Going green cuts local LIPA bills

Self-proclaimed conservationists Douglas and Mary Pappas, who have owned their home on Aberdeen Street for 23 years, decided they wanted to do something positive for the environment – and save a little money, too. The couple had photovoltaic solar panels added to the roof in June 2008 and is still pleased with the results.

“This house is 60 years old, but we’re probably in the top percentile for energy conservation,” said Douglas.

The Pappas’ attended a community meeting on a Tuesday night hosted by the Town of Hempstead and the Long Island Power Authority. By the time it had ended, they knew solar was something they wanted to invest in.

At the meeting, the Pappas’ learned that when sunlight hits a solar panel, energy is produced and this energy can be converted into electricity used to operate household appliances. If electricity is not used, it will be sent to LIPA and the homeowner will receive power credit and these values can be monitored online.

Douglas said it was an economical and environmentally friendly decision. LIPA offered him $25,000 off the $65,000 price tag and they saved $3,000 last year, but recently removed a backyard pool and expect to save a little less moving forward.

In addition to solar panels, an expert came into the Pappas’ home and told the couple where air was escaping. After adding installation, “the house says cooler in the summer. And in the winter, the house stays warmer because we’re not losing energy,” said Douglas.

“A lot of things take electricity even though they’re off,” he added. For that reason, his family uses power strips to easily turn off machines in the home that are wasting money when not in use.

Rafael Palilio, who lives on Seventh Street, also wanted to “go green” and solar panels were added to his roof in September. “I was interested so I called [Energy by Choice] and they explained to me how it works.”

When asked if he was saving money, Palilio responded, “Not at the moment.” He was told by LIPA the product “really works its magic in the summer” and eventually he will only be paying the $6 meter fee.

Palilio added that LIPA paid one-third of the price for his panels. “Without that, I wouldn’t event think about it,” he said.

Similar to Palilio, Sam Mathew, who lives on Lenox Avenue, had solar panels added less than one year ago and was pleased to say that his LIPA bill has already taken a considerable dip. “My monthly usage was $250 to $300 per month. I’m not paying anything now. My bill is zero,” he said.

After talking with other homeowners, Mathew purchased his panels from Sun Power and the installation was performed by Empower Solar. He said he prefers to work with local, American manufacturers and was able to receive a 25-year warranty.

Mathew also spoke with LIPA and the company paid $20,000 for his $53,000 project. “My first interest was their rebate,” he said, “then the tax rebate, then how much will come from my pocket.” Mathew is expecting a tax rebate worth about $18,000 and will pay off the remaining $15,000 loan in about seven years.

After considering monetary savings, Mathew also wanted to conserve energy. As a hobby, he makes a variety of wooden pens. “The electric tools are consuming electricity more than others would use,” he said. “Moving to solar energy was just a natural progression.”

Learn more about going green with LIPA at www.lipower.org/residential.

Economic benefits:
-LIPA offers significant rebates for photovoltaic (PV) systems to help reduce the overall cost of installation.
-Homeowners can produce a portion, or most of their electricity needs, depending on their electric use and the size of their PV system.
-Installing a PV system “stabilizes” a portion of your energy costs, regardless of the fluctuating cost of fuel for generating electricity.
-If your PV system produces more electricity than your home requires, you can “bank” the excess electricity. This is called “Net Metering.” When surplus electricity is produced, your meter will run “backwards” and LIPA will issue a credit on your electric bill.
-The Federal Government offers up to a 30 percent tax credit for residential customers. New York State offers residential customers up to a 25 percent tax credit.