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Price of Solar Going Down Due To Added Incentives

Every month, South Burlington homeowner David Arms and his wife, get an electric bill many people dream of.

"I dare say I'm the only guy on the block with a zero electric bill," said Arms.

The reason is a 3.69 kilowatt solar panel display on their roof.  That roof and the southern exposure made their home a perfect candidate for the installation.

"It's a typical house, 2,100 square foot cape, there's thousands of them throughout the state," said Nick Ponzio, installer and solar engineer.

For years, Arms says he considered "going solar", but the start up costs were a big deterrent.

"The price of panels and the solar incentives at the time just werent right," he said.

Now, local and federal incentives are available for homeowners, due to the growing demand for cleaner, renewable energy sources.

"A solar installation like this significantly reduces the Arms' carbon footprint. It allows them not only to cover their own electrical load, but provide power for the rest of the state," says Peter Schneider, project manager at VEIC.

Arms' electrical meter runs backward, meaning the panels generate enough solar energy to power his home, and the neighbors'. Just one of the reasons he decided to make the switch to a greener lifestyle.

"America is addicted to oil, what better way to break that addiction than American made solar panels, on an American made rake, installed by a local installer?" Arms said.

The display would typically cost about $21,000, but after the incentives, it only cost about $11,000, a price Arms says that will pay for itself in eight to ten years.

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