THREE WAYS TO PAY FOR SOLAR

IN VERMONT, NUCLEAR PAYS FOR SOLAR:
Vermont agrees to allocate $500,000 for solar projects
Vermont Press Bureau, July 19, 2006 (Barre Times/Montpelier Argus)

— The state agreed on Tuesday how to spend the first dollop of renewable energy money received from the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant...About $500,000 of the roughly $1.3 million will be spent to encourage small-scale solar projects, primarily put up by homeowners or farms...
IN VENEZUELA, OIL PAYS FOR SOLAR:
Venezuela's Warao indigenous groups to manage solar energy scheme
Patrick J. O'Donoghue, July 23, 2006 (Venezuela Electronic News)
- Warao indigenous groups living in Venezuela's Delta Amacuro State will benefit from a solar energy scheme...The first part...will center on San Francisco de Guayo in the Antonio Diaz municipality.

- The sponsors of the scheme are oil joint venture group: Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and France's Total, which have set up the Tenesol Company to manage the alternative energy project.
- 17 families and a local school will benefit from stage one of the project.
- Electricity will be stored in batteries and transmitted to the janoko or indigenous dwelling...the municipality will be responsible for maintaining the service.
- Total and PDVSA will pay for the purchase and installation of equipment worth 6.4 billion bolivares. Total will train 14 persons to manage and maintain the project...
IN COLORADO, SOLAR PAYS FOR ITSELF:
Colorado homeowners provide power to the grid
MIKE McKIBBEN, July 24, 2006 (Summit Daily News)
- His new home isn't even complete, but Doug DeNio already has seen a roof-mounted solar panel put 110 kilowatts of electricity into the power grid over the last three weeks...
- The 1,500-watt photovoltaic array is the key feature in a home DeNio said was designed to be energy-efficient and reduce its impact on the environment...

- The system requires no storage batteries...When the panels produce more electricity than needed, the excess is fed into Xcel Energy's power distribution lines, and the DeNio's electrical meter spins backward. At night, power is drawn from the grid for lights and other needs...the system will meet 55 to 60 percent of the couple's annual electricity needs..."With renewable energy rebates from Xcel and tax incentives, the economics are very positive," DeNio said...Xcel will pay a $4.50 per watt rebate for the solar power he puts into the system, he received a $2,000 federal tax rebate for the system and estimates a total annual energy savings of $6,750...