Newsclips

Solar power for the people
More homeowners let the sun shine in
Boston Globe  |  March 9, 2006
Richard C. Lewis, Globe Correspondent

Jim Nail believes he's doing the right thing.

Frustrated by the country's reliance on foreign oil and motivated by his own ''social conscience," Nail had 30 solar panels installed in September on the roof of his white Colonial in Medfield. It's his way of sending a message that the government and big corporations need to look more seriously into renewable energy.

''Someone's got to do it," he said.

Nail is one of nearly 130 homeowners statewide, including about a dozen in Boston's western suburbs, who have installed solar energy systems with the help of nearly $2 million in grants from a program launched last April by the Renewable Energy Trust, a quasi-state agency that funds solar- and wind-power projects.

President Bush's recent pledge to break America's ''addiction" to oil imports has renewed debate about the country's dependence on foreign oil and its investment in cleaner sources of power. High energy prices also have fueled consumer interest in alternatives, said Jon Abe, a project manager for the trust.

The fund still has about $2 million to distribute to those interested in solar or wind projects, Abe said.

Solar energy technology also has gotten less expensive and more reliable. Solar panels now come with 20-year warranties, Abe said, and inverters, which convert the direct current captured by the panels into alternating current that can be used in the home, are typically covered for up to 10 years.

''It's not just the environmentalists that are doing it, but people who are real conservative and want to put money in the bank, folks that see energy as a real global security issue," Abe said.

Still, the systems aren't cheap, even with the rebates and other incentives. Nail's photovoltaic panels, lined in three rows cost $27,878, including installation, he said. After the state grant, his out-of-pocket costs were about $16,000. The 49-year-old chief marketing officer for Cymfony Inc. in Watertown said he doesn't expect to recoup his investment in his lifetime, although the Renewable Energy Trust estimates an average payback period of 12 to 15 years.

''I have the means, so I kind of feel it's my responsibility at this stage to be an early adopter, even if it costs more," Nail said.

In Upton, 71-year-old C.W. Duncan said he thought he was saving substantial amounts of money. He installed solar panels last July; he also has a solar hot-water system and has adopted energy-efficient techniques such as using energy-saving light bulbs and running air purifiers and humidifiers on timers. His electric bills in the winter, which have usually run about $600 a month, now total about $300 a month, he said.

''All of these things have in essence cut our electric kilowatt hours in half," said Duncan, who shares a 4,500-square-foot home on 13 acres with his wife.

In addition to the joy of paying less to the electric company, Duncan and others get a kick out of those times when their solar systems are generating more energy than is needed in their homes, and the surplus is directed to the electric grid.

''When you look at that meter, that sucker's actually going backwards," Duncan said, ''so you're actually making money. It hasn't happened often, but it just tickles the heck out of me."

The interest in renewable energy has fueled the emergence of a small group of local businesses catering to the new clientele. One such company, Zapotec Energy, specializes in energy efficiency and renewable energy production.

The Cambridge company's founder, Paul Lyons, said about 10 percent of his work was devoted to solar energy systems eight years ago; it's 75 percent now. He expects to install about 20 systems this year, twice his yearly average for the past three years.

Lyons said the shock of last fall's hurricanes along the Gulf Coast and the subsequent spike in energy prices got people's attention. ''People finally said, 'Jeepers! Well, what can I do as an individual and as a family? I can make my own' " energy, Lyons said.

Lyons said times have changed since the Arab oil embargo in the late 1970s, which prompted some to turn to solar. But that was mainly solar water heating systems, and interest waned when energy prices went down and tax credits disappeared, he said.

This time around, it's solar electric systems and renewable energy that has state and federal support -- and Lyons says he's part of a growth industry.

''I've watched it develop for 25 to 30 years," he said. ''This is really taking off now."

Brian Holland is so convinced about the bright future of solar energy that he hacked down about 30 pine trees on his shady Framingham property and used them to build a shed where he could place his panels.

His system has been operating since November 2004 and generates about 4,000 kilowatt hours per year, close to half of his electricity needs, said the retired 66-year-old.

He said he was ''pleasantly surprised" by the output and agreed with the others that it was a big thrill when his system produced more energy than was needed.

''That's the nicest thing. I like to show that to people. It just feels wonderful," he said.

Kay Lazar of the Globe staff contributed to this report.