Eliminate Your Electric Bill: Go solar and Be Secure

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

In areas where electric rates are already high, solar PV systems are a pretty good bet at $8 per installed watt, even without a rebate and without adjusting for future electricity rate hikes or declining costs per PV watt (see "How Much Will Electricity Cost" ).

The landmark thin-film building integrated solar roofing project built by the National Association of Home Builders in Maryland in 1996.

GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES

Some states need solar electricity so badly they're not waiting for the costs to come down naturally. They are offering cash rebates and other incentives that will slash the price tag for residential solar roofs by up to 60 percent. More states may join in this year, as policy-makers work to meet increased electricity demand by promoting clean renewables and distributed generation-installing many small power-generating systems close to where the energy is needed. These officials understand people don't want polluting coal plants or dangerous nuclear plants near their homes, and people do not much like living next door to high-tension wires or natural gas pipelines, either.

For information about rebates, loans and grants available in your state, consult the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE), or call your local utility or state energy office. (If your state isn't yet offering rebates, we strongly suggest you get on the phone and make an appointment to have a chat with your state legislators.)

Here are summaries of solar energy incentives available in three leading states: New York, New Jersey and California.

NEW YORK

"In New York state, we are facing an energy crisis that is not going to go away simply because demand is exceeding supply," says Linda Anne Burris, director of NY Shines, an organization dedicated to educating homeowners about solar and renewable energy systems. "There is a thirst for energy that is difficult to meet, particularly in New York City and Long Island, where the electricity infrastructure is old and pushed to its capacity."

Burris says New York currently offers some of the best rebates in the country when homeowners purchase residential solar, grid-connected solar-electric systems. "Most people in the industry will tell you that it costs about $10 per watt to install a solar-electric system on your home without batteries," she said. "In New York State, when homeowners tap into an array of rebate programs, they can cut that price by almost one half."

NEW JERSEY'S CLEAN ENERGY PROGRAM 

In New Jersey, small solar-electric systems of fewer than 10 kw qualify for a rebate of $5 per watt. The rebate covers up to 60 percent of the system costs under a program funded by the state and administered by utility companies. New Jersey also provides a sales tax credit for solar-electric system installations.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print