Solar power ramping up in Ga., but growth could be slow

The costs to install have fallen steeply, but that decline has likely bottomed out, according to Andrew Saunders, environmental coordinator for Athens-Clarke County.

And after 2016, a federal tax credit of 30 percent of the cost of solar and other green energy systems will decline to 10 percent — so in 2017, an $18,000 solar installation, now $12,600 after the tax credit, will cost $3,600 more. That adds five years to the time in which the system would pay for itself by reducing the amount of electricity that has to be purchased, Saunders said.

Another reason to move now on home solar installations is that interest rates are low, he said.

Saunders was one of several speakers at what was billed as a town-hall meeting on solar power recently at Athens' Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, but the event felt more like a rally.

Georgia Power and two local utilities, Jackson EMC and Walton EMC, all offer programs through which customers can buy solar or other green power and even sell power back to the companies when the electricity goes into the grid. Jackson EMC's program is the most favorable for Athens, Saunders told about 100 people gathered in the church.

"They'll buy from you at the same rate they sell," he said.

Another speaker, Presbyterian minister Kate McGregor Mosely, is encouraging church congregations to put in solar installations.

"The faith community has great influence to address sustainability policies in our state," she said. "This is our moral duty to discuss these matters."

Solar generation is only a small part of the state's electric-generating capacity, but it can grew much greater, she said.

In fact, in recent years, Georgia has seen more growth in solar-generating capacity than any other state, said Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols.

About 90 percent of the state's solar capacity is industrial-scale, like a large installation in Walton County or a 500-acre installation near Bainbridge with more than 80 megawatts of capacity.

"That's the way Georgia has gotten ahead so quickly," Echols said. "I have been leaning toward the larger arrays because we get more bang for our buck." The big arrays cost about half what home arrays cost per unit of generating power, according to Echols.

Larger arrays pay off on the home front, though, Saunders said. The cost of a 5-kilowatt installation is about $3.60 per watt; for a 10-kilowatt installation, it's $3 per watt.

Government agencies have a few solar installations in Athens-Clarke County, including solar thermal panels that provide about 69 percent of the heating needs for a correctional facility's food preparation area. Solar power is more expensive for the government, which doesn't get the tax credits that make solar more affordable for homeowners — nor do governments get rebates from installers, Saunders explained.

Jennette Gayer of Environment Georgia asked attendees to think about ways to push Georgia toward more solar generation, including setting goals, getting solar panels installed on public property, establishing favorable financing plans and putting solar energy considerations into tax codes and even building codes.

"You won't require solar in every building, but require every building to be solar-ready," she said. "I think Athens can be the model for leading the way."