Solar Cells Info

By J.N. Sbranti,  February 29, 2008
Source: ModBee.com
http://www.modbee.com/business/story/225893.html

Solar power is now standard for about 280 new JKB Homes in Turlock, Denair, Hughson and Oakdale.   JKB Homes will include photovoltaic cells built into roof tiles that generate electricity and reduce energy costs.  “We’re really committed to making this work and doing the right thing for the community,” said James K. Brenda, whose Turlock-based company has been building for more than 20 years.  He said the solar power systems will make JKB homes less expensive to live in. “People want to see value (in new-home features), and this is something they will see reflected in their monthly utility bills.”

JKB is among the first builders in the Northern San Joaquin Valley to make solar power standard in its homes.  Rebates from the Turlock Irrigation District and other government sources will help subsidize the equipment cost. The TID will cover $8,000 to $10,000 of the cost of each new JKB home in Turlock, Denair and Hughson, based on the size of the solar system installed.

The TID will pay JKB an additional rebate because its homes are verified as being more energy efficient than state or federal requirements. JKB is the first builder to earn the TID’s “Living Green” certification. The TID will pay rebates of 40 cents per square foot, which could total $488 to $1,477 per home for JKB, whose models range from 1,219 to 3,692 square feet.

“The newly approved rebate program is part of the TID’s comprehensive effort to reduce greenhouse gases, conserve energy and assist the community it serves in building new homes that are more energy efficient,” said Michelle Reimers, the district’s public information manager.

To meet the TID’s energy efficient standard, JKB will install high- efficiency air-conditioning and heating equipment, low-e glass windows, radiant barrier roof sheeting, tankless water heaters, drip water irrigation systems and improved insulation.  The homes should be so energy efficient that during sunny days, the solar panels will produce excess power “and you’ll see your electric meter spinning backwards,” said Bob Hansen, JKB’s general manager.

The TID will be able to use that electricity elsewhere.  “With the issue of climate change, rising fuel and gas prices, and the need to reduce greenhouse gases, people are looking for ways to conserve energy and turn ‘green,’ ” Reimers said. “Solar is a great form of renewable energy or green energy.”

Even with utility company rebates and government tax credits, however, installing photovoltaic systems costs builders an extra $12,000 to $15,000 per home, according to Matt Brost, regional sales manager for SunPower, which makes the SunTile solar panels JKB will use.

While such solar tiles may add to home purchase costs, Brost said, home buyers will end up ahead financially.  “The increase in their mortgage costs (because of the cost of the solar systems) will be offset by decreases in what they’re going to pay on their monthly energy bills,” Brost said. Solar home buyers, he said, also can get a one-time $2,000 federal tax credit.

Brost said Woodside Homes in Manteca also plans to install his company’s solar tiles in future developments, and he predicted other builders will join the trend.  “We’re starting to see a groundswell of people asking for energy efficient homes. The technology is ready and the costs have come down,” Brost said.

Integrating solar panels into roofing tiles makes them more aesthetically pleasing, Brost said. They typically cover about 200 square feet of the roof, ideally facing south.  “They turn on by themselves. They turn off by themselves. There are no moving parts and no maintenance,” Brost said. JKB will install enough panels to generate 2,000 to 2,500 watts at peak power, which Brost said should cover up to 60 percent of an average family’s electrical needs.

The TID isn’t the only electric utility promoting such solar installations.  The Modesto Irrigation District and Merced Irrigation District also are offering builders rebates for installing photovoltaic solar systems. But rather than paying builders $4 per watt of peak capacity as the TID does, the Modesto and Merced districts pay $2.85 per watt.

The Modesto district last month also established an energy efficiency program for new home builders similar to the TID’s “Living Green” program. Modesto’s program, however, offers a maximum rebate of $500 per home.

For more information about JKB’s solar communities — Legends North in Turlock, Sterling Ranch in Denair, Sterling Glen in Hughson or Sterling Hills in Oakdale — go online to www.JKBHomes.com.