,500 square-foot home and a swimming pool, but he said it now looks closer to eight years.
Confer said he also has an electric heat pump and electric back up for his home.
At the time their systems were installed, Confer and Kessler were able to take advantage of a solar rebate offered through the Pennsylvania Sunshine Program and a 30 percent federal tax credit available until 2016.
The state program, however, expired last year, and provided a rebate per installed watt up to a certain threshold or 35 percent of installed costs.
The rebate price was based on a four step system with residential solar systems receiving an initial $2.25 a watt that decreased to 75 cents a watt up to $12,500.
Steve Wright, owner of Steve Wright and Associates of Hopwood, which installed Confer’s solar system, said with the state rebate program gone, solar energy systems are a bit less desirable because the investment payback is longer.
“The manufacturers of solar panels recognize the fact that they’re not moving products, so they lowered the cost of panels substantially,” Wright said.
The cost to install a 10 killowatt system, according to Wright, still remains at between $35,000 to $45,000.
“The (mount) racking, electric and permits are still substantial,” he said.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, a Washington-based trade group, 792 megawatts of solar capacity was installed on homes in 2013.
That figure is expected to increase 61 percent in 2014 and another 53 percent in 2015.
A megawatt of solar capacity is typically enough to power 200 average U.S. homes, though the number varies depending on factors such as available sunlight and panel orientation, the association said.