Leaving the Dark Ages in Solar-Powered Homes

Sunergy solar power projects

It seems every few days we are inundated with claims of new sources of clean, green energy. But these new directions tend to offer a lot of potential, rather than proven results. Yet, as the Gulf oil spill demonstrates, little good can come of staying the course of fossil fuel.

So what's behind door number three? Solar energy isn't a new technology. It's growing comfortable in middle age and showing surprising perseverance. Solar energy systems for homes are still pricey, but if you live in Seattle and have watched your electric bill rise almost 20 percent this year alone, you might have started weighing your options.

"The first question we get from customers is always, 'Will a solar energy system work in Seattle?'" says Jeremy Harvey, the advertising and marketing director for Ballard-based Sunergy Systems. "The answer is yes." (A thick cloud cover does reduce the electricity you get, but partly cloudy days can actually improve power production.) Our long summer days help compensate for the dark December half-days, and at the exact time of the year when our hydroelectricity supply is at its limit.

Sunergy is one of the largest installers of solar energy systems in Washington. (Find more here.) They focus on residential systems, but can also install commercial systems, and Harvey says they are on track to double their installation total from last year.

The sun has been harnessed for energy in a variety of ways since the earliest days of man, but the solar power industry as we know it is really about 40 years old. It first began to attract public interest as a viable residential application in the 1970s and many people's perceptions are still shaped by early versions of solar energy technology.

One thing is still true, which is that the sun pours out much more power than we can get at: Even cutting-edge photovoltaics don't transform more than 30 percent of sunlight into electricity. (They're working on it.) But in terms of what you need to power your home, panels take up much less space and look snappier to boot.

Shoreline Community College's 18-kW system

"We've evolved in every way," Harvey says. "The systems are more efficient, easier to install and maintain, and there are many more types of systems available. Some of the biggest innovations in the industry are government incentives."

Solar energy systems are not cheap up front. The "average" price for the installation of a 5-kW solar electric system is between $20,000 and $40,000. Seattle City Light says a 2-kW system can run $12,000 to $20,000. To make that money back through electricity bill savings and incentives might take 10 to 12 years, though that recoupment time, remarkably, is down by almost half from what it used to be.

Costs are lessened through tax breaks and incentives at the county, state, and federal levels--more or less, depending on where you live. It's not just a free ride for hippies with big screens--policy wonks, like our friends at Sightline, have been pushing for incentives that take into account not just homeowner savings, but also the savings from not adding power infrastructure. Do you know what a new nuclear power plant costs these days?

Issaquah Fish Hatcher's 1-kW panel

Currently, the IRS will allow a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost to purchase and install a system. Below that, the incentive game can get confusing. The state will reimburse 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, and up to 54 cents/kWh if your system was manufactured in-state (currently, there is only one manufacturer in Washington State).

Snohomish County has a magnificent program of financial incentives--offering an instant rebate or low-interest loans to pay for installation--but King County has no such program. Seattle City Light will let you collect "rollover" kilowatts, as any excess energy you generate flows back into their system. Sunergy aims for a system that leaves you holding a $0 electric bill over the course of a year.

According to Harvey, the typical solar energy customer so far is in their mid-40s to 60s--in other words, people likely to live in a home long enough to reap the long-term benefits--though some younger, green-conscious families are signing up too. Because photovoltaic panels have no moving parts, maintenance is virtually nil. Occasionally defects in manufacture appear, but these are covered by warranty.

Solar heating tubes

Though solar electric is the most common system ordered, it is not the only type of system you can install. Solar-heated hot water systems are gaining in popularity.

Hot water production is the second highest energy expense in any home, right after central heating (it may be the highest, obviously, if you have radiant heat). Solar hot water makes the most efficient use of the sun's energy, netting you almost three times the energy you'd get from photovoltaics.

In Western Washington, according to Harvey, families can meet about 90 percent of their hot water heating needs in summer, 75 percent in the fall and spring, and 30 percent in the winter. (The solar hot water heaters are "hybrid" systems, with an electric supplement that handles the darkest, coldest months.) And all it takes is some tubes filled with a biodegradable antifreeze solution.

Hot water systems cost substantially less than photovoltaics, so they can pay you back for installation through fuel bill savings in well under ten years. If you'd like to learn more, Sunergy holds special Solar Energy 101 and 201 classes in their Ballard location; contact them for the next date.