But for those who are feeling sticker shock
as they open their HELCO bills following the sudden surge
in fuel prices, such a system could dramatically reduce
utility costs and pay for itself within a decade.
Such is the case with Garry Wilson of Keauhou
Mauka and Connie Vohden of Kailua-Kona, both of whom have
experienced huge reductions in their bills from Hawaii
Electric Light Co. after installing photovoltaic systems.
"I opened the bill and saw $1,000
and I knew I had to do something," said Wilson, who
now anticipates bills of about $100 or less when he completes
installation of the sixth panel. "You might be able
to do better with HELCO right now, but it's obvious power
costs are going to keep rising."
Vohden, who is renovating a home she bought
in April, said her bill was
about $100, even with cement mixers going outside. Vohden
expects not to have to pay for power once the work is
done. "I didn't want to be tied to HELCO," she
said. "We all have these roofs soaking up energy,
so I thought I might as well use mine."
Admittedly, Vohden and Wilson are not normal
customers, since they both own and operate pools on their
properties.
Both systems were installed by ProVision
Technologies of Hilo, a
five-year-old company that sells and installs the photovoltaic
packages,
which include silicon crystal panels that generate electricity
when they are exposed to light.
While there are independent systems that
store energy in batteries, the
systems purchased by Vohden and Wilson are connected to
the grid, which allows the use of HELCO power at night
and when weather does not permit the solar cells to generate
sufficient power.
They are also connected to net meters, which
allows the system to put
surplus electricity back onto the grid. That runs the
meter backwards and
makes up for the energy used when the solar system is
idle.
"That 5.61 kilowatt system should take
care of all of Connie's needs," said Marco Mangelsdorf,
ProVision president. "And with HELCO's rates increasing
by 20 percent since August 2004, it will also pay for
itself a lot quicker." Mangelsdorf said ProVision,
one of a handful of solar power providers on the Big Island,
will tailor the system to meet the needs of the customer.
Wilson said he blinked when he saw the cost of a complete
system and started slowly, purchasing a smaller unit to
power night lights and fans in his four-bedroom home.
"When I saw those huge up-front numbers, I thought
to myself, 'how do you justify that kind of cost?'"
However, Wilson said he knew he had to do
something when he saw the high HELCO bill. "We're
seeing the costs going up," said Wilson, who said
his children go through a lot of hot water. "I saw
Katrina, and where we used to live - Kaloko - we had a
failure once a month." He kept on going back and
when his sixth panel is installed, he will have a 3.3-kw
that should cover most of his needs.
Mangelsdorf said an average home would require
about 18-19 kilowatt hours a day to take care of nearly
all their power. Depending on a family's needs and variables,
including the pool, it will cost about $30,000 to $50,000
to purchase and install a system that will provide energy
independence. At that cost, Mangelsdorf said a system
should pay for itself in 10 to 15 years. The cost will
go down ever so slightly as a federal credit that goes
into effect on Jan. 1. The credit will slash $2,000 or
30 percent of the cost. Added to a state credit, a total
of $3,750 could be slashed off the bottom line.
Vohden said she purchased the system through
a home equity loan, and that has allowed her to deduct
interest on the payments. Unfortunately, for homeowners
at least, most of the credits are for businesses. "I
don't know why they won't do it for homes," she said.
Mangelsdorf echoed the sentiments for homeowners, but
added that a business could convert to solar, take care
of at least 50 percent of their power costs and pay for
the system in fewer than five years.
That's because commercial users may enjoy
a 35-percent state energy conservation tax credit, state
capital goods excise tax refund and 10 percent federal
energy business tax credit. Depreciation deductions are
also available.
Despite the lack of incentives for residential
systems, Vohden said she has no regrets. "I highly
recommend it. In my case, the worst-case scenario is it
pays off in eight years, best in five. This system is
rated for 25 years, so all the energy it produces after
that is free."
Wilson said his energy saving measures have
not stopped with the solar power array. "We had this
big diesel truck, but we've gone to hybrid and we're now
getting 43 miles per gallon," he said.
"Our fuel and power costs have dropped
dramatically, and a new solar panel will be taking my
HELCO bill to zero. But I feel good because I think we're
doing the right thing."
Warren Lee, HELCO president, said the utility
supports the use of renewable energy devices. "With
the rising cost of fuel, it is an option that everyone
should be looking at," said Lee. "Even if you
can't afford solar energy, which is much more expensive
and the payback is longer, a solar water heating could
cut your costs by 30-40 percent."
Lee said HELCO provides a $1,000 rebate
solar water heaters, and the state will kick in a $1,750
renewable energy tax credit. "That could cut the
cost of a system in half," said Lee.
For more solar and renewable energy news [SolarAccess.com]
