More high wattage (the renewable kind) is topping roofs (and now, poles) in Ypsilanti this winter.
When temperatures turn warmer, probably by next month, the
Ypsilanti Food Co-op will be adding solar panels to generate another four kilowatts of power. This is on top of the co-op's existing 2.3-kilowatt roof system, says Dave Strenski, founder and volunteer coordinator of
Solar Ypsi, a network of solar installations around Ypsilanti. The original panel installation is now five years old.
"We've been in the solar business for a while now," Strenski says.
And in a first,
Solar Ypsi has partnered with
Wireless Ypsi, a free broadband internet collective also based in the city, to perch a solar-powered wireless internet radio atop an old telephone pole on Frog Island. The new set-up is already getting six to eight users daily, says Strenski, and the parties are planning on a couple more installations at yet-to-be-determined spots.
The co-op was able to secure the panels at a cost of 84 cents per watt from now-defunct solar manufacturer Evergreen. With other equipment and labor (including volunteer labor), the system will end up costing $2.58 per watt installed. Since prices are coming down due to an influx of less expensive panels from China, Strenski estimates systems can be had for three to four dollars per watt, installed – about half the cost in years past.
At current power costs, Strenski figures on a payback period of about 10 years, which in actuality will be less, due to continually rising power rates. An average solar installation lasts 30 years, he says, giving the system a very high return on investment.
Those interested in solar would do well to check the list of renewable energy contractors on the
Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association's website, Strenski advises.
"If you want to do solar, now's a good time," he says.
Source: Dave Strenski, founder and volunteer coordinator of Solar Ypsi
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar
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