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Members should understand that “going solar” in your home can be done in two separate approaches, both of which make sense today. Solar hot water is an option that can save money and displace fossil fuel use; solar electric, or photovoltaics (“PV”) is a safe, and sustainable way to produce some or all of a household’s electricity.

Hot water is a major energy end use, which means that you’re already spending money (buying energy for hot water) on hot water. Hot water use (and cost) are directly dependant on the number of occupants and “lifestyle”. In the era of “cheap” energy, there was enough of a difference then between using electricity for hot water, and all other options.

In some households the share of the total energy budget for hot water can be 30% annually. The average American uses 17 gallons of hot water daily. That average may be different in your household, especially for members who are making conscious decisions to conserve and avoid wasting water.

The current market prices make the differences much smaller between different fossil fuels, and electricity, so making a decision to change equipment and fuel to save money (either from electric to fossil, or to change to electric hot water) would be a risky move. The forecast of fossil fuel costs, and electric costs, is highly uncertain, although it seems clear that the trend is for higher costs. And in a global fuel market, with increasing consumption world-wide, the price pressure will continue, as will the volatility of those fossil fuel costs.
 
SHW:  Members ask “does solar hot water” make sense? The answer is “yes” and for households with average or high hot water use, it makes the most sense (and has an attractive payback, compared to payback for low hot water consuming households, which would take a relatively longer time). The more fossil fuel that is displaced by solar by a solar hot water system, results in an increased cost-effectiveness. And beyond the economics is the fact that we all have a responsibility to change, and to use less fossil fuel. Solar hot water systems are part of a household’s portfolio of ways to conserve, and to lower your fossil “footprint”.

PV (photovoltaics, or solar electric): Members have installed the highest percentage of grid-tied PV of any Vermont utility, although the total numbers of installations remains relatively small. However, as a matter of consciously making a decision to “go solar” using PV for making some or all of your electricity is easy to justify. The equipment has no moving parts; it’s a “plug and play” way to make electricity. Other forms of renewable energy are more prone to wear and tear, and on-going maintenance costs.

PV is sited either on a ground-rack array, or on a roof. Under Vermont law, there is an easy/no cost permit (a Certificate of Public Good; CPG) from the Public Service Board that an applicant must first obtain, but otherwise there are no interconnection costs levied by the Co-op.
BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING!   It makes no sense to consider SHW or PV, without recognizing how much hot water you use now, and/or how much electricity you now use. The Co-op strongly advocates members learn how to manage the energy uses in your house, starting with understanding how much is used.

And first, make sure your level of use is reasonable, and less than “average”. “Average”, when it comes to energy consumption, means “you should first lower your use”. “Average” consumption is the problem; the solution is to lower use and THEN install solar hot water and/or PV. As we have said in the Currents: “reduce your use, then “make” your own”.

See Vendor Lists for Solar Hot Water and PV

Also see this article from the August 2007 CO-OP Currents about Solar Hot Water Heating