The Time Is Right for Solar

Dana Brandt, a Bellingham native, owns Ecotech Energy Systems, a solar-electric design and installation company. With renewable energy experience from three continents, he holds a Master of Science degree in Renewable Energy from Loughborough University, England, as well as a B.S. in Electrical Engineering.

Solar electricity works in Bellingham. I know this may come as a surprise to many as we’re just finding our way out of months of cloudy weather, but we have plenty of sun—enough to send utility meters spinning backward. Solar electricity or photovoltaics (PV) is a pollution-free way of generating electricity for your home or business. Not only does solar electricity work here, but an array of financial incentives make it cheaper than it’s ever been before. Money is available from the state and federal governments, Puget Sound Energy and elsewhere to help you pay for a PV system.

PV systems work by converting sunlight into electricity. The electricity from the PV array (group of solar panels) is direct current (DC). A device called an inverter turns the electricity into alternating current (AC), which is what we use in our homes. PV systems are that simple: the array generates electricity and the inverter makes it usable in our homes. The electricity from the inverter goes directly into your home’s electrical panel. With no moving parts, solar panels come with a 20-25 year manufacturer warranty. The typical planning lifetime for PV systems is 30 years, but the panels will continue to produce power far beyond that.

There are no batteries in most PV systems because we use the utility grid for storage. When your PV system generates more electricity than you are using, the extra goes into the utility grid and turns your utility meter backward. Later, when you need more electricity than the array is generating, electricity flows back from the grid turning your meter forward again. This is called “net metering.” You only pay for the net energy (if any) that you draw from the utility. However, batteries can be added to the system so that when the power goes out, you’ll still have electricity. When the grid fails, your solar electric system will start supplying power to your home so quickly that not even computers will be disrupted. This can be real asset for those who lose power to the Northeaster. A battery backup system can easily provide power to give you light and keep you warm. Even if you have gas heat, you need electricity for the spark and to run the fan.

So, back to PV working in Bellingham. We get a skewed perception of how much sun we get here because of our dreary winters. Here’s why it’s not as bad as it seems—over the course of the year every place on earth gets an average of 12 hours of light and 12 of night each day. Here in Bellingham we get most of our light hours during the summer when we have 16-hour days and eight-hour nights. During the winter we only have 8-hour days and 16-hour nights. It’s only during these short winter days that it’s so cloudy here. It’s bright and beautiful during those long, 16-hour summer days. This is when we generate most of our solar electricity. So, if we generate all our electricity in the summer, what happens in the winter? PV production doesn’t stop in the winter, but it does slow down. This is where net metering comes into play. We turn our meters back all summer and then use those credits during the winter.

Solar electricity has been a good idea for a long time, but it’s just been too expensive. Now, however, with all of the financial incentives, tax credits and rebates and the availability of low interest home equity loans, pollution-free solar electricity is accessible to nearly everyone in the county. §