Long, hot summers full of high temperatures – such as the summer of 2011 – can mean equally high energy bills that might leave customers steaming, especially in these tough economic times.
But for residents of the Refuge at Dirickson Creek, on Route 54 west of Fenwick Island, Del., solar company Flexera has provided them with a way to cut costs and reduce emissions by installing a new carport and solar panels that produce enough energy to power the community’s entire pool-house system.
Carolyn Bray, a Refuge homeowner and founder of the community’s ad-hoc committee on renewable energy, said the main reason for this new project was the financial incentive.
“Considering the cost of electricity increases, I wanted to put a lid on that so that we wouldn’t be subjected to regular increases in our electricity as a community.”
John Donato, a renewable energy consultant, said the whole project was done in phases, in partnership with several other companies, including Bunting Construction, Baja Systems in California and Motech, a solar company whose American headquarters is located in Newark, Del.
“The pool house probably took less than a week to install,” Donato said of the system.
There are 74 panels on the pool house and 96 on the carport, which was designed to have a “cantilevered” structure, meaning the only support beams are on the outer edges, so cars don’t have to worry about running into poles in the middle.
“Folks love to park their cars under it,” he said, pointing out that the shade provided by the carport keeps cars much cooler than when they’re in direct sun.
Placing the solar structure in the Refuge was a community effort and decision, and Bunting Construction, which built the homes and community structures, was directly involved with the planning and research.
Donato said they specifically chose the carport project because of its low profile that still allowed for views of the trees.
“We wanted to avoid it looking commercial,” Bray said. She said she’s impressed with the appearance and how well the new structure meshes with the aesthetics of the community.
Flexera has also had six home owners in the Refuge purchase private systems for their homes, and Donato said three or four more are in talks right now to follow in their footsteps, because they’ve heard such good things.
An average home will require 20 to 24 solar panels to cover its energy consumption. Donato said solar-users can choose to cut their bill, eliminate it or even take things a step farther.
“We’re seeing a trend where folks are starting to increase the rate of their system,” said Donato. Some customers are purchasing systems large enough so their energy bills aren’t just reduced or eliminated but that the systems are actually income-generators.
In July, when Fenwick Island had 21 days with temperatures 90 degrees or higher, several Refuge solar customers reported negative power bills.
Donato said that when a power meter spins backwards, as it did in those cases, the utility company actually owes the user power. The excess can be saved and used in colder or hotter months, when more power is used, or, at the end of the year, the customer can sell it back to the power company.
Sometimes, Donato said, the return on a solar system is double or triple an average person’s return on stock market investments, making energy management an even more sound investment, particularly for those on a fixed budget.
Flexera said the Refuge’s system for the pool house and carport will pay for itself within three to four years.
