Going Solar

Going Solar. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

We talk a lot about saving money by going green and indeed you can in the long run save money and energy by incorporating green technologies in the home and on the farm. But the reality is that in many instances, it can be a substantial up front investment. Actress Patricia Tallman is best known for her role as Lyta Alexander on the TV show Babylon 5 but she is a major advocate for energy efficient technologies.

TALLMAN: One of my passions is to turn my house into a living example and I want to invite all neighbors and I want to invite everyone to come over and watch the work in progress. I have kind of a long deep property and they’re going to put in this solar electrical array.

Tallman is working with a group out of S. California called Living Green and while solar arrays are on the expensive side she says this company has a new approach.

TALLMAN: The program that I am on because I am in a financially – like a lot of people – in a financially challenged position I can’t afford to refinance into an electrical array that I can pay for, so I’m leasing this. And what they do now is going along with all the new programs that are coming out and it’s brand new, the company has a group of investors, the investors put up solar arrays and they sell back the electricity they generate.

This idea is beginning to take off around the country and Tallman says the benefits can be substantial.

TALLMAN: The benefit for me is that I not only reduce my – they’re going to sell me back my power, my power will be about 40% what I am paying now and that rate will be locked in for 20 years. You know your rates go up every year by percentages? Mine won’t. Not for 20 years and I am planning to be here and retire on this property so I’m really happy about that idea – and no money out of my pocket, at all.

She says that like wind turbines that generate electricity and feed back into the system so too can solar arrays be used and they can really be placed just about anywhere there is a clear access to the sky.

TALLMAN: Not only are they using residential areas like this but they’re looking into abandoned buildings, how about parking garages? In Southern California and Northern California we have a lot of space, an abundance of space that’s not being used – that could be used. Car dealerships do, hospitals often do so there’s all kinds of possibilities.

In addition Tallman urges everyone to look at simple things inside your home to help relieve the electrical burden like lighting and appliances. The website is livinggreensc.com.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.