By Lynn Ascrizzi
An illuminating fact: The amount of “raw sunshine” that hits the Earth’s surface in one hour is enough to power the entire world for a year.
Yet, many folks in Maine and beyond still think there’s not enough annual sunshine generated in the Northeast to make solar energy systems worthwhile. Time to brighten up. Despite short, gray winter days, our region gets a big share of world-class sun power.
What’s more, the latitude and longitude of oil-dependent Maine compares to Europe, which is way ahead of the United States in its use of solar power, with Germany leading the charge. And guess what? Maine has significantly more sunshine than Germany.
The use of the sun’s renewable energy to heat water (solar thermal) and generate electricity (photovoltaic) for Maine homes and businesses, is on the rise, generating more revenue and green jobs than ever for solar energy companies—a surge that reflects national trends, according to recent Maine business news.
Currently, 400 people in Maine are certified to install solar hot-water heaters and 20 certified to install solar-electric systems. Look for experienced companies with a good track record of satisfied customers.
Although solar systems have a long pay-back period, savings are significant. For example, if you use an oil boiler to heat water, a properly sized solar hot water system will save you more than 300 gallons of oil per year. If sized to do so, an emissions-free, grid-tied photovoltaic system can provide 100% of your power. Every home or business has different requirements.
One caveat: Although equipment costs have dropped dramatically, as much as 50%, initial solar power investments remain high: Solar hot water costs from $5,000 per installed kilowatt; the average home typically requires 3 kilowatts. Solar electric can cost from $15,000 to $25,000.
A federal 30% tax credit, good until 2016, can help. And, a Maine rebate program offers 25% of the project cost for a solar hot water investment, up to a maximum of $1,000, and a $2,000 rebate for solar electric.
To learn more about federal credits for geothermal or solar, visit www.energytaxincentives.org. The Maine incentives are limited. Please check with Efficiency Maine before starting a project. Learn more at www.efficien
cymaine.com/renewable-energy.
