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NEWS
Solar power is hot
Renewable energy resource becoming a hot commodity in St. Tammany Parish
By Debbie Glover (St. Tammany News)
The scorching sun heats the sidewalk to a sizzle hot enough to grill a steak. The summer heat is a southeast Louisiana staple, yet each year seems to get hotter and drier. The useless summer heat seems to serve no purpose - until now.
Enter solar energy. Tom Livaudais of Solar Power Today said that with tax credits from both the state and the Federal governments, solar energy is more affordable than ever.
"The technology has been available; it's just been very expensive."
Livaudais said the state is offering a 50 percent tax credit on up to $12,500 for a residential installation of a solar system. The federal tax credit is 30 percent with no dollar limit for a residence or commercial unit.
Livaudais and his associates attended training in the technology and science of solar energy, known as photovoltaic or PV technology. The PV system generates electricity and can reduce the amount of electricity a homeowner needs to buy from the utility company each month.
In fact, if your unit generates more electricity than you need, your energy provider must buy it from you. Livaudais said that in other parts of the country, the use of solar is much more widespread than in south Louisiana.
Part of the reason is cost. The expense can be daunting, as much as $30,000 for a residence before the tax credits and savings are realized. This amount has made the unit cost prohibitive in the past. The same unit with the tax incentives would end up costing the homeowner about 20 percent, or $6,000.
Before a unit can be installed, Livaudais measures the roof and checks engineering.
The optimum candidate for solar energy will have a southward facing roof of between 200-400 square feet available for the unit with no trees or building obstructions to block sunlight.
In addition, the sun exposure needs to be good from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
There is also a model for solar thermal energy that would simply service the water heater. This unit would cost between $6,000-$8,000 before the tax incentives.
Livaudais entered the field because many of his customers were interested in the technology
"More and more of my customers became interested in conserving energy, so I investigated the technology. The next thing I knew, I was on a plane, going to the training seminar," he said.
He said the average homeowner could save 30-35 percent on their energy bill. He said that another reason to install solar is it increases the market value of the home. For every $1 of electricity generated, the solar unit increases you home's value by $20, Livaudais said.
So, if a homeowner decides that solar power is for them, what next? There is a myriad of paperwork to be accomplished, including permits, paperwork with the utility provider as well as a new meter and the initial engineering survey. Livaudais's company takes care of all paperwork and installation. Permits and the new meter take about 45 days, so he allows about two months from start to finish.
For more information, call Livaudais at 1-877-404-4SUN or visit him at 3709 U.S. Highway 190 Suite A.
