There is no need for year-round sunlight for solar panels to be an efficient power source, which is especially helpful for the residents of Bellingham, who have an average of 201 cloudy days per year.
Solar panels are rarely the only source of electricity in a building, they work on a standard power grid to save electricity.
During the summer, when the days are at their longest, the solar panels can generate enough power to wind back the electricity meter, reducing the amount of electricity bills at the end of the month. In winter, when the days are shorter and skies are overcast, solar panels generate less electricity and most of the building's power comes from the grid.
"It's like you're a farmer, a solar farmer has a growing season," Orion Eaton, a senior energy analyst at Sustainable Connection, told The Bellingham Herald.
The summer months in the Northwest are nearly ideal for solar panels, says Eaton. Extreme heat and humidity can damage solar panel elements and cause permanent damage.
The Home Clean Energy Credit, also known as the Solar Investment Tax Credit, provides an incentive for people to switch to solar energy.
Although the loan will begin to be repaid in 2023, it will be extended until 2032 under the Inflation Reduction Act. The tax credit, which reduces a percentage of the cost of installing plants, also increases from 26% to 30% through 2032, after which it will decrease again to 26% and then to 22% for plants installed in 2034. Congress can extend the tax credit until 2035 or it will expire.
The cost of installing solar panels depends on many factors, such as location, supply and demand, type and number of panels, not to mention the cost of the installation itself. However, the industry standard is to count dollars per solar panel installed capacity.
The average cost to install solar panels in Washington DC is about $3.08 per watt. So the cost for a 6 kW system is about $18,480. Including the solar tax credit, the cost is approximately $13,675.
The exact amount of energy and money a solar panel system can save depends on several factors, but Eaton was able to provide The Herald with a rough idea.
"Kilowatts of solar panels multiplied by 1,000 will give a rough estimate of annual kilowatt-hour production. Most people pay about $0.11 per kilowatt-hour for electricity (from Puget Sound Energy)," Eaton told The Herald by email.
"There's a lot more science and math behind it to get to the real number, which should be a bit higher if there are no shading issues, but it's a pretty conservative number for rooftop solar panels. So 12 residential kilowatts is 12,000 kilowatt-hours of production and would save about $1,320 a year."
Northwest's panels won't generate as much power as panels in other parts of the world, but they're still economically viable, Mia Devine, Spark Northwest's project manager, told The Herald.
Spark Northwest is a Seattle-based nonprofit dedicated to providing clean energy to society. In October, Spark worked with the Nuksak Indians on their first solar panel project.
Solar power has become increasingly popular on Whatcom over the last two decades, Dana Brandt, owner of Ecotech Solar, told The Herald. Brandt started the business in 2004 and called the concept of solar power in Whatcom County "absolutely ridiculous". Over time, this location has changed and solar panels can be seen throughout the county and in Bellingham.
“Initially, the only people who had solar power were those who had dispensary income and wanted to do the right thing. Now, obviously, these people still have solar, but it's convenient, it's saving money," Brandt said. "Everyone who has solar on their roof wants to go solar now."
