Let me just clear up a few things. We have been producing RE using Solar Panels and a wind turbine since DEC 2004. We produce much more than we use in the summer and consume the excess in the winter. Since all of the solar and wind equipment is already paid for it cost me nothing to run it.
People don't realize just how much money is to be saved and made using RE. SREC's = Solar Renewable energy credit
When we installed our Solar, the State of New Jersey was offering incentives so they paid for 70% of the installed cost Our solar array has all ready paid for itself.
We generate better than 13,000KwH per year just from our solar
SREC's
Generated My cost If i had to pay for the electricity Sold energy credits for total net savings / income
2005 > 10,000 KWh 0 1,500.00 2,650.00 4,150.00
2006 > 10.000 0 1,500.00 2,500.00 4,000.00
2007 > 13,000 0 2,015.00 3,250.00 5,265.00
2008 > 13,000 0 2,015.00 8,125.00 10,14.00 Estimated
The reason the 2008 figures for Srecs is so high is that the State is now fining the utilities 710.00 per Srec it falls short in producing / buying where it had only been 300.00 before 2008.
Trust me when I tell you we pay 0 dollars to the utility for > 13,000Kwh of electricity we produce and use each year,and we sell each of our Solar Renewable Energy credits (13 per year) for no less than 250.00 dollars each and begining in 2008 the Minimum selling price in New Jersey will be 600.00 each. Selling the SREC's does not mean we do not use the electricity. It means we sell the utility the right to say "they made the clean energy".
Carl