Long Island’s 1,000th Solar Power System Installed
Source: Hickville Illustrated News
http://www.antonnews.com/hicksvilleillustratednews/2007/06/29/news/
The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) dedicated the installation of Long Island’s 1,000th solar roof Tuesday to Hicksville homeowners George and Angela Karman. The 9,180 watt PV system is expected to produce 10,384 kilowatt hours (kWhs) annually, which should save the Karman’s approximately $2,100 per year.
LIPA’s Solar Pioneer program has rebated over $26 million for 5,781 kilowatts (kWs) of solar panels. According to LIPA CEO/President Richard M. Kessel, solar pioneer customers across Long Island are reaping the benefits of the clean and renewable energy that the sun provides.
“Solar installations on Long Island have been growing at a steady pace,” said Kessel. “The 1,000th solar roof represents an increasing awareness on Long Island that we can take control of our energy future and work toward energy independence by using more alternative energy technologies.”
The cost of a typical 54-panel PV system ranges from $68,850 to $73,440. LIPA, through its Clean Energy Initiative (CEI), provided a rebate of $34,425, which significantly reduced the out-of-pocket expense for the system. The Karmans may be able to further reduce the cost of the system via federal and state tax incentives, which could total $7,000, and by selling excess electricity back to LIPA. In addition to the energy savings provided by the solar installations, the Karmans are helping to preserve Long Island’s environment.
“RELI had a goal to see 1,000 solar roofs installed on Long Island by the end of 2007 and we are thrilled to have reached this important solar milestone six months ahead of schedule,” said Gordian Raacke, executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI), a not-for-profit organization conducting outreach and education on clean energy technologies and providing information and assistance to homeowners interested in installing solar energy systems.”
Raacke continued, “Thanks to attractive LIPA cash rebates, sizable tax credits, and the work of our tireless SolarCorps volunteers and solar homeowners, a record number of Long Island Solar Pioneers are doing their part to lower emissions, create local jobs and cut our dependency on fossil fuels.”
To date, LIPA has rebated the installation of approximately 5,781kWs of solar panels on a combination of 954 residential and 46 commercial roofs. In addition, LIPA has accepted 271 pending PV applications for a total of over $7.2 million in rebates for 1,841 (DC) kWs of additional solar-generated energy.
LIPA’s Solar Pioneer Program is one of many CEI programs that have helped reduce the use of fossil fuels, which in turn has lowered emissions of harmful pollutants. By fostering energy conservation and efficient energy use to reduce the amount of electricity consumed by LIPA customers, more than 2.9 million barrels of oil, or more than 18.4 million decatherms of gas, were not burned to produce electricity. In turn, approximately 1,153,237 tons of CO2, 1,533 tons of NOx and 5,455 tons of SO2 were not released into the air.
LIPA’s CEI, through its various conservation, energy efficiency and load reduction programs, has produced total energy savings of over 1,800 gigawatt hours (GWh) during the last seven years, which is enough electricity to power over 180,000 average-sized Long Island homes. CEI programs have also reduced Long Island’s peak demand by 175MW.
To learn more about LIPA’s CEI programs and information that can help customers save on their electricity costs by using electricity more efficiently, visit LIPA’s website at http://www.lipower.org.