Posts Tagged ‘LIPA Solar Pioneer’
“EmPower” Yourself
People try to convince Sal that if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. However, Sal reassures them that it is that good; solar really is a “no brainer.” This is not the Sal you might have read about in our case studies, but his cousin, Sal Agricola. EmPower was excited to install a system at the Agricolas because it is one of the few solar systems in Lynbrook. The Architectural Review Board was intrigued when Sal and Ramona came to explain their system. After asking many questions about solar, Sal recalls, “Then they got into it [and asked], do you have any business cards?”
The Agricolas are incredible solar advocates. They knew they were hooked on solar when Ramona started creating solar slogans. Here is her great motto that holds a very powerful message:
Save a tree, recycle paper.
Save the planet, recycle energy!
Be a part of the solution, become independent.
“EmPower” yourself.
We can only hope their messages will inspire other residents in Lynbrook to install solar. Look for a full case study coming soon.
What Will Happen to Long Island’s Solar Industry?
Annual US Grid-Tied PV Capacity Additions
Solar energy is growing strong in the United States. Despite the deep recession, installations grew 38% in 2009. On Long Island solar installations have surged. Solar has been successful in the region because of a good solar resource, high electric rates, and great Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) rebate program. The growth of the industry has brought decreased system costs as manufacturers and installers achieve economies of scale. LIPA carefully gauges installation costs and decreases its rebate accordingly in order to maintain a relatively constant solar investment rate of return.
LIPA solar rebates started at $6/watt in 2001. Its sustained support over the past 9 years has been instrumental to the local industry’s growth. In January of this year LIPA announced a 4 MW rebate program comprised of 4, 1-megawatt (MW) blocks to provide a degree of visibility to the industry. The first block started at $2.50 / watt; the rebate decreases $0.25 / watt after 1-MW of solar rebate applications has been received. LIPA also committed to posting the real-time rebate allocation information on its website. We were pleased to have some degree of visibility.
Yesterday (May 3rd), LIPA lowered the solar rebate by $0.25 to $2.00 /watt, meaning that 2 MW of the 4 MW is already allocated. The first 2 MW were gone in just a few months – faster than expected – which shows that there is strong solar demand even at the lower rebate levels. However, it is cause for concern because this implies that funding for the solar program could be gone by late summer.
There is uncertainty right now and we understand that might make some feel uneasy. There has always been a notable amount of risk in this business because, despite decreasing equipment costs, we are still heavily dependent on subsidies. There are many questions: Is the solar business viable on LI without rebates? Does this mean companies should be more cautious about additional investment in the business and growth? Will there be cut backs and layoffs in the Long Island solar industry?
