GALLUP SOLAR
©
A 2020 New Year’s Resolution:
GO SOLAR! By Rick Kruis & Chuck Van Drunen
Why wait?! The world needs renewable energy and you can do your part to curb climate change and lower your impact on our planet. But even for climate change deniers, going solar in Gallup makes so much sense, it’s really a no brainer. Did you know that New Mexico on average has only 27 days in a year without sunshine? Or that New Mexico has the most sun of any state in the continental US? Or that by doing a grid-tied solar power system it usually pays for itself in 5-10 years, with the remaining 10 plus years of the panel’s life saving you whatever you would be paying in electrical costs. For me that’s around $1,000 a year saved on electric bills. In addition, delaying your home photo-voltaic installation 20
January 2020
makes no sense for most of us. The tax credits for solar begin to phase out in 2020. Fortunately, next year the credit will still be 26%. This year it was 30%. Even if I sell my home after installation, I will be able to recoup most of my investment because of the increased equity in my home.
GETTING IT DONE: It can seem intimidating for a homeowner to manage and assist in their own solar installation, but the difficulty is not insurmountable, and you can save lots of money in comparison to hiring a professional solar contractor. For do-it-yourselfers, there is ample technical assistance from Gallup Solar, a local non-profit whose purpose is to help homeowners get solar going (gallupsolar.org). Gallup Solar can direct and help you purchase hardware from
