I’m excited to see my electric bill! In years past, I have dreaded that monthly bill, but now I can hardly wait until it comes. Our photovoltaic system, installed by Harmon Solar of course, went online at the beginning of September and I’m counting the days to see my solar energy savings. Although when the bill comes, I shouldn’t be surprised. Each day I check the meters to see if I’m getting the most out of the panels on our roof. So far, we have exceeded the expected energy produced and as long as we maintain our panels, keep them free of dust and debris, I fully expect to have a nice energy credit by the end of the year.

Getting solar panels has also opened my eyes to other ways I can conserve energy. When looking at my family’s energy usage, you could say we were considered “energy hogs.” Now, my goal is to become energy independent. That means I need to pay close attention to other ways I can conserve. Stay tuned for more… I’ll let you know my first month’s savings.

Julie King

This dynamic industry has just added another incentive for homeowners to “Go Green!” Now customers will benefit monetarily with a “Buy-Back” from their utility company.

One of the biggest advantages of a solar-powered home has been “net metering.” Under this program, the homeowner sells a portion of the electricity they produce to the electric company, either APS or SRP. The meter actually runs backward indicating their solar panels are producing more power than the home requires. This excess electricity flows back to the utility company’s grid and creates a credit on the homeowner’s utility bill.

In the past, at the end of the year the utility company would zero out all credits and start fresh as of January 1st. The Arizona Corporation Commission has just approved APS to actually pay solar customers for any credit they have as of December 31 each year! For some customers this can be a significant check to look forward to each year.

The program, EPR 6, allows customers to install a PV solar system that would produce up to 125% of their current demand. APS will buy-back any remaining credits at the end of the year at the following rates:

• Standard Plan – 6.187 cents/kWh
• Time of Use Plan –
  • On-peak 6.59 cents/kWh
  • Off-peak 5.963 cents/kWh

This truly is an incredible time for customers to “Go Green!” It all adds up: The sizable rebates from APS and SRP, a 30% Federal tax credit that can be taken in its entirety the following year with a carry- forward of five years on any unused portion, the $1000 State tax credit and now the ability to receive a check from the utility company all combine to make this one of the best investments a person can make.

Contact Harmon Solar to find out more about saving money on your electric bill.

Lisa
Solar Energy Consultant