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GUILFORD - Eileen Eder is proud of the solar system she installed a month ago in her home at 167 Uncas Point Road and makes no bones about it - even though it feeds a Connecticut Light and Power grid and nothing in her spacious, 5,000 square foot home.
Eder, a well-known local artist, and her husband, Andrew, recently built a barn-like structure in back of their house for use as an art studio and garage and it is there the solar panels were installed on its 60-foot long roof by Aegis Electrical System of Branford.
"We feed 10 kilowatts of power into the CL&P grid through power lines and will get a 40 percent rebate on our electric bill in return," she said last week. "We figure the system will pay for itself in seven years and almost 50 percent of its cost was paid for by the Connecticut Clean Energy fund.
"We believe solar power and other conservation measures are essential right now and we're only too happy to be part of this movement," she said.
"What is interesting is that your rebate rate is determined on how perfect your system is. So when I built it, I set it at a position so it would be 14 degrees west of the sun to be in the perfect position to absorb as much sunlight as possible.
"And the door on our new structure was pitched at 30 degrees to get the same effect. By CL&P standards, the most perfect and efficient angles are what can get you the biggest rebate."
Why feed the grid and not her own house as well?
"If you want to power your own house, you have to buy large and expensive storage batteries," she said, "This is far cheaper."
Chris Lenda of Aegis Electrical Systems described the system installed in Eder's studio as a "grid-tied photovoltaic solar system."
"This system is very exciting and interesting in that it allows our customers to 'spin the meter backwards' and produce energy for others on the grid as well as for themselves. With rising electric costs (Connecticut is second only to Hawaii in residential electric rates), these systems have the capacity to pay for themselves much sooner than in the past," he said,
Lenda added that the state legislature has also eliminated sales and use taxes on solar pv systems, and allowed municipalities to offer a property tax exemption for those that are installed. Homeowners can also generate up to a $2,000 tax credit on their Federal Income Tax for a solar system, he said.
Other Aegis customers include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Faulkner's Island and the lighthouse there powered by one of their systems.
The Eder home will be part of the 12th annual American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour this Saturday sponsored locally by Solar Connecticut, a non-profit group promoting the use of solar energy.
Local residents will join some 100,000 people across the U.S. in learning about renewable energy and energy efficiency during the tour.
"Amid rising energy costs and concerns about climate change, the National Solar Tour invites participants to see how neighbors are saving money on utility bills and protecting the environment by using clean sources of energy and reducing energy demand," said Michael Trahan, executive director of Solar Connecticut.
"Through a series of open houses and informative tours this event provides a good opportunity to learn about solar energy options, energy efficient design, real-world costs, and current rebates available," he added.
Homes in Guilford, Hamden and Chester are part of the tour that will include nearly twenty homes across the state. |
