POSTED: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 4:44pm
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 - 9:31am
If you haven't gone solar yet, maybe this is your time in the sun.
The City of El Paso is teaming up with El Paso Electric to put the sun in "Sun City" to good use.
A seven to one city council vote on the Solar Rooftop Program is giving more incentives to those who buy solar energy systems.
On average, a medium sized home uses about four kilowatts a year.
A new rebate would give customers $3,000 back for every one kilowatt they use.
The City's Sustainability Manager, Marty Howell, says this new rebate could cut the cost of a solar system by more than half.
"He said he put in a two kilowatt system, which may actually be the right size for this new deal. The cost started at $15,000, which that's staggering,but I was punching the numbers and I think when he's done that cost is going to be down around $5,000 or less," Howell said.
Howell adds that after the rebate customers can also get a 30% federal tax credit.
There are some rules though, your solar installation cannot generate more power than you use.
That way, no one can sell back the energy they're making.