Colorado Electrician Decides to Make His Own Electricity
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 5:02 PM
By GetSolar Staff.
When many people think about electricity, they imagine a utility bill that comes in the mail each month and little more. Many more people do not think about electricity at all, except perhaps when the power goes out and no one can get into the fridge without risking spoiled milk. But Bill Devoe of Aurora, Colorado, works as an electrician, so thinking about electricity a bit more in depth comes naturally to him.
Rising electricity bills in the 1990s and the move that spurred competitive electric markets marked the first time that the country really began to look at the diverse options for electricity generation. But the growth of rooftop solar installations and the rise of distributed generation has forced Americans to focus even more sharply on the issue of electricity.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Colorado boasted electricity rates well below the national average as of 2009, the 31st-highest in the country, and EIA estimates still place the state below average through September of 2011. These lower prices led Colorado to maintain its traditional utility system when many other states were making major changes.
Nevertheless, Colorado has certainly seen its fair share of rising costs of electricity. Despite its low prices, Colorado still saw its average residential electricity rates rise from 7.38 cents per kilowatt-hour in 1999 to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2009, an increase of more than 35 percent. While the Colorado's electricity rates grew slower than the national rate over that period, between 2009 and 2011 the state has seen its costs rise from less than 85 percent of the national rate to roughly 94 percent.
While other states turned to deregulation of electric utilities, Colorado, home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has taken a strong interest in clean energy solutions. Though the state drew 62.6 percent of electricity from coal in 2009, according to the EIA, and another 27.4 percent from natural gas, Colorado has emerged as one of the leading promoters of solar power in the country.
The Solar Energy Industries Association reports that Colorado became the fifth largest solar market in 2010, with 53.6 megawatts of photovoltaic solar installations, split equally between utility-scale developments, large-scale commercial solar systems and residential solar installations. The state continued its success through the firstthreequarters of 2011, ranking between fifth and seventh in the nation.
With the important role electricians play in the solar industry, Bill could hardly help but notice the surging interest. Looking close, he began to figure out how much exactly he could save by switching to solar power. While the locale clearly matters, the Colorado state government provides plenty of solar incentives to make the technology even more appealing. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency notes that Colorado imposes a strict renewable portfolio standard that served to encourage major solar incentives from the state's utilities, most notably Xcel Energy.
With all the arguments in favor of solar, Bill looked around at Colorado solar installers and eventually found REC Solar, a company with a strong presence in all the largest solar markets. With the help of REC Solar and a huge, unobstructed south-facing roof Bill was able to invest in a massive residential solar installation. Comprising 39 solar panels, each capable of producing a maximum of 210 watts, the solar system offered a peak capacity of as much as 8.19 kilowatts.
"I just walked by and it was happily pumping out 7,231w. I have seen the readout be as high as 7,452w," Bill noted.
At those levels, Bill can expect to see between $1,600 and $1,800 in annual savings. While there are many options available, those kinds of savings easily make solar the right choice for Bill.
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