Solar in Sharon by SSC Roving Reporter Charlotte Pototsky

Energy is one of our most valuable resources. However, so many of us use non-renewable energy to heat and cool our houses, fuel our cars, and to charge electronic devices. When looking around town, it is disappointing to see how many rooftops have exposure to plenty of sunlight, yet are using non-renewable energy instead of solar energy. I just started an internship, created by the Sustainable Sharon Coalition, that is teaching me about solar energy and other sustainable energy options. As your SSC Roving Reporter, I will share some of my new insights with you, as follows.

To begin, I talked with several Sharon homeowners and asked:

1) If you own solar panels, why did you get them, and what have you found to be their greatest benefit?

2) If you don’t own solar panels, what is preventing you from installing them?

I received numerous responses:

1. The ‘for the communal good’ response:
“We wanted to do our part to reduce carbon emissions and global warming.”- Anonymous Sharon Resident

2. The financial savings argument**:
“Between the tax savings (state and federal), the reduction in our electric bill, and the sustainable renewable energy credits (SRECs) paid to us every quarter, we estimated that the solar panels would pay for themselves
in about 4.5 years. After that, it's all money in the bank. In other words, at this point, we're being paid to own solar panels.” - Anonymous Sharon Resident

3. The “why not?” response:
“Our house was a good candidate (little tree cover, good Southern exposure - not every house works for solar panels).” - Jeff Schnipper

4. The ‘find a way to help’ replies:
“My answer as to why we don't have solar panels is actually quite simple. My house does not get enough sun. Instead, we buy some of our power through a program that lets us contribute to renewable energy sources,
including solar. We felt like that could be our contribution.” - Stuart Jacoby

“We decided to get solar panels because they were economically beneficial (we have excess electricity because our house has plenty of direct sunlight so we can sell the excess back to Eversource). Also, they are beneficial for the planet. The solar panels have been great: aside from selling energy back to Eversource, they are not distracting on our roof as we initially thought they would be. I believe we are still on track to recoup the initial investment in the next decade.” - Jeffery Xiang

The “It’s complicated” responses:

One person replied, “Our house already had solar panels when we bought it. Because we do not “own” the panels, we do not get financial benefits. One drawback is that solar panel usage requires us to have a landline
phone, which is how we transmit our electrical activity to the utility company. Oddly, since we don’t pay as much for generating electricity, we find ourselves using it more – example: air conditioning - than we would if
we paid a higher price.” This shows there are both pros and cons to having solar panels.” - Anonymous Sharon Resident

Cheryl Schnitzer, current SSC president, is in the process of getting solar panels on her house. “It’s complicated! You need to take time to look at your individual situation. It’s good to get several bids. We went with someone in this field who is helping us through the process. I’ve learned a lot!” Email Cheryl to hear more about her experience.

As to this roving reporter’s family experience with panels ... we live in a house surrounded by trees and didn’t want to remove them. We love the shade they provide. However, because it is important to use renewable
energy, we purchase our energy from a solar farm!

As always, please feel free to share your thoughts on clean energy or how you live sustainably. Here are three ways to make your viewpoints known and keep the conversation going:

1. Join SSC monthly meets (listed on the Events page)

2. Email me personally at: EnvironmentalConsulationsNow@gmail.com

3. Visit or comment on my personal blog here.  

Also, if you would personally like help finding a solar panel company,  please visit my blog or email me. I would be happy to help you find a contractor or consultant to see if your house qualifies for solar.

* Written by Charlotte Pototsky, member of the SSC Zero Waste and Youth Committee, with a few edits from SSC Founder Dr. Ricky Stern

**(Note re: solar panels: If you lease instead of buy, there's no up-front investment, but then you never make money on the deal (however, you still pay less than you would for natural gas)