October 2017
FEATURES
Dear EarthTalk: I’m finally ready
to join the 21st century and commit
to putting solar panels on my roof.
Where do I start?
– Henry Hughes, Washington, DC
Good things may in fact come to
those who wait. There’s never been
a better time to go solar, given how
much prices for panels have come
down while efficiency in converting
sunlight to electricity—even in
less-than-sunny locales—has risen
dramatically.
Of course, you can’t just snap your
fingers and get panels on your roof.
First you have to navigate a confusing
maze of regulations, incentives and
installers before anyone even looks
your roof over for feasibility.
The first place to start is to find
out which federal, state and local
incentives may be available in your
neck of the woods for going solar.
Check out the free online Database
of State Incentives for Renewables
and Efficiency, a comprehensive
information resource that’s updated
by North Carolina State researchers
working off a U.S. Department of
Energy grant.
How does solar work? Is my home
suitable for solar panels? Will I save
money by going solar? Can I get
financing? How will solar impact
my home’s resale value? If you’re
looking for answers to questions like
these, the Department of Energy’s
Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar
has you covered.
Trying to figure out if it’s better to
lease or buy your solar panels? You’re
not alone, and it’s hard to do the math
given the apples/oranges scenario.
Luckily, the Solar Energy Industries
Association spells it all out clearly—
not just whether to lease or buy but
also how to get multiple bids to save
money and which questions to ask
before entering into an agreement
with an installer—in its recently
updated Residential Consumer Guide
to Solar Power.
Given how new the solar industry
is, it’s often hard to know whether a
given installer is going to be reputable,
let alone be able to survive the next
economic downturn.
Angie’s List offers several pearls of
wisdom—how the cheapest bid may
not be the best deal, why extended
warranties may not be worthwhile,
how to save yourself from death by
paperwork—in a recent article on
the topic.
When you’re finally ready to find
an installer, check out the “Find a
Certified Professional” page on the
website of the North American Board
of Certified Energy Practitioners,
a trade group that offers the “gold
standard” in professional certification
and company accreditation programs
to renewable energy professionals.
If you’re a quote-comparing type,
you’ll also want to check out Energy
Sage, a website that lets you compare
quotes from solar installers in your
area.
This free service is maintained by
the Department of Energy’s SunShot
Initiative, a national effort to support
The Southwest Portland Post • 7
There’s never been a better time to go solar, given how much prices for panels
have come down while efficiency in converting sunlight to electricity has risen
dramatically. (Photo by Chris Kantos, FlickrCC)
solar energy adoption by making solar
energy affordable for all Americans.
While you can’t go wrong with a
highly touted local installer, there
are also benefits to choosing one
of a handful of companies leasing
or selling solar panels on a larger
scale across the country and beyond.
SolarCity/Tesla, Vivint, Sunrun,
Sunnova and SunPower are a few of
Future Max Line Criteria
(Continued from Page 6)
areas at some point in the future,”
Engstrom said.
After the station locations are final,
the bureau may study some limited
up-zoning in conformance with the
land use map in the Town Centers.
The Residential Infill Project advisory
committee is considering allowing
greater variety of housing in transit-
accessible locations.
That project could result in some
the leaders, each offering solar installs
in California and several other states
including New Jersey, Massachusetts,
Arizona and Hawaii.
EarthTalk® is produced by Roddy
Scheer & Doug Moss and is a registered
trademark of the nonprofit Earth
Action Network. To donate, visit
www.earthtalk.org. Send questions
to: question@earthtalk.org.
changes to what is allowed in single-
family areas surrounding future station
areas.
“This won’t happen until we know
the specific alignment and station
locations,” Engstrom said.
The city wants to have more
confidence that the project will get
federal funding. Engstrom said there
could be a small follow-up zoning
study with a public process sometime
between 2019 and 2022, before the line
opens.
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