Solar panels are made of groups of cells that produce electricity by a chemical reaction when exposed to sunlight. This 2.88 kW solar PV system is grid connected and can produce about 4,000 kWh in a year. If you’d like to learn more about using solar energy, attend the upcoming Going Solar workshop.
Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP) has just published Going Solar: A Cook County Guide. This 38-page booklet is full of local solar information designed to help landowners in Cook County learn how solar PV works, and what could work with their situation.
The guide focuses on solar basics and moves into how grid connected and stand-alone systems work and how to decide what is the right system for your situation. Financial resources, questions for installers, solar stories about several families with installations in Cook County and more are covered in this guide. It’s the resource to consult if you are considering installing a solar PV system in Cook County.
To kick off this publication, CCLEP is hosting a free solar workshop on Thursday, July 23, 7 p.m. at the Community Center. Portions of the guide will be covered along with a question and answer period. Then, on Saturday, July 25 there is a tour of several solar installations, both grid connected and stand alone. Owners will have data about their systems and can talk about what’s it like to live with an on-site solar PV system.
Solar installations, like everything else, cost money to build. The Federal Tax Credit of 30 percent on the total cost of the installation is available to the end of 2016. If you are considering solar, now is the time to take advantage of this opportunity.
Going Solar: A Cook County Guide is available at cookcountylocalenergy.org. Hard copies will be available at the Grand Marais Public Library and other locations in the coming weeks.
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