Solarize Athens marks first bulk-purchase residential solar installation
The solar panels now atop parts of the south- and west-facing roofs of Jim Pinneau's home in eastern Athens-Clarke County are the first tangible evidence of Solarize Athens' efforts to boost solar energy use across the Athens metropolitan area through the bulk purchase of equipment and installation.
Solarize Athens is the result of work begun some months ago by the environmental groups Environment Georgia, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, the Georgia Climate Change Coalition and Solar CrowdSource. The Athens-Clarke County government and the Athens area branch of the U.S. Green Building Council are supporting Solarize Athens, which is just the second "Solarize" initiative in the state, behind coastal Georgia's Solarize Tybee.
"I'm so glad to be the very first," Pinneau said Monday morning as he stood outside his home to unveil his new solar system, along with Colleen McLoughlin, solar campaign organizer for Decatur-based Environment Georgia, Athens-Clarke County Mayor Nancy Denson and Montana Busch of Lilburn-based Alternative Energy Southeast, chosen as the preferred contractor for Solarize Athens.
According to McLoughlin, the goal for Solarize
Athens is to triple the number of solar power installations across Athens-Clarke, Madison and Oconee counties, which means the initiative is striving for at least 100 new installations.
While Pinneau's system is the first to be installed, contracts are in place for another eight installations, and there are 175 other homeowners or commercial enterprises that have signed up for a site visit to determine whether solar installations are feasible for their homes or businesses.
Of those 175 potential solar users, about half have submitted a year's worth of their electricity bills for review, part of the process of determining the feasibility of solar installation. To sign up for a site visit, go online to the Solarize Athens website at http://bit.ly/1NMvQ8q. Solarize Athens will accept requests for site visits through March 31, at which time the current campaign to boost solar power installations in Athens through bulk purchasing will end.
Once a site visit request is submitted, Alternative Energy Southeast will evaluate the information required in the request, and if a property qualifies for solar installation, they will set up an in-person meeting, complete an on-site assessment and generate an installation proposal.
There are a number of applications deemed impractical for solar installation, but there are just a couple of major limiting factors, according to Busch. First is the amount of shade that falls on the roof where the installation is planned, but the condition of the roof can also determine whether solar panels can be installed, Busch explained.
Pinneau's system, which can produce 8 kilowatts of electricity, cost $24,900 to install under the terms of Solarize Athens' arrangement with Alternative Energy Southeast. Pinneau said he originally planned to have the panels installed only on part of his south-facing roof, but consultation with Alternative Energy Southeast, in which he learned that his west-facing roof could capture sunlight during peak-demand evening hours, prompted him to expand the installation.
With tax credits and other incentives, Pinneau's solar installation will end up costing $17,400, he said. Given his current electric bill, Pinneau expects to recover the cost of the solar installation within 10 years.
"And then, it's free energy," he said.
In fact, Pinneau's cost recovery could come sooner than 10 years. The major attraction of the Solarize Athens initiative is the initial cost savings generated through bulk purchasing, but those savings increase as more kilowatts of solar energy are installed across the area. If the total amount of kilowatts installed through Solarize Athens should reach 251 kilowatts - a few more than 30 installations like Pinneau's - the initial pricing of $3.19 per watt. which Pinneau paid, will drop to $2.90 per watt, the lowest possible installation price.
Commercial installations, which start at $2.60 per installed watt, could see the eventual cost drop to $2.15 per watt.
Residential and commercial participants in the Solarize Athens program who initially pay the higher installation rates will get a rebate should the solar wattage installed in the area drop the cost below what they initially paid, according to Busch.
"The more people who go solar, the more the price goes down for everyone," he said, acknowledging that without the savings that can be realized through initiatives like the Solarize Athens effort, solar energy is "kind of a tough sell for residential use."
In brief remarks Monday, Denson mentioned the county government's own commitment to using solar energy, noting solar panels were installed on the Multimodal Transit Center in downtown Athens and are also used to help power the food preparation facilities at the county's new jail.
And, the mayor said, with regard to the Solarize Athens initiative, homeowners shouldn't worry about any red tape with the local government's permitting process.
"It's an easy permitting process for most homes that just requires obtaining an electrical permit from our Building Inspection and Permits Department," she said.
Residents who do end up participating in the Solarize Athens initiative can expect about a month to pass from the time their site review request is submitted until the panels and other equipment are installed at their home, with three to four days of on-site work to get the equipment in place and operational, Busch said.