Posts Tagged ‘solar’
Solar Increases Home Value
There are many reasons to add a solar energy system to your home. The reduction or elimination of your electric bill is certainly compelling. Of course, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and protecting the environment are extremely important as well. While each of these reasons drives thousands of people in our area to go solar each year, there is another equally important reason to go solar; it increases your home’s value.
In the past, this has been very difficult to quantify. Real estate brokers and appraisers had little information to go on, and lenders were often skeptical about any increases in market value attributed to solar energy systems.
That has changed in a big way. There are several recent studies that illustrate the value that a solar energy system can add to your home. Two in particular, performed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and The National Bureau of Economic Research, have shown that homes with solar energy systems can command a 3 – 4% premium over homes without solar energy systems. On a $400,000 house for example, that equals $12,000 – $16,000! Not bad considering, that the average “net” cost of a 10 KW solar energy system after rebates and tax credits is around $17,000.
Now, the Appraisal Institute, the largest real estate appraisal organization in America has taken the next step. They have developed the “Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum” that appraisers can use to document and analyze a home’s energy efficient items, including solar energy systems. This is an extremely important development, because it allows appraisers to compile and analyze data needed to support adjustments for solar energy systems.
Soon, in areas with high utility rates (like Long Island); appraisers will be able to capitalize the documented monthly savings on utility bills into a specific value adjustment, much like the income from a rental unit.
What does all this mean to New Yorkers who have solar energy systems? It means that when you sell your home, you will get significantly more money for it than homes without solar energy systems. This is just one more reason to go solar!
Freeport Fire Department Goes Solar
Construction of a 50 kilowatt SunPower Photovoltaic system is underway at the Freeport Fire Department, located at 15 Broadway in Freeport, NY, just north of the LIRR station. The EmPower Installation Team started phase 1 of the installation 2 weeks ago (see picture above) and should be completed by the end of October. A typical residential installation takes 3-5 days to complete. This installation is 5 times the size of a large residential PV system. Furthermore, metal rafters (versus wood) and other complexities have added to the amount of time for this installation to be completed.
Freeport received funding for the solar project from a competitive New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grant, which originated from a American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus program.
Since the Village of Freeport has its own municipal electric provider, Freeport Electric, and is not in LIPA territory, residents are not eligible for the $1.75/watt solar rebate from LIPA.
EmPower’s Solar Systems are Hurricane Tested
“Did You Feel That?”
In response to the catastrophic earthquake in Japan earlier this year, and the ongoing tragedy at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, both Japan and Germany have put forth bold strategies to make solar and wind main contributors to their energy supplies. Germany, already the world’s solar energy leader, has committed to shutting down all of its nuclear plants (25% of its power mix) by 2022.
To replace nuclear, Germany is pursuing an even more aggressive renewable energy program. In addition to installing more renewable capacity, the program will include “smart grid” investments that will make intermittent energy generation technologies more predictable, reliable and dispatchable.
Nuclear, while an impressive technology, has severe shortcomings. Plants take years to site and build, and are prohibitively expensive to safeguard adequately. In addition, there is still no solution for long-term spent fuel storage. Instead, the spent fuel remains in pools at the hundred odd plants around the United States. Then there is the scale problem: because the plants are so large, it is challenging to make up the supply if one goes down, and it takes a decade or so to build a new one.
Yesterday, a rare 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit Virginia and was felt all along the eastern seaboard. A major nuclear plant was shut down and the back-up generators were turned on to keep the nuclear fuel cooling system operational. At this time everything looks okay, but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is overseeing a post-event analysis of a number of east coast plants.
We recommend reading “Brittle Power” and “Small is Profitable” by Amory Lovins, the highly regarded scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute, for deeper insight into the shortcomings of the large, centralized power infrastructure that defines the current paradigm. One theme that Mr. Lovins emphasizes is that we should look to biology when considering how to optimize systems. He states that:
Long Island Business News speaks with David Schieren about the Solar Industry
David Schieren in the new fully electric Chevy Volt
LIBN: Do you think today’s young people will be a sort of “Generation Green” who accept solar from the start?
David Schieren: It’s part of your DNA. I was with an executive from the American Petroleum Institute. I said there’s one thing the oil industry should be worried about. I pointed to the mind. The mindset is shifting, especially with students. Sustainability is becoming part of the DNA. While we’re starting to make progress today, I think we’re going to see this as the renewable energy century. You have a mindset shift.
