PebbleCreek Community Goes Solar (AZ)

[jpak]

http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAPR1108.htm

Several dozen homeowners in the PebbleCreek Community in Goodyear, Arizona are making the move to solar power and saving money in the process. By consolidating their buying power under American Solar Electric’s “Sunny Community” discount program, the homeowners have saved a combined $17,120 on the installs. In all, 180 kilowatts of solar electric power will be installed.

American Solar Electric, a solar electric system design-build firm has been contracted to perform the work. Each homeowner, depending on the system size, will save between $600 to $1700 (an offset of 30% to 70%) on their electric bill in the first year the system is in operation. Homeowner, Dru Bacon initiated the group purchase program with American Solar Electric.

“I founded an Environmental Club in PebbleCreek to raise community awareness of actions that individuals can take to aid the environment and save money for homeowners. Photovoltaic (PV) roof panels fit that vision perfectly. I expect electric power rates to rise dramatically in the next few years and homeowners will be scrambling to install PV panels. Homeowners that install PV panels now are ahead of the curve,” said Bacon.

These combined systems are estimated to produce 306,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Over the life of the systems this equates to offsetting 13,112,100 pounds of CO2.

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[Zachstar]

1. Scale economics is going to work quite well for small communities once thin film gets cheaper.

Overall a good idea as reduction of grid load means EMC2 plants can power for C02 removal facilities per reactor.

[ElectricGrid]

2. Agreed if Solar can drop another $1 per watt.. everyone will be doing it.

[Zachstar]

3. Well the problem is if everyone is doing it atleast for a year or two prices will rise above that

Tho things are looking good for within 3-6 years small communities being able to take lots of pressure off the grid.