Clean energy expanding even when fossil fuels are cheap

It rises in the east, sets in the west and could be the key to a reduced utility bill if you own a home or business. But how much does it cost to go solar? What kind of incentives or savings are there for people who make the change?

These questions and more will be answered 10 a.m. Monday at the free “Going Solar in North Alabama” workshop hosted by The Foundation of Athens-Limestone Public Library and Energy Alabama at the Athens-Limestone Public Library.

“The purpose of the workshop is for homeowners and small-business owners who are interested in solar to get a rundown of how the tech works, the process one goes through to put solar in their house, tax credits and things like that,” said Daniel Tait, technical director at Energy Alabama.

“It’s just kind of a one-on-one workshop to let people know, ‘Hey, this is what it’s like going solar,'” Tait said.

The workshop is expected to last one to two hours, according to ALPL Foundation Board Member Frank McCollum. The library foundation has been on its own path to solar power, he said, and this workshop is a way for them to share what they’ve learned with the community.

“We want them to learn about what they might do with their home or business in a way that might save them money and be beneficial to the environment,” McCollum said.

To that end, the workshop will cover a variety of topics, including the best way to place a rooftop installation and how to maintain the system once it’s installed. Tait said they will also go over national trends and how they affect Alabamians.

“Everyone says solar is booming and prices are coming down, but we’ll talk about what that means for Alabama,” Tait said. “We’ll talk about price trends over the last five or six years, employment trends — what the industry is actually doing.”

Local programs and incentives will also be reviewed. For example, TVA’s Green Power Providers allows homeowners and businesses the chance to install a solar, wind, biomass or low-impact hydropower system generating 50 kilowatts or less, then receive payment for the energy produced.

“That’s probably going to be the most common way for homeowners,” Tait said. “Businesses can participate in the same program, or they can do ‘behind the meter,’ which is what the library is looking at. You use all the energy you get on the site, and then buy whatever you still need from the utility. We’ll talk a little about all of that.”

For more information on Energy Alabama, visit www.energyalabama.org or call 256-812-1431. For more information on The Foundation of ALPL, visit www.alcplfoundation.org.