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Thursday, November 15, 2012 |
Photo by Esther Robards-Forbes
Former alderwoman Roxanne McKee in front of her Rollingwood home, where she had a solar energy system installed this summer.
After this summer?s brutal temperatures and unrelenting sunny days , many Central Texas residents are considering putting up some solar panels to make the best of a hot situation.
In Rollingwood, Roxanne McKee, a former Rollingwood alderwoman, and her family have one of the first homes to install a large-scale solar system.
?We wanted to help on the energy conservation front,? she said, adding that rolling blackouts during the summer of 2011 caused a few headaches. ?We have an impending water crisis, and the same thing could happen on the energy front.?
The idea of lowering their energy bills was certainly attractive, too.
The McKees took the plunge in May and had a system of 15 photovoltaic cells installed on the upper portion of their roof. The system was eligible for a substantial rebate through Austin Energy, a rebate that is still offered by the city-run utility.
?There were enough rebates and tax credits to make it worth it,? McKee said.
As with any home improvement project there were a few surprises along the way.
?It was seemingly going to be an easy process at first, and then it got more complicated,? McKee said. ?What we weren?t expecting was having to comply with energy efficiency ratings, which turned out to be a great thing because they were things we wanted to do anyway.?
In order to qualify for Austin Energy?s rebate program, the McKees had to upgrade some energy efficient features on their home, including added insulation, weather stripping and sealing doors and windows. McKee estimated that the upgrades cost about $1,200.
In addition, the family had a radiant barrier installed on the home, which further increased energy efficiency, but was not required for the rebate.
In all, McKee estimated that out-of-pocket costs for entire project totaled about $8,000. They received about $10,000 in rebates and tax credits. The out-of-pocket cost just for the solar system was a little more than $3,000.
The out-of-pocket cost was worth it, McKee said, just for the energy savings. She estimated that the family cut their energy bill by 45 percent this summer when compared to summer bills in 2011. And with estimated energy savings close to $500 a year and a possible increased value of the home, she expects to recoup the investment in about six years.
?I would love to see more people adopt it,? McKee said, noting that the more people using solar, the lesser the strain on city?s power grid. ?It?s cheaper for the city to provide the rebates than it is for the city to go out and buy land and build a new power plant.?
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Source: http://westlakepicayune.com/2012/11/15/rollingwood-residents-makes-the-solar-leap/
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