“We’ve seen a really growing interest”: Homeworkers have more and more homeowners switching to solar power – WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A lot has changed at Brian Anderson’s house in Plymouth. He had to quickly set up a home office for his work with Medtronic.

Outside, he decided to install solar panels and use the sun to energize his house. He can generate his own energy and share any extras.

“I actually sold 16 kilowatt hours back to the power plant, so that’s pretty cool,” Anderson said.

It is far from alone with more and more people working from home and paying higher bills, more and more people are switching to solar power.

“We have seen a really growing interest in all sectors for solar energy,” said Griffin Dooling, CEO of Blue Horizon Energy and president of the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association.

Dooling’s company has worked on several different solar projects for individuals and communities.

“You reduce the amount of power you have to buy from the utility company, so you save money on your expenses in this regard,” Dooling said. “In addition, you create clean energy that does not require fossil fuels, that does not require miles of distribution cable to reach your home, so you also reduce the environmental footprint of your energy. “

He says it costs on average between $ 15,000 and $ 25,000 to equip a home with solar panels. To get a return on solar power, homeowners will need to stay put for a while, as it takes five to 15 years to pay off this investment.

But there are incentives and government credits.

As Dooling explains, “If you did a project on your home today, you would get a 26% federal investment tax credit, and it’s important to note that this tax credit is a reduction. of your tax liability.

If you want to learn more about switching to solar power, there is a list of installers and information on incentives. here.