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Sunny Days Here for Green Homeowners

Thanks to subsidies and surplus, going green is paying off

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 8, 2007 2:59 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Sunny days are here to stay for solar homes with roof-top panels, Forbes reports. Such green abodes can cover electricity costs in warm months and store enough to sell solar power to the grid for profit. Installation is expensive but viable thanks to government subsidies, especially in California, New Jersey and Tennessee; California offers a 30% tax credit for installing the “photovoltaic” panels.

The Tennessee Valley Authority will buy back power at a decent rate and a Texas utility is offering no-fee loans up to $20,000 to install the panels. But the plans aren't all perfect: some states, like Nevada, don't force utilities to pay for customer-generated juice. And sun power is unlikely to energize a home year-round; it's often part of a system including geothermal energy.

Alicia Campbell stands on the roof of her Sydney home surrounded by solar power panels Monday, May 28 2007. The family is a tiny part of a global shift toward greater recognition of the impact people are having on the environment and a personal desire to do something about it....
Alicia Campbell stands on the roof of her Sydney home surrounded by solar power panels Monday, May 28 2007. The family is a tiny part of a global shift toward greater recognition of the impact people...   (Associated Press)
A solar powered fan is seen on the roof of the home of former Vice President Al Gore in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, June 7, 2007. Gore, the environmental activist stung by criticism over his house's energy efficiency, said Friday that renovations are nearly complete to make it a model green...
A solar powered fan is seen on the roof of the home of former Vice President Al Gore in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, June 7, 2007. Gore, the environmental activist stung by criticism over his house's energy...   (Associated Press)
KRTS FL-SOLARPOWERED 1 OR
KRTS FL-SOLARPOWERED 1 OR   (KRT Photos)
Thomas Allsopp has installed solar panels on his roof in Seattle, Washington, nearly eliminating his electricity bills.
Thomas Allsopp has installed solar panels on his roof in Seattle, Washington, nearly eliminating his electricity bills.   (KRT Photos)
The design from the University of Michigan in the college solar challenge sits on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Monday, October 10, 2005.
The design from the University of Michigan in the college solar challenge sits on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Monday, October 10, 2005.   (KRT Photos)
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energy • environmentalism • alternative energy • solar energy • homeownership • clean energy • solar power • Tennessee Valley Authority • homeowners

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