June 21, 2009 — A perfect storm of conditions has come together to make solar energy viable in the Virgin Islands, Pro Forma owner Bill Osborn says.
"Technology has really developed," he says.
Add that to the territory's reliable sunshine, high utility rates and the government's incentive programs that reduce the cost, and it may be time to think about investing in solar.
Osborn, in conjunction with the St. Croix-based iEnergy, is selling solar electric and hot-water systems, as well as wind systems on to homeowners, businesses and non-profit organizations on St. John.
Prices, of course, will vary by the size of your building and the extent of your system, but Osborn says the cost of installing solar is dropping quickly.
"It's dropping by about 4 or 5 percent a year," he says. "The cost is more and more accessible to homeowners and small business."
However, Osborn suggests that people thinking about installing solar wait until fall to buy it, because by then he expects more clarity on rebate programs that fall under the federal stimulus bill.
Those rebates will come through the V.I. Energy Office, but Osborn points out that solar-energy purchasers are also eligible for tax credits on their income tax.
Net metering will also make solar and wind energy more feasible. With this system, people with solar or wind energy systems sell the V.I. Water and Power Authority their excess power rather than store it in batteries. Adding batteries to the system adds to the cost and requires maintenance.
As the program currently is set up, excess power credits are wiped out at the end of the year, Osborn says. Therefore, he suggests that people plan to generate a maximum of 75 percent of their needed usage to prevent them from losing the credits.
For people who want to make sure they have power during extensive outages, such as after a hurricane, Osborn suggested developing a system that uses only a minimal amount of batteries to store enough power needed to run necessities such as the refrigerator and water pump.
Usage is one of the first things Osborn determines when consulting with home and business owners.
"Bring three random power bills," he says.
After that he makes a site visit, works out the details, orders the materials and, when the materials arrive, installs the system.
However, to install an electrical system you'll need a permit from the Planning and Natural Resources Department. Once it's installed, Osborn says, Planning will send an electrical inspector to make sure it's done properly.
A builder who's been on St. John since 1986, Osborn holds an architecture degree from Harvard University.
He has an office in the building across from the Creek in Cruz Bay that houses Margarita's Phil's Restaurant. He's set up informational displays in a room up one flight of stairs from the restaurant. It's open, but not staffed, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Call Osborn at 693-7040.
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