by Bob Hetherington

Here's a nice little tool to give you a quick idea of how you would benefit from the addition of some Photovoltaic Solar Panels on your roof. Simply go to the Calculator Page and enter your zip code to start. The system gives you several options to choose for your system (Left side of the page) and exhibits graphs and diagrams on the right depending on your data selection. For example, here is what the "Net Cost" of the described system in San Diego would be.

And here is the Monthly Output of the system.

You can view the PV system's estimated monthly energy output, or view it on a daily basis along with a typical electrical user's power consumption. You can estimate how much pollution you could prevent with your use of solar energy. You can estimate how much money you'll be saving or paying each month on electricity, or over the system's lifetime, in order to support your green choice.

The Database:

• Electric rate schedules for every utility in the nation, including your city or area
• Federal and state income tax rates
• Available federal, state and utility economic incentives
• Local weather data
• Typical customer electric usage profiles seen by every utility in the nation, for every month of the year
• Estimated photovoltaic system energy output

This tool reflects current technology, electricity costs and financial incentives, but does not predict the future. However, you can vary the PV system installed price and utility rate escalation to see what the future may hold. With the rapid growth of the photovoltaic market, the industry is constantly bettering its record on energy production, pollution prevention and financial feasibility.

Your System Choices:
Choose from a residential or commercial grid-connected photovoltaic power system. You may choose a standard MyGen™ residential PV system, or one with battery backup, the MyGen™ Plus. The commercial systems are specified in lab-rated power of 10 to 100 kiloWatts (10,000 to 100,000 Watts) in size.

Because this program includes potential economic incentives and tax benefits of purchasing a solar energy system, please confirm the availability of the economic incentive with the appropriate agency. Also, consult your tax advisor about the tax deductibility of any interest payments before you purchase a system.