GetSolar Staff. Sunday, November 14th 2010 09:00
Some businesses and homeowners are motivated to go solar because they want to reduce their environmental impact – but for others, it’s all about the potential savings. By reducing the consumption of grid-sourced energy, solar power can slash a household or business’ energy bills significantly. But can a solar installation do more than break even and have a positive return on investment?

The answer is yes – with some caveats.

In most cases, solar arrays will have a payback period – the length of time they take to pay for themselves through energy savings – of no more than 15 years. (Solar water heating systems, which are much cheaper than home solar installations, have a shorter payback: Because they only cost a few thousand dollars, they will pay for themselves in far fewer than 10 years.)

In states with robust solar incentive programs, solar installations can take much less time to pay off. In places like California – which often have rebate programs at the municipal level – or New Jersey – which requires utilities to pay clean-energy producers for the power they generate – solar projects’ payback can be surprisingly short.

Yet even solar installations in states without strong rebate programs can pay for themselves in short order.

On November 12, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch profiled chemical distribution company Walsh & Associates, which recently put 416 solar panels in place at its warehouse. The array’s $500,000 price tag was offset by a 30 percent federal tax credit and a one-time, $50,000 payment from utility Ameren – but Walsh assumed the rest of the installation cost.

Even so, the company expects its solar project to be paid off in just six to nine years. The reason for the quick payoff is that Walsh will cut its energy spending sharply: By going solar, the firm will slash its $36,000 annual energy bill to just $1,500.

Assuming the array has a 25-year useful life, the chemical distributor anticipates that it will enjoy a return on investment of half a million dollars. Homeowners who go solar shouldn’t expect to save $500,000, but they, too, can see a positive ROI by installing a solar array.

Solar has environmental benefits, of course – but it’s hard to ignore the economic ones.

By CleanTechies at CleanTechies
Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:30pm EST
by Shari Shapiro

Yesterday the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a pilot program to finance $25 million in home efficiency upgrade loans: Backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), these new FHA PowerSaver loans will offer homeowners up to $25,000 to make energy-efficient improvements of their choice, including the installation of insulation, duct sealing, doors and windows, HVAC systems, water heaters, solar panels, and geothermal systems.

Under the Pilot Program, HUD, through FHA-approved lenders, will insure loans for homeowners who are seeking to make energy improvements to their homes.

This pilot loan program is interesting in the wake of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) controversy, wherein property tax-based financing of home efficiency improvements were rejected by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, among others. More information on the PACE controversy is available here.

A big issue with the PACE structure was that the PACE loans were superior in priority to the mortgages.

Will the FHA Powersaver loans be subordinated to the mortgages on the homes? The guidance does not say.

The Honeywell Wind Turbine needs only 33 feet of above ground clearance and just a claimed one half mile per hour wind to start up.  If that proves out in the real world Canada’s WindTronics, Inc. would have a sure hit on its hands.

The company says its turbine has “higher performance output and lower installed cost per kilowatt than any other unit on the market today in class and size.”  The Honeywell Wind Turbine is a gearless wind turbine that measures just 6 feet in diameter, weighs 185 lbs (84kgs) and is able to produce 2752 kWh/yr in Class 4 winds.   The power magnets that flow the electrons are at the outer tips of the blade wheel and inside the shroud around the blade set.

Honeywell’s Turbine Comparison.

The Honeywell Wind Turbine’s multi-stage blades allow the system to react quickly to changes in wind speed, ensuring that the maximum wind energy is captured, without the typical noise and vibration associated with traditional wind turbines. It is designed to be installed where power is consumed, allowing home and business owners to harness wind energy in a cost effective and efficient manner.

Class 4 wind is a very large part of North American making a quite large geographical sales area.  The potential is for a volume sales number that coud\ld well drive down the production costs for even more affordability.  And 2700+ kWh a year is worth some effort.

WindTronics decided in 2009 to manufacture the machines in Windsor, Ontario, which has been battered by the auto crisis and recession and suffered from huge unemployment. In that context it was a good-news story because the Michigan-based parent company, EarthTronics, said the facility it was taking over was a former Magna International auto parts plant where 200 new jobs would be created.

The company web site says that the turbine’s installed cost is about half the cost of a traditional small wind turbine. It sells as part of a package that includes a computerized smart box, the inverter and an interconnect switch for wiring the system into a household panel. The MRSP is $6,495US, what Canadian pricing is – isn’t announced. Also not certain is what the installed cost would be, which is important if you want to compare it to, say, putting solar panels on your roof.

From an economics point of view small wind is very hard to justify.  2,700 kWh at say $0.10 isn’t going to get you very far – $270 against perhaps as much as $10,000 up front.  But for sites with need, or little solar potential, expensive grid access and situations where the net meter rate is very good the numbers can change for the better.  That and having one puts surety in service, way out at the end of a rural phase line, weather makes power matter of some concern.

For the money though, and with essentially no volume to start pricing or drive to lower production costs, the Honeywell is a powerful contender.
The other point that many reviewers overlook is the generation parts out in the shroud aren’t moving, nor is the mass moving, nor is the whole airfoil set heavily built to support it all.

That one half mile per hour start speed could have impressive returns as wind class locations of better speeds and more total annual wind time get installations.  At Class 6 and running twice as long the Honeywell is b\going to look much different economically.

If you’re thinking of getting a small wind turbine the Honeywell is a must consider item.

If the WindTronics designs can last as long as the old Aeromotor windmills of old – decades on end, then the Honeywell is a small wind turbine turning point.

By. Brian Westenhaus

Great divide… neighbours Vanessa Ekins (left) and Kylie Bensemann. Photo: Marc Stapelberg

IT’S the great Keneally divide.

On the left, the house with a 1-kilowatt solar panel system where the owner has no bill because she generates more energy than she uses.

On the right, the house with no solar panels, the owner’s quarterly bill is usually between $600 and $700.

But thanks to the decision by the Keneally government to slash feed-in tariffs from 60¢ to 20¢ a kilowatt hour, incentives to install new panels have almost evaporated.

These two properties are in Lismore – the solar capital of NSW with more than 700 home solar units.

Vanessa Ekins, chairwoman of the city’s sustainable environment committee, who lives in the house with the panel, used to get a quarterly bill of about $150. Now Country Energy says she has earned a credit of $214.

She said: ”We have had conversations over the fence about it. I think the electricity companies should be funding the panels, not individuals.”

Her neighbour, Kylie Bensemann, said: ”I am disappointed that the tariff wasn’t reduced to a more reasonable amount. It is amazing how many people have said: ‘Put as many solar panels as you can on your roof.”’

CBC News

The Honeywell wind turbine is designed for the roofs of homes and small commercial or agricultural operations. (WindTronics)The Honeywell Wind Turbine measures 1.8 meters across and weighs 84 kg. It can begin producing power at wind speeds of three km/h.

A Canadian-made turbine designed to fit on roofs and help power homes and small businesses will go on sale in December.

It is being manufactured at a new factory in Windsor, Ont.

Reg Adams, president of manufacturer WindTronics, told CBC News the turbines will appeal to commercial and agricultural operations, as well as homeowners who are environmentally conscious, or need emergency backup power.

“We are complete emergency home standby systems,” he said in an interview. “It’s like the replacement of a home standby generator. We can build a battery support, and if the power outage is because of a storm, it will have wind. If not, we have charged batteries.”

Each turbine comes with a computerized smart box and inverter that will allow the unit to feed directly into the ac power system of a home or business, or feed the energy back into the electricity grid.

‘The Honeywell turbine makes wind technology affordable and accessible.’—Reg Adams, WindTronics

The design is intended to maximize power output while minimizing noise and vibration. The unit differs from industrial wind turbines in that it looks more like a fan than windmill and generates power through the tips of the blades rather than turning a generator.

“The Honeywell turbine makes wind technology affordable and accessible to the vast majority of Canadian homeowners, who have great wind resources,” said Adams.

24 years to payback

When its installed in an area with high winds, the turbine can produce up to 2,700 kilowatt hours a year. Based on Ontario’s peak power rate of 9.9 cents per kWh, a turbine could save $272 in power costs each year.

However, at a cost of $6,500, with an additional $3,000 for installation, it would take 24 years for it to pay for itself.

Adams says the company is currently negotiating with the Ontario government to have the turbines included in the Feed-in Tariff Program, which pays a premium for green-power energy.

He said if the Ontario government agrees to pay 50 to 55 cents per kilowatt-hour, it will make the turbines far more appealing to everyday homeowners.

If Ontario residents were able to feed power back into the grid under such an arrangement, the turbine would earn about $1,500 per year and be paid for in 4½ years.

The turbines will be sold at Home Depot and other major retailers across Canada.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/10/27/con-turbine.html#ixzz14tV2BpbF

Solar hot-air collectors and geothermal heat pumps are two of the most environmentally friendly ways to warm your home.

ZERO ENERGY HOUSE: This home in North Carolina features passive solar heating and a geothermal heat pump. (Photo: skrobotic/Flickr)

Heating accounts for more than 30 percent of the energy used in the average home. Consider replacing or supplementing your heating system with solar or geothermal heating systems — two old technologies that are getting modern upgrades. Some up-front costs (and a bit of labor, in some cases) can help you save money on utility bills in the long run. You will also save energy and reduce your ecological footprint.

Solar hot-air collectors

Solar electric panels remain cost-prohibitive for many homeowners, and it may not be feasible to install enough solar electric panels to cover your heating needs. A cheaper and simpler solution is a solar hot-air collector, which can be mounted on a roof, wall or even in the back yard. Solar hot-air collectors are essentially a tempered glass panel, insulation panels and a metal collector plate layered inside an aluminum frame.

An electric fan circulates air from the house through the collector and back into the home. On sunny winter days in cold climates, the metal plate heats up the air and increases the indoor temperature, offsetting some of the furnace’s energy use.

A 2007 case study in Home Power magazine estimated that a homeowner can recoup an initial investment of $4,000 within eight years through lower natural gas bills. After eight years, he would be pocketing an estimated $500 in additional savings per year.

A solar hot-air collector also could cost far less than $4,000. I have found a solution to high energy costs and have learned how to replace most of my heating costs with a ‘Solar Heater’ that you can build with parts from around your home and for as little as $30. read more …

Geothermal heat pumps

Geothermal, or geoexchange, heat pumps (GHPs) are a more expensive prospect and are certainly not a DIY project. GHPs, which require professional installation, take advantage of the constant temperature six feet under your home. Because the subsurface temperature is relatively warm in winter and cool in summer, a GHP can replace both your heating and air conditioning systems.

(continued below)

Residential geothermal heat systems have been used since the 1940s, so they are certainly not a new idea. However, the systems are getting less expensive, more reliable and more technologically advanced.

The best GHPs run water, rather than air, through the system, and can even supply hot water for the house. The newest models have two-speed compressors and variable fans for additional comfort and energy savings.

There are new EnergyStar ratings for GHPs to help you choose a reliable, energy-efficient system. Efficient models also qualify for a federal tax credit for 30 percent of the purchase price, with no upper limit on the dollar value of the tax credit (unlike most tax credits for efficiency upgrades). There are also state tax credits and incentives for GHPs.

The Department of Energy estimates a GHP for the average-size home would cost about $7,500, but suggests that the initial cost can be repaid in under 10 years by reducing or eliminating heating, cooling and hot water bills.

Geothermal and solar heat systems are not new ideas, but they are becoming more advanced. Also, tax incentives and rising utility bills make these efficient options more attractive.

By Peter Bacque | TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Published: October 31, 2010

John Roberts uses solar electrical and thermal hot-water systems at his home on Chamberlayne Avenue.

Richmond, Va. — In a world where worries about energy are common, John Roberts has more than enough electricity for his needs.

“I’m currently generating more than double what I use in a year,” he says.

Roberts can do that because he’s installed a 2-kilowatt solar electric system on his house on Richmond’s North Side.

The photovoltaic system, which makes electricity from sunlight, cost Roberts $13,400, but he received a $3,500 federal tax credit and a $2,700 state renewable energy rebate that together reduced his expenditure to $7,200.

“And I did all the work myself” under the direction of a licensed electrical contractor, Roberts said.

Roberts uses only 1,400 kilowatt-hours of electricity for an entire year. “Most people use much more electricity than I do,” he said. “I do heat with gas and I do have a gas stove, and I don’t use much air conditioning.”

But the sun’s energy powers homes that consume much more electricity than Roberts’ does.

Tim Dolan’s Newport News house uses almost 10,000 kilowatt-hours a year, he said.

The 8.1-kilowatt solar electric system Dolan uses cost $55,000. That was offset by a $16,100 federal tax credit and $14,000 from the state’s renewable energy rebate program he received, bringing his price down to $24,900.

“Even on an overcast day . . . it’s still making more than I’m using,” Dolan said.

Solar power can be used to generate electricity through photovoltaic cells or to produce hot water, and Virginia has sunshine for those uses. The state estimates solar energy could produce 11,000-13,000 megawatts in Virginia.

But 2-kilowatt systems are what Blue Crump’s company, Urban Grid Solar Inc. of Richmond, typically installs, Crump said, at a cost of about $15,000.

Though solar technologies are too costly for widespread use in wholesale power applications, the U.S. Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration said, government and utility incentives for renewable energy encourage small-scale solar-electric generation, which is expected to grow rapidly over the next 25 years.

Residential solar photovoltaic and hot-water systems are eligible for a federal tax credit of 30 percent of the system’s total cost, with no upper limit.

Interest in Virginia’s solarand wind-power rebate program far outran the money available, and the state has stopped taking applications. The federal economic stimulus program gave Virginia $15 million to provide rebates of $2,000 per kilowatt, up to 10 kilowatts, for solar electric systems, and $1,000 per kilowatt-equivalent for solar thermal systems.

Home electricity generators can also sell credits for the energy that their systems generate.

Solar renewable energy credits — RECs — represent the clean energy benefits of 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity from a sun-powered system. Utility companies buy the credits to meet the state’s renewable energy goals.

RECs are selling for about $300 apiece now. “That produces a positive cash flow,” Crump said.

For example, Dolan will earn about $3,000 this year from the sale of his renewable energy credits, he said.

“The value of the RECs is going to grow,” Crump said, particularly as industry comes under pressure to produce more clean power.

. . .

Payback times for solar installations vary depending on the cost of the system and the home’s location, experts said, running from as few as nine years up to 18.

“With the power we make, the RECs and government incentives, my payback is nine to 10 years, assuming no inflation,” said Hugh Joyce, president of James River Air Conditioning Co. Inc. in Richmond.

Joyce installed a 2.5-kilowatt solar system — with panels that track the sun — on his energy-efficient home at 9214 Hungary Spring Road in Henrico County. Meanwhile, the cost for solar electric energy is coming down.

“Systems are now selling for between $4,500 and $8,500 per kilowatt installed,” Joyce said. “They’re becoming more and more competitive. There’s a little bit of a glut in the market . . . right now.”

Simpler and less expensive, solar thermal systems are especially cost effective for heating water.

With the federal tax credit and the state rebate, “it’s not difficult to get a five to seven year return, which is a pretty good investment in saving energy and saving money,” said Al Christopher, director of the state Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy’s Energy Division.

Virginia has seen installed solar generating capacity soar from essentially zero in 1999 to 2.47 megawatts by September of this year, according to the State Corporation Commission.

“We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of customers who have requested net metering to accommodate alternative generation,” said Dominion Virginia Power spokesman Jim Norvelle.

“Just three years ago — 2007 — we only connected 21 customers,” Norvelle said. “In 2010 . . . we have connected 209, with two months to go.”

So far, however, solar energy makes up only a small part of the state’s total electric production. For instance, Virginia power companies and electric cooperatives have more then 23,400 megawatts of generating capacity in the state.

Of Dominion Virginia Power’s 2.4 million customers, located largely in the more densely populated parts of the eastern two-thirds of the state, 355 residential customers are using solar generation, with an average system size of 5.4 kilowatts.

Solar system owners can take advantage of Virginia’s net-metering laws to sell excess power generation back to the owner’s electric utility.

Net metering allows customers generating power from a renewable resource like solar energy to interconnect with the electrical grid. Their solar energy output offsets electricity purchases from Dominion, and customer is billed monthly only for the net energy consumed.

“My last month’s electric bill was $23,” said Donny Talley, who installed a 2-kilowatt photovoltaic system to power his Chesterfield County home. “On a good day, you can actually watch my meter count down.

“Some days,” Talley said, “it’s pretty nice to sit there with a cup of coffee and watch that puppy work.”

Babette Fasolino • For the Poughkeepsie Journal • October 31, 2010

Geothermal typical System

Many homeowners are turning to their property’s soil as a source of home heating and cooling by installing geothermal energy systems.

Through a government incentive program, residents can save 30 percent off installation costs.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean and cost-effective systems for temperature control.

Although most homes still use traditional furnaces and air conditioners, geothermal heat pumps are becoming more popular.

Geothermal pumps work by using energy stored in the Earth.

According to the federal Department of Energy website, “while temperatures above ground change a lot from day to day and season to season, temperatures 10 feet below the Earth’s surface hold nearly constant between 50 degrees and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.”

For most areas, the Energy Department says, the resulting effect is that soil temperatures are usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer.

Geothermal heat pumps can be used year-round by using the Earth’s constant temperatures to heat and cool buildings.

The Energy Department notes “because they move heat rather than generate heat, heat pumps can provide up to four times the amount of energy they consume.”

High-efficiency heat pumps, the feds say, also dehumidify better than standard central air conditioners, resulting in less energy usage and more cooling comfort in summer months.

Pleasant Valley resident Joe Cardella lost his home and Christmas tree farm to a fire two years ago.

When he rebuilt his house and farm, he decided to install a geothermal system for heating and cooling.

(continued below)

Cardella worked with Sam Johnston, an expert on geothermal technology who serves as program manager for Terraclime Geothermal in Connecticut.

Cardella said a big benefit of the geothermal systems is that there are no large heating bills.

“There are no fuel bills whatsoever — no gas bills, no oil bills,” he said.

Cardella noted that he did see an increase in his electric bill of approximately $50 for two months.

“I’ll take my $50 increase in electric anytime,” he said.

“There’s virtually no maintenance,” Cardella said of the geothermal system. “There’s just a filter that you clean.”

A minor downside to geothermal systems that Cardella experienced is that it takes a little longer for the thermostat to respond to manual changes in temperature, but otherwise he has been very pleased with the system.

Johnston said, “Geothermal heat pump systems use fluids that can easily change from a liquid to a vapor and back again.”

The energy stored in the Earth’s subsurface, Johnston said, is absorbed by the fluid, called refrigerant, and causes the refrigerant to change states.

This is done through pipes, called a loop, drilled or buried in the ground. The pipes use the circulating fluid to ultimately transfer the heat of the ground to the building.

“The refrigerant has a very low boiling temperature and changes to an excited gaseous state when underground,” he said.

Once the gas is pumped up to the building, a compressor concentrates the energy to a higher temperature.

This energy is then sent via a water-heat exchanger or air handler to heat the building’s air and water.

The geothermal process is reversed to cool the house.

Johnson said that geothermal systems offer several distinct benefits over traditional heating and cooling systems.

“First, there’s no fossil fuel burning and there’s no carbon monoxide,” Johnson said.

Geothermal systems also use renewable energy from the sun, and the electricity component is alterable and could come from sources such as wind energy.

Costs for installing a geothermal system generally vary, Johnston said, from $5,000 to $10,000 for an average 1,800-square-foot home, and installation is completed in about a week.

Homeowners can receive a 30 percent tax credit, Johnston said, for geothermal systems through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The act created tax incentives for residential renewable energy installations; homeowners who install geothermal heating or cooling systems before Dec. 31, 2016, are eligible for the tax credit.
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According to the DOE, although they may cost more to install than traditional heating or cooling systems, geothermal heat pumps have low operating costs because they take advantage of relatively constant ground or water temperatures.

However, the DOE says the installation depends on the size of a homeowner’s lot, the subsoil and landscape.

Ground-source or water-source heat pumps can be used in more extreme climates.

The Energy Department states that the specific geological, hydrological and spatial characteristics of a homeowner’s land will help a system supplier or installer determine the best type of ground loop for the site.

Geology

Factors such as the composition and properties of soil and rock, which can affect heat transfer rates, at the installation site require consideration when designing a ground loop.

The amount of soil available contributes to system design as well — system suppliers in areas with extensive hard rock or soil too shallow to trench may install vertical ground loops instead of horizontal loops.

Hydrology

According to the DOE, ground or surface water availability also plays a part in deciding what type of ground loop to use.

Depending on factors such as depth, volume and water quality, bodies of surface water can be used as a source of water for an open-loop system, or as a repository for coils of piping in a closed-loop system.

The DOE also notes that groundwater can be used as a source for open-loop systems, provided the water quality is suitable and all groundwater discharge regulations are met.
Land availability

Factors such as the amount and layout of the property, the landscaping and the location of underground utilities or sprinkler systems also contribute to a system’s design, according to the Department of Energy.

Cardella researched alternatives for heating and cooling and found many to be cost-prohibitive.

After discovering that he could take advantage of the government tax break, Cardella found the geothermal system to be a viable option.

“The tax break makes it very affordable and very intelligent to do,” he said.
Next Page

According to the DOE, although they may cost more to install than traditional heating or cooling systems, geothermal heat pumps have low operating costs because they take advantage of relatively constant ground or water temperatures.

However, the DOE says the installation depends on the size of a homeowner’s lot, the subsoil and landscape.

Ground-source or water-source heat pumps can be used in more extreme climates.

The Energy Department states that the specific geological, hydrological and spatial characteristics of a homeowner’s land will help a system supplier or installer determine the best type of ground loop for the site.
Geology

Factors such as the composition and properties of soil and rock, which can affect heat transfer rates, at the installation site require consideration when designing a ground loop.

The amount of soil available contributes to system design as well — system suppliers in areas with extensive hard rock or soil too shallow to trench may install vertical ground loops instead of horizontal loops.
Hydrology

According to the DOE, ground or surface water availability also plays a part in deciding what type of ground loop to use.

Depending on factors such as depth, volume and water quality, bodies of surface water can be used as a source of water for an open-loop system, or as a repository for coils of piping in a closed-loop system.

The DOE also notes that groundwater can be used as a source for open-loop systems, provided the water quality is suitable and all groundwater discharge regulations are met.

Land availability

Factors such as the amount and layout of the property, the landscaping and the location of underground utilities or sprinkler systems also contribute to a system’s design, according to the Department of Energy.

Cardella researched alternatives for heating and cooling and found many to be cost-prohibitive.

After discovering that he could take advantage of the government tax break, Cardella found the geothermal system to be a viable option.

“The tax break makes it very affordable and very intelligent to do,” he said.

By Vicki Terwilliger (staff writer vicki-t@citizenstandard.com)
Published: October 31, 2010

Some Schuylkill County homeowners are giving their neighbors something to talk about.

As a partner and installer with Control Alt Energy, Auburn, Andy Wollyung said he’s seen inquiries about solar and alternative energy sources soar among local residents. Often, referral is by word-of-mouth.

“We’re still seeing a growing number of people interested. It’s the talk of the town. People say, ‘I’ve seen this installed,’ and it strikes a big interest in a lot of people’s eyes,” Wollyung said.

Two Barry Township families have had their alternative electricity systems in place and say they’re happy with the investments and savings. Ted and Marie Reinoehl and Mike and Karen Wasilus, all of the Ashland area, shared details about their experiences.

The state’s decision to remove the rate caps on what electric companies can charge is what prompted Mike Wasilus to start looking into alternative energy.

“I was looking to get ahead of the rate cap removal. I contacted Control Alt Energy and things took off from there. We started with the solar/thermal water heat, then the wind turbine and finally the solar panels.”

“Also, the federal and state tax credit and rebate programs played a major role in our decision-making. Without those programs, the projects would not have been good business decisions,” Wasilus said.

Their home is heated and cooled by a heat pump and is entirely electric.

The ground-mounted solar/thermal water heater, a Sunda brand system, was installed in September 2008. It immediately cut 15 to 20 percent from their electric usage, they said.

The Skystream Wind Turbine made by Southwest Windpower was installed in March 2009.

“It has had less of an impact on our electricity savings. I’d say about 10 percent savings,” Wasilus said.

Sharp brand solar photovoltaic PV panels were installed on the rooftop with a Fronius inverter in October 2009.

“They are awesome and have had the biggest impact on our electricity savings. They easily cut 30 to 40 percent from our electric usage. For comparison’s sake, the solar panels have been installed six months less than the wind turbine, yet the solar panels have already surpassed the amount of electricity generated by the wind turbine by 75 percent.”

“Knowing what I know now, I would double the capacity of the solar panel system and bypass putting up the wind turbine,” he said.

Wasilus said he doesn’t regret installing the wind turbine, it just may take a bit longer to recoup his initial investment.

The initial investment cost for all systems, he said, was offset by the federal tax credits offered, at about 30 percent. The solar-panel cost was also offset by the state’s Sunshine program that offered about a 30 percent rebate on the installed cost of the system.

“The payback period is a tough question to answer, because the tax credits and rebates are constantly changing. For me, both solar projects will have a much faster payback than the wind project. I’m looking at about eight years on the payback for the solar projects and probably at least 12 years on the wind project. As far as savings, I would say as a percentage, I’m saving about 60 percent off my electricity bill with these projects. Obviously, for someone who has other forms of heating or cooling, the saving percentage would be much greater,” Wasilus said.

The kilowatt hours generated by the PV panels in almost a year were 4,100 KWH, Wasilus said, and the wind turbine generated 2,100 KWH in a year and a half.

The Reinoehls, meanwhile, had their solar array panels installed in October 2009 by Maximus Solar, Sacramento. There are 33 panels on the south-facing roof of their 3,200-square-foot home.

“We were trying to look into the future,” Ted Reinoehl said. “We figured electric rates would go up and deregulation was happening, and we were getting closer to retirement and were looking for ways to save money down the road.”

Their home is also an electric-run house. They initially installed a geothermal system, with tubing running beneath their yard, when the home was built 19 years ago.

Over the past 11 months, Reinoehl said they’ve saved about $1,200 in electricity costs.

On average, if the sun is out, the solar panels generate about 40 KWH per day, according to Ted Reinoehl. In checking his records, their panels did generate less kilowatts during the winter and more in the spring and summer months. By comparison, there was 397 KWH generated in the month of November, 64 KWH in December, 400 KWH in January and 1,200 KWH in March.

“I’m so glad we did this, and there were incentives to do so.” Marie Reinoehl said. With five adults living in the home, the system provides the electricity needed to heat and cool the home and for daily usage.

“One of the biggest holdbacks is the initial costs, which can make it prohibitive,” said Ted Reinoehl. “I feel confident within a five-year period of time, it’s paid for.”