Solar panels can add sustainability
by Jeff Richards
contributing writer
Mar 11, 2010 | 3237 views | 0 0 comments | 48 48 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Hugh Glass recently installed a solar panel system at his Mountain View home. Photo by Jeff Richards
Hugh Glass recently installed a solar panel system at his Mountain View home. Photo by Jeff Richards
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Some home improvement projects also have significant environmental benefits.

Hugh Glass recently installed a solar panel system at his home in Moab’s Mountain View subdivision.

Glass said he began the project in November of 2009, and the panels have been on-line since Jan. 11. The array of panels, mounted on a post outside his home, tracks the movement of the sun to maximize exposure.

On a recent cloudy February day, he said the system managed to generate 11.6 kilowatt-hours, but he expects those numbers to climb this spring and summer as the days get longer.

Glass said Rocky Mountain Power buys back the power he generates by issuing credits. “Between that and the tax rebates, those things pay for about half the cost of the system,” said Glass, noting that the total project cost around $18,000.

Glass also heats his outdoor hot tub with a roof-mounted thermal panel system. He says his next project is to install another set of thermal panels for the home’s interior hot water heater, and to purchase new energy efficient appliances.
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