Retiree Uses oldest form of power in the Oldest City

By RP Whittington

In St. Augustine, Mary Jane Griffin may be the first town resident to have a home fully powered by the Sun.

The long-time resident and retiree, who describes herself as "a tree-hugger from way back," has been interested in solar power for some time. But it was her electric bills this past summer that prompted her move to solar.

"When the rates went up and I got a $180 electric bill for the month, I thought ‘that’s insanity,’ "Griffin said. "There’s me, my cat and a fish, so we’re not using that much electricity."

Last spring Griffin made several calls to state agencies in Tallahassee, but none would recommend a solar contractor for her to use. After looking over the Internet and not getting any satisfaction in her search, she ended going to the tried and true yellow pages – where she found a listing for Sunworks. Based in Jacksonville and in the solar energy business since 1973, Sunworks Solar Systems, Inc. is the largest solar energy distributor and installation company in northeast Florida.

During their initial consultation, Sunworks president David H. Smith went over the benefits of the two types of solar systems used by a homeowner – solar powered hot water and solar voltaic (solar electric) systems.

"Whether it is a residential or commercial building, water heating and air conditioning are two of the largest users of energy," Smith said. "Switching to solar water heating alone can save the average homeowner between 15 to 30 percent on utility bills – representing up to $600 a year or more.

Griffin also picked the best time in the last three decades to install solar systems from a financial standpoint. Federal tax credits, which went into effect in January 2006, and state rebates approved by the legislature that took effect last July, can lower the installation cost to between $1,800 and $3,800 depending on the size and type of solar hot water system added.

"Not since the 1970’s, the last time there were federal tax incentives in place, has there been this much interest in solar power systems," Smith said. "While energy prices have stabilized somewhat over the last year, electricity costs are still about 20 percent higher than they were two years ago. That’s a large increase and homeowners are looking for ways to offset it."

The federal energy bill gives residential consumers a tax credit of 30 percent (up to $2,000) toward the cost of installing a solar water system and provides accelerated depreciation and a 30 percent tax break on commercial installations with no monetary cap. State rebates for solar water heating systems are $500 per unit and $100 for solar pool heating systems, with higher rebates available for commercial properties and apartment buildings (a maximum of $5,000)..

Last July, Sunworks first installed a solar hot water system in Griffin’s home. She says her monthly electric bill dropped about $40 a month as a result. By taking advantage of the state rebates and federal tax incentives, she was able to drive the cost of the system down to about $2,500 – or about half the normal price.

The second step was installing a solar voltaic system, along with a battery back-up system, in Griffin’s home.

While no federal rebates are available for these systems, state rebates are offered that equal $4 per watt, not to exceed $20,000, for a residence or $100,000 for a business, publicly-owned facility or one owned by a not-for-profit organization, including condominiums or apartment buildings.

Although she admits she’ll never see the full return on her investment, which was about $50,000 for both the solar hot water and solar voltaic systems she had installed, Griffin says she has the satisfaction that she’s driving down her electric bills as much as possible – and she is doing something for the greater good of the environment.

"I think the whole world should be on solar and we should all start shifting away from fossil fuels," Griffin said. "Our political leaders should be doing what is good for all of us rather than for themselves. If we don’t take care of Mother Earth, the earth won’t take care of us for long."

For more information about Sunworks, contact 904-731-2099 or visit www.solarenergy.com.

Media Contact: Ron Whittington (904-563-0402)