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Dear Mark,
Spring Flowers

The Energy Miser #32 Mid March, 2010

When one of your readers asks, "What happened to your newsletter?" you know it is time to write another newsletter. Ellen, thanks for asking.

Despite the crazy weather, we've been quite busy (hence the shortage of NEB newsletters). Among the things we've been dealing with, In January the state released the details of the new Commonwealth Solar grant program and solar renewable energy certificate (SREC) market (details below). The SREC program promises to dramatically alter the solar market here in Massachusetts.

Also, for the first time we exhibited at the Marlborough and Fitchburg home shows and the Worcester Home Show is coming up. See below for a free ticket.

To make matters more interesting, in the past year we have seen dramatic decreases in the cost of solar panels. Since the panels are the major cost of a solar installation, system prices are way down. If we've ever quoted you a solar array, now is the time to give us a call for an updated quote (978-567-9463).

Welcome new readers from the Marlborough and Fitchburg Home Shows. As always, if you feel you've been added to this list in error, click on the "Unsubscribe" link at the top of this message. You will be permanently removed from the list.

Recent Solar install, Auburn MA
What do you with a west facing roof? You tilt the panels to the south. This system went on-line December 2, 2009 (a tough time for solar systems because of the short days getting shorter and the snow).

This homeowner wanted a small system. Why? He doesn't use much electricity. This is a 1,125 watt system and it will generate about 1,300 kilowatt-hours per year and will offset about one third of the electricity bill with Concord Electric. (See what it is doing now or click on the picture for a larger image.)

Concord Electric is quite friendly to solar. They offer full net metering and give a grant to anyone installing a solar array. The grant on the system above was $1,125.
Did you know that when you make a clean kilowatt-hour of electricity you get two outputs? Output #1: The Electricity, Output #2: A credit for having produced a clean kilowatt-hour of electricity. As it turns out, both the electricity and the credits have value.

Because of the Green Communities Act, 15% of the power that comes from Massachusetts power companies must be from a renewable source generated in Massachusetts. The power companies can meet this goal by either building their own solar farms or by buying other producers credits.

The credits are called Solar Renewable Energy Certificates or SRECs for short. To facilitate the buying and selling of SRECs, the state established an SREC trading market. The SRECs are expected to trade between $0.30 and $0.60 per kilowatt hour (2 to 4 times the value of the electricity!)

If you are a small producer of SRECs, you'll have to trade yours through a broker. For that service, the broker will charge a fee. In fact, the broker we currently recommend, Massachusetts Energy Consumer Alliance*, will charge a 15% fee.

Even with this 15% fee, you'll realize $0.25 to $0.50 per kilowatt-hour generated by your solar array. On a 5,000 watt solar array, that can translate to $1,500 per year or more.

If you would like more information or a detailed description of the SREC program, please call or email.

*We do not benefit in any way by recommending Massachusetts Energy Consumer Alliance. We support them because they use the proceeds from REC sales to run their operation and support additional renewable energy projects in Massachusetts.
Looking for something to do this weekend? Then come on down to the Worcester Home Show at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester. The show runs this Friday 5pm to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 8pm, and Sunday 11am to 5pm.

Click on the image to get a free ticket. The ticket is good for two people any day of the show. Print as many as you need.
In Late January, the state announced the updated grant program for residential solar arrays. It is similar to the previous program, but as expected, the grant amounts were lowered. The CS-II program will grant one million dollars per quarter. We estimate that that will be approximately 150 residential projects per quarter. Here is a quick summary of the grant amounts:

The base grant is $1.00 per watt of installed capacity. If the installation uses a Massachusetts made major component (solar panels or inverter) the grant is increased by $0.10 per watt. Also, if your household income is below $95,000 per year or your home value is below your county's average home value, (in Worcester county that's $350,000, in Middlesex county, it's $400,000), then the grant is increased by $1.00 per watt.

On a 5000-watt solar array installed by us, the grant will range from $5,500 to $10,500. (We always use MA solar panels or inverters).

Depending on your situation, the grant will cover 15 to 30% of the system cost. Couple this with the federal an state tax credits, and your net cost will be approximately 30 to 45% of the actual system cost. If you choose to sell your SRECs, you can see a cost payback in 5 to 7 years!!!

FYI: The day the state opened up the new grant program, installers submitted over 60 residential applications. On the commercial side, four million dollars in grant funds (from the federal stimulus program) were snapped up. That means that about 2MW of additional commercial solar projects were applied for in 2 hours! (about 10,000 solar panels!!)

Thanks for reading the Energy Miser. Our next issue won't be delayed so long. In it I'll post more installation pictures. Also, if you have a moment, check out our new web site at www.NewEnglandBreeze.com

Energy Tip: Install ceiling fans in your bedrooms and leave your windows open when it gets warm. A ceiling fan over your bed is quite comfortable and far more planet friendly than an air conditioner.

Thanks for Reading The Energy Miser,
Mark Durrenberger
New England Breeze, LLC

phone: 978-567-WIND (9463)