In 2005, Western Washington University professor, Jack
Hardy, started a renewal energy company as more of a hobby. Nine years later,
his garage start-up is thriving with two locations and over 130 projects
completed last year alone.
Now retired, Jack’s legacy is doing business as Western
Solar Inc and under new direction. Josh Miller, General Manager, reported
substantial growth in 2013. “We installed the second largest number of projects
in the state last year. Our business has easily grown 50% annually since 2009.”
Recently, Miller completed a contract for a 108kW/400 panel
installation which will mark the largest array in King County and fourth
largest array in the state. This project will take what was once a small town
operation and make it into one of the leading solar installation businesses in
the Puget Sound.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association’s
(SEIA) U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, photovoltaic (PV) installations increased
41% nationwide since 2012. This pencils out to an increase of nearly fifteen
times the installations six years ago, making solar the second largest source
of new electricity behind natural gas. To date, there are over 445,000 PV
systems operating in the states, with 140,000 of those installed in 2013.
The boost in PV installations created more than 10 new
jobs every hour, as reported in The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs
Census. Nearly 143,000 workers joined the solar industry in 2013.
SEIA reported that the average price of solar panels
declined 60 percent since 2011 making solar more affordable. Rebates and
incentives are also making solar more attractive to Washington residents.
The financial incentives available for homeowners
currently rank among the richest programs in the United States. Until 2016,
there is a 30 percent federal tax credit for residential properties and no
state sales tax on equipment or installation until 2018.
Additionally, local utilities offer production rebates.
According to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency,
Washington has one of the highest performance-based incentives in the world.
Grid-interactive systems may receive production incentives ranging from $0.12
to $0.54/kWh or up to $5,000 per year. Multiplying factors of this incentive
are based upon the electricity produced using equipment manufactured in
Washington State.
Snohomish PUD customers are eligible for an additional one-time
credit of $500 for every kWh installed, capped at $2,500, on qualifying units.
The return on investment, once taking ten years, is now
closer to five to seven years. With Washington based panel manufactures
offering a 25 year warranty and production expectancy of 35-40 years, anyone
with initial funding would be hard pressed to turn down switching to solar.
With 50-60% projected growth in 2014, those in the
solar industry like Miller are in for a positive fiscal year, making for a very
bright future.
