Newlyweds Install Solar System on Urban Condo Roof
When Sarah and Kiril Lozanova got married, they “fended off the fancy china and registered for nothing more than their solar system.” Their story is told in an informative and entertaining article on TheHour.com.
“‘It was a lifestyle decision,’ Sarah says. “We’re both really concerned about climate changes and then also all the fossil fuels that are being used to generate energy.’ She notes that she and Kiril were working in the renewable energy field and were eager to ‘walk the talk.’ ‘It’s easy to say, One day when the technology is there and when it’s really cost-effective, we’ll do it… But this technology is available and ready right now. It might not be highly affordable, but it’s available.’ ”
The couple both worked for Solar Service, Inc. in Niles, IL at the time they installed the rooftop system, which afforded them an employee discount. The system cost a hefty $12,300 – and people without the employee discount benefit would spend $15,000 for a similar system. The good news is that the couple “got a 30% rebate (about $3,700) from the state and a $2,000 federal tax credit. And then they received about $2,500 in wedding gift money earmarked for the system.”
An interesting potential for selling excess electricity produced by the solar system was initially thwarted by glitches with the local electric company, but here’s how the deal was intended to work: “In the year since they installed their 1.7-kilowatt photovoltaic system (with an array of eight solar panels on the roof of their condo building, a three-story vintage walk-up in the Avondale neighborhood on Chicago’s Northwest Side), the couple have produced enough solar electricity to power all their needs on an annual basis.
That’s about 2 megawatt hours, about $200 worth of electricity. The couple still gets electric bills because they’re still connected to the grid. Their solar system doesn’t involve batteries. And so, ComEd kicks in automatically at night and on sun-challenged days. But on the flip side, they sell back to ComEd when they produce more electricity than they need.”
For more information about the couple’s solar system, how they negotiated with their building’s management to get agreement to install it, and for some tidbits about tax credits and rebates for homeowners adding solar systems to their homes, you’ll want to read the entire article. The URL, linked above, is http://www.thehour.com/story/461830.
Those interested in installing a solar system today can benefit from a 30% percent federal tax rebate, as the $2,000 cap has been removed.
Posted on January 16th in Going Solar by Euphrasia.