Going Solar Goes Mainstream

Over the course of a year, they expect to save 40 to 50 percent over what they used to spend on energy. The cutting-edge photovoltaic cells that look like slate shingles cost $70,000; the solar thermal system hidden under them was another $8,500. The grant paid for a third.

Capturing the sun's power doesn't have to cost that much -- especially if the panels don't have to be hidden.

"We have a wide range of economics in terms of our customer base" said Tony Clifford, president of Standard Solar in Gaithersburg. "Nobody is poor, but we have retired school teachers, engineers, architects, mid-level government workers. It's all over the map."

Clifford came into the solar business with a background in finance, which helps him guide his customers through the confusing array of government incentives and credits.

The federal government offers a tax credit of up to $2,000 each for installation of a qualified solar power system or a qualified water heating system. States and counties also offer credits and grants that can be combined to greatly reduce the start-up costs. (The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, at http://www.dsireusa.org, tracks the ever-evolving list with an interactive map of the country.)

For instance, Clifford said, Montgomery, Anne Arundel and Howard counties offer $5,000 property tax credits for installing solar systems. Harford County offers a credit of $2,500. Maryland offers an additional $10,000 in grants. Add these up, factor in the money from the feds, then take into account the savings on the electric bill and, in some places, solar starts to make economic sense.

Ajay Chitnis and Susan Koester are both scientists at the National Institutes of Health. Since they bought their Rockville house in 1997, they have been making it increasingly energy-efficient. "We redid the windows, changed out the HVAC system [heating, ventilation and air conditioning] and dramatically reduced our usage," Chitnis said. The couple cited Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" as an influence, as well as documentaries that depict regular people using solar power.

"It wasn't just rich people doing it," Chitnis said.

In April, the couple decided to take things to the next level by tapping savings and installing a 2.3-kilowatt photovoltaic system on their rear-facing roof. It cost $27,000, but they got $8,000 back in tax credits and have cut their electric bills in half compared with their usage before going solar and switching out the heating and air-conditioning system.

On sunny days, with the air conditioner off, the photovoltaic panels generate more electricity than the house uses. The system was installed with a digital electric meter that allows the owners to see when the house turns into a power generator. "The first day it was installed in April, we just had the lights on in the house and you could see it producing power," Koester said. "It was pretty amazing."

Any excess power generated by the house counts as a credit against the family's electric bill. With older electric meters, the wheel would actually spin backward, but new meters, like everything else, have gone digital.

Proponents of solar typically caution that the best way to take advantage of the sun is to ensure that the house is already highly energy-efficient. Adequate insulation, tight doors and windows, and updated heating and air-conditioning systems are keys to making solar work.