Getting a Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Energy System on Your Home

We could ask the same question of people who purchase sport utility vehicles, organic food, or bottled water. These purchases do not reflect concerns about cost effectiveness. Rather, they reflect the owner’s perceptions of health, safety, ethics, and status.

There are incentives available to help bring down the cost of your PV system. However, the incentives available to Wisconsin home owners are currently limited. They include:

Turning your electric meter backward (net metering)
What if your home is using less power then your PV system generates? For grid connected systems, Wisconsin’s major utilities are required by law to let your electric meter run backwards. The idea is that, in the evening when the sun is not shining, you can pull your PV electricity back off the utility’s grid. This is called net metering. Net metering allows you to do away with the need for expensive batteries as a back-up system because the utility grid serves as your battery.

Is Your Utility Power Unreliable?
Do you often lose power at your home? Perhaps installing a PV system with a battery backup to power critical systems, such as your computer, would make sense. It will add cost and complexity to your system, but if you work out of a home office or have vital electric appliances, your potential losses may rapidly cover the additional cost of the battery backup system. Ok, so you are ready to move forward and put some PV on your home.


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	Learn Getting a Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Energy System on Your Home Introduction Cost of a PV System Why PV? PV System Incentives Getting a PV system on Your Home: A Strategy 1. Make Your Home Energy Efficient 2. Contact Your Local Utility, Insurance Agent, and Subdivision Architectural Review Board 3. Use a Reputable PV System Designer and Installer 4. Design Considerations Why PV? Given the high cost of PV systems, why should you want to own one? PV is the right thing to do. Generating your own renewable power reflects your ethics. There is no other way to generate renewable power in an urban residential setting. You want to reduce your use of coal and nuclear generated electricity. You want to make a public statement. It is an excellent way to learn about renewable power. Improves your home's energy security. Increases your home's resale value without increasing property taxes. We could ask the same question of people who purchase sport utility vehicles, organic food, or bottled water. These purchases do not reflect concerns about cost effectiveness. Rather, they reflect the owner’s perceptions of health, safety, ethics, and status. PV System Incentives There are incentives available to help bring down the cost of your PV system. However, the incentives available to Wisconsin home owners are currently limited. They include: Cash Back Rewards from the Focus on Energy Renewable Energy program Low Interest Rate Loans from the Focus on Energy Renewable Energy program For customer's of electric utilities not participating in the Focus on Energy program contact your electric utility—they may be providing incentives. Turning your electric meter backward (net metering) What if your home is using less power then your PV system generates? For grid connected systems, Wisconsin’s major utilities are required by law to let your electric meter run backwards. The idea is that, in the evening when the sun is not shining, you can pull your PV electricity back off the utility’s grid. This is called net metering. Net metering allows you to do away with the need for expensive batteries as a back-up system because the utility grid serves as your battery. Is Your Utility Power Unreliable? Do you often lose power at your home? Perhaps installing a PV system with a battery backup to power critical systems, such as your computer, would make sense. It will add cost and complexity to your system, but if you work out of a home office or have vital electric appliances, your potential losses may rapidly cover the additional cost of the battery backup system. Ok, so you are ready to move forward and put some PV on your home. Next page» About \| Learn \| Fund \| Connect \| Contact copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 WisconSUN