Local couple jumps whole hog into alternative energy
By Stephanie Laird
August 7, 2008
Athens residents George and Nancy Bain recently joined the increasing number of Ohioans combating global climate change and rising energy costs by installing a solar-power system.
In early July, Third Sun Solar and Wind Power of Athens installed a system at the Bain’s residence, which will generate an estimated 35 percent of the home’s power.
Third Sun Solar and Wind Power co-owner Michelle Greenfield said the two biggest advantages of installing a solar-power system are locking in the price of your electricity for the next 30 years, which is the average system’s lifespan; and producing clean, emission-free power rather than obtaining power from fossil fuels.
“The price of electricity, just like the price of all other forms of energy, is on the rise,” said Greenfield. “When you purchase a solar-power system, you pay for your power up front and can insulate yourself from electricity rate inflation. In this time of global warming, many businesses and families want to do something to lower their impact on the environment. Solar power uses a clean and free source of power, the sun.”
Nancy Bain, a longtime member of Athens City Council and a professor of environmental geography at Ohio University, explained that the couple’s decision to install a solar-power system was sparked by their interest in promoting alternative energy sources. “I need to do more for the environment,” said Bain, who has been interested in solar power for many years.
One of the primary advantages associated with installing a solar system is reducing the amount of carbon we produce, according to Bain. “My students checked their individual carbon footprints, and although I ‘know’ about the theory, reading 30 papers made me aware of the individual impacts and their importance taken together,” she said.
Bain noted that incorporating a passive solar system at their home was the next logical step. Their system, which was installed in just two days by Third Sun, includes 21 panels. “We maxed out the available space on our steep roof,” said Bain, who hopes to expand the system next year.
While there are several ways to configure a solar-power system, the most common way is to install a “grid-tied” or “net-metered” system, Greenfield explained. “This is where a home continues to stay connected to the utility grid and adds a solar system to make all or a portion of its electricity,” she said. “This requires no battery backup or major lifestyle changes.”
The grid-tied system installed at the Bain’s home “is the most straightforward and low-maintenance system that we install,” said Greenfield. “The solar panels that we used are made by Sunpower Corporation out of (San Jose) California. They are the highest-efficiency module on the market, which means they make more energy per square foot than other solar modules. They take up less space, use less racking, are quicker to install and are very attractive.”
She added that Third Sun is the only authorized Sunpower dealer in the Midwest.
The amount of power generated by a solar-power system depends on how many panels are installed. “When we design a system, we do so based on the customer’s goals for how much power they want to produce and what their budget is,” said Greenfield. “We have customers producing 100 percent of their power, and customers producing 30 percent of their power.”
For customers like the Bains who have a grid-tied solar-power system, the rest of the energy required to power their home is provided by the utility company. “The customer is only charged by the utility company for the amount of power used, so their bill will decrease or approach zero,” said Greenfield.
If a residence is using less power than the solar-panel system is producing, the meter will run backwards or a separate meter will credit you for the power you are producing, explained Greenfield. “It depends on the utility company and how they monitor it, but they will credit you for power that your system sends back onto the grid when you are not using it all,” she said.
THE ECONOMIC and environmental benefits associated with installing a solar-power system have encouraged many more people to make this investment, according to Third Sun. Committing to alternative energy reduces the environmental harms associated with fossil fuels, produces non-polluting power, and assists in moving the United States closer to energy independence, stated a news release by Third Sun.
“We have been installing systems since 1997, and officially became Third Sun Solar and Wind Power in 2000,” said Greenfield.
The Athens-based specialty contractor designs and installs solar power and solar thermal systems, in addition to some wind-power systems, on residential, commercial and institutional projects in Ohio and the surrounding states.
During this time, Third Sun has designed and/or installed over 200 systems, said Greenfield. “Our annual volume is continually growing, as we are adding employees and solar power is becoming more mainstream,” she said. “In 2006, we installed 25 systems, and in 2007 we installed 45. We also tripled our revenue from 2006 to 2007.”
According to Greenfield, about half of these systems are installed on residential structures and the other half on commercial/institutional buildings, though upcoming projects are more commercial than residential.
The installation of a common sized residential system takes about two days, according to Greenfield, while a larger commercial installation could take several days to several weeks, depending on how extensive the system is. “It does take several weeks to several months to do the preliminary work on designing and approving a system; much of that time is taken up waiting for results of state rebate applications and for lead time on certain components,” she said.
The Bains took advantage of a state grant that helped pay for a portion of their system.
In addition, according to Greenfield, “The state of Ohio currently offers a renewable-energy rebate to non-residential entities (businesses, schools, farms, etc.) that will provide about 30-40 percent of the cost of a system as a cash rebate.”
The rebate program for residences closed last spring, but a new program is expected to be announced in the coming month, according to Greenfield, who expects that it will be similar in scope, offering about 30 percent cash rebates to qualified customers.
Greenfield said that installing a solar-power system on an average home can cost anywhere between $12,000 and $40,000, depending on how large the systems is and whether or not the customer receives a state rebate. According to Bain, their system cost $27,000.
Bain said she has asked Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl to consider installing solar panels on the Community Center and hopes others in the Athens community will decide to invest in solar-power systems.
“The renewable-energy industry is growing by leaps and bounds, and we hope that we can continue to add to the economic development of Ohio and our region,” said Greenfield.
At the annual Athens Solar Tour on Oct. 4, the community will be invited to see actual solar homes and businesses for free. For more information on this event, visit: www.greenenergyohio.org.
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