The cost of solar electricity has come down and now many states are offering rebates and other tax incentives for you to install your own solar photovoltaic system.
For those of us who are already attached to the electric utility grid, the most cost effective way to go solar is to have a “grid inter-tied” system. This is a system that sends power to the grid when you make more energy than you are consuming, and draws energy from the grid when you need more power. One nice feature of a grid inter-tied system is that when demand is greatest on the grid, on hot summer afternoons, your home system is making the most electricity.
In some states you can sell your excess energy to your electric utility through a program called ‘net metering”. This way you get a credit for every kilowatt you send back to the grid which can be used to offset your utility bill. It is even possible to make a profit from your solar photovoltaic installation, you should check with your utility or your state energy office to find out about what incentives are available and what your situation is regarding net metering.
If you live in one of the unfortunate states that doesn’t have net metering, write your congress person! Net metering encourages more people to install solar, creates jobs and reduces the use of fossil fuels. The utilities lobby against net metering, and they have deep pockets so it takes lots of dedicated people to lobby, write letters and basically harass your congress people to get them to see the light.
My office has overseen the installation of lots of solar hot water and photovoltaic systems throughout the United States. We have run the numbers and it pays to go solar. The value of a solar system increases with increases in energy costs. Also, solar photovoltaic systems, once installed, have very few problems and require little maintenance.