Solar curious? It’s not as expensive as you might think.

Published 2:37 pm Wednesday, September 29, 2010

You may not count solar power among the so-called “little things” you can do to save the planet.

But increasingly, thanks to solar incentives and very-low-interest-rate loans at the federal, state and local level, solar power and solar hot water heater installations are becoming more affordable for the masses as well as the Tesla electric-car set.

Really.

If you’re solar-curious, you might check out the statewide 2010 Washington State Solar Tour of homes on Saturday, Oct. 2.

That includes numerous properties in the area, including, at last count, 20 in Snohomish County and 24 in the Seattle area, plus many others in other counties.

Click here to see exact addresses featured on the tour. You may not even have to leave your community to see solar technology at work.

You can also kickoff your tour at the Green Everett Renewable Living Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2.

Below is a look at some of solar incentives as explained by Herald environment reporter, Bill Sheets.

See www.dsireusa.org to learn all about solar incentives in your state or see http://tinyurl.com/PUDsolar.

Snohomish County PUD: Residential customers may receive up to $2,500, commercial customers up to $10,000 for solar power (photovoltaic) systems. For solar water-heating systems, the PUD pays $500 per system. Alternately, customers may choose to apply for a 2.9 percent loan of up to $14,000 to finance the system instead of the cash incentive.

Washington state: Payments of 15 to 54 cents per kilowatt hour for solar power generated, capped at $5,000 per year until June 30, 2020. Higher payments are made for systems manufactured in the state. Solar systems also are eligible for a sales tax refund until June 30, 2011.

Federal government: 30 percent off the cost of installation for residences and businesses. Extra tax credits are available for businesses.

Lighten up!