Rooftop solar, backyard wind turbines catching on inthe Injection mold fast! the suburbs
Among rows of shingled roofs, Dan and Karen Cripe's Round Rock home with its 24 solar panels on a metal roof sticks out like an energy-efficient oddity.
About 10 miles away in eastern Williamson County, Mike Philo's 39-foot wind turbine steadily turns as it produces energy for his 2,400-square-foot home.
Although rooftop solar energy has become more common in Austin, people like the Cripes and Philo are somewhat of a rarity in the suburbs.
Smaller Central Texas cities, however, have recently taken steps to make it easier for green-minded residents to harness the elements.Save on hydraulic hose and fittings,
"We all see alternative energy systems, and rain water harvest systems, as being something that will probably be more common in the future," Leander Planning Director David Hutton said. "With the cost of energy and water increasing, and also the instability of the price of energy, it's going to be something that people will want to have alternative options for."
Last month, the Leander City Council approved a set of zoning laws with guidelines for rooftop and free-standing solar panels and backyard wind turbines. Residents may set up a wind turbine as long as it's clear of utility lines and well clear of property lines (the distance from the property line must be 125 percent of the height of the turbine), and solar panels must be positioned to prevent glare on other homes.
In late June,The same Air purifier, cover removed. San Marcos also made zoning changes to permit residential solar and wind generation. Georgetown recently updated its zoning laws to allow solar panels on commercial buildings without having to be hidden from view. The city is considering further changes.
Last month, Gov. Rick Perry signed into law a bill that prohibits neighborhood associations from banning solar energy devices in most cases, but it does not address wind power.
In Austin, nearly 1,200 residential utility customers use solar power, more than four times the number just five years ago.
"I know there's a whole lot more interest in it now," said Eddie Ferguson , area manager for the electric utility Oncor, which serves roughly 110,000 customers in Williamson and Travis counties. "I see more and more small solar installations all the time, and we've had more inquiries about people wanting to put in small wind generators also."
Craig Overmiller , who owns Texas Solar Power Co., said his company, which installs solar panels and wind turbines, has seen solar power demand in suburban areas increase by about 40 percent in the past two years. He said customers asking for wind turbines has also increased, but to a lesser extent, roughly 10 percent, because not as many incentives are available.
The lower cost of solar panels, federal rebates and local rebates, in some cases, have also fueled demand, he said.
The panels on the Cripes' roof, installed last year, cost the couple $10,000 , after an $11,000 rebate from their energy provider, Oncor, and a $4,000 federal tax credit. The solar panels, along with other features, such as spray foam insulation and a geothermal heat pump,This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. combine to give the couple a credit some months on their electricity bill for their 1,440-square-foot home because they produce more electricity than they use, Karen Cripe said.
She said it will probably take roughly seven years for the solar panels to pay for themselves.
"To live in Texas and have all this sun and not use it seems insane to me," Cripe said.
Her solar panel system produces five kilowatts per hour. A typical 16-cubic-foot refrigerator uses 725 watts per hour.
Philo said he bought his home on 12 acres partly because it included the wind turbine, installed about three years ago by the previous owner. It turns when winds reach 5 miles per hour and generates about 4 kilowatts of electricity per hour for his home.
It doesn't generate all the electricity he needs,The Leading zentai suits Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers. but he estimates it's saved him about $750 since he moved in last September .
He hopes to set up solar panels on the home by next summer, he said.
On a recent windy day, the turbine's blades gave off a steady hum as his six cows grazed nearby and wind chimes from his back porch clanged together. The nearest home is acres away, and the turbine can be seen in the distance from the county road in front of his land.
"There have probably been a few days where it hasn't turned at all," Philo said. "But, the last three months, it's been blowing all the time. It looks like it's a helicopter taking off out there."
Among rows of shingled roofs, Dan and Karen Cripe's Round Rock home with its 24 solar panels on a metal roof sticks out like an energy-efficient oddity.
About 10 miles away in eastern Williamson County, Mike Philo's 39-foot wind turbine steadily turns as it produces energy for his 2,400-square-foot home.
Although rooftop solar energy has become more common in Austin, people like the Cripes and Philo are somewhat of a rarity in the suburbs.
Smaller Central Texas cities, however, have recently taken steps to make it easier for green-minded residents to harness the elements.Save on hydraulic hose and fittings,
"We all see alternative energy systems, and rain water harvest systems, as being something that will probably be more common in the future," Leander Planning Director David Hutton said. "With the cost of energy and water increasing, and also the instability of the price of energy, it's going to be something that people will want to have alternative options for."
Last month, the Leander City Council approved a set of zoning laws with guidelines for rooftop and free-standing solar panels and backyard wind turbines. Residents may set up a wind turbine as long as it's clear of utility lines and well clear of property lines (the distance from the property line must be 125 percent of the height of the turbine), and solar panels must be positioned to prevent glare on other homes.
In late June,The same Air purifier, cover removed. San Marcos also made zoning changes to permit residential solar and wind generation. Georgetown recently updated its zoning laws to allow solar panels on commercial buildings without having to be hidden from view. The city is considering further changes.
Last month, Gov. Rick Perry signed into law a bill that prohibits neighborhood associations from banning solar energy devices in most cases, but it does not address wind power.
In Austin, nearly 1,200 residential utility customers use solar power, more than four times the number just five years ago.
"I know there's a whole lot more interest in it now," said Eddie Ferguson , area manager for the electric utility Oncor, which serves roughly 110,000 customers in Williamson and Travis counties. "I see more and more small solar installations all the time, and we've had more inquiries about people wanting to put in small wind generators also."
Craig Overmiller , who owns Texas Solar Power Co., said his company, which installs solar panels and wind turbines, has seen solar power demand in suburban areas increase by about 40 percent in the past two years. He said customers asking for wind turbines has also increased, but to a lesser extent, roughly 10 percent, because not as many incentives are available.
The lower cost of solar panels, federal rebates and local rebates, in some cases, have also fueled demand, he said.
The panels on the Cripes' roof, installed last year, cost the couple $10,000 , after an $11,000 rebate from their energy provider, Oncor, and a $4,000 federal tax credit. The solar panels, along with other features, such as spray foam insulation and a geothermal heat pump,This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. combine to give the couple a credit some months on their electricity bill for their 1,440-square-foot home because they produce more electricity than they use, Karen Cripe said.
She said it will probably take roughly seven years for the solar panels to pay for themselves.
"To live in Texas and have all this sun and not use it seems insane to me," Cripe said.
Her solar panel system produces five kilowatts per hour. A typical 16-cubic-foot refrigerator uses 725 watts per hour.
Philo said he bought his home on 12 acres partly because it included the wind turbine, installed about three years ago by the previous owner. It turns when winds reach 5 miles per hour and generates about 4 kilowatts of electricity per hour for his home.
It doesn't generate all the electricity he needs,The Leading zentai suits Distributor to Independent Pet Retailers. but he estimates it's saved him about $750 since he moved in last September .
He hopes to set up solar panels on the home by next summer, he said.
On a recent windy day, the turbine's blades gave off a steady hum as his six cows grazed nearby and wind chimes from his back porch clanged together. The nearest home is acres away, and the turbine can be seen in the distance from the county road in front of his land.
"There have probably been a few days where it hasn't turned at all," Philo said. "But, the last three months, it's been blowing all the time. It looks like it's a helicopter taking off out there."
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