This is in response to Bob's question:
"What's the most creative way you save energy?"

I'm fortunate enough to have the bathtub in my apartment directly adjacent to my toilet. So what I do is, plug the tub every time I take a shower then use the used shower water to fill the toilet tank after every flush with the aid of a 2.5 gallon plactic wash basin. It's a little extra work to remove the lid to the tank every time but I'm saving, by reusing, 3-6 gallons of water a day!

Hi Dave,

Has MG&E ever looked into the cost effectiveness of long term leasing of residential and/or commercial roof space suitable for solar electric generating systems?

Unfortunately my house has a N-S roof line making it uneconomical for such a system but lots of my neighbors roofs would be perfect. A major barrier for those homeowners is the upfront investment. If MG&E could lease their roof space and install a system, it would seem to be a win-win proposition for everyone. The homeowner could benefit via a modest monthly credit; MG&E would benefit via the power production and likely tax credits; and we would all benefit via the reduced dependence on less green power generating options.

Dave's answer:
Madison Gas and Electric has looked at the option of leasing roof space for placement of solar photovoltaic systems, but we chose instead to offer a premium solar buyback rate as way to stimulate local installations. Under our Clean Power Partners program, residential and business customers can choose to sell the electricity from their new photovoltaic systems directly to MGE for $0.25 per kilowatt hour – around double the residential retail rate. The purchased power is then rolled into MGE’s Green Power Tomorrow program and is purchased by customers who want to support renewable energy and reduce their environmental impacts.

The Clean Power Partners program is currently fully subscribed, but MGE recently requested authorization from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for a significant program expansion. This higher electricity buyback rate coupled with state and expanded federal incentives helps significantly improve the economics of new photovoltaic installations. For information on this program, please visit http://www.mge.com/Home/rates/CleanPower.htm.

Dave,
A few questions. Can I put solar panels on my house and take advantage of them on my energy costs, even though my house is 40 years old? If yes, where can I go to get started on researching how it works, costs, etc.?
Thanks Dave.

Dave's Answer:
Hello Mr. Vincent,

Yes you can install solar modules on your house regardless of its age. The main thing is to place them on a South facing portion of your home that is unshaded all year round.

A great way to get started is to contact Wisconsin's Focus on Energy Program by phone at 800-762-7077 or through their web site at http://www.focusonenergy.com/Renewable/.

You can request a site analysis, research local providers of solar systems and learn about your eligibility for a financial incentive.

Could you provide information on solar installations for electrical contractors?

Thank you.

Hi Dave,

Do the panels still function if covered with snow?

Thanks,
LS

Dave's answer:
Hello LS,

Snow can cut the output of our systems down to zero if it is thick enough. If it is just a light layer of snow, enough sun can get through to actually produce some power.

The dark blue modules will heat up when the sun strikes them and the snow will gradually melt away. Our systems typically shed their snow on the first sunny day that the
temperature gets above 32 degrees.

Thank you for your question.

I've heard that the city of Madison has in place some sort of rebate for homeowners who install energy-saving technologies for their homes. To your knowledge, is such a plan being looked at by the county, or is it instigated by MGE?
Thank you!

Dave's answer:

Hello Nancy,

Madison does offer services to help city residents install solar systems through a program called Madisun at http://www.cityofmadison.com/Sustainability/City/madiSUN/index.cfm.

However, you may be referring to some federal and state incentives:

Newly expanded federal tax credits are available for energy improvements made in 2009 and 2010. For details, visit http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits.

Wisconsin also offers cash back incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements through the Focus on Energy program. Focus also offers information and assessments to help homeowners and businesses make effective energy investments. To find out more, visit http://www.focusonenergy.com/Incentives/ or call 800-762-7077.

With these combined incentives, this is a very good time to make home energy improvements.

Private organizations that install solar PV panels are eligible for a federal tax credit to lower their cost. Is there any source of comparable funding assistance for tax exempt organizations such as churches that want to install solar panels?

Dave's answer:
Religious organizations and non-profit institutions can receive cash back rewards for renewable energy installations through Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program. For information, call 800-762-7077 or visit http://www.focusonenergy.com/Incentives/Renewable/. Focus can also help with reference information, site assessments and contractor referrals to help you choose and install the best equipment for your needs.

The U.S. Department of Energy ENERGY STAR program also offers a green guide for religious institutions at: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/small_business/congregations_guide....

Good luck with your renewable energy project.

Dave,

My wife and I are currently takiing down and rebuilding our lake house on Lake WI near Merrimac. We are trying to build the new home as energy efficiently as possible including geothermal heating systems, radiant floor heating, insulation, passive solar (it faces south west with large decidduous trees blocking the sun in the summer and letting it in in the winter, high efficiency windows, etc. We are also redoing the boat house which will have a pitched roof, half of which faces nearly south and it out beyond the trees toward the lake so bathed in sunshine whenever the skies allow. We would like to cover the south/southwest facing roof with Photovoltaic panels so that we can generate as much energy as possible to use at the house and to feed back into the grid when we're not there and not using very much. My question is roughly how much of an investment this would be up front (the surface of the roof is probably going to be about 160 square feet pitched at about at 45 degree angle), and since this is a home we only use on weekends and occasionally for longer periods here and there, will it be a problem with snow building up on the panels in the winter making them nonfunctional when we're not there. The roof will be very easily accessible from the ground as it will only be 8 or so feet to the leading edge so when we're up there we could work out a means of cleaning off the snow, but that will only be a small percentage of the time in the winter and that is the time we could be returning the most energy to the grid as the house will be in "shut down" mode and not usinig very much. We're not looking for a monetary return in this, but would like to have a "net" energy use as low as possible as our little part of making the world better. Please let me know what you think about the project and where I should go to help our builder with sources and information.

Thank you very much,
Jerry Sielaff

Dave's answer:
Hello Mr. Sielaff,

I commend you and your wife for building as much energy efficiency into your home as possible. That is the most cost effective way of greening up your home. You should be able to get about 1.5 kW of solar on your boat house as it takes about 100 square feet per solar kW. In Wisconsin we are seeing installed costs of $8,500 per kW so expect to see prices in the area of $12,750.00. The final price will be determined by site specific factors.

At a 45 degree tilt, this system will do a good job of shedding snow all by itself. Our 45 degree tilt systems will shed snow the first sunny 32 degree day after a snow fall. If possible try to avoid placing a rain gutter below the panels so the snow doesn't fall off the solar system only to pile up on the gutter and trap the rest of the snow on your panels. You want it to have a free path as it falls to the ground.

You and your builder can get started with more information by visiting the Focus on Energy website. There you can find NABCEP certified solar installers working in your area. You may be eligible for a cash back award. You can also request a site survey.

Good luck with your project!

Dave