Mainers go solar...

The Maine State Solar Incentive Program, run by the state Public Utilities Commission's Efficiency Maine program, ran out of this year's money on June 20.

"That is earlier than ever before," said Fred Bever, commission spokesman.

So many people have already applied for next year's funding, there will be little or no additional rebates made next year, Bever said.

The rebate program was created three years ago to encourage Mainers to use solar energy to heat their homes and provide hot water. Each year the program gives out $500,000 in rebates to homeowners and businesses. The program is funded through a tiny surcharge on electricity bills.

The rebates provide up to $3,000 for residential systems and up to $10,500 for commercial systems. The systems must be installed by licensed plumbers trained to do the work.

Other states are more generous. Massachusetts has set up a program that will distribute $68 million in rebates for commercial and residential solar projects during the next four years.

Although Maine's rebate funds are already used up for the next two years, there are still federal tax credits to help homeowners offset the cost of installing a solar hot-water system this year, which typically costs about $11,000 for a household of three to four people. The tax credit, which may be extended by Congress for next year, covers 30 percent of the cost of solar water-heating and solar electricity-generation systems in residences, up to $2,000.

Some dealers and installers say interest in solar energy systems remains high, even though the state rebate program has run out of money.

"People are still flocking to these systems, " said Phil Coupe, co-owner of Revision Energy in Portland and Liberty.

He said many people are interested in the systems not just to save money, but also because they want to avoid using fossil fuels that are believed to contribute to global warming.

Theresa Foster is going ahead with a solar hot-water system at her Windham home, even without the state rebate.

She said she decided to go solar after discovering she was spending $50 a month just to keep the pilot light running on her gas-fired water heater. She said her new system, which will cost less than $9,000, will pay for itself in fuel savings in six years. "Then, after that, it is all free," she said.

Suzan Elichaa, owner of Solaris, a Portland company that installs solar hot-water systems, said the state's solar rebate program should be expanded beyond $500,000 a year.

Elichaa pointed to the recent report by the Pre-Emergency Energy Task Force calling for a $3 billion investment to insulate and air-seal Maine's 477,000 homes in the next 10 years.

"Let's redirect a small portion of the $3 billion to the solar program that solves the problem permanently," Elichaa said.

Staff Writer Beth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at:

bquimby@pressherald.com

Article taken from the Portland Press Herald