By Independent Press
February 18, 2010, 10:51AM
By Robert Kopacz
WATCHUNG — Somerset County’s new solar energy initiative announced back on Jan. 26 has many municipal officials talking about the possibilities of solar energy to lower public sector energy costs. But Watchung resident Richard Wellbrock is doing more than talking about it. He’s living it.
Richard Wellbrock
“I’m way ahead of them,” notes Dr. Wellbrock, a longtime Watchung resident. He installed four solar panels on his house in Watchung eight years ago, taking advantage of rebates offered by the state of New Jersey back then. At the time, such a system, including installation, cost $50,000. Under the New Jersey rebate scheme, the State covered $40,000.
He was inspired by a British Petroleum solar energy exhibit at the New Jersey Flower Show. They directed him to a California company, which arranged not only the installation, but also the paperwork necessary to secure the rebate.
The results have been impressive. Dr. Wellbock’s solar-equipped home not only generates significant energy savings, but also makes him eligible for federal tax credits. In addition, the local utility is paying him an amount per kilowatt for the energy they don’t have to generate, what the utility refers to as “avoided costs.”
He notes that without the state subsidies and tax credits, the investment would not be attractive, a common objection faced by proponents of solar energy. In his view, government officials need to do more careful analysis of their solar power strategy if it is to succeed.
“It needs a lot more thought than all the speech-making that goes on,” he says, noting that solar energy cannot be stored or easily transported, a major drawback when compared to carbon based fuels. The bulky infrastructure required for solar energy can also create obstacles to normal home maintenance. Wellbrock notes that he will have to dismantle the solar panel installation in order to put a new roof on his home. He now wishes he had put a new roof on before he installed the solar panels. He also had to cut down four large oak trees on his property in order to generate enough sunlight for the panels.
He recommends that future building codes have “solar ready” provisions, to provide for solar infrastructures built into future homes facilitating installations and future repairs like the re-roofing for Wellbrock’s home.
Somerset County officials are hailing their new program as a way to lower municipal and school district energy costs through a public-private partnership mechanism. Under the program, a private company will lease roof space from municipal and school district buildings and install solar energy panels on them, taking advantage of the various subsidies and tax credits otherwise not available to the local governments. The private company will then sell the solar power at vastly lower rates to the public entity, realizing a cost savings. Both the borough and the school district in Watchung are now studying the county program.
For more information, go to the Somerset County website at co.somerset.nj.us
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