Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Sun Run leases the panels and funds all the installation work and maintenance and works with Standard Solar, Inc. and Greenspring Energy, Inc. in Maryland as the installers.  I think the average system installation for a home runs around $28k and works out to about $227/mo over 30 yrs and you probably eliminate your power bill, but I'm not sure about in the summer when the Central AC is running full time, and my normal PEPCO bill is around $300/mo during the summer months.
I'm also not sure which companies provide the best value.  I see that Sun Run (link provided here) solar installation in Maryland has gotten a lot of attention.
But I am also hearing about Solar City with their radio spots everywhere which claim to really make it even more affordable and they seem to be the industry leader in the US.  I've also heard about Mercury Solar which is a NY based company doing good work up in MA where my old boss my old employer now works.

I do know about the utility companies and their subsidiary companies or affiliates like Washington Gas Energy Services which has installed a solar system for Purdue Farms using Standard Solar, Inc. to do the installation, but there seems that there are a lot of choices out there in addion to the utility company offerings.
Here's the video from Purdue:

Washington Gas Energy Services offeres Renewable Energy Credits that can be purchased through the utility provider bill as a flat kwh additional rate of about another penny and a half over the standard offered service rate.  When you break down a typical utility bill for electricity it seems to come down to suppliers with transmission and taxes bundled in to cost around $0.11 to $0.13 per Kilowatt Hour ussed and seems to be the same with all of them (give or take a few cents depending on the utility provider).  There are a myriad of wholesale energy suppliers that generate at the wholesale level from TX for example and transmit up to wherever and even offer to provide some kind of Renewable Energy Credit to get you under contract for a fixed term, but there is really not anyone offering any stand alone energy choices that seem to be cost effective alternatives.  I am on a quest to research and publish the choices I come across before I shell out of pocket on installation of a solar project, or enter into any long term contracts with wholesale suppliers.

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