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Letter to the editor

St. Pete Beach man harnesses solar power

He was worried about foreign oil dependence. Now Jamie Browning estimates he has cut his energy cost in half.

By Judy Stark, Times Homes and Garden Editor
Published January 12, 2008

Energy incentives
- To learn more about state, local, utility and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, go to  www.dsireusa.org.
- Information about incentive programs specific to Florida, including a list of contractors and frequently asked questions, is available at  www.dep.state.fl.us/energy.

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ST. PETE BEACH - Is there anything Jamie Browning won't do to live green?

A year ago he installed a solar water heater.

To run errands and go to the gym, he rides a Yamaha 125 cc scooter that gets 80 miles to the gallon and achieves a top speed of 50 mph.

And a few weeks ago he and his wife, Charlene, installed 28 solar panels on the roof of their home. They can't wait to watch their meter start running backward, earning them credits from Progress Energy.

Who needs Ed Begley Jr. of HGTV's Living With Ed, the show about living green? We've got Jamie.

"We need to do something about our dependence on foreign oil. I'm worried about our security in the world. That was my primary motivation," said Browning, 55, a semiretired businessman from Maryland. He had interests in supermarkets and an Arby's, and owns real estate; Charlene, 54, is a lifelong homemaker.

Browning figures his 2,338-square-foot home uses about 18,000 kilowatt-hours of energy annually. He thinks his photovoltaic panels will produce 7,000 to 8,000 kwh.

The panels cost between $37,500 and $45,000. He got a $20,000 rebate from the state and $2,000 from the federal government, "so it cost me $15,000," he said.

The solar water heater for which he paid $5,000 now goes for about $2,500, he said. For that he got a $1,500 federal tax credit. The state and Progress Energy each offer $500 rebates on solar heaters.

That heater, he says, provides enough hot water for his household and two neighbors, were he to be so generous. He retains an electrical backup system, but "even when my two daughters and six grandchildren are here, we never had to turn it on."

Says Browning, "I figure 50 percent of my power is generated by the sun."

Browning has taken other steps to snug up his home, which was built in 1971. He replaced all his windows with energy-efficient Miami windows and added insulation in the attic. He doesn't stint on the A/C: He keeps the thermostat at 76 or 77 on hot days.

The system installed on the Brownings' home produces 5,000 watts of power at peak. "That will power your average 2,000-square-foot home," said Scott Tombaugh, construction manager for Schroeders Homes, the Venice company that installed their system. "It will come close to covering their power needs - air conditioning, appliances, etc.," everything but the pool.

It's not an off-the-grid system, nor is it a storage system, Tombaugh said. "It's based on sunshine. It doesn't make power at night, and it makes less power in overcast situations." At night or on rainy days, the home still draws power from the grid. Tombaugh doesn't sell battery storage systems because of maintenance issues.

When the photovoltaic system is generating more power than the house uses, it goes back to the grid and the homeowners get a credit on their bill. If they were to be away in the hottest part of the summer, with the home using little power, all the excess could go back to the utility for a credit.

The first two weeks of living solar, "you wouldn't even know," Browning said. During the short days of late December, when the house was decked with Christmas lights, "it's doing what it's supposed to do."

The panels produce maximum power between about 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., he said. That will increase as the days grow longer and hotter. He said he hasn't had Progress Energy switch his meter to reflect the energy produced by the photovoltaic panels, so he can't watch the meter run backward.

Yet.

Judy Stark can be reached at jstark@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8446.

[Last modified January 10, 2008, 17:33:41]