Springville family part of push to use clean energy

Janice Peterson

Utah may not be the Sunshine State, but a Springville man is harnessing the sun's energy to use more clean power anyway.

Michael Preuss has always been interested in solar power, and he said he became serious about buying a system last fall. Now, Preuss has a 12-panel solar power system in his yard that has the potential to produce all the energy he needs for his home.

Preuss said he has had his 2,400 watt system for about a month and has not received his first electric bill since the change. Even so, he said the effects of the clean energy are already becoming apparent.

"Today, it's producing more energy than we're using," he said.

In the last month, the solar panels have produced an average of 80 percent of the power the home has used, but Preuss said the month has also had a number of cloudy and snowy days, so there is potential for much more.

The $28,000 system is pricey, but Preuss said the cost is worth it to save coal-powered energy and be more earth-friendly. There is a drive for people to use more clean energy, but Preuss said the demand is not high enough yet.

"I think some people use too much [electricity]," he said. "They use it like there's an endless supply. I think there will be an end to it, maybe in 50 or 100 years."

The state Legislature recently approved a bill that encourages power companies to increase their use of renewable energy sources in the next 17 years. It "provides that 20 percent of an electrical corporation's or municipal electric utility's adjusted retail electric sales beginning in the year 2025 come from qualifying electricity, including renewable energy resources, if cost effective." The bill is waiting for the governor's signature.

The change to clean energy is important to Preuss, although it is expensive at times. The system may take up to 20 years to pay for itself, depending or incentives from the city, state and federal governments. Preuss said Utah and the federal government each offer tax credits for up to $2,000, and some power companies offer net metering opportunities. Net metering allows customers with solar power to connect to the power grid and receive a reimbursement for any extra electricity their system generates.

Although solar panel systems are not common in Utah, Preuss is not alone in his desire to conserve energy, and several agencies around Utah are trying to make the task easier for citizens. According to www.utahcleanenergy.org, several agencies provide tax incentives or rebates for clean energy use.

Utah provides a tax credit for homes and businesses who use qualifying energy sources, including wind generation, solar, biomass, landfill gas, anaerobic digestion, hydroelectricity and geothermal energy. Some power companies around the state, including Rocky Mountain Power, also offer net metering to customers. Locally, Questar Gas also offers rebates for energy efficient machines, including solar-powered water heating systems.

Springville's power company does not currently offer net metering to customers, but Preuss said the city is supportive and will meet this month to discuss an agreement.

Preuss said he tries to conserve energy in a variety of ways, including using LED lightbulbs that use only 3 watts each and driving a biodiesel-powered car. Preuss also uses irrigation water as much as possible to reduce the demand on the city's culinary water.

While conserving resources is important to Preuss, he said a large motivating factor is also the cost savings. His car can get up to 45 miles per gallon, and the solar panel system will likely reduce his average electric bill from $75 to $25. Preuss said he is also doing work on his 50-year-old home to make it more energy efficient.

"We've been fixing it up, insulating it and sealing up leaks," he said. "So that keeps the heating bill down."

Preuss said he plans to put another layer of siding on the outside of his home at some point in the future, and he said homebuilders ought to do more themselves to make homes more energy efficient.

Brad Stevens, owner of Green Power Solutions Inc., said fewer than one percent of Utahns use solar power now, but the number is growing. Although Utah is not as sunny as other states, Stevens said that factor is not as important as it seems. Germany has led the United States in solar power for the last five years, and it has less sunlight, he said.

Solar power may become more popular because its technology has improved, and it is currently ahead of other kinds of clean energy. Because of the interest in clean energy, Stevens said most of the technology will improve in the next few years.

Stevens said Honda is currently manufacturing a car that runs on hydrogen and uses solar power to break down the gas molecules. The only hindrance to the car being used nationally is the lack of service stations in every state, he said. "We're going to see a lot of those technologies coming," he said.

For more information on clean energy incentives, visit www.utahcleanenergy.org.