About 45 people were on hand for cocktails and discussion of our solar power, and we learned some details that we did not know:

Right now, there are 26 homes on SCE&G’s net metering program. Each one of them has two meters and a complicated formula which determines the rate at which power is sold back to the grid. Starting sometime in October, they will replace our complicated meter with a simple meter and we will sell and buy power from the grid at a rate of 1:1. This is GOOD news.

The price of solar panels has been coming down at a rate of 4-6 % per year. This year, however, saw a 40% drop because of a variety of factors, and panels are at the levels which might have been expected in 2013 or so. This is also good news.

There are tax credits available to people who install solar panels: up to 30% from the Federal Government and 30% from the State Government– this is an actual tax credit, not a deduction, so it should add up to some mighty big savings. This is great news.

Our Solar Contractor is Bruce Wood, from Sunstore Solar (http://www.sunstoresolar.com/) He is also interested in helping us all put our septic pumps on panels– I have sent him the specs.