News
In 2008, San Miguel Power Association partnered with the GEO and The New Community Coalition (TNCC) in Telluride to offer the Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Rebate Program to residents throughout the SMPA service territory (which encompasses Ouray County).
The Solar Rebate Program offers rebates of up to $9,000 per solar electric system ($4,500 from the GEO and $4,500 from the local Program Partner) to qualified homeowners, while rebates of up to $15,000 per system are available to small businesses. Only residential and small business, grid-tied, net metered systems are eligible.
The next round of rebates will be available to residents and businesses in February. SMPA officials confirmed Tuesday that they will continue their residential rebates in 2009.
The Delta Montrose Electric Association confirmed last week that it also will participate as a Program Partner, making the rebates available to residents of Montrose and Delta counties.
Alternative Power Enterprises' customer base, which extends to those counties, is taking note. "We have some customers that are waiting until 2009 so that they can take advantage of the bigger rebates," Markey said. It will be well worth the wait, with the new rebates tripling their value from the current cap of $3,000.
Harnessing free energy from the sun will offset some of the electric costs at the Silt firehouse, the base for the Burning Mountains Fire Protection District.
This system consists of 57 SolarWorld 175s, for 9900 Watts of rated power.
Power prices are being pushed up across the U.S., with increases sometimes soaring into double digits, due to costlier coal and natural gas, the fuels used to make 70% of the nation's electricity."
Save The Environment
Regardless of the distant future, better air quality is something most civilized areas could benefit from today. For years we've relied on the wide open spaces of North America to accomplish this, but wide open spaces are often being replaced with densely packed residential/commercial, or especially, industrial use. All of these activities contribute to a decline in air quality. Photovoltaics can offset the pollution from one of the dirtiest industrial processes that we have - electricity generation.
"A 4kW solar electric system installed in Colorado produces enough electricity in a year to prevent 6,000 pounds of coal from being mined and 11,000 pounds of CO2 emissions."
Photovoltaics are affordable, today. The free ride is over, and ALL electricity is going to be more expensive in the future, if only due to inflation. Buy your future electricity today, and eliminate some pollution, starting now.
Next page: Adding Solar Power to a Typical Home