Dave and Kelly – Bowie, Maryland

We saved thousands with federal tax incentive, it’s a no-brainer.

Dave and Kelly – Bowie, Maryland
Went solar with the Bowie Solar Co-op in 2015
System size: 6.55 kW

What interested you about going solar initially? Why do you support solar energy?

Mostly for financial reasons. Seemed like a no-brainer to use the sun to save money on electricity. The federal tax credit was a big incentive. Cashed in some IRA’s which were taxable income. SREC’s were selling at much more than they are now.

Why did you choose to go solar with a solar co-op? What benefits did you experience going solar with a co-op?

We waited for the city of Bowie to get a solar co-op in place due to the cost involved — saved thousands of dolars!

Has anything surprised you about going solar?

After about a year we thought our electric bill was still high…called BGE and found out they didn’t have our account tied to our net meter…made a big difference and got a $400+ credit on our bill.

Do you have any data on your solar system’s performance? What electricity saving have you experienced since going solar?

Our panels have generated almost 17MWh in two years of installing solar panels. Over 26,000 CO2 emissions saved. 657 equivalent trees planted. Over 51,000 light bulbs powered for a day.

What advice would you give to someone is considering going solar?

Keep an eye on your bills from the power company! We checked our solar system regularly and saw that we were producing power but finally realized something was wrong with our BGE bills.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

We’re glad we went solar!