Electricity Deregulation Blog

Photovoltaic solar panels, solar thermal panels and solar shingles stole the show in displays all across the Green Festival. The human rights organization Global Exchange and Green America, a national environmental group respectively, jointly sponsored the show. .

But how does sustainable energy really work for a home, how much does it cost and is it really practical for middle class Americans? I went in search of all these answers right in my own backyard – at Navy Pier.

Before even attending the event I learned that I could ride my bike to it and be admitted free. I pedaled my retro 3-speed bicycle down the Lake Shore Drive Trail and watched hundreds of people sun bathing on the beach, enjoying the beautiful weather. It dawned on me that I was headed indoors to learn about all of the energy available outdoors.

How much will it cost?

A typical photovoltaic home solar power system runs about $30,000 to install said Matt Lacognata, an employee at Earth, Wind and Solar Energy, LLC. in Chicago

Lacognata was very quick to point out that the federal government gives a 30 percent tax credit and the state of Illinois also has a 30 percent tax rebate, when funds are available So that $30,000 bill could plummet to approximately $12,000 according to Lacognata.

This type of array “will decrease your energy bill by about 25 percent for the next 50 to 60 years,” said Joe Gordon, a renewable energy specialist for Solar Service, Inc., in Niles. 

Doesn’t sound too bad right? Well it actually gets better.

What happens to excess power that is generated?

“The (electric) meter spins backwards when you generate excess power,” said George Raman, a project manager at Good Electric, Inc., in Chicago. He said he is being trained to install both commercial and residential photovoltaic solar systems.

At the end of each year, utility companies pay homeowners who send excess electricity back into the power grid.

How long do solar panels or wind turbines last?

Depending on the brand and type of photovoltaic panel, the life span is anywhere between 30 to 60 years. “We really think this is a lifetime product,” said Joe Gordon.

Wind turbines, mostly made of aluminum, will last between 20 and 30 years according to Lacognata.

Although the costly bill comes up front, these systems easily pay for themselves in roughly a decade. The remaining electricity generated during the life of the system is all money that’s saved on utility bills.

What’s the maintenance for the system?

Photovoltaic solar panels are virtually maintenance free, said Raman. An occasional hosing off of panels if they get dusty or dirty is all that’s required. 

“They are covered with tempered glass, which is stronger than the windshield of a car, hail bounces off of them,” said Gordon.

Even if panels get covered with snow in the winter, the slope of the panels allows for the snow to slide off on its own once the sun comes out.  

The practicality and benefits of green energy are growing in popularity as technologies improve and costs decline. “The technology for wind and solar and all green energy gets better and better everyday and every year,” said James Faber, the editorial and production director of Mindful Metropolis, a Chicago-based independent monthly magazine.

The Green Festival is just one way for companies and organizations to show off their new technology and inform Chicagoans about the impact of sustainable energy.

“There are a lot of different ways that you can adapt green energy technology nowadays that just weren’t practical years ago,” said Faber. “We are definitely moving in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go.”

by Brad Thompson