Gov. Dannel Malloy is pushing a solar agenda, to get more of the state’s homes and public buildings running on solar electricity. In Ridgefield, there are a few already, and the number is growing.
Ridgefield has a total of 46 solar-powered homes, up 11 from 35 a year ago, according to Eversource, the electric company, which receives the excess solar production the homes generate.
There are more than 138 solar companies at work in Connecticut, employing an estimated 1,600 people, according to the Solar Electricity Industry Association.
But the promise of solar power has been around for decades. In the long view, it’s taking a long time to catch on.
“Probably it was lack of education and lack of incentive that took it so long, but incentives in Connecticut are really good now,” said Dwayne Escola, owner of Northeast Smart Energy LLC, a solar installation company based in Ridgefield.
Build a solar system for $20,000 or so, and it pays itself back after about eight years, Escola said, enthusiastic in his pitch for the product. From then on it is like having free electricity.
The savings come even sooner for those who lease a system with no money paid up-front, he said.
There is a federal personal tax credit of 30% of the cost of clean energy systems, including solar, but also geothermal heat pumps and wind, according to energy.gov.
Additionally, Connecticut Green Bank offers incentives based on system capacity, according to EnergizeCT.com.
The exact incentive amount from Green Bank is calculated based on how much energy the house uses on average over a 12-month period. Capacity up to that amount earns a more generous rebate rate, and capacity over that amount is given a less generous rebate. An example rebate of a 7 kW system on EnergizeCT.com might be around $3,500.
Connecticut is responding. In 2014, Connecticut homeowners and businesses installed 45 Megawatts of solar electricity capacity, making the state the 17th most solarized state out of 50, according to the SEIA, based in Washington, D.C.
There is enough solar energy installed in Connecticut to power 21,000 homes.
The average Connecticut homeowner uses 648 kWh per month or 7,776 kWh per year, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. The average Ridgefield solar system was estimated to generate 9,518 kWh per year, according to the EnergizeCT data.
A total of $121 million was spent in 2014 installing solar systems.
Some of the state’s notable solar installations include East Lyme Solar park, which at 5 Megawatts is among the largest solar installations in the state, enough to power 700 homes.
Several large retailers in Connecticut have gone solar, as well, including IKEA in New Haven, with one of the largest corporate photovoltaic systems in the state, with 940 kilowatts of solar capacity at the store in New Haven.
Of all the dozens of companies installing solar panels, AC/DC power converters and the occasional storage battery, there are only three ways to go solar: purchase a system outright with cash or loan and own both the system as well as all the power it produces; lease a system and own only the power it produces for your home; or enter a power purchase agreement with a company, to buy power from their system at an agreed upon flat rate.
If you are considering going solar, know your electricity usage. Your electric bill will show your kilowatt-hours and the amount you pay for that electricity, according to SEIA. Know your roof. Is your roof up-to-date and in good repair for solar? Does it receive good sunlight, or is it mostly shaded? A south-facing roof is best.
The future will be more solarized, especially as storage battery technology improves, according to the president of the SEIA.
“Solar energy’s unlimited potential coupled with improvements in battery storage will prompt even more people in the future to go solar. It will become an around-the-clock source of dependable energy that we believe will help make solar a standard energy source in all buildings,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the SEIA.
Solar options seem to get better all the time. Michael Smith of 44 Crest Road said he built his system in 2007, before leasing companies like Solar City were around.
He also installed a solar hot water system, in 2008.
He said he spent $40,000 to build his solar system, half of which the state paid as a type of incentive.
“You’re paying up front, then you get discounted electricity for the rest of your life,” he said of solar owners like himself who had their own systems built.
His system generates two-thirds of all the power his home needs, and there is virtually no electric bill for all the warm months of the year, only a $19.99 monthly connection fee with the power company. He pays electric bills only during the winter months, when solar is not as efficient for reasons including cloud cover and shorter hours of daylight.
To recoup his entire investment, he figures he must own the system another 10 years.
Then he’ll sell the home, and the new owner will enjoy the benefits of solar electricity with none of the cost involved. Hopefully, it will be a selling point when it comes time to market his property.
“For resale purposes, it is going to be a boon for the next owner,” Smith said.
And if the next buyer does not want the solar system, the advantage to owning it rather than leasing it is you can take it with you to your next home, said Chris Mesigian of Ridgefield, who bought a system with no up front money from Solar City recently.
“I will expect to see some savings down the line as utility rates increase, but that’s just gravy to me,” Mesigian said.
Additional reporting provided by Jake Kara.
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