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“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait ‘til oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” – Thomas Edison

Karen Glaub’s letter to the editor today suggests alternative energy options for reducing the city’s electric bill.

Solar energy, a major feature in South Florida (the Sunshine State), is a viable energy resource. While reducing risks on the political, environmental, and financial fronts, the quality of our lives is improved as well.

Solar energy is viable now that net metering legislation has passed allowing consumers to sell electricity back to the utility at the retail rate. Florida provides rebates of up to $100,000 per installation and the Federal government allows a 30 percent investment tax credit along with the appreciable tax benefits of five year depreciation. Valuable cash Renewable Energy Credits are paid by large utilities mandated to lower their carbon emissions. These credits are in excess of the electric savings generated by the technology. Thin film photovoltaic technology, a heavy canvas like material, can be glued directly to suitable south or west facing or flat roofs providing effective conversion of sunlight to useable power.

Many Marco Island roofs are great sites to generate energy savings and tax benefits. We are actively developing projects here to install thin film technology to harness the solar power that arrives here every day. Broadly applicable, this will work for residential, commercial, and public buildings.

The renewable energy era is already well underway.

Gary Elliott and Keith Klipstein, Solar Power and Light. Marco Island