Retired Florida Couple Fuels Their Home On Solar Energy

Source: Tampa Bay Online

Walking into the Million's pleasant Sebring home all decorated for Christmas, you would never know that it's almost entirely powered by the sun.

Jerry Million, 87, and his wife Elli, 83, showed off their most recent electric bill: $13.

"Just a little bit of a change," joked Jerry, who admitted a typical bill in the past ranged from $150-$200 a month.

The Millions have two hot water heating panels and 22 photovoltaic solar panels on the backside of their roof with plans to install 12 more. It's hard to get a look at them without climbing up on the roof or backing far enough away from the house to see the sloping shingles with discreet, black rectangles attached.

How do solar panels work?

The water heating panels are designed to do just that - heat water for the home. They do not produce electricity. The Millions installed their two hot water panels 15 years ago. "They won the contest 15 years ago for being the most efficient," said Jerry. "I paid an outrageous price for them - $650," he said, keeping the jokes going. "It was such a good deal, I think. They pay for themselves every three years."

The Millions were very impressed with the results from the hot water panels, saying that they never ran out of hot water once and that the temperature of the water was "boiling hot."

Jerry decided he wanted to go ahead and start installing photovoltaic panels, which are able to convert the sun's rays into electricity that can be used to power the rest of the home. They had 22 panels installed in June 2009 by a local company known as One Solar.

Photovoltaic solar panels make use of clean, renewable energy from the sun and are connected into the home's electricity meter. When the panels make electricity, it causes the meter to run backwards and when the household uses electricity, the meter runs forward. At the end of the month, the electric company (in the Million's case Progress Energy) sends them a bill for the difference. If the home produces more energy than the household uses, the electric company actually purchases that electricity from the homeowner.

The Millions haven't made any money off their panels yet, but they are expecting to once they get the next 12 panels installed. "General Electric is coming out with new panels with a substantial operating efficiency. Much better than what we have now," said Jerry, excited to take advantage of the newest technology.

He figures that if he can get a $13 electric bill with 22 older model panels, the 12 new upgraded panels should make a big difference. "Right now we've got a big irrigation system because of the two vineyards on the property," he added, speaking of his 1.5 acres of muscadine grape vines. "You can't even tell that we're using big electrical pumps."

Thinking ahead

But is the new installation isn't really about making money from the electric company. Jerry and Elli have their eyes on the future. "My thinking was, quite honestly, we're getting to run out of oil and it won't be too many years and then what the heck is mankind going to do?" said Jerry.

A big Warren Buffett fan and stock trader himself, Jerry quoted the legendary investor. "Warren Buffett said one thing: in 20 years the cars coming off the line will be predominantly electric." Jerry plans to buy an electric car and fuel it from his roof.

Which car is he planning to buy? "He's studying that," said Elli.

"I probably at this particular moment, and excuse me for saying it, but the Chinese are out in front," Jerry admitted. "The Chinese are going to have one according to Buffett that goes 250 miles with no recharge. That gets me over to the V.A. hospital in Bay Pines and gets me back."

How much did it cost?

The hot water panels cost the Millions $650 fifteen years ago, but the photovoltaics were another story. They had to come up with $37,000 for installation of the 22 panels up front, but have since received a federal rebate for $11,000. The state of Florida owes them another $20,000 rebate, which the Millions have yet to see. If the state comes through, that would put the Millions' total cost of ownership at $6,000, which means the panels would pay for themselves in two and a half to three years.

The Millions are not pleased about the delay in the rebate payment, but Jerry feels worse for those who had to borrow money in order to go solar. "A lot of people took out a loan with the bank. They haven't gotten their money yet, but they've gotten (to pay) interest on it!"

Retired and relaxing

A retired photographer with the Aviation Section of the U.S. Signal Corps, the direct ancestor of the U.S. Air Force which was in place from 1914 to 1918, Jerry pursued a career in photography and journalism for most of his life. The Miami native met his wife Elli at age 78 through an online computer dating ad.

"He's the luckiest man in the world!" Elli chimed in.

Elli is currently the second vice president of the Highlands County Democratic Women's Club and has a background in politics and government. In fact, she was responsible for pioneering volunteerism in the Dade County school system back when volunteers were not allowed in public schools. Her program, which was originally started to help migrant children who were falling through the cracks, was later picked up by the Dade County School Board.

"I'm in the first history book of 'Women Who Make a Difference' in Dade County," Elli admitted.

For now, the couple enjoys making wine and using the electricity that they generate without so much as lifting a finger.

"It makes sense. If that sun is up there and I can go ahead and operate this whole property, everything about it, with the energy that falls on those panels, why not take full advantage of it?" said Jerry.

He predicted that the rest of the world will eventually catch up to them, especially here in Florida where there is plenty of sun 360 days of the year to run a home with rooftop panels.

"We've got so much solar," admitted Elli. "Why not use it?"

State Of Georgia Fails Clean Energy Policy Scorecard

Source: NNEC

The recent report entitled "Freeing The Grid" by the NNEC takes a look at the role state governments play in accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy. 2 main factors are analyzed:

Net Metering

Commonly known as the policy that enables a customer’s electric meter spin backwards, net metering is the billing arrangement by which customers realize savings from their clean energy systems. 1 kWh generated by the customer has the exact same value as 1 kWh consumed by the customer.

What makes an effective net-metering program?

• Allow net metering system size limits to cover large commercial and industrial customers’ loads; systems at the 2 MW level are no longer uncommon.
• Do not arbitrarily limit net metering as a percent of a utility’s peak demand.
• Allow monthly carryover of excess electricity at the utility’s full retail rate.
• Specify that customer-sited generators retain all renewable energy credits for energy they produce.
• Allow all renewable technologies to net meter.
• Allow all customer classes to net meter.
• Protect customer-sited generators from unnecessary and burdensome red tape and special fees.
• Apply net metering standards to all utilities in the state, so customers and installers fully understand the policy, regardless of service territory.

Interconnection

Each state regulates the process under which a generator can connect to the distribution grid. These policies seek to keep up the stability of the grid as well as the safety of those who use and maintain it. Technical standards serve an extremely important purpose in the U.S. economy. By meeting a uniform set of procedures and electrical specifications, a wide variety of products and technologies, like distributed generation (DG), can be developed at low cost.

What makes effective interconnection standards?

• Set fair fees that are proportional to a project’s size.
• Cover all generators in order to close any state-federal jurisdictional gaps in standards.
• Screen applications by degree of complexity and adopt plug-and-play rules for residential-scale systems and expedited procedures for other systems.
• Ensure that policies are transparent, uniform, detailed and public.
• Prohibit requirements for extraneous devices, such as redundant disconnect switches, and do not require additional insurance.
• Apply existing relevant technical standards, such as IEEE 1547 and UL 1741.
• Process applications quickly; a determination should occur within a few days.
• Standardize and simplify forms.

The state of Georgia did not received a grade for lack of having an Interconnection Policy in place. We also received an F in the Net Metering category for having a very low aggregate system capacity cap at 0.2% of the utility's peak load. The Freeing The Grid report recommends increasing this to at least 5% as well as adopting safe harbor language to protect customers from extra and/or unanticipated fees.



Georgia came in 44th out of 50 in Net Metering, receiving an F along with South Carolina and Oklahoma, and did not receive a score under Interconnection for lack of Interconnection policy along with 16 other states.

The highest scoring state under Net Metering was Colorado and the top scorer under Interconnection was Maine.

The full report can be downloaded here.

The Story Of Coal (Video)

The following video by SunRun is very eye opening:

Age, Type Of Roof Affects Economics Of Going Solar

From 1BOG

The Condition and Age of Your Roof

Solar panels covering your roof will certainly reduce some of the weatherization wear on the portion being covered by your roof. However, solar panels are not a replacement for a new roof, unless they’re solar powered roofing tiles (photovoltaic shingles), known as “BIPV” or Building Integrated Photo Voltaic tiles.

It’s therefore important to know the warranty on your roof and how many years are left on the life of your roof. If you’re close to the end of your warranty and have had a lot of leaks in the past few years, you should probably replace your roof before going solar. Yes, this will cost you more money, but it will cost you even more in labor costs to remove the solar panels in order to replace or make repairs on your roof after the solar is installed.

If you think you’re about five or more years away from a roof replacement, it usually makes sense to go solar first.

Luckily, we are Energy Roofing Systems are 1 step ahead of the game. We've got your metal roof needs covered as well as your solar panel needs. Please visit our website.

GA Homeowner Battles Neighborhood For Rights To Add Solar Panels On His Home

Source: AJC

Bill Fogarty used the sun to heat his water when he lived in Denver and San Diego.

It cut his gas bill to almost zero in the summer and gave him water hot enough to scald him, if he forgot to turn the cold tap

"It almost worked too well," he said.

Now Fogarty and his family live in Alpharetta and they want to do it again.

They can't.

Their homeowner's association won't allow it, on the belief that visible solar panels hurt property values, Fogarty said.

"I don't think they're any more of an eyesore than utility boxes, telephone or light poles or some homeowners themselves," he said.

Fogarty's dilemma is not unusual. Neighborhood covenants and even zoning conspire to restrict if and where residents can install solar panels, not only here but nationally.

The Solar Energy Industry Association lists HOAs and other restrictions at the top of a list of impediments in what it calls a solar bill of rights.

"Americans have the right to put solar on their homes or businesses," the manifesto begins. "But many are prevented from doing so by local restrictions."

Some HOAs ban solar power outright. Others let neighbors nix proposed changes to the home's appearance, which can also block solar installations.

Still others, like Fogarty's in Alpharetta's Windward community, want panels hidden on the back of homes only, which means people whose homes face south -- the direction solar arrays need to point -- are out of luck.

Fogarty is one of those. He wanted to lay panels on the south-facing roof at the front of his house.

"We handle it on a case-by-case basis," said Maxine Plotkin of Community Management Associates, which manages Windward and its homeowner's covenants. "In general though, we would want solar panels only on the back of the house."

Visible solar panels would depress property values, Plotkin said. Solar "doesn't fit there," she said. "Windward is not a modern development. Solar panels would be really out of place."

Fogarty disagrees: "No one in their right mind would want to do something to reduce their property value anyway, if they thought that would be the result, especially in this market," he said.

Mark Chien is another solar energy fan who ran afoul of his neighbors. He sank more than $7,000 into a solar water heating system at his home in John's Creek, only to tear it down a few weeks later.

Chien's HOA was supportive. He built the system in his enclosed backyard, out of sight from the street.

But it was too close to his property line and somebody complained. The city cited Chien, who discovered that every sunny location in his yard was too close to one of his property lines. He gave the dismantled system to Lanier Technical College, where he hopes it will help educate people.

"In a way, it's better," he said. "It's much more visible than it would have been in my backyard."

Solar developer James Marlowe said hostility to solar next door stems from outdated ideas.

"It's similar to what people went through with satellite dishes, back when they were big and ugly," he said. "People don't realize that the technology has changed. They can be done very attractively. And they increase home values, because they save energy."

Some states, like California, have laws protecting solar from local restrictions, said Lee Peterson, a Reznick Group partner who works with solar issues.

He doesn't see that happening soon in Georgia, but said, "In an ideal world, that's something we should probably have."

For more information on adding your name to the Solar Bill of Rights please check our previous blog posts.

A full list of state and federal tax incentives can be found here.