Solar Energy: A New Option for Westchester Residents

By Resident Expert

By J. Jared Haines President, Mercury Solar Systems

Many people are already looking for alternatives to produce their own clean power and reduce their energy use from dirty power plants, which will help to preserve the environment. They’re seeing the value of solar energy as one of the best—and most practical—alternatives to lighting their homes and heating their hot water. And they’re right.

The number of Westchester residents converting to solar speaks for itself. In the last several months, our company alone has installed more 30 solar electric systems. Recent statistics from NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (which offers solar rebates to homeowners), indicate that nearly 100 homes in Westchester have made the conversion to solar. The momentum is definitely rolling.

In the last three years alone, the cost of electricity in the Northeast has increased almost 38 percent and the cost of home heating oil has nearly doubled. The average family in Westchester spends about $3,500 a year on home energy bills, almost double the national average.

In light of staggering costs, solar energy is a great way to reduce our dependency on expensive utilities and create clean energy in the process. Of course, switching to another form of electricity can be intimidating, but getting started isn’t nearly as involved as it may appear at first. The first step: go to the NYSERDA website (www.nyserda.org), which lists all of the certified installers of solar electric and solar hot water systems in the area. Ask one of these professionals for an on-site evaluation of your house, which in most cases, is free. If your home has a south-facing roof with limited or no shade, you may be a prime candidate.

Once you’ve got the go-ahead, a solar engineer will design a system specifically for your home. The solar panels are installed on the roof and an inverter is placed near the main panel and the electric meter that feeds power into your property. Solar panels are made up of multiple cells that turn sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity, which flows into the inverter that converts it to alternating current (AC) electricity tied to your main electric meter so it can be used in a standard outlet. The meter will show the difference between what your solar electric system provides and what the energy company provides to meet all of your energy requirements. When you generate more than what you use, the meter spins backwards, lowering your energy bill. When the sun is not shining on the panels, the home will draw power from the utility automatically, and the meter will begin spinning forward again.

A certified solar installer can take care of the entire project from start to finish, including the evaluation, the design, and a proposal that includes financial and environmental savings, installation, NYSERDA rebates, financing options, building permits, and all interconnection requirements. The customer needs to sign a contract, sign a few checks, and be available to let the installer into the house to make the electrical connection, which takes only a day or two.

While the cost of a solar electric system varies by size and according to your energy needs, the average system generally costs a homeowner $36,000. The payback, however, is immediate, based on the increased value of your home. NYSERDA encourages the use of clean energy by offering rebates that can cover nearly half of the up-front cost of the system. This, combined with a 30 percent federal tax credit (up to $2,000) and a 25 percent New York State tax credit (up to $5,000), makes the net cost of a solar electric system more affordable. After financing a project of this size, the system may cost the homeowner as little as $2 per day!

Once installed and running, a solar energy system is without a doubt a major cost savings that pays for itself over time. Not only will the installation of solar panels (which have a 25-year lifespan) increase the overall value of your home, the cost savings can be seen every month as your electric bill decreases. On average, installing a 4kW solar panel system, the size for a typical home, can save a homeowner at least $1,200 a year in electricity costs. Environmentally, installing a solar electric system is an important thing to do, as well. In terms of consumption, it’s equivalent to recycling 90,000 cans of soda annually or reducing your driving by 7,500 miles in a car per year.

Even if you can only put a few panels on the roof and it doesn’t drastically reduce your energy bills, it’s still a worthwhile investment. Solar energy will help reduce electric generation, trim down the demand on the grid, reduce our need for fossil fuels, support future research for solar to get even more affordable, and ultimately, impede global warming. So for a few dollars a day, let’s get started.

J. Jared Haines is president of Mercury Solar Systems, certified providers of solar electric and solar hot water systems for residential and commercial properties located in New Rochelle and Greenwich, Connecticut.