Local
Solar energy system (letter to the editor)
By J. Jared Haines
Jul 24, 2008 - 3:04:12 PM

Connecticut residents will soon be paying more for electricity due to a recent rate increase approved for the two utility companies which service the state. Already pressed by rising energy, fuel and food costs, the latest rate increase underscores the ever-increasing need to promote the use of renewable energy sources. The good news is that solar power is now an even more attractive option for Connecticut homeowners.

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) and CT Solar Leasing have combined the state’s already generous Solar Rebate program with a new financing initiative to create an affordable way for moderate income homeowners to have their own, state-of-the-art solar energy system. To qualify, homeowners of one to four-family homes must have household incomes 150% or less than their area’s medium income. The benefits of the new CT Solar Leasing program are numerous:

- No down payment is required.
- There is a low fixed monthly payment over a 15-year lease period. The payment for a $40,000 system could be as low as $112 per month. While electric rates continue to rise, you have essentially fixed your electric rate at close to today’s rates.
- All electricity produced by the system goes to reduce your electric bill.
- There is an option to buy the system after 15 years.

In addition to the leasing program, homeowners who wish to purchase a solar system up front can take advantage of C CCEF’s generous solar rebates as well as federal tax incentives to reduce their investment by 40%.

With all these benefits, it makes good sense for Connecticut homeowners to switch to solar energy, which in addition to saving money on utilities will help reduce global warming and preserve the environment.

To encourage this switch, we urge our local lawmakers, the utility companies and industries that promote renewable energy to make an all-out effort to help the public make informed choices about converting to solar.
J. Jared Haines is president of Mercury Solar Systems, certified installers of solar electric and solar hot water systems for residential and commercial properties, located in Greenwich and New Rochelle, New York.

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