Local Community Installing Solar

Towering cedar, fir and maple trees leave the southeast Olympia home of Dan and Barb Scavezze in the shade much of the day, making their roof a poor candidate for an array of solar panels.

That didn’t stop them this summer from joining a growing number of South Sound residents who have turned to the power of the sun to help power their homes.

Working with contractor Kirk Haffner of South Sound Solar, the Scavezzes built a pergola in their backyard and equipped it with 12 solar panels that have the potential to provide about 50 percent of their electricity.

Solar-power installations detached from the roof are growing in popularity, Haffner noted. Some are driven by lack of sun exposure for the home, and some are driven by roof designs that can’t support the weight of the solar panels.

The Scavezze solar system and 18 others will be on display during the 2010 South Sound Solar Tour, set for Sept. 25.

The Scavezze family is no stranger to green living. Members said they were among the first to buy a hybrid Prius when Toyota rolled the model out. Barb is the co-chairwoman of the Olympia Climate Action Group and outreach manager for Thurston Energy, a nonprofit organization helping homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient.

“It’s something I’m passionate about,” she said of renewable energy and sustainable living.

“She kind of drags me along,” joked Dan Scavezze, an information technologist for the state Department of Ecology.

The Scavezzes invested $25,000 in their solar system, including the pergola. They expect the energy savings and the power they sell back to Puget Sound Energy that they don’t use – along with a state sales tax exemption for the system and a federal tax credit for investing in solar – will pay for the project in about 10 years.

“So far, we’ve put more power back into the grid than we’ve used,” Dan Scavezze said. The utility credits them 15 cents per kilowatt-hour when the system is producing more electricity than the house is using.

Through 2009, 35 PSE customers in Thurston County were signed up for the utility renewable-energy credit, according to a report by the state Department of Revenue. The number now stands at 62, according to PSE officials.

“The number of solar installations is definitely growing,” Haffner said. “Olympia is a unique area with a strong environmental consciousness; even in an economic recession, people are still willing to invest in solar.”

The Scavezzes can track their solar system’s performance online. The hourly, daily, weekly and monthly graphs are like a weather report. As expected, on sunny days, production jumps. But even on the rainy, cloudy days this week, the system was cranking out enough electricity to run some of the appliances and lights in the home.

The modified pergola – part of the roof is covered – replaced a gazebo that used to adorn their backyard.

“The neighbors think the pergola is beautiful, and it’s really pleasant to look at from the house,” Barb Scavezze said.

Also on next Saturday’s solar tour is the residence of Dennis and Anne Mills on Olympia’s west side.

For nearly a year, the Millses have produced some of their own energy from six solar panels mounted on a 500-pound steel pole situated in a sunny spot on their 1-acre, richly landscaped property. Some 16 feet off the ground, the solar rack automatically moves from east to west during the day, tracking the sun.

It will take 20 or more years for the $15,500 system to pay for itself. But that’s not the point, Dennis Mills said.

“Payback time didn’t figure into my value system,” the 66-year-old college professor said. “Ann and I wanted sustainable, renewable energy. This is clean, quiet and contributing to the grid, reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

The Millses installed a solar hot-water system in 2008 but had to postpone plans for the solar electric system to pay for replacement of a failed septic system.

Those on the tour who stop by the Mills residence will hear this advice:

“Start with solar hot water; you’ll immediately see a difference in your utility bill,” Dennis Mills said. “The nice thing about solar is you can take it one step at a time.”

John Dodge: 360-754-5444 jdodge@theolympian.com