• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Solar Energy Gets New Spark Tax Credits Could Bolster Interest

Posted on: Monday, 23 January 2006, 18:00 CST

By Maggie FitzRoy

As a chemical engineer, Howard Wallenstein has long been intrigued by the uses and benefits of solar energy.

In 1999, when he and his wife moved from Atlanta to Ponte Vedra Beach, he decided to install a solar water heating system in his Sawmill Lakes home.

Now, "I would chop wood before I would have an electric hot water heater in my home," Wallenstein said.

A fan of the environmental and economic benefits of using the sun's rays for heat, he said he estimates he saves about $70 a month or about $800 a year on his electric bill.

Solar energy experts predict that many more people will install solar water heater and pool-heating systems in their homes this year, thanks to a federal energy bill that goes into effect Sunday. The bill will give home owners a tax credit of 30 percent, up to $2,000, of the cost of installing a solar energy system.

"The tax credit, coupled with spiraling energy prices should make the move to clean, renewable solar energy easier than ever," said Mark Krenn, president of Jacksonville-based American Solar Energy, one of several solar energy companies in the area.

Across the country, most homes use electricity or gas for their water heaters and pools. Hot water and air-conditioning are the two largest users of energy in the average home, Krenn said.

The cost of installing a solar hot water system ranges from $2,500 to $4,000. But tax credits or utility incentives can further lower the cost up to $2,500 depending on the size and type of system.

Some electric companies, including JEA, Jacksonville's electric utility, already provide incentives for installing solar systems, but there hasn't been a federal tax incentive for about 25 years.

"Jimmy Carter started a tax credit during the oil embargo. It took off really well," said Krenn, who has been in the solar energy business for 21 years. Carter's 40 percent credit lasted until the end of his administration, Krenn said.

"Reagan did not renew the energy credit," Krenn said. In fact, "he had the solar panels removed from the White House roof."

Many people got out of the solar energy business after its popularity faded. But rising oil prices, concerns about burning fossil fuels for energy and local and federal incentives or tax credits have renewed the interest in solar heat.

"We knew that sooner or later solar would come back really strong," Krenn said. "We didn't know when or what would cause it."

Dylan Morgan of Atlantic Beach, a regional manager for an energy company, said environmental concerns spurred him to begin using solar energy. A solar energy company, SunWorks, installed his water heater when his home was built in 2002.

"Instead of burning fossil fuels and polluting the air, you are using the sun's energy to heat water for free," he said.

Morgan said JEA made the decision easier by supplementing the cost of his solar water heater. JEA reimbursed SunWorks about $2,000, which SunWorks deducted from Morgan's installation costs.

Although he won't be eligible for the new federal tax incentive, Morgan figures he will make up the remainder of the installation costs in about five years through savings on his electric bill.

Solar energy systems operate simply, Krenn said. The sun heats collector panels on the roof. The heat transfers to a storage tank in the garage. Hot water is sent on demand into the home. Solar becomes the primary supply, backed up by gas or electric systems.

Solar pool heaters use different types of roof collectors, but operate in a similar manner, Krenn said.

Morgan said the solar water heater is an efficient system. In the summer, about 80 percent of the sun's energy that contacts the roof panel is converted into heated water, he said. In the winter, the conversion rate is about 50 percent.

Like other homeowners who have solar energy, Morgan has a back- up system -- an electrical hot water heating system that kicks on automatically if too many cloudy or rainy days block the sun. The thermostat senses if the sun is heating the coils, Morgan said. If not, the regular hot water heater comes on.

He said his solar energy system saves him about $40 to $50 a month on his electric bill.

Plus, "it's good environmental stewardship," he said. "It's crazy to have to burn diesel fuel to generate steam to generate electricity to heat coils for your hot water heater when you could just use the power of the sun."

Wallenstein said his solar system is so efficient that he only needs his propane back-up system about eight times a year.

"Florida is called the Sunshine State for a reason," he said.

While Florida benefits from abundant sunshine, Krenn believes solar power will become a major contributor nationwide, along with other alternatives such as wind, geothermal, solar electric fuel cells and conservation.

"We are extremely wasteful of energy because we have had it so cheap for so long," he said. "But that's going to change."Staff writer Maggie FitzRoy can be reached at (904) 249-4947, extension 20 or via e-mail at maggie.fitzroy@jacksonville.com.

Source: Florida Times Union

More News in this Category