Family reaps benefits of solar panels
CRANBERRY TWP — Sean Conrad spent a considerable sum of money to install 30 solar panels on his roof, but he is already well on his way to realizing a return on his investment.
Those solar panels completely power his 4,500-square-foot home with five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a furnished basement.
Not only are the panels sufficient for his own needs, Conrad said, but often times they create a power surplus that is sent back out in to the power grid for other consumers.
Installed last June, the solar panels cost more than $37,000 to get up and running. But a combination of state and federal incentives lowered that price as they covered about 45 percent of the cost.
As a result, Conrad said he only paid about $19,000 for the solar panels. And while he's well aware the “sticker shock” might turn away many prospective buyers, Conrad said the move to use solar electricity has everything to do with wise investments.
“With all the stuff that's been going on these days, it seems appropriate,” Conrad, 33, said. “When I was in college, gas was $1.50 a gallon. In 10 years that has doubled.
“What is it going to be 10 years from now? The decision definitely had some environmental aspects, but most of it was financial.”
The 30 solar panels produce more than 7,350 kilowatts a year, a factor that has helped reduce his electric bill from around $175 a month to $10. With that kind of return, Conrad estimates the solar panels will pay for themselves in seven years.
The reason he still must pay that $10 is because he still is tapped into the power grid used by most other consumers.The only time he uses that conventional electricity is during the winter when sunlight is harder to come by.November is typically the worst month for sunlight, he said, where as he can expect only about 350 kilowatts to be generated from the solar panels. December and January also are poor months.Sunlight begins to pick up in the spring and continues into the summer. The best month is June, he said, when the solar panels generate about 1,000 kilowatts.However, at Conrad's house on Samuel Drive, it all equals out regardless of the season.All of the electricity generated goes right in to his house during the summer months, but there's always a surplus that gets put back out into the power grid for general consumption.For every 1,000 kilowatts he sends to the power grid during these surplus months, he earns a credit from the electric company.During the winter, he can use these credits. If any remain at the end of the year, Conrad can sell them back at a profit.For example, he said, one credit was previously worth about $300. With seven credits left available at the end of the year, Conrad could expect to earn more than $2,100 from the surplus.
The only negative aspect associated with the solar panel system, he said, is that the price for credits can drastically fluctuate based on complicated supply and demand formulas.But beside that drawback, Conrad said he's so pleased with the system that he's considering changing his gas heating system over.In addition, he and his wife are talking about buying an electric car that can be charged by the solar panels.Conrad said he can't find hardly any drawbacks with the solar panels, which is rare for someone who describes himself as skeptical and cynical.The panels require little maintenance, Conrad said, while the utility company is easy to work with and even promotes the use of solar panels.It's also an environmentally friendly way to power his five-year-old house.But he stressed again that the move to install solar electricity had as much to do with financial planning than anything else.“It's like anything else,” he said. “It's an investment.”
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