Lynbrook family goes solar

his Lynbrook home, left, gets its electric power from solar energy.

Ed Olsen with his solar-powered Chevy Volt. He estimates that he will save $1,500 in gas.

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The Olsen family of Lynbrook has found a way around high energy costs at home and at the gas pump by taking advantage of the sun’s great power. 

“I decided to go solar to avoid the ever-increasing cost of energy, eliminate my electric bill and reduce my carbon footprint,” said homeowner Ed Olsen. “After freeing myself from the monthly LIPA bill, I decided to buy the Chevy Volt to do away with yet another growing expense, the high cost of gasoline.” Olsen estimates that he will save nearly $1,500 a year in gasoline (at today’s prices) by driving the Volt and $2,600 on his annual LIPA bill by converting his home to solar power. Olsen’s pursuit for alternative energy has led his to a career in the field, and has since joined EmPower’s sales team, helping to spread the word about the benefits of solar power.  

The Olsen home uses a recently completed 7.31 kW solar energy system installed by EmPower Solar of Island Park. A Leviton Evr-Green® solar-powered charging station provides the juice for their Chevy Volt electric car, keeping them away from the gasoline station. 

“The Olsens are part of a growing trend of people on Long Island and across the country who are saying ‘no’ to high electric and gasoline prices and harnessing the power of the sun and using other forms of renewable energy to lower their energy costs,” said David Schieren, CEO of EmPower Solar, and himself a Chevy Volt owner. “Solar energy has proven itself ready for prime-time and is well on track to become the dominant energy source of the 21st century.” 

According to Gordian Raacke, executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island, a leading nonprofit organization promoting clean, sustainable energy, over 4,000 Long Islanders have installed solar energy systems, with some of them paying as little as $9 a month to LIPA. Federal tax credits, LIPA rebates and increased competition has made solar an affordable option for many Long Islanders, with a total return on investment realized in as little as six years. Average installation costs for a typical Long Island home are $17,000 after factoring in incentives, tax credits and rebates. 

Nationally, the U.S. solar photovoltaic market is one of the fastest growing segments of the energy market, on track to double last year’s installations with an estimated 1,750 megawatts predicted for 2011, enough to power 350,000 homes. As an economic engine, the U.S. solar industry employs over 100,000 Americans, twice as many as in 2009, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. The majority of those working in the solar industry are small businesses, like EmPower.