Waldt Renewables, a division of Waldt Construction, is pleased to announce another renewable energy installation in North Eastern North Carolina. Waldt installed a 4.75kW photovoltaic system at the home of John and Robin Sams in Edenton, North Carolina. This system addressed the Samses need to provide their waterfront home with energy assurance in the event of a power disruption due to hurricanes and other events. They also wanted to reduce energy dependence on the grid and sell additional power, not required by their battery back-up system back to Edenton’s Electrical Coop.   This system will provide all of the Sams’ 110 volt power requirements on a daily basis and during grid power outages.

“We were delighted to work with Mr. Sams to design a renewable energy solution that met his needs,” states Claiborne Yarbrough, Director, Waldt Renewables. “John had a very clear idea of what he wanted to do with his system, which relied on a new dual-inverter technology that was not feasible even three years ago. By installing this system, we are on the cutting edge of what’s possible for solar installation for home owners.”

The solar solution, comprised of 21 Yingli panels and a dual Outback Inverter system with battery backup, has been successfully installed for just over a month. In the first month of operation the system produced more energy than the total energy demand coming from the home. If the system performs to full capacity, it should result in an annual savings of $665. As the cost of energy rises the savings will increase.

Because the Samses will leverage tax credits of 65% of the installed cost of the system from the state and federal government this year and resell power to Edenton’s Electrical Coop and take the NC Green Power  Solar generation premium, they anticipate that the system will provide a 5% Return on Investment. “Based on my calculations, and depending on battery life, my return on investment in the system will be greater than what I currently earn against money held in CDs or other traditional forms of investment,” states Mr. Sams.

“The combination of these unprecedented tax savings, the savings on our energy bill, the payments for energy that I sell back into the grid and providing quiet energy to my household in the event of a power disruption were the driving factors in our decision to install a solar solution,” states Mr. Sams. “I also believe that it is desirable for more homeowners to be less reliant on our national grid, and that over time this is an important element of our entire energy portfolio.”

Waldt Renewables worked closely with the Town of Edentonand its local electrical coop to make sure that the all parties were comfortable with the technology and safety of the system. Davco Electrical provided all of the electrical services related to the system. All parties agreed that this was an educational opportunity to understand the sophisticated technology for this cutting edge solution.

Waldt Renewables is ready to provide the latest and most efficient alternative energy options for residential, commercial or institutional projects. For more information, call 252.491.2204 or email renewables@waldt.com.

This is an older article that I ran across but there are several interesting points in here. The author and publication is cited for your reference.

Richard Harkrader, Carolina Energy, News and Observer, December 27,2010

DURHAM — As the owner of a company that has installed many large-scale solar projects, I’d like to share some of the positive news on energy and jobs happening across our state.

The criticism of “green energy” and North Carolina’s Renewable Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) is that it’s too expensive. In considering how to meet our growing demand for electricity we must recognize that all new electricity generation will be more expensive than the electricity coming from existing decades-old coal- and nuclear-fueled power plants. The question we need to be asking is: “What’s the best resource mix to meet our future electricity needs that makes us more secure, yields stable energy prices and creates more jobs in North Carolina?”

No one resource – whether coal, nuclear, energy efficiency or renewables – will be the best or do the entire job. As one option, renewable energy is proving itself to be a clean, cost-effective energy source in the state. In addition, North Carolinians overwhelmingly (75 percent or higher in recent polls ) support our transition to using clean energy sources and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

All forms of energy are heavily subsidized, but this is not apparent, because nuclear and fossil fuel subsidies are written permanently into tax codes while renewable subsidies must be reauthorized every few years. The Environmental Law Institute estimates subsidies for fossil fuels in 2002-2008 were $72.5 billion compared to $12.2 billion for renewable energy (excluding ethanol). Competitive markets and investors have spoken loudly on which energy resources are preferred. In 2009, wind, solar and other renewables accounted for 42 percent of all new U.S. generating capacity, natural gas 43 percent and coal only 13
percent. The U.S. installed 10 gigawatts (GW) of windpower in 2009 – nearly twice the 6 GW of coal added from 2000 – 2009. Nuclear power’s share, meanwhile, fell to around 13 percent in 2008, according to International Atomic Energy Agency data. Critics complain that the cost of North Carolina’s Renewable Efficiency Portfolio Standard is too high, without saying what would be less costly. Here are the facts: The cost of solar energy has fallen by over 60 percent since 2007 and all renewables are expected to decline further over the coming years, while the cost of new coal and nuclear generation continue to rise.

Last month, the “renewable energy rider” charge on my Duke Energy power bill was $.27, or $3.24 per year. My electric bill has changed more than $4 in one month due to “fuel adjustment” charges. Similar to the situation with subsidies, the cost of renewable energy appears on our bill, but the volatile cost of uclear, coal and natural gas fuels is hidden in an innocuous fuel charge. North Carolina’s REPS law has clearly been effective.

Earlier this year, the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association conservatively identified 12,500 renewable energy and energy efficiency jobs in all 100 counties of our state. Over 1,100 clean energy companies are contributing more than $3.5 billion into our economy – made possible in large part by the REPS. Do opponents who are arguing for repeal of the REPS want to put these companies out of business and send their employees to the unemployment line? Clearly,
North Carolina should not walk away from one of the fastest-growing industries in our state and the world.  One part of the REPS that is inefficient and wasteful is the part that allows 25 percent of the power utilities’ clean energy to come from outside of North Carolina. This “out of state” provision was introduced and lobbied for by conservatives who said it would lower costs. North Carolina is the only state that allows this, but more importantly, it goes against the intention of the law to create jobs and promote clean energy in N.C.

Let’s do have a discussion in the 2011 General Assembly about our energy future – but it must be with accurate information.

I ran across an interesting blog in Renewable Energy News this morning… it was discussing whether or not renewable energy can survive without government incentives. The author concludes “I truly believe — and again this in my personal opinion — that we shouldn’t be choosing between oil production and renewables. What we should be focusing on is energy, regardless of the source. Put another way, our energy independence will only come from aggressive support for all types of domestic energy, so rather than cutting incentives to any sector of the energy industry, we should be spending more.”

Read the entire article here…