Let the sun shine in
We live in the Sunshine State, and it's called that because Florida has an abundance, sometimes an overabundance, of sun year round. You would think that every roof on Anna Maria would have solar panels mounted. Well now may be the time to consider taking advantage of the sun's power.
During the past more than 30 years, solar costs have dropped so much that today it's possible to generate all or most of a home's electricity for about the cost of a new economy car. In addition, there are federal tax credits available that were extended by Congress not expiring until 2021.
Through 2019 there is a 30 percent tax credit available to homeowners who install a solar system then scaling down to 26 percent and then 22 percent through 2021. You also may qualify for additional solar incentives at the state and local level. And it appears a lot of people are getting on board with installations increasing almost 60 percent in one year, resulting in the cost of solar panels potentially reaching their plateau.
You can purchase or lease solar systems, however, purchasing provides a far greater return on your money and qualifies you for the federal tax credits. It generally costs between $15,000 and $20,000 to install a system after tax credits and can reduce your electricity bill by 70 to 100 percent. Most systems pay for themselves in five to seven years.
If you've always hated the look of solar panels, there is some new technology that makes those bulky roof panels go away. There are new solar cells designed to look and perform like shingles and roof tiles, creating a more acceptable appearance, as well as traditional concrete shingles or terra-cotta tiles available, all of which qualify for the federal tax credits. There also is progress on a transparent solar cell that could power computers and smart phones as well as powering buildings by installing windows made of the transparent solar cell material.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, there are 6,284 megawatts of home solar panels installed in the country. California has 48 percent of these with other states like Arizona, New York, New Jersey and Hawaii coming in next. However, Florida, in spite of it raking third in the nation for rooftop solar potential, only comes in 14th for cumulative solar capacity installed, also reported by the Solar Energy Industries Association. That said, it reported that over the next five years, Florida is expected to install 2,089 megawatts of solar electric capacity ranking the state 9th over that time span, so we are starting to use one of our top natural resources. In addition, there are more than 456 solar companies at work throughout Florida. The Solar Energy Industries Association SEIA has a website that could be helpful if solar energy is something you have been thinking about, www.seia.org.
There are certainly a lot of technical details that you need to educate yourself on, from inverters to batteries, to panel designs before going forward. The good thing is that there is a lot of information available on line and a lot of companies that can get you up to speed. But the real good thing is that we have plenty of sunshine in Florida to power a much larger percentage of homes than we now do. The Sunshine State is not living up to its potential, so let's get moving and let the sun shine in.