by Mike Schnitzel
Home heating oil costs have also gone up. So have homeowners electricity bills. However, Lynbrook residents Daryl Altman and Rob Shepard have found a way to help decrease their energy costs in the long run, and help a cause dear to both their hearts - the environment.
Renewable energy, in this case solar power, is the tool that made it all possible for Altman and Shepard.
"I got sick of prices continuously going up and I wanted to find an alternative," said Shepard. "I was originally looking into wind power, but then I read about solar energy."
Shepard was sold on solar after attending a Long Island Power Authority seminar on the subject at Huntington Town Hall.
"Fossil fuel is still less expensive in the short term, but the real benefits come down over time in the future," said Jonathan Lane, the contractor from Quad State Solar who installed the solar panels on the couple's Rowe Street home.
"Using oil contributes to global warming," said Altman. "We are doing everything possible to minimize our reliance on fossil fuel."
The panels were installed on the house about three months ago, at a cost of $30,000. However, after a rebate from LIPA and a tax credit from New York State, the actual cost was more like $13,000, said Shepard. Altman estimated that the average LIPA bill for the home was $130 per month before they converted to solar energy. When they received their electricity bill this month, the payment due was $5.61, and the solar panels had generated 259 kilowatts more than the household had used over the 30-day period.
"I get to gloat now because I pay much less for electricity," said Shepard. "We've also been conserving energy rather than getting extravagant."
Lane said that a common problem with homeowners who use solar energy is that the panels produce so much energy that they begin to feel that they're getting power for free.
"If you get crazy and start using more power, you're not going to see any savings," said Lane. "It's very important to keep energy conservation in mind."
Any excess electricity generated by the solar panels are put into an energy credit bank account for Altman and Shepard, and they can either continue to accumulate energy credits, or get a check from LIPA for the excess energy they are generating.
"We expect that the solar panels will pay for themselves within the next five to six years," said Shepard, an assessment which Lane said was reasonable.
There are 40 130-watt solar panels on top of Altman and Shepard's home. The panels have two separate feeds, each of which are connected to an inverter. The inverters then convert the direct current (DC) power which is produced by the solar panels into alternate current (AC) power, which homes on Long Island are wired for.
There is no maintenance for the homeowner to perform, and they are guaranteed to last for 20 years. The solar panels must meet local and state building codes, and are resistant to winds of up to 125 miles per hour, said Lane.
"I don't notice any difference in the quality of my electricity," said Shepard. "The only thing I notice is that my monthly bill is much less."
Mike Russo contributed to this story. Comments about this story? Mschnitzel@liherald.com or (516)569-4000 ext. 265.
