Solar Power Your Home

The trend of wearing black never seemed to go out of style. Sure, pink became the new black, and even orange had its moment. These days, it seems that "being green" is as popular as black ever was.

Most people want to be thought of as green advocates and they are "thinking green" and thankfully as a result, many others are following their footsteps. Most folks are recycling more, hybrid cars are becoming very fashionable, and many are switching from the traditional incandescent light bulbs to the 77% more efficient compact florescent variety. In fact, it looks as though California will ban the use of the incandescent bulb all together. Considering that all of us here in the USA are responsible for 25% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, it is safe to say that reducing our dependence on fossil fuels is crucial.

From Corporate America to Small Town America, everyone is beginning to care, and it's a very good sign. There is even a solar initiative that provides for one solar installation in a low-income neighborhood for each array installed on the home of a celebrity. Some towns are taking matters into their own hands. Within the next ten years, Woodstock, NY is planning to become entirely carbon neutral. We are moving in the right direction.

Here on Long Island, there are also bright, encouraging signs for the future. The Town of Southampton is the only township in the state to offer its citizens a $2,500 rebate for having a solar electric system installed. That rebate, when combined with the substantial LIPA rebate plus the state and federal tax credits, can cover 55% of the cost of a solar electric installation. Incidentally, the federal government is considering a serious increase of the federal tax credit. This action will make the purchase of a solar electric system even more affordable for a residential application.

Currently, a solar electric system pays for itself in 8 to 11 years. Homeowners who have solar arrays installed are paying for systems with money that they would have been paying LIPA anyway. Most solar panels are under warranty for 25 years and will continue to produce significant power long beyond the span of its warranty. It is clean, green and economical!

The ultimate goal of a residential solar application is to "zero-out" your LIPA bill. If a homeowner has the desire and available space, he or she can have a system installed that will enable them to bring their yearly LIPA bill down to $0. Even if a homeowner chooses only to meet a portion of their power needs with a solar array, the math still works. The system would still pay for itself in 8 to 11 years, their LIPA bill will shrink significantly and the homeowner will shed a considerable portion of their reliance on fossil fuels. As most people know, we do not just power our cars with fossil fuels; most of our electricity is produced by fossil fuels as well.

So, if a solar installation makes so much sense, then how come there are only a total of 800 grid-tied solar arrays on all of Long Island? Grid-tied simply means that solar energy powers your house by day and LIPA powers the home at night. Ideally, the overproduction by day compensates what is being used at night. It is affordable, efficient and easily financed. As solar energy becomes more popular on Long Island, more homes are being designed in ways that can accommodate solar panels arrays.

There are other areas where solar energy makes sense as well. Municipal buildings, schools and not-for-profit organizations have a higher rebate from LIPA. Commercial applications are also attractive. LIPA offers the same rebate to a commercial entity as it does for a homeowner. The good news is that the 30 % federal tax credit of the remaining cost of a solar array after the LIPA rebate has been subtracted from the price. The federal tax credit has no cap for a commercial application and currently a residential application can only receive a maximum $2,000 federal tax credit.

Where do we go from here? There are so many steps that each of us can take toward energy independence. Producing your own electricity and lowering your electrical load go hand in hand. Start by looking at every outlet in the home and see which items are making the meter spin. Phone chargers, DVD players, and sprinkler systems are all using power, even when they are not in use. Also, save power by replacing appliances with Energy Star models. There are even high performance pool pumps that use significantly less power than traditional systems. Have a look at www.lipower.org, where you can find a list of 53 ways to lower your electric bill.

Of course renewable energy does not stop at solar electric systems. Solar hot water, wind power and geothermal systems are also viable options. LIPA is working on a rebate offer for wind turbines. Many towns are also considering revising their code to allow for wind installations.

Being green does not mean that you have to drastically change how you live your life. The commitment to a greener existence can truly help "save the planet," and actually save you money too.

Sun Stream USA has world headquarters located in Southampton, NY. They are also planning to open in New Caanan, CT, servicing all of Westchester and Southwestern CT. Visit their website at www.sunstreamusa.com or call 631-283-0057 for more information.

Back to Contents