With the current federal credit, prices have dropped significantly! What this means for you is that you'll be guaranteeing yourself a low, fixed, electrical rate for the next 30 years, over which time we all know electrical rates from the utilities will be sharply increasing.

(Source: The Paducah Sun)  - By Joe Walker, The Paducah Sun, Ky.
Aug. 21--The Tennessee Valley Authority's 20 percent wholesale power rate increase Oct. 1 comes as no shock to its distributors, notably Paducah Power System. "We've been waiting for it to hit the fan," PPS General Manager Dave Clark said. "We were told a couple of months ago it would be anywhere from 10 to 25 percent."

The TVA board approved the hike Wednesday as part of a 2009 budget including $12.6 billion to cover operating expenses and $2 billion in capital investments.

Amounts vary, but the average household across the seven-state TVA area will see a increase of roughly $16 to $20 a month. Of the 20 percent, 17 percent is a quarterly charge to offset soaring coal and natural gas prices, and 3 percent is part of a base rate increase for 2009.

What Solar or Wind Can Do for Your Pocketbook

• Lock in your electricity rates for 30 years – utility company’s rates have been steadily increasing.
• The pre-tax IRR over 25 years in most cases averages around 10-15% — far better and far safer than the stock market, bond market, money markets, and long-term CDs.
• Increase your home's value by $20 for every $1 reduction in annual utility bills, according to the National Appraisal Institute.  And, your property tax won’t increase even one cent.

The average homeowner will spend more than $100,000 on electric bills over 25 years. Why rent when you can own? Following is an overview of the costs associated with purchasing a solar or wind system. The upfront installation costs are far cheaper in the long run than paying increasing electrical rates, and the value of your home increases more than the cost of the system with no additional property tax assessments.

Here’s how it works:

The net cost of your solar or wind system will be determined by 3 variables:

• Solar or Wind System Size (kilowatts)
• State Rebates (if applicable)
• 30% Federal Tax Credit

Federal Solar or Wind Incentives

Federal Tax Credits:

In the fall of 2008, the federal tax credit for solar or wind increased dramatically. You can now receive a federal tax credit of 30% of net system cost after state rebates are deducted (applies for both residential and commercial solar installations). This credit comes directly off the amount of income tax you owe. For businesses, the tax credit can be carried forward 15 years or back 3 tax years, and we often see paybacks in as low as 5 years and pre-tax internal rates of return in excess of 25%. The “MACRS” five-year accelerated depreciation schedule is also applicable.

Net Metering:

Depending on your energy consumption and amount of sunlight available, your solar or wind system will often produce more energy than you use. Instead of going to waste, this excess electricity is sent back to the Utility Grid, via Net Metering. Net Metering allows your meter to spin backwards, "banking" your energy for later use. Net metering laws mandate that your utility company purchase your excess power at standard retail prices. Every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar or wind power not consumed by your household is sold back to reduce the electric bill by the same kWh.

The Bottom Line: Let us Guide You Through the Process

We realize this is a lot of information to digest! The bottom line is that our solar energy consultants are here to walk you through the process and answer any questions you may have. We provide a FREE site visit and cost analysis, so contact us today to see if solar is right for you.

Grid-Tied Inverters

The Inverters from SMA - the Heart of every Solar Energy System

Harness the energy of the sun - with a solar inverter from SMA. They convert the direct current generated by the solar module into grid-acceptable alternating current. Thus they form the heart of every solar energy system.

As market leader for solar inverters SMA is setting benchmarks again and again: leading-edge efficiencies of 98 % and new technology ensures maximum yields and the highest user convenience.

We offer you the right device for each application: for all module types, for grid-connection and feeding into stand-alone grids, for small house systems and commercial systems in the Megawatt range.

Sunny Tower

SMA presents the best in commercial inverter solutions: The Sunny Tower.

Designed specifically for installers, the Sunny Tower provides ease of installation, lowest specific cost ($/Watt) and the highest efficiency to maximize rebates and power production, while minimizing the overall payback period.

The Sunny Tower combines the performance advantages of string inverters with the installation advantages of central inverters. Because of Sunny Tower’s modular design, it can be installed without the use of heavy equipment. This allows any installer with residential experience to successfully install commercial grade systems using the experience and tools they already have.

The Sunny Tower is available in 36 kW and 42 kW models and multiple Sunny Towers can be used together on a single system. Sunny Towers are available with a built-in Sunny Web- Box making them internet ready. The Sunny Tower places commercial installations within easy reach of any installer while providing the performance and reliability you’ve come to expect from SMA.

Sunny Central- High Tech for solar power stations

We have developed the Sunny Centrals specially for use in large PV power stations and open-field plants. Hence they possess completely special properties. String monitoring, capacity for teamwork and the ability to feed into the medium-voltage power grid make them first choice for PV systems with homogenous structure.

The Sunny Centrals are easy to install - indoors as well as outdoors. With peak efficiencies of over 98 % they belong to the most efficient central inverters on the market. maximum reliability and durability furthermore ensures the greatest investment security.