The Brightest Way to Light Your Day

Mike Buday

“I want to go SOLAR.” - I hear it all the time from people of all different ages and backgrounds.  You see, I work for the state’s leading installer of solar energy systems and when people walk in or call, they know that they want to go green, but they don’t know how to go about it.  They know that they’re fed up with rising energy costs and with their utility companies in general, but they don’t know how to get around them.  That’s where I come in.  I explain how the technology works and what the incentives are.  I also find out if their expectations are realistic.  You can’t plug everything in your house into one solar panel and have it all run 24/7.  You can’t run your house on solar if your property doesn’t get any sunlight.  But, there is a lot we can do with solar.

People are often surprised to find out how well certain solar applications work in Michigan.  They’re surprised to hear that Michigan gets more sun in the summer than Florida or that we get as much sun here as they do in Germany.  And, Germany happens to be the global leader in the production and consumption of solar technology - by far.

Most people are even more surprised to learn that there are companies in Michigan that have been installing solar and other energy-efficient equipment since the mid-eighties, and that thousands of systems have been installed over the last 22 years!

Generally, the first thing that homeowners and business owners want is a system that generates electricity.  Photovoltaic (meaning electricity from light) energy is the sexiest thing that solar has got to offer.  It’s probably the coolest technology ever invented.  However, it’s also the most expensive of solar technologies.  Solar electric systems should be the last solar application we consider, not the first.  Solar thermal systems and solar lighting systems are installed at a fraction of the cost of electric systems and they pay for themselves in less than half the time.  Some systems pay for themselves in less than two years, offering return on investments of over 50 percent!

People ask me about the payback of different systems.  I ask them about the payback of their luxury SUV or their tall latte.  I also ask them to consider the environmental payback of their energy systems.  Residential-scale solar energy systems can reduce emissions of carbon and other pollutants by several tons per year.  I ask people to consider the geopolitical payback of their energy choices.  Solar energy systems are fed with sunlight right from their own backyard and put dollars right into their own pockets.  Most fossil fuels come from countries we might not want to do business with and we end up putting lots of our dollars into their pocketbooks.

We might not be able to completely eliminate our need for fossil fuels.  But, we can reduce our dependence on those fuels.  We can generate more and more of our own energy and with clean technology.  We have choices and our choices include harnessing energy from the sun, which is the brightestway to heat, light, and power a home or business.

If you are considering the SOLAR choice, this is a really good time.  The federal government understands how important it is that we move towards energy independence and clean sources of energy and will pay for 30 percent of your system (up to $2000 for most types of residential systems and unlimited for businesses) if you install before the end of 2008. 

Mike Buday designs and installs solar energy systems for Mechanical Energy Systems in Canton, MI.  You can reach them at (734) 453-6746 or info@by-solar.com  Website:  www.by-solar.com