In celebration of Earth Day today, I encourage everyone to consider the next step towards making this country energy independent. Solar power is viable here in Fayette County and there is no better time to make the investment for our future.

As of now, there are two households here in the Coweta-Fayette EMC service area with residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed and operating and generating a portion of our individual household electric needs.

My 6-kilowatt system provided 70 percent of my electric needs over the past year. Think of that: a portion of my electric costs will never go up regardless of electricity rate increases coming down the road.

In the past I have written in this paper about the corporate greed that dampened enthusiasm for the installation of residential solar PV.

I am excited to report that the Coweta-Fayette EMC has reconsidered their position and now has come on board with a true net metering agreement that gives me one-for-one credit for the electricity that flows out of my system to the power grid during the day.

On these bright, sunny spring days my system makes more electricity than I need, and what flows out through the meter offsets what flows in at night on a kilowatt-for-kilowatt basis.

Even nicer during these no-heat-no-cool months of spring, I have a bit of excess electricity to sell to the EMC.

Just think, a portion of your electricity may be coming from the sun via my PV system.

Additionally, the EMC has lowered the onerous monthly administrative charge to $4. In the future with the advent of automated meter reading, hopefully that charge can be eliminated.

Everyone is concerned about the cost of a PV system, and admittedly it is an issue. Fortunately, however, the Obama administration has seen the value in encouraging energy conservation and approved legislation that now provides a 30 percent tax credit for installing residential PV.

Additionally, Georgia instituted a state tax credit last year capped at $10,000. For a 6-kilowatt PV system such as mine, these two tax credits would cover half the installation cost and reduce the payback considerations considerably.

Now for the price of a midsize automobile that depreciates as soon as you leave the dealership, you can install a solar PV system that not only holds its value but provides clean power to your household.

And even better, you can install a PV system incrementally. Start with a small system and expand it later as you have funds and realize the benefits of clean renewable power.

What about the aesthetics, you say. A lot of folks don’t want big blue solar panels on their house roof, and the solar power industry has heard these concerns.

Now regardless of the type of roof you may have, they are building integrated photovoltaic systems that blend with your existing roofing material. These include solar slates, PV roof tiles, and laminates that stick to standing seam metal roofing.

Thinking of covering your deck or patio; consider a solar awning that allows filtered light into the area while also shading that portion of your home.

The price for inaction is unacceptable to our wallets and the environment. Unless we act now, the electric industry will be forced to build more expensive power plants to supply our growing needs for electricity.

With coal comes air pollution; with nuclear there is the waste storage problem that has yet to be addressed.

Solar is clean, and it is here now. Celebrate Earth Day and make a commitment to solar power.

Larry Dove

Fayetteville, Ga.