Incentives, Industry Expansion Spurring Solar in Arizona
Monday, February 6th 2012 5:48 PM
By GetSolar Staff.
Considering the growing popularity of solar energy, businesses and consumers interested in investing in the renewable energy technology are looking to Arizona as a model for solar adoption and as a prime spot to begin their green energy journey.
Solar power has proven to be one of the most dependable and widely used energy efficient sources for powering residential neighborhoods in the state, according to the Arizona Republic.
One of the many companies that is poised to conduct its business in Arizona is Fluor Corporation, which was chosen to build and maintain a 125-megawatt photovoltaic solar power plant, according to an announcement by the company.
Known as Arlington Valley Solar Energy II, the solar power plant will join the ranks of the world's largest photovoltaic solar farms after completion. It will be built on 1.8 square miles near the Arlington Valley Combined Cycle Facility, a natural gas plant that was also built and designed by Fluor.
"This project brings many benefits to the State of Arizona and Maricopa County, including construction and operations jobs with local business opportunities and longer-term benefits from tax revenues," said John King, executive vice president of LS Power. "The state of California will benefit from the green energy delivered from the project as well as the solar panel sales from a San Diego-based manufacturer for a portion of the project."
The Republic reported that grid-tied photovoltaic installations are popular in the state because costs are continuing to drop while supplies are increasing, emissions from the sources are non-existent, maintenance on the solar systems are minimal and photovoltaic is a clean, renewable energy source that doesn't run on fuel or run up electric bills. The systems convert sunlight directly to electricity and are functioning anytime the sun is shining, with improved performance in periods of intense sunlight, as are frequent in Arizona.
Residents of Arizona rely on air-conditioning to cool their homes, and the incentives they have received have resulted in solar energy becoming a more attractive option for meeting their energy needs.
The Republic reported that although using solar power can result in significant savings on monthly bills, the equipment needed to generate the power isn't cheap. However, the state of Arizona and utility companies are now offering incentives for homeowners who make the switch to solar energy.
According to an Arizona solar energy company, it currently costs about $20,000 for a 5,000-watt solar system, and companies are offering rebates between 75 cents and $1 a watt, which would decrease the cost of the equipment by $3,750 or $5,000. A federal tax credit can also reduce the cost by 30 percent, in addition to Arizona solar rebates, which include a tax credit of up to $1,000.
Given the variety of incentives available in Arizona, as well as the expanding solar power capabilities of the state, consumers are increasingly able to tailor solar installations to their energy needs and budgets. While sunny Arizona is among the nation's solar energy leaders, solar is catching on rapidly across the country as a whole.
The United States reached 887 megawatts in new PV panel installations in 2010 and is expected to reach 1.8 gigawatts in new PV panel installations in the first quarter of 2012, according to NaturalNews.
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Considering the growing popularity of solar energy, businesses and consumers interested in investing in the renewable energy technology are looking to Arizona as a model for solar adoption and as a prime spot to begin their green energy journey.
