How can Indiana communities benefit from solar energy?
Solar energy provides many economic, environmental, and health benefits, and harnessing the energy of the sun can be a strategy for developing thriving, sustainable, and resilient communities in our state. Community members play an important role in spreading solar technology. Prosperity Indiana’s new program, Solar Uniting Neighbors (SUN), intends to make use of the power of community influence to help promote adoption of solar panels.
Clean Air & Healthy Communities
Promoting healthy, livable communities is central to Prosperity Indiana’s mission. Solar energy provides a clean alternative to coal-fired power plants, which are currently the state’s largest source of electricity, accounting for 70 percent of electricity generation. In fact, Indiana is home to 4 of the country’s most harmful coal-fired power plants, deemed “super polluters”. These power plants exceed national averages, both in their release of carbon emissions, which accelerate climate change, and toxic air pollutants, which threaten public health. Sulfur dioxide and other air pollutants emitted from these power plants can cause cancer and exacerbate asthma and other serious health conditions. Polluted air is an inescapable threat to the health of Indiana communities, especially to those located within close proximity to coal-fired power plants. Moving away from dirty energy and accelerating adoption of renewable technologies is key to better protecting the health of Hoosiers.
Further, Indiana has the eighth highest levels of annual carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. Our state’s large carbon footprint contributes to climate change, which is predicted to have negative social, ecological, and economic impacts on global, national, and local levels. Impacts, such as highly variable weather and more frequent temperature extremes, will have deleterious effects on the health and livelihood of many Hoosiers. In order to mitigate climate change and its worst consequences, converting to renewable energy sources such as solar is an imperative.
Economic Development & Energy Savings
Clean energy has obvious benefits for public and environmental health, but it also provides important economic opportunities for Indiana businesses and workers. The solar industry currently consists of 88 companies that employ 2700 workers in the state, and Indiana solar jobs are expected to grow by 14% in 2017. Promoting solar development in Indiana is a strategy for guaranteeing safe, well-paying jobs that benefit local economies. Attracting solar developers and installation companies to our state will help to lay a solid foundation for the inevitable transition to renewable energy and will make Indiana a strong competitor in the burgeoning renewable energy market.
Organizations and individuals can reduce their energy costs by purchasing solar panels. In the past decade, the costs of solar technology have decreased dramatically, resulting in per kilowatt-hour costs that are on par with or even below fossil fuel options. It is predicted that the costs of solar technology will continue to fall, passing the savings on to solar panel owners. Further, individuals and organizations in Indiana who install solar panels prior to the end of 2017 will be eligible for net metering, which is a billing mechanism that provides market rate compensation for solar energy that feeds back into the electricity grid. Individuals that purchase solar panels are also eligible for a federal investment tax credit that reduces taxes on solar technology by 30%. Additionally, solar panels increase the value of your property. All of these factors combine to make solar a cost-effective energy option.
The Role of Community in Solar Adoption
Solar is contagious. Multiple studies have confirmed that the most influential factor in an individual’s choice to install solar panels on their property is the presence and visibility of solar on the homes of their neighbors. One study found that “the installation of one additional solar photovoltaic rooftop project within the past six months in a given area increased the average number of installations within a half mile radius by .44, or almost one half.” Neighbors and community members, just by owning visible solar panels, act as catalysts for the spread of solar energy in their communities. It turns out that peer pressure can have positive outcomes!
Although solar panels are often thought to be cost-prohibitive, these studies, which have surveyed neighborhoods throughout America, confirm that there is no significant correlation between areas with strong solar panel presence and income levels or political affiliation. This is an important observation given solar’s reputation as energy source reserved for affluent environmentalists. Solar panels can provide the largest benefits to low income individuals who, on average, spend 7.2% of their incomes on utility bills--a significant portion compared to the 2.3% national average. The disproportionate burden of energy costs for low income residents can be offset by solar energy savings; however, affording the initial costs of solar technology is often an unfortunate barrier to its potential long-term savings, which is why SUN will help to finance solar installations for low income residents. Solar technology is a tool for reducing energy costs and promoting improved environmental and public health, which is something everyone can get behind.
To see how many of your neighbors have solar panels, check out Google’s Project Sunroof. This tool also allows you to enter your address to estimate how much energy your roof could harness and how much money you could save by going solar.
Solar Uniting Neighbors Program
Prosperity Indiana launched our Solar Uniting Neighbors (SUN) program on June 15. Limited funding for solar photovoltaic installations will be available for nonprofit organizations that serve low income residents and are customers of Duke Energy. In addition to funding projects, Prosperity Indiana and its partners will facilitate solarize programs in multiple communities to help spread solar technology and its benefits to Hoosiers. Part of the solarize program will include fundraising for the installation of solar panels on residencies of low income individuals. Allyson Mitchell, Prosperity Indiana’s Director of Sustainability, is spearheading the program and will be giving a presentation about SUN at the upcoming Southeast regional member meeting on Tuesday, June 27. For those who cannot attend but are interested in learning more, Allyson will host a webinar about SUN at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 28. Please register for the webinar here.
For more details about SUN, view our press release here and follow us on social media for program updates.
By Kristen Billings, Sustainability Intern
