Imperial Valley Press Online

Solar energy getting brighter in the Valley
By BROOKE RUTH, Digital Media News Editor

TODD KRAININ PHOTO
The solar panels at the Fifield residence in Brawley cost about $25,000 to purchase and install — an amount Helen Fifield expects to recoup after 10 years’ worth of energy savings.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008 11:56 PM PDT

Helen Fifield of Brawley is saving 25 percent on her electricity bill every month because she decided to install solar panels when her house was being built.

Three years ago, Fifield had a 2.7-kilowatt solar system installed at her home, at her parent’s home and at their family business, KF Seeds of Fifield Land Co.

“As a business we are trying to do what we can to be greener,” Fifield said.

Fifield’s home is one of the 98 solar-energy systems at residences and businesses within Imperial Irrigation District’s service territory that utilizes solar energy, said Bob Fugett, superintendent of energy service for IID.

IID’s service territory includes the Imperial Valley and a southern portion of the Coachella Valley.

The 98 solar systems within IID’s service territory can generate up to 941 kilowatts of energy, Fugett said.

IID’s power portfolio does not include solar energy. Fugett said this is because IID uses the cheapest energy resources available, and solar energy is not one of these low cost resources.

In explaining why she decided to install solar panels, Fifield said “I was looking to save some money energy-wise, and the district (IID) was offering a good rebate at the time.”

IID still has a rebate program for those who install a qualifying photovoltaic system, or solar-energy system, but it does not pay as much as it did when Fifield purchased her system.

IID previously offered $2.80 per watt, but it now offers $2.42 per watt because the rebate decreases as more customers utilize the program, Fugett said.

TODD KRAININ PHOTO
Helen Fifield taps on the solar inverter, a machine that converts the energy collected in photovoltaic cells into electricity that’s suitable for the grid. Tapping displays information about energy usage.

For example, customers who purchase a 2.7-kilowatt system — the size of Fifield’s home’s system — would now receive a rebate check for $6,534.

The rebate covers about 30 percent of the cost of the system, Fugett said.

Fugett said he suggests contacting IID before installing a solar-energy system to ensure it will qualify for the IID rebate and will be able to connect to IID’s electric system.

If a customer puts in a qualifying photovoltaic system and it produces more energy than the customer is using, the excess energy will cause the meter to register in reverse.

When the meter is read, and the customer has produced more energy than consumed, a credit is applied to the next month’s bill.

But if a credit still exists at the end of the year the customer’s credit will not be transferred to the next year and the customer will not be paid for the excess, Fugett said.

Fifield earns a state tax break for the system installed at her residence. Fifield Land Co. earns a federal tax break for the system installed at KF Seeds.

“If it is cost-effective and makes sense for them, I would encourage everyone and anyone to install solar panels because we are in a perfect area, where there is so much sunshine,” said Fifield.

But installing a solar-energy system does not come without a cost. After the rebate, Fifield will have paid $18,000 for each 2.7-kilowatt solar-energy system.

Once Fifield has had her panels for 10 years they will have paid for themselves, she said.

The 2-kilowatt system installed at Brawley Union High School that powers the school’s hydroponic green house cost about $15,000 in materials, said Randy Smith, Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program construction teacher and owner of Arrowhead Construction.

An A+ for Energy grant from British Petroleum provided $10,000 for the system, and the school district provided the additional $5,000.

BUHS also has a 12-kilowatt system installed on the top of its auditorium. It has cut the high school’s power bill by 10 to 15 percent, Smith said.

The $75,000 system has been in operation for two years, and will not pay for itself until it has been in use five to 10 years, Smith said.

“We (BUHS) feel like we are pioneering the green movement here in the Valley,” Smith said.

>> Digital Media News Editor Brooke Ruth can be reached at 335-4665 or bruth@ivpressonline.com