AgSun Solar Electric Sales of Janesville, WI installs solar panels at Midwest Prairies --
Photovoltaic solar system
AgSun had our solar panels up and running on May 14, 2009. They are great people to work with and communication with them is prompt. Now, for the best part. We produced 1638 KWH in our first 30 days of operation and generated $409.50. A check came in the mail with our electric bill for the difference of what we used and what we produced. We have never been so excited to receive an electric bill before. From May 14, 2009 through December 2009 we have produced 8,811 Kwh totaling $2200.
This system was designed to provide our electrical needs based on our previous year's usage. Therefore, over the course of a year, we should break even with our electrical usage and what we are generating back to Alliant Energy.
Incentives are good right now. Our rebate from Focus on Energy was received within two months of hookup. Way to go Focus on Energy for your prompt turn over on our rebate. On August 2, 2009 we applied for our 30% government rebate and received it by the middle of October. The rebates will cover 55% of our total costs.
Many of you have contacted us for additional information. I'm going to list the FAQ and our response.
- What was the cost of our system? $75,500 installed
- How many panels? 60
- Brand name? Sharp
- Estimated output? 10.2 kwh
- Is angle adjustable? Yes - we chose to adjust panels manually
- Do we have a snow & ice buildup? We did have some snow after the big snowstorm in December but we took an ice rake and raked it off. Took about 10 minutes. Otherwise, the panels have been staying nice and clean.
- Could the pillars have been shorter? Probably
- What is your energy usage? 13,000 kwh per year
- What is your payback? We are estimating 11.4 years based on projections. We'll know more after we have a full year of history.
- What is your program with Alliant? We are selling all electricity produced on the grid for 0.25 cents per kwh. This is the program Alliant was offering at the time of our installation to encourage solar.
"BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD" - Mahatma Gandhi