8 minute read
The future is bright for solar energy
the future is bright for S LAR ENERGY
written by ROXANN MILLER
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Solar energy in the United States is booming. As the cost of using the sun’s energy to produce electricity decreases each year, an increasing number of homeowners are making the decision to “go solar.”
After facing a hefty electric bill, Randolph and Latechia Mitchell of Germantown, Md., joined the increasing list of homeowners turning to solar energy.
Owning a house with a lot of square footage, a swimming pool and two air-conditioning units caused the couple’s electric bill to soar to a high of $900 a month.
“We went from an average of using 2,000-plus kilowatts a month to now we average 400 (with solar). Last year was the first full year with the panels, and the highest we paid was a little over $300 (a month) – that’s a $500 to $600 difference,” Randolph Mitchell said.
Before jumping on the “go-solar” bandwagon, Mitchell had an inspection done to see if the roof on his older home was strong enough to support the equipment. As it turned out, he had to replace the roof before installing a 20-panel solar system there.
“It’s a big investment, but it’s worth it,” said Mitchell, who chose to own his panels by financing them for 10 years.
HOME TRENDS
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Go Solar with Clint installed solar panels on the roof of Randolph Mitchell’s Montgomery County home. Submitted photos
In the mid-Atlantic region, the average cost to install 20 solar panels is approximately $20,000.
In the last decade alone, solar energy has experienced an average annual growth rate of 49%, thanks to federal policies such as the Solar Investment Tax Credit, rapidly declining costs, and increasing demand across the private and public sector for clean electricity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO).
Clint Rawlings, owner of Go Solar with Clint in Williamsport, has seen a drastic increase in customers seeking solar solutions over the past decade.
“People want to be energy-independent. They don’t want to have to worry about what their electric bill will go up to next month or next year. They don’t want the fluctuations in their cost,” Rawlings said.
Not only can going solar reduce an electric bill by 15% or more each month, it can reduce the taxes owed, thanks to tax credits and other incentives available at the federal and state level, he said.
The main incentive offered by the federal government is the Solar Investment Tax Credit, which allows people to reduce the income taxes they owe by up to 26% of the total cost of a solar system installation.
Homeowners can start receiving money back in the form of federal and state paybacks from solar power as soon as it is installed, Rawlings said.
With a background in recycling, he said starting a solar energy company made sense for him.
“I’ve always been very conscious of the environment,” he said. “I want to leave the planet better than it was when I was here. I just want to make sure we’re taking care of the planet. It’s the only planet that we have.” Payment options
Customers interested in solar energy can choose ownership or a power purchase agreement.
Owning a system requires homeowners to finance or pay cash outright. In a power purchase agreement (PPA), a solar company owns and maintains the panels, while the customer reaps the benefits of a lower electric bill.
One of Rawlings’ customers, Scott Toback of Hampstead, Md., installed solar panels two years ago and opted for a 20-year PPA.
If he sells his home, the PPA will stay with the house and transfer to the new homeowner, Toback explained.
“It (solar) is something my wife and I have been talking about and thinking about for a long time … because going green is important and saving money is important,” he said.
Since installing solar panels, Toback said he averages $150 a month in savings.
“My house is ideal for solar power. It’s on the roof, and the sun hits the front of the house in the morning and the back of the house in the evening,” Toback said.
For those considering using solar energy, Rawlings recommended doing plenty of research and having a solar evaluation conducted.
“I always offer a free consultation. Most of my job is just about educating the public and seeing if it (solar) is the right fit for them,” Rawlings said. An investment
Ryan Ballard started Western Maryland Solar in Clear Spring eight years ago.
“The main reason that people are doing it (converting to solar) is for an investment...It increases the house’s value,”
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A Hamilton, Va., homeowner opted to use solar energy as a power source. Photo courtesy of Mountain View Solar
he said. “Some folks want to do it because they want to be green. And for some older folks, they do it for their upcoming fixed income, to offset the monthly electric bills to make their monthly income go farther.”
As for payment options, Ballard doesn’t do leasing. He thinks ownership is best financially for his customers.
“It’s a cash deal for my folks. I let my customers figure out how they want to pay for it – loans or pulling out of their retirement account,” he said.
He said homeowners will see their electric bill change as soon as their solar system is energized.
“To hit that tipping point where it becomes less expensive to have solar than to not have solar is about three to four years,” he said. Solar growth
Since Michael McKechnie founded Mountain View Solar in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., in 2009, he’s seen tremendous growth.
“In the first year, our gross revenue may have been $300,000, and now our gross revenue is $5 million. It’s grown a lot,” McKechnie said.
Solar is the world’s fastest-growing energy technology, and advancements in the industry continue to be made, he said.
“The advancements that we are watching and keeping track of are battery technologies, the software that goes with the batteries and the automation – that’s the growth market that we’re all watching, and that’s what the consumer is asking for residentially and commercially,” he said.
Now, when the power goes off from the electrical grid, the solar energy shuts down, too, but with a generator, people can still have power, McKechnie said.
“So, batteries with solar panels create a solar generator and that’s where the batteries come into play. They help you have power when the grid is down,” he explained.
Solar is safe and effective, and the prices have come way down.
“It’s 20% as expensive as it was 10 years ago – it’s really dropped. So, anybody who looked at installing solar 10 years ago should look at it again,” McKechnie said.
Ron and Beth Light of Clarke County, Va., researched eight solar-energy companies before choosing Mountain View Solar to install their system in 2018.
“We sought to do something that would be good for the environment and give us a long-term return on our investment as we reduced our utility bill,” Ron Light said.
They installed two ground-mounted units with 36 panels each.
In the first year using solar energy, they owed nothing for their electricity for 10 out of 12 months.
“That is a reason to dance in the morning, when the bill shows up and it’s zero,” he said.
Beth said they never regretted their decision.
“The cost is not cheap, but it absolutely was worth it, and there was a tax credit. We got 30% of the cost back, and
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Solar energy panels are displayed on a home in Winchester, Va. Photo courtesy of Mountain View Solar
we could spread that credit over three years on our taxes,” she said.
Ron stressed that not all companies are created equal, so people should do plenty of research.
“I would encourage consumers to do their due diligence and really figure out everything that goes with it, because it’s not like going down to a market and buying a loaf of bread, because not all loaves are equal,” he said. — Places
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