Blue Horizons Project Setting the course for clean energy Solar - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Solar Panels

Technology Presentation

Blue Horizons Project

Setting the course for clean energy

Solar Panels Introduction

Solar r panel els s instal alled ed at your r home e or business ess give e you direct acces ess s to clean n energy.

• gy. They

y are now widely y availabl able e and affordabl

• rdable

e all over the world. d.

How Do Solar Panels Work?

A solar r panel el collects s sunligh ght and turns ns it into electric ricity, y, provi vidi ding ng you with your own energy gy and an alternat native ve to using fossil fuel energy.

• y. Unlike

e fossi sil fuels, s, the panel els s produc uce e no pollutant ants s while e gener erat ating ng electricity. y. Since energy gy is produc uced ed at your home e or business, ness, less and someti etimes es no energy is required from the utility’s electric grid.

Benefits of Solar Panels

• Solar

ar pane nels s produc uce e clean ean energ rgy, , reduc ucing ng Ashevil eville e and Buncomb mbe e County’s need for new fossil fuel power plants. ants.

• Solar

ar pane nels s are a great eat invest estment ment because ause they save e you mone ney year r after er year, r, by gene nera rati ting ng energ ergy at your r home me to reduc uce e your r elec ectri tric bill.

• Excess energy can be sold to the utility’s

elec ectri tric grid, making it even n more re afford rdab able, e, and providing ng the utility ty with h more re renewa ewable e energ ergy.

Solar panels Financial Cost?

Solar Panel els can be purchas hased ed upfront

• nt, or through

ugh a loan or paym yment ent plan. An average age home e uses 1 kW of energy gy per day. A 5 kW solar panel el can be purchased hased using g paym ymen ent plans s equal al to the cost of your r utility y bill. Total panel el cost may range e from $10,000 - $40,000, includi ding ng instal allat ation n fees. s. Costs s depend end on how much h energy gy (kW) the system em produc duces.

• es. Duke

e Energy gy provi vides des rebat ates, es, one is $6,000 back for homeow eowner ners.

• s. The feder

eral al tax credi dit also provi vides des 30% % saving ngs s on all solar-re relat ated ed costs. s.

Solar Panels Support Clean Energy

Our Communi unity y in Ashev eville e and Buncom

• mbe

be Count nty y is committed ed to creating ng a cleaner ner, smart arter er and more e affordabl

• rdable

e energy gy future ure. Solar energy gy helps s our commun unity y becom

• mes

es less reliant ant on polluting, ng, non- renewabl able energy gy sources, s, like fossi sil fuels.

• s. Solar panels

s contribut bute to lowering ng CO2, which h affec ects s global al warming

• ng. And, the reduc

uced ed usage e of energy rgy from

• m the

utility’s electric grid will help eliminate new power plants.

Want to Know More?

Frequently Asked Questions

• 1. Where can I find more info about using solar panels in NC?

This website e link below provi vides des data and info

• specific to using solar

ar panels s in North h Carol

• lina.

na.

http tps:/ s://so solar aren ener ergylocal al.c .com/sta states/ tes/no north rth-car arolina/ na/ashev asheville/ e/

• 2. How long do solar panels last?

Differ erent ent solar panel els s have e differ erent ent lifetime e warrant anties es based ed on their design gn and mater erial als.

• s. Typical

al lifetime e warrant anties es are betwee een n 15 and 30 years s for most st solar r panel el design gns. s.

FAQ Page 1

Want to Know More?

• 3. Can I use solar panels to store energy with batteries?

There e are many y types es of batter ery y storage rage techno nologi

• gies

es that can be used to store e solar energy gy rangi ging ng from

• m lithium

um ion, salt water and hydrogen

• gen fuel cells.
• s. Typical

ally y an inverter er is required ed along g with the batter

• ery. A solar panel

el provi vider der will explai ain n what’s needed and how to get it.

• 4. Can you explain the federal tax credit for solar panels?

The credi dit applies es to the entire e system em being g instal alled ed and can offer er you 30% % back which h is explai ained ned well in the link below w from article e in 2018.

http tps:/ s://ne news.e s.ene nerg rgysa sage. e.com/ m/cong ngress ress-exte xtends-th the-so solar ar-tax tax-cred redit/ t/. .

• 5. How can I receive a rebate for installing solar panels on my

home? You can recei eive ve a rebat ate e from

• m Duke

e Energy rgy and the rebat ate e applicat ations ns are found nd at this link below. There e is a limited ed number ber given n out per year.

http tps:/ s://www.d .duk uke-energ rgy.c .com/ m/home me/pro roducts/ ts/ren renewab able-en energ ergy/nc nc-so solar ar-reb ebat ates es.

FAQ Page 2

Want to Know More?

• 6. Is there a way to calculate my potential savings as a sneak peek?

Yes.

• s. There

e are websi sites es that offer er solar r calculat ators.

• rs. We linked

ed a site below, w, where re you enter your address ess and estimat ated ed monthl hly y electricity y bill to find out how much h you can save e over the next 5-10 years. s.

http tps:/ s://www.e .ene nerg rgysag sage. e.com/ m/so solar ar/cal alcul ulato tor-resu results/ ts/

FAQ Page 3