In the US, and in other countries too, there is a good number of energy companies and local governments who are happy to give huge rebates to those seeking to install solar power. If you are lucky enough to live in any of these areas then you could be able to deduct if not the total cost, then certainly a large amount from the total cost of a professional solar power installation.
You want to check for yourself, but for example, let's look at Austin, Texas. The local energy company there will give you a direct rebate so you can cut a whopping 80% off the cost of your costs. That's not all though.
Installing a good solar energy system will mean that certain days days you 'harvest' more solar power than you can use, then the good news is that generally you can sell that additional energy back to your electricity company at wholesale rates.
To quote from the Austinenergy.com site: "For a typical residence, the cost of installing a one kilowatt (1,000 watts) solar photovoltaic system—the smallest considered practical—is between $6,000 and $10,000. Austin Energy will rebate $4,500 ($4.50 x 1,000 watts) of that."
If you purchase your solar panels by the pallet on ebay, you should be able to get a 2.5KWhp alternative energy system bought and fully installed for approximately $10,000. As they say on their website, AustinEnergy's maximum rebate in this case would be capped at 80% of your installation cost. That would take care of $8,000 of your costs with just $2,000 left to pay for your brand new 2.5KW solar power system.
Now, take into account the money you will be making by selling back your surplus solar power, and you can see that, within a very short time you will have paid back the total cost in this way. In other words, you will have obtained your solar power system for free!
If that's not good enough for you, then here's another example for sunny Florida. The State Department of Environmental Protection (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/energy/energyact/solar.htm) announced that they would give a rebate of $4 per Watt for installed PV-based solar power systems.
Therefore, if you are lucky enough to live in sunny Florida, and you install a 2.5KW solar power system for $10,000, then they will rebate you the entire $10,000! If you can feed surplus electricity back to your local utility company (and most do allow this) that you have obtained a totally free sustainable perpetual income stream!
With this offer however, there is one catch. No surprise really that this became a very popular offer indeed. So sadly, the department has been forced to announce the following statement: "While our funding for FY2008-2009 is already exhausted we will continue to accept applications for the next fiscal year. If you apply for the rebate program and your application is approved, you will be placed on a waiting list. If the program is appropriated with funding for FY2009-2010 by the Legislature, your application will be granted funding based on the order it was received."
So, you need to apply now for 2009. This is not so bad becuase if you get state agreement you too can get free solar energy!
Wherever you live in the US almost certainly there will be solar power rebates in your area. Check the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy to find out how good they are. (http://www.dsireusa.org/Index.cfm'EE=0&RE=1). This is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy. Fingers crossed and you too may be getting your solar power for free!
Traditional sources of energy are causing harm to the environment and are getting more and more expensive. It's not surprising that I'm hearing a lot about people who want to generate their own power with solar energy but believe that it is too expensive to put into their own homes. Expensive and Complicated? Not anymore. If you pay somebody to install your solar panels for you, it may cost more than $3000 easily. But surprisingly, if you have a good manual for it its not actually a complicated task. There are many guides on the Internet that show you how to do just that, and you can build solar panels starting at surprisingly low prices to save 80% on your electric bill or more. Many of these guides are easy enough to follow that anybody with simple tools and a hardware store nearby can start to build their own alternative power generators right at their own houses. And they are becoming more and more popular and well known every day! Government Grants Any manual that you might pay for should tell you this. You can also get government grants to install solar panels - these guides can show you how to get $1000's back from the government by installing your own alternative energy sources. Free money for clean energy! Electricity Company Will Send You Money If you put more electricity into the grid, you can start to turn your power meter backwards. Once you get good at installing your own solar panels, you can even install more and let the power company pay YOU for the extra energy you're producing. Be Environment Friendly And Profit! You can be somebody who just watches TV about how the environment is going downhill or you can be somebody who actually does something about it. But now you don't have to pay the price to do your part for your environment, because renewable energy is now cost-effective. One of the best guides even shows you how to get batteries for free! So, how can you get started?
Both Sam Deane & David Sullivan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Sam Deane has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home, Politics and Video Games. Father of singer-songwriter Sula Mae, his 20 year old daughter, Sam Deane has traveled the world as a magazine editor and publisher, a life coach and trainer. These days, he writes about solar panels, managing an important and lively. Sam Deane's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.
David Sullivan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Information Technology, Health and Information Technology. You need to be shown the best manuals that will show you how you can create and install . Click here to see how to save money. David Sullivan's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.