Shelter: Let the Sun Shine In
| By Jennifer Schaefer |
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Local homeowners are refuting Seattle’s rainy image by adding solar panels—and reaping the rewards
Unless you’re one of a small but growing number of Seattle-area homeowners who have invested in solar technology, you may be wondering how solar power could possibly make sense in a region known for its gray skies. But despite the weather, going solar can lower utility bills—yes, even in rainy Seattle.
“Solar works in Seattle because we’re blessed with very long, sunny summer days,” says Scott Thomsen, a Seattle City Light spokesman. “Over the course of a year, we get about the same amount of sunlight as they do in Germany, a world leader in solar-energy production.”
Those rectangular panels visible on local rooftops fall into one of two categories: solar electric systems (also known as photovoltaic systems, used to generate electricity) and solar hot-water systems (used to heat water tanks). Homeowners considering installing either should look at the purchase as a long-term investment, says Howard Lamb, founder of Sunergy Systems, a solar system installer that serves Washington and Oregon. “If you’re looking to get rich quick with solar, it’s not going to happen,” says Lamb. “But you have a physical item that gives you a return on your investment year after year.”
According to Jeremy Smithson, founder of Ballard-based installer Puget Sound Solar, falling prices have increased sales for solar electric systems, while sales have decreased for solar hot water systems—but sales of the two are nearly the same. “For the first time last year, our customers were split almost 50-50,” he says. (For an idea of how much money you can expect to spend on each type of system, see sidebar.)
A number of federal and state tax incentives are enticing homeowners to make the solar leap, says Lamb. Among them: Homeowners who install solar systems before December 31, 2016, receive a 30 percent federal tax credit on equipment and installation. Washington state homeowners who invest in solar electric systems by June 30, 2011, don’t have to pay sales tax on the equipment or installation.
Owne
rs of solar electric systems can reap further benefits through a state power-production metering system that pays homeowners for the amount of solar energy they produce. The rate begins at 15 cents per kilowatt hour and maxes out at 54 cents per kilowatt hour (for systems that include components manufactured in Washington).
Additionally, a net-metering system offered by local utility companies, including Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy, allows customers with solar electric systems to “bank” excess energy generated during sunnier months, so they can use the credits when skies are cloudy. “You can overproduce all summer and actually spin your meter backward,” says Smithson. “Our short winter days and long summer days balance one another out.”
From an efficiency standpoint, solar electric and hot-water systems have undergone marked improvements since they began appearing commercially around the 1970s, and the components also have a longer lifespan (up to several decades). And although the utilitarian, rectangular-panel look is still the norm (at least for solar electric systems; solar hot-water systems can also use glass tubes), new products are being developed to help the panels blend more seamlessly into roofs—including triangular panels and solar shingles.
The aesthetics of solar systems, however, generally aren’t of concern to homeowners who decide to harvest energy from the sun.
“I don’t see [the panels] as an eyesore at all,” says Christian Fulghum, a Magnolia homeowner who had solar electric and hot-water systems installed at his 5,000-square-foot residence in 2005. “I may live in what I refer to as a ‘big, silly house,’ but at least I can make it more energy efficient. It’s about doing the right thing.”
The Price of Sun
The number of solar customers in our area is steadily growing, says Scott Thomsen of Seattle City Light: In 2006, 23 of the company’s customers were using a solar power production meter, while in 2009, that number is expected to reach 150. How much you can anticipate spending—and earning back—on a solar system depends on the type of system you choose.
An average solar electric system (3 kilowatts)
Cost: $20,000–$21,000
Time needed to earn back investment: 15–20 years
An average solar hot-water system (2- to 3-person household)
Cost: $8,000
Time needed to earn back investment: gas, 25 years; electric, 20 years; propane, 12–15 years
For a list of local solar installers, visit solarwashington.org.
For a locally based nonprofit clearinghouse of solar info, visit solarpie.org.
Unless you’re one of a small but growing number of Seattle-area homeowners who have invested in solar technology, you may be wondering how solar power could possibly make sense in a region known for its gray skies. But despite the weather, going solar can lower utility bills—yes, even in rainy Seattle.
“Solar works in Seattle because we’re blessed with very long, sunny summer days,” says Scott Thomsen, a Seattle City Light spokesman. “Over the course of a year, we get about the same amount of sunlight as they do in Germany, a world leader in solar-energy production.”
Those rectangular panels visible on local rooftops fall into one of two categories: solar electric systems (also known as photovoltaic systems, used to generate electricity) and solar hot-water systems (used to heat water tanks). Homeowners considering installing either should look at the purchase as a long-term investment, says Howard Lamb, founder of Sunergy Systems, a solar system installer that serves Washington and Oregon. “If you’re looking to get rich quick with solar, it’s not going to happen,” says Lamb. “But you have a physical item that gives you a return on your investment year after year.”
According to Jeremy Smithson, founder of Ballard-based installer Puget Sound Solar, falling prices have increased sales for solar electric systems, while sales have decreased for solar hot water systems—but sales of the two are nearly the same. “For the first time last year, our customers were split almost 50-50,” he says. (For an idea of how much money you can expect to spend on each type of system, see sidebar.)
A number of federal and state tax incentives are enticing homeowners to make the solar leap, says Lamb. Among them: Homeowners who install solar systems before December 31, 2016, receive a 30 percent federal tax credit on equipment and installation. Washington state homeowners who invest in solar electric systems by June 30, 2011, don’t have to pay sales tax on the equipment or installation.
Owne
rs of solar electric systems can reap further benefits through a state power-production metering system that pays homeowners for the amount of solar energy they produce. The rate begins at 15 cents per kilowatt hour and maxes out at 54 cents per kilowatt hour (for systems that include components manufactured in Washington).Additionally, a net-metering system offered by local utility companies, including Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy, allows customers with solar electric systems to “bank” excess energy generated during sunnier months, so they can use the credits when skies are cloudy. “You can overproduce all summer and actually spin your meter backward,” says Smithson. “Our short winter days and long summer days balance one another out.”
From an efficiency standpoint, solar electric and hot-water systems have undergone marked improvements since they began appearing commercially around the 1970s, and the components also have a longer lifespan (up to several decades). And although the utilitarian, rectangular-panel look is still the norm (at least for solar electric systems; solar hot-water systems can also use glass tubes), new products are being developed to help the panels blend more seamlessly into roofs—including triangular panels and solar shingles.
The aesthetics of solar systems, however, generally aren’t of concern to homeowners who decide to harvest energy from the sun.
“I don’t see [the panels] as an eyesore at all,” says Christian Fulghum, a Magnolia homeowner who had solar electric and hot-water systems installed at his 5,000-square-foot residence in 2005. “I may live in what I refer to as a ‘big, silly house,’ but at least I can make it more energy efficient. It’s about doing the right thing.”
The Price of Sun
The number of solar customers in our area is steadily growing, says Scott Thomsen of Seattle City Light: In 2006, 23 of the company’s customers were using a solar power production meter, while in 2009, that number is expected to reach 150. How much you can anticipate spending—and earning back—on a solar system depends on the type of system you choose.
An average solar electric system (3 kilowatts)
Cost: $20,000–$21,000
Time needed to earn back investment: 15–20 years
An average solar hot-water system (2- to 3-person household)
Cost: $8,000
Time needed to earn back investment: gas, 25 years; electric, 20 years; propane, 12–15 years
For a list of local solar installers, visit solarwashington.org.
For a locally based nonprofit clearinghouse of solar info, visit solarpie.org.
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