Solar Works for Iowa

by | Aug 6, 2014 | News

I toured the home of a neighbor here in Cedar Falls as part of the Solar Works for Iowa tour and was impressed at how easy it seems to go solar. The Higbys installed 8 PV solar panels on their garage roof that generated 2329 kWh of electricity in the first year.IMG_6088

 

They also purchased a Chevy Volt, an electric car, and are powering it up in their garage. Pat Higby uses it for most of her transportation needs.IMG_6096

They spent about $10,000 on the solar installation, everything included, and got back $4,500 of that in tax reductions, combining both federal and state incentives. And they are saving about $475 a year on transportation costs and household electricity costs with an estimated payback on their system of 11.6 years.

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Iowa’s solar energy tax credit cap for solar was increased in 2014 to $5,000 for homeowners and $20,000 for businesses, by increasing the state tax credit to 60% of the federal credit (now 18%) and by tripling the overall cap on tax credits available in Iowa to $4.5 million. The new law also allows taxpayers to claim multiple credits for multiple projects at distinct locations. Read more about the Iowa law at www.iowa.gov/tax/business/solarcredits.html

If you are thinking of taking advantage of the federal solar tax credit, just keep in mind that at this time it steps down to 10% on December 31, 2016. While new solar installations will still be an economically advantageous decision, the present rate of incentives will change. Read more about federal solar tax credits at http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US37F

Iowa ranks 16th in the nation in the potential for solar PV energy production, ahead of many states south of Iowa, such as Florida, Georgia, Utah, Missouri, North Carolina and South Carolina. A solar pv array located in Iowa produces a comparable amount of electricity as one located in Miami, Houston and Atlanta!IMG_6089

Solar panels produce the most electricity during periods of highest demand when prices spike and the electric grid is stressed. It’s during those hot sunny afternoons when the summer heat drives us to turn on our air conditioners and fans to keep cool. By using solar PV costs are reduced and the reliability of our electricity grid is improved.

Solar and wind energy are complementary sources of renewable energy for Iowa. Solar energy is available during the day and production is higher in the summer, and wind energy tends to be higher in the winter and at night.

Learn more about solar energy’s potential in Iowa at www.iaenvironment.org/solar

Installing solar is step #25 from the 25 Steps to Saving Energy from Cool Congregations, a program of Iowa Interfaith Power & Light.

Information for this article was drawn from the Iowa Environmental Council’s handout on solar energy in Iowa, from the Higbys, and from Iowa Senator Rob Hogg.

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