Nailing it Down
By Dave Murnen and Pat Beaty
Have you ever wondered if solar power could be a viable power source here?
Believe it or not, more than 20 homes in our county have successfully harnessed solar energy, and you have the opportunity to see for yourself how solar panels work in Grays Harbor.
Come to the Solar Home Tour &Energy Fair next Saturday, Aug. 26, in Aberdeen to get some of your questions answered and for an opportunity to tour four local solar-powered homes.
We here at NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor are one of the sponsors of this first-time event, which will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Gateway Center lot, which is right next to the Tesla charging station at the corner of Wishkah and F streets in downtown Aberdeen.
Spearheaded by Liz Ellis, who has also successfully organized the Randall Street Community Garden, this free event will feature a variety of information about solar energy. Liz neither sells nor installs solar panels, but advocates for more solar energy use as a “truly clean energy source.”
“County residents should consider solar as a viable means to lower their PUD electric bill while getting paid for the power their panels generate,” she said.
An Aberdeen homeowner with solar energy panels herself, Liz isn’t necessarily advocating that people “get off the grid,” but rather that they use solar energy to greatly supplement what the PUD supplies.
“By being connected to the grid, we get a buy-back through a program at the state level that purchases power back from solar users. If you’re not attached to the grid, you don’t get that,” she explained.
AT THE ENERGY FAIR
At next Saturday’s solar energy fair, a Solar 101 class will be offered in the morning and afternoon and a guided van tour of Aberdeen homes with solar energy will leave on the hour from the festival site. Liz’s house is one of those featured on the tour.
“The exciting point I’m hoping to communicate is that solar power works here. We’d like to share our experiences as homeowners who have solar power systems in Aberdeen,” she said.
Other features of the festival include exhibits by South Sound Solar of Olympia, which sells and installs solar equipment; Generations Credit Union, which has a lot of experience financing solar energy systems; the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which offers grants to businesses for installing solar systems; and Citizens for a Clean Harbor, a group that advocates keeping coal and oil from coming to the Port of Grays Harbor.
Fun activities for children — including free face painting, South Sound Solar’s “SolarRover” and a solar-powered dancing man — will add to the festivities.
You can also see various electrically powered vehicles and tools, and learn how you can lower your use of CO2-generating fossil fuels.
And of course, we’ll be there too!
IS SOLAR AFFORDABLE?
Many people in typically rainy, cloudy Grays Harbor think solar power is a great idea, but worry that it is not reliable or affordable.
The good news is that technology has improved, prices have come down and some good programs have sprouted up that make solar energy a viable option — even here.
“From mid-November to mid-February, the least amount of solar energy is produced here because of the days being the shortest and the sun being lower in the sky. Some homes may need electricity from the PUD to supplement what their solar panels produce,” Liz said.
“People will be able to see a graph showing the solar production of that system charted against the electrical use of each home on the tour. It will surprise folks that most of the time we are producing more energy than we are using,” she said. “I think the big surprise for some people is that we can generate power even when it’s raining.”
While each system is different and each household uses energy differently, Liz says the system at her house will pay for itself in less than six years. “After that, we’ll be saving and making money.”
For more information about the festival or solar energy, contact Liz at harborsolar@yahoo.com.
Neighborhood SURVEY
In other news, we wanted to remind you all — especially those who live on the south side of Aberdeen — that we are in the middle of conducting a random house survey in a neighborhood in South Aberdeen.
We have volunteers attempting to get feedback from most of the houses between the Chehalis Bridge and the Westport highway, and from Boone Street to the river.
Please participate when a volunteer in a green “I Love Grays Harbor” shirt knocks on your door. The survey is available at our office and at the Aberdeen Dennis Co. We will have them at the Solar Fair, too. Thanks in advance!
FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERs
First-time home buyer? To get the best loans, get educated. Check out HomeSage.org for your internet home-buyer education and housing counseling needs. We here at NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor will help you get it done.
Dave Murnen and Pat Beaty are construction specialists at NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor County, where Murnen is executive director. For questions about home repair, renting, remodeling or buying, call 360-533-7828 or visit 710 E. Market St. in Aberdeen.
