By Steve Landwehr
Staff writer
April 21, 2008 05:57 am HAMILTON — David Schylling and Connie McCrane live in a big house off Highland Street in the heart of Hamilton's horse country. They have all the modern electrical appliances any of us have, from refrigerator to telephone to washing machine. They also have all the usual electronic gadgets, like computers and CD players. Down the hill from the house there's a horse barn with electric lights, and in the cabana next to the swimming pool there's an electric motor that keeps water circulated and filtered all summer long. Here's the thing, and it's going to make their neighbors green with envy: Their monthly electric bill? $0. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Take that back — they're actually getting paid about $30 a month, and that could very well go up. The couple's home recently became the first in Hamilton to be entirely powered by the sun. A 48-panel array of photovoltaic solar cells on the roof of the barn not only provides all their electricity, but on many days they're even supplying power to you. "We wanted to do something now for the environment," David Schylling said. The couple had already exchanged their incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescents, but they wanted to do something more, with a more immediate impact. After the solar cells convert the sun's energy to electricity, two inverters in a tack room in the barn convert it from direct current to the alternating current we use in this country. Each inverter has a digital display unit that monitors power production. Since the system began operating in late March, it has produced 845 kilowatt hours of electricity. National Grid installed a special "net metering" power meter to tie them into the power grid. When the solar cells are producing more than Schylling and McCrane need, the excess is measured as it is sent to the grid. Getting money back Although the power company isn't paying them for the power they supply, the couple can sell what are known as Renewable Energy Credits to other power producers. All privately owned power producers are required to provide a percentage of their output from renewable sources, such as hydroelectric, wind and solar. If they don't, they can pay people like Dave Schylling for the power they produce. They're currently paying three cents per kilowatt hour, but Schylling bets that's going to increase. Even on an overcast day like last Friday, the system was generating about .8 kilowatts, and on a cool, windy, sunny day in the summer, that will spike to 8 kilowatts. Maximum output is 9.2 kilowatts. Schylling and McCrane spent about $60,000 for the system, but consider this: They just got a government rebate check for $11,500 of that, and what used to be a monthly electric bill of $200 to $300 is now $0. Schylling looks at it this way. "I'm getting a 13 percent return on my investment," he said. "And whether the stock market goes up or down, it doesn't affect us. It's paying us back right now." The solar panels came with a 25-year guarantee, and are rated to withstand golf-ball size hail and all the snow a New England winter can dump on them. As soon as the sun starts shining, it just melts away. A free ride? Schylling can be a little bit like a kid with a new toy about this stuff, which is appropriate since he and his two brothers own Schylling Toys in Rowley. "It's very exciting to come home and see how much we've used," he says. The couple have also become more conscientious about turning off unneeded lights, and more conscious of weather conditions. "If I wake up and it's overcast, I'm a little disappointed," he said. On the wooden counter of the kitchen island Schylling had a flyer advertising a new vehicle powered solely by batteries. Think of it: a 400-plus horsepower, all-wheel-drive SUV capable of speeds over 150 mph with a 350-mile range and nary a stop for gas. Pull it into the garage and charge it up with your own, free electricity. It's nearly enough to make an OPEC nation look for another way to make money. There are other benefits. Because their electricity consumption produces no carbon dioxide, they're effectively reducing one of the pair's carbon footprints to zero. And Schylling suspects that if it ever comes time to move, the solar panels might be a good selling point, maybe even increasing the value of the house. "The experience in California is that they're recouping the entire cost," he said. Schylling and McCrane may be on the cutting edge in Hamilton, but he hopes that won't last long. "We just want everybody that can put these panels in to do it."
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Photos
Dave Schylling and Connie McCrane recently had solar panels installed on the roof of their barn, reducing their monthly electric bill to nothing. "This is a sure-fire way of making a nice return on your investment," said Dave Schylling. Staff photo
This Hamilton barn has been outfitted with $60,000 worth of solar panels, which provide all the electricity on the property. Staff photo
A close-up of a photovoltaic solar cell on the roof of the barn. Staff photo