Solar panels becoming a hot item among New Orleans area consumers

Solar panels becoming a hot item among New Orleans area consumers As federal and state tax credits for buying the solar equipment have become more generous, more people have taken notice, according to state tax figures. Louisiana gives a credit for as much as 50 percent of the first $25,000 spent on a variety of technologies, including solar hot water and electricity as well as wind generators, while federal tax credits cover up to 30 percent of the cost of a system. To cut down on the high upfront price that some say have kept solar panels out of reach for many households, some developers are taking benefits of federal and state tax credits and covering the initial investment so they can then lease the equipment to tenants in exchange for a monthly cost spread over a decade or longer. Through NOLA Wise, homeowners can have an initial home energy audit done that determines how much energy is being wasted, from issues like leaky windows and poor insulation. Program managers will then offer a rundown of suggested upgrades and help secure cash incentives and loans to make the upgrades using trained and certified contractors, that will complete the work and monitor its performance. If an energy savings of 15 percent or more is achieved by the improvements, homeowners could be eligible to add solar panels through the program. The loans, that will be provided by Fidelityomestead, have interest rates as low as 3.5 percent, said Beth Galante, executive director of the New Orleans office of Global Green, which is helping run the program. Galante said the group has been meeting with neighborhood groups to spread word about the initiative. "We were a little concerned because the winter had been so mild, and it's sort of pervasive when you're in the energy-efficiency business," Galante said. "But if it's not really cold or not really hot, and if the utility bills aren't really remarkable, sometimes people won't make it a priority." So far, Global Green has performed 111 energy assessments through the initiative, and also the nonprofit has tracked interested calls from more than 500 people, Galante said. "We're not going to close every deal," she acknowledged, adding that she would be pleased if it translated into a 30 percent success rate. The group has seven contractors so far, with three more in the process of applying. Galante said she has heard of more local contractors getting involved with solar installations. "Just from conversations, I realise that many, many companies are in the mix now," she said. "Certainly more than we've ever had, and I think people are truly at this point realizing the the importance of the state and also the federal tax credits." Wayne Erdman, who owns Riverview Solar, an energy-efficiency company with offices in New Orleans and Slidell, said his company has about 20 recent bids out for work that he's evaluated through NOLA Wise. "I think like anything else, once they see the neighbors do it, they're like, 'Oh, it's my turn, too,' because that's what's going to happen," Erdman said about the spiking interest in solar. For his part, Erdman said he doesn't think the solar-leasing model is in the best interest of consumers, because the long-term costs of the system would be more than the equipment would fetch after the tax incentives are applied.e said his business had considered doing solar leasing but decided against it based on upfront costs. "To me, a lease doesn't work, but if you want solar, and you just want solar, that's an opportunity," he said. "To me, the business owns the solar. It's more of a money gain for them and less of an energy-savings concept for the homeowner." Ryan Fitzmorris, whose energy-efficiency company, Retrofits, works out of New Orleans, said his firm has completed work on one home so far through NOLA Wise, which projected an energy savings of about 35 percent by installing insulation in the attic and under the floor, weather-stripping doors and windows and installing solar screens. "There's nothing worse than if you're sweating while you're watching TV, or if you're freezing. It's all about just attempting to make somebody's house as comfortable as is possible," he said. all, of Entergy, urged clients who are interested in the equipment to study the costs of purchasing solar panels or signing on with a leasing program and to verify the potential savings being offered, and said to get in touch with Entergy New Orleans ahead of time with permitting questions. er advice to consumers? Ask solar-panel contractors "how long they've been installing solar, what training and certification they have, and for some references," she said, "because it's really important that you're dealing with someone that's done a good job, because it's a big investment." Funny, when I first read the title of this article I thought it was going to say solar panels are a hot item among 'thieves'. Guess I'm just conditioned from living here for so long. "What and I mean What percent (%) of our government (public) buildings have solar panels?.....what is the ratio of solar panels to take home vehicles?......what is the ratio of solar panels to travel expences?...... Can these be installed in historic neighborhoods? In some areas, we are restricted to dark gray roofs. maybe even SLATE roofs. Is New Orleans entering the 21st Century? I would love to have these, not necessarily on my roof (though I have a rear "shed" roof), but as a rain shelter over part of my small back yard. Then, again, if good insulation weren't so expensive, I could have that done, instead. Ultimateliberal- Yes, solar can be put in place in historic neighborhoods. Need to beDLC approved, but usually pretty simple Old news.RI is putting the Bullett Proof version on their "mixed income" properties. Kabacoff is the king of tax credits. Like the VOLT the gov't is attempting to off these things any way they can. What difference does all this progress make if Entergy refuses to upgrade their equipment so the unused electricity produced can be sold back to them? Seems like it would be in Entergy's best interest to discourage solar power to they can maximize their profits. Stock holders, you know. The term the two Solar companies I have talked to is Net Metering. You don't sell the energy back to Entergy, your meter spins backwards, thus giving you a credit. Installing that sort of meter can't be "that" difficult. The last I read about this was that the infrastructure was not set up to "accept" energy going "into" the grid. So, what are the facts? Spockette- You can interconnect and net meter solar pretty much anywhere except the FQ and downtown area. as to do with the special grid system Entergy has..opefully this will change soon If I had an outdoor pool I wanted to heat I would do this in a heartbeat. Unless you have a 5000sq. ft. house with 3 or 4 kids. This is net net at best. Like the storage battery in a hybrid. This equpment doesn't last forever. Read the fine print. Socialism at it's best. Then FEMA can pay to replace them after the next storm. Unlike the billion-dollar subsidies we give to the oil companies - good ol' capitalism at its best! I would really like to get solar but have a couple problems. With 80% in tax credits what happens when the system eventually needs to be replaced? Will it be too costly? Also when the roof needs to be replaced will it be costly to remove and replace the panels? Ahhhhhh Wispa, what a great question. Forget about how long the panels will last, just consider the number of people placing a shinny new 50G solar system on top of their 18 year old roof. dinosore, ahem, you would be hard pressed to find an 18 year old roof in this area nowadays. But, I do wonder about the roof issue. Solar panels becoming a hot item among New Orleans area consumers Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 20/02/2012