The solar resource is massive, dwarfing any other energy resource on the planet. The amount of sunlight that strikes the earth in one minute could supply the world’s energy needs for a year. Solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) technology is poised to become an important source of cost-effective, clean power in the next five years to ten years. During the past five years, the Wisconsin solar electric market grew at a rate of about 80 percent each year.
Benefits of solar electric systems:
- Generate power wherever there is sunlight
- Operate silently without moving parts, requiring little maintenance
- Reduce electricity bills
- Helps reduce our dependence on imported energy, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating jobs.
It is not necessary to depend entirely on solar power. Many grid-connected residential systems provide 50 percent or less of a customers electricity needs. When the sun goes down, the home still has power—it is simply provided by the electric utility. All Wisconsin public investor owned and municipal utilities are required to allow solar electric systems to deliver surplus power to the grid. This surplus power turns your electric meter backward at your current electric rate, with the utility grid functioning like a 100-percent-efficient battery. This process is called net-energy billing. Focus on Energy Cash-Back Rewards and federal tax credits can cover up to half the cost of a commercial solar electric system. Some Wisconsin electric utilities offer special solar buy-back rates that purchase every kilowatthour (kWh) your system generates for 20 cents to 25 cents. (continued…)
Link to the entire “Focus on Energy” article -
