Livin, Lovin and Laughin in the Gorgeous Sandhills of NC!
Solar Power makes for an efficient investment in North Carolina!
12-8-2009
From Brad Tayloe
Solar Energy for your home
This is the first of a two-part blog that will focus on some of the benefits of Solar Energy for your home. While the commercial aspect of solar energy can often have a greater impact in the reduction of non-renewable resource usage and eventual cost savings, your home is a great place to start with the savings available from using Photo Voltaic panels, or PV for short.
North Carolina has been a leader in the renewable energy arena for some time. As the first state to develop a statewide green-power program in the United State back in 2003, North Caroline has many incentives to encourage the growth of solar and other forms of renewable energy. For those of you in the Sandhills area who are under Progress Energy’s jurisdiction, there are even other opportunities for commercial and industrial incentives that we will discuss in the future. For residential customers, you can currently take advantage of a 35% state tax credit based on the cost of the renewable energy product you install, up to $10,500.00! (For details, visit this link: http://bit.ly/6OjtwW ) There is also a 30% Federal Tax Credit available! This federal government credit is available to be spread out over five years. For more information and to view FAQ go to http://bit.ly/7nqRy2 . North Carolina utilities also offer “Net-Metering” which means that any excess energy your system makes, will be used to ‘offset’ your energy demand the following month. You can find out more about Net-Metering here: http://bit.ly/72xwWw
With all these incentives it is easy to talk about a quick return on your investment and a return that may come even sooner with energy prices expected to raise up to 20% over the next 20 years (Bloomberg.com) and energy consumption worldwide expected to increase over 40% the next 20 years (eia.doe.gov)! Since solar panels have at least a twenty-year warranty on them and are designed to be in use for at least forty years, chances are your home will still be an energy-producing machine long after you move into your next home.
So just how can you take advantage of the efficiency of a solar energy system for your home? The first step is to gather your electric bills for the last twelve months. If you just moved into your home or have been there less than a year, don’t worry. Our professional consultants can make a fair estimate based on household size, square footage and other important factors. After we look at past and probable future energy use for your home, we can then help you build a system to either “zero out” your utility bill, reduce it by a percentage, or even build a system that will consistently put money back into your pocket from your local utility company! Think about that for a second: instead of having to pay for electricity, your neighbors who are still skeptical about solar energy may be paying YOU for your homes energy output! Net-Metering makes this possible as your local utility company will credit you for energy your PV system produces that is over and above what your homes demand is. So if your home uses 1,200 kWh per month and you have a system that can produce 1,500 kWh per month, you will receive a credit for the extra 300 kWh you sent back into the system!*
So why wait? Although the initial investment is normally in the tens of thousands, there are current incentives available from North Carolina, up to the amount of $10,500.00 and federal tax incentives and credits that will help you pay for your system. These programs are funded by different government programs and there is no guarantee for how much longer the funds will be available, so now is the time to investigate and see if a solar energy system is right for your home. Chances are after consulting with a professional, you will see the long term benefits for not only the environment, but also for your pocket book!
*Please ask your professional energy consultant from Brite Sky Solar, LLC for more details) www.briteskysolar.com
http://dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&am...
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/highlights.html (retrieved December 8, 2009)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601072&sid=asfek4pnFOJY (retrieved December 8, 2009)
From Brad Tayloe
Solar Energy for your home
This is the first of a two-part blog that will focus on some of the benefits of Solar Energy for your home. While the commercial aspect of solar energy can often have a greater impact in the reduction of non-renewable resource usage and eventual cost savings, your home is a great place to start with the savings available from using Photo Voltaic panels, or PV for short.
North Carolina has been a leader in the renewable energy arena for some time. As the first state to develop a statewide green-power program in the United State back in 2003, North Caroline has many incentives to encourage the growth of solar and other forms of renewable energy. For those of you in the Sandhills area who are under Progress Energy’s jurisdiction, there are even other opportunities for commercial and industrial incentives that we will discuss in the future. For residential customers, you can currently take advantage of a 35% state tax credit based on the cost of the renewable energy product you install, up to $10,500.00! (For details, visit this link: http://bit.ly/6OjtwW ) There is also a 30% Federal Tax Credit available! This federal government credit is available to be spread out over five years. For more information and to view FAQ go to http://bit.ly/7nqRy2 . North Carolina utilities also offer “Net-Metering” which means that any excess energy your system makes, will be used to ‘offset’ your energy demand the following month. You can find out more about Net-Metering here: http://bit.ly/72xwWw
With all these incentives it is easy to talk about a quick return on your investment and a return that may come even sooner with energy prices expected to raise up to 20% over the next 20 years (Bloomberg.com) and energy consumption worldwide expected to increase over 40% the next 20 years (eia.doe.gov)! Since solar panels have at least a twenty-year warranty on them and are designed to be in use for at least forty years, chances are your home will still be an energy-producing machine long after you move into your next home.
So just how can you take advantage of the efficiency of a solar energy system for your home? The first step is to gather your electric bills for the last twelve months. If you just moved into your home or have been there less than a year, don’t worry. Our professional consultants can make a fair estimate based on household size, square footage and other important factors. After we look at past and probable future energy use for your home, we can then help you build a system to either “zero out” your utility bill, reduce it by a percentage, or even build a system that will consistently put money back into your pocket from your local utility company! Think about that for a second: instead of having to pay for electricity, your neighbors who are still skeptical about solar energy may be paying YOU for your homes energy output! Net-Metering makes this possible as your local utility company will credit you for energy your PV system produces that is over and above what your homes demand is. So if your home uses 1,200 kWh per month and you have a system that can produce 1,500 kWh per month, you will receive a credit for the extra 300 kWh you sent back into the system!*
So why wait? Although the initial investment is normally in the tens of thousands, there are current incentives available from North Carolina, up to the amount of $10,500.00 and federal tax incentives and credits that will help you pay for your system. These programs are funded by different government programs and there is no guarantee for how much longer the funds will be available, so now is the time to investigate and see if a solar energy system is right for your home. Chances are after consulting with a professional, you will see the long term benefits for not only the environment, but also for your pocket book!
*Please ask your professional energy consultant from Brite Sky Solar, LLC for more details) www.briteskysolar.com
http://dsireusa.org/incentives/index.cfm?re=1&ee=1&spv=0&am...
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/highlights.html (retrieved December 8, 2009)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601072&sid=asfek4pnFOJY (retrieved December 8, 2009)
Tags: Carolina, North, PV, Sandhills, energy, photovolataic, solar
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