This page will be providing information about Solar Power including the affordability and ease of getting a Solar PV system for a home or commercial building.
Solar Power: affordable and simple
Generating power from the sun. It’s a lovely idea. Unlike petroleum, it’s a limitless resource (at least in human terms). Unlike Petroleum, the sun knows no political borders and few geographical barriers.
Solar Photo- Voltaic (PV) Power has been available for a decade or so. Yet still few houses or buildings use it. Cost has been the main limiting factor to seeing stronger demand for Solar PV. Oil is still cheap. And coal-fired utility plants still supply electricity at prices that are lower than the real cost to the environment. Both fuels are not limitless and are being burned away at an accelerating rate.
In the meantime, the costs of Solar PV production have come down. And will continue to come down. Additionally, most first world country governments are offering incentives and tax credits to encourage Solar PV and other renewable energy usage.
In the USA, the federal government is now offering a 30% tax credit for Solar PV (see recent blog post). But, the main incentives and credits for Solar PV are being offered by state governments.
New York State currently has the most attractive residential incentives in the country. There is a rebate that covers approximately 40% of the total cost of an installed Solar PV system. Also, there is a 25% state tax credit (to a maximum of $5000). Both the state and federal tax credits can be rolled over a few years if need be.
What does this mean? It means that a $45,000 Solar PV system installed on your home would have a net cost (after tax credits) of less than $12,000.
More to follow in future postings.
