Join Solarize Allegheny, SmartPower, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, solar installers, and local solar homeowners to learn about how and why to go solar!
5:30-7:30 in the Community Room of the Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie Library.
5:30-7:30 in the Community Room of the Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie Library.
“We don’t get enough sun in Western PA for solar
power.” That is something we’ve heard
over and over, but it’s just not true.
There are over 200 solar homeowners in Allegheny County who are happy to
be generating all or part of their electrical needs right now. In fact, Allegheny County gets more sunlight
than Germany, the nation with the most solar generating capacity.
The earth receives thousands of times the energy from the
sun than all the energy used by humans.
There’s a cartoon that shows a couple of people looking down a hole in
the earth under a very bright sun saying, “There must be energy down there
somewhere!” When will we realize that the
sun is our most abundant power source?
Solar panels are quiet, reliable, proven technology.
Imagine generating your own electricity right on your roof,
or in your yard! No charge from the
electric company, no distribution losses, no pollution. Unfortunately
Pittsburgh is right downwind from many power plants on the Ohio River in West
Virginia and Ohio. Heard the talk about
the harmful effects of air pollution? A
lot of that impact comes from those power plants. This is another reason that our region is a
great fit for solar. Even though we
might not have as much sunshine as Arizona, the electricity generation around
here is mostly from coal, and the population density is much higher. So a great many health problems can be
avoided by going solar in our region -- and you’ll be lessening your carbon
footprint, to boot.
Another comment we hear often is that solar panels are too
expensive. However, the price has come
down tremendously in recent years – now they can be installed on your home for
less than $4.00 a watt. That can make
the payback period for a typical homeowner about 8 to 11 years. If the
initial cost, let’s say around $20,000, is too daunting then think about
financing. It’s possible that the
monthly payment will be less than your old electric bill.
One of the least expensive ways to go is to remain “grid-tied.” That eliminates the need for costly batteries
because you can use power from the grid as needed. But when the sun is up, you get to use your
own power first -- and if there is any excess then you send it out on the grid
for others to use. Duquesne Light reads
your meter each month just like before, but if there is any excess generation
they send you a check once a year for the “net” surplus.
While we’re thinking about money, did you know there is a
30% federal tax credit for any system installed? That credit is set to expire at the end of
2016, but for now you can deduct 30% of the cost of a system from your federal
taxes you owe when you file. That makes
a $20,000 system cost you only $14,000.
So what does one need to have for successful solar
installation? A roof or yard with good sun
exposure (ideally facing generally south), with little shading from trees or
surrounding buildings. A good roof is
also important; the panels have a life
of 25 or more years so you don’t want to put them on a roof that will need to
be replaced soon.
The other thing you need is a good installer and that’s
where Solarize Allegheny/Solarize Squirrel Hill makes it simple for you. Solarize Allegheny is a campaign funded by
The Heinz Endowments and managed by a non-profit organization called
SmartPower. Solarize Allegheny has been used successfully
by Point Breeze homeowners and other neighborhoods in the County. By going to www.SolarizeAllegheny.org you can get
free quotes from at least two local, pre-screened and qualified
installers. They can tell you if your
home is a good candidate for solar panels, provide options and prices, and if
you choose to proceed, they do all the work from obtaining permits to doing the
installation and arranging for inspections.
It’s simple and affordable.
The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition is leading the effort to solarize
Squirrel Hill right now. We will be
holding workshops, solar tours, and other functions to help you out. Go to www.SolarizeAllegheny.org for a schedule of events and more information.
This
article written by your SHUC Solarize committee
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