March Gladness

After two terrible months for rooftop solar energy production, it was great to see a $7.29 electric bill for March.

On top of frequent and persistent snowfalls keeping our front 18 solar panels covered with snow for the first two months of 2021, solar production is typically lower in the months surrounding the winter solstice in late December.

Fortunately, I was able to clear the snow off our back 11 solar panels a few times during those months (a clear advantage of having ground mounted solar panels would be that they could be cleared of snow more easily and safely).

Since our December 2020 bill was $54.21 and November 2020 was $48.46, and the bills for the months preceding that were in the low $7 range, one might guesstimate that our total electric bills for 2021 will total about $253.

Keep in mind that amount includes powering the house and charging our Chevy Bolt EV, which is used for the majority of our travel. Also, our electric utility is set-up with net metering, where we “bank” (1kW for 1kW) during the months we produce more electricity than we use.

Guesstimating a step further, if we sell 8 SRECs in 2021 at their current price (fluctuates) of $33 each, less sales commissions, our total out-of-pocket electricity cost for 2021 will be about $10 for both the house and 8,000 miles of Chevy Bolt EV travel.

Most importantly of course, is all the air pollution we spare our western Pennsylvania region.

The 26-percent federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) has been extended until the end of 2022, when it lowers to 22-percent for 2023. If you are able to take advantage of that tax credit, it will save you money when purchasing your own home solar system.

Bob