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Overflow crowd hears solar power talk
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More than 20 people had to be turned away April 22 from a presentation by Stuart Green, an engineer, Americorps volunteer and program and events director of Solar Oregon. Solar Oregon is a nonprofit organization that encourages Oregonians to choose solar energy through educational workshops, and its Green Solar magazine. It partners with the Oregon Department of Energy.
An attempt is being made to repeat the workshop at a later date, said organizer Lisa Armstrong-Roepke of Enterprise. Not only is Oregon’s climate conducive to passive solar power, but thanks to numerous financial incentives, the first place to start using solar energy is typically for powering the household water heater, Green said. The incentives include state and federal tax credits, Green said. Solar hot water systems are among the most cost-effective home energy improvements available, Green said. Green also went through and identified available solar technologies and discussed how to sell excess energy back to the power grid. A typical home might save $150 to $200 a year on its hot water. Thus, at a cost of $5,900 — reduced to a net cost of $3,000 by tax credits — the system could pay for itself in 10 years, power rate hikes not withstanding, he said. Among numerous, constant lively questions was that it might actually take up to 15 years for the system to pay for itself, according to an audience member’s calculation. Still, going solar is the right thing to do by using a free renewable resource rather than limited non-renewable resources, Green said. There is also some evidence that a solar power system can increase the resale value of a home, and the system investment is not subject to property tax, Green said. Also covered in Green’s presentation were wind power, bio power and how to go about choosing a contractor. The presentation was hosted by the Wallowa County Rotary Club and Wallowa Resources. For more information, call 1-866-ENTRUST, visit energytrust.org and howstuffworks.com or call Armstrong-Roepke at 263-1678. |
