Solar Legislator Score: 
With Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, the Badlands, and the Black Hills, who wouldn’t want to be out in the sun in South Dakota. Oh yeah, it’s the home of the Sturgis Harley rally too. With people coming from all around the world to visit, South Dakota should use renewable energy to keep powered up while protecting its great natural environment. Here’s what the state legislature has done to promote clean solar energy so far…
STATE LEGISLATION
Ummm… well, they’re getting to it. Since 1975, the state has had a property tax exemption for renewable energy equipment, but that’s about as much as the state has done for solar power so far. That’s really pretty meager, so write, call, email, visit your legislators and remind them that it’s their job to pass some laws promoting clean solar power.
NET-METERING
Maybe the legislature will get something going soon, but for now, it’s up to your utility company to decide how to net-meter your new solar electricity system.
STATE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, UTILITY REBATES, UTILITY LOANS, AND UTILITY INCENTIVES
Under the Renewable Energy Systems Exemption, the equipment you install to generate clean solar power is exempt from property tax. You can take a tax credit for the full cost of the system for each of the first 3 years, after that you get three more years in which you can take 75%, 50%, and 25% of the cost respectively.
EXAMPLE 3KW SYSTEM – HOME INSTALLATION COST
You’ve made the right choice to be the neighborhood leader and put in a 3kW solar electricity system at home. In Sioux Falls, your system will run about $54,000, so don’t forget to take the federal tax credit of $2,000. Since South Dakota has a Good solar rating, you’ll have plenty of sun to help your system pay for itself in about 30 years (with an average usage of 1,300kWh each month at a rate of $0.0748/kWh through the City of Sioux Falls Utility). If the price sounds steep to you, remember that you’ll be saving over $840 each year on your utility bills, and even more importantly, you’ll be keeping 160 tons of greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere. Here are a few more key points to keep in mind about your system:
- 600 square feet of roof area required
- $10,060 estimated property value increase – tax exempt!
- $21,107 estimated savings on your utility bills over 25 years
CONSENSUS
There’s really not much going on here. I think it’s time to find some new legislators in South Dakota. Governor Rounds has not really even mentioned the words “solar power.” He’s jumped on the biofuel/ethanol bandwagon instead. South Dakota, it’s time to kick the habit, and detox with some nice clean solar energy.
Click here to have multiple solar installers bid to upgrade your South Dakota home or business.
I am sending this to my address so I can have a copy of this page.
Solar Energy will be the Energy of the future for homes and to recharge our electric cars and trains. SOLAR ENERGY is the fastest growing marketed goods on the Planet Earth. Freedom from the Power Grid and the Oil CEOs.
The Lord’s Little Helper
Paul Felix Schott
The ‘CONSENSUS’ for your state may be different from another state. How much carbon emissions do solar panels produce to install? Well, it depends on where they are manufactured. Also, do you think the panels that are currently manufactured can withstand a south dakota wind for 20 years?? And how many birds do you want to kill by putting up a wind generator? Or, you could let the farms of South Dakota produce their own form of energy from the same sun.
Certainly, Ron, the consensus is going to differ from state to state. As for the carbon emissions of solar panels (the manufacturing “carbon foot print” a report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) last year put out a report about solar’s carbon footprint. It adds up to 1 to 4 years, depending on the technology and the local of the manufacturing, as you said. So at worst, 4 years, but keep in mind that solar panels last from 20 to 35 years (warrantied 20 to 25 years, but typically go longer) so solar panels way more than offset their manufacturing carbon foot print.
Thanks for commenting and bringing that question up.
Did you know South Dakota requires all state buildings to be LEED certified when built new or remodeled? That is a bid step forward. I just got back from Pierre, SD where they are installing 24kW of PV and 6kW of wind on a state building visible from the Capitol Building. I provided a bid for this work. Nebraska could take a lesson from a neighboring state that has less solar potential.
Small Business Innovation Grants and Department of Transportation: Small Business Innovation Research Program. I will build a Solar Electric Car Plant. To make
( Electric / Solar ) cars. The Plant will have its roof covered with Solar Panels (PV) Powered 30 to 50% of its power will come from the Sun, and 20 to 30 % from the wind. The Plant will make Solar / Electric Cars for anyone and will market it to everyone. We Will sell Solar Panels to cover their roofs of their homes, carports and workplaces to recharge their new Solar / Electric Car. ( All Wheel Drive )
This high quality scientific ( Solar / Elictric Car ) engineered by Rocket Scientist, Electrical Engineers and Automotive Engineers will put Science, Engineering Education and Research of Green Technology to have a high potential economic payoff in New Jobs and Clean Transportation for All. That most will be able to recharge their cars at home or work.
And with a little help from ( UNCLE SAM / The United States Government ) and a prayer All will be able to recharge at all are schools that will start to have Solar Covered Parking for Electric or Solar Cars.
We are not building a car to win awards although it most likely will. Development technologlies will be serious engineered to the Working Class People. To make a significant change in the cost to drive. Costing thousands less. Making this car ( Solar Do Work ) The Most Cost – Efficient to Drive. On Planet Earth.
100% Built In
The United States of America
United We Stand In GOD We Trust.
If you can help I would be Grateful.
come join my team.
It will be amazingly rewarding.
putting Americans back to work.
The Lord’s Little Helper
Paul Felix Schott
Solar Do Work
solardowork@yahoo.com
Assuming the panels can last 30 years in my South Dakota climate. I will spend $54,000 on a $100,000 home which will improve my homes value by 10,000. It could ,but not guaranteed to, save me $20,000 in utilities, but I will have to absorb the cost of over $20,000 over the next 30 years, which doing the math means I will lose 40% of my assets spent on the project. This sounds squanderous. Solar technologies are still being refined, as they have been over the last half century. It has taken the auto industry an entire century to be this refined and people are expecting solar to become this overnight… The only truly viable solar solution at this point in time is for the Energy Industry or large Corporate Businesses to implement solar sources, which they have been for over 2 decades. Since the Energy Industry makes its living off of energy, they ensure their efforts are not wasted while producing a solar project. The same factors cannot always be ensured in a home setting. A newly constructed home would be able to improve such factors more then most existing homes. Solar industry is growing, and more rapidly than before, because it is finally getting close to being efficient. In the very near future solar energy may finally be truly viable to the common consumer, not just the rich and extravagant. Lastly if you want to help reduce greenhouse gases, change to diesel automobiles immediately , a proven efficient reduction while waiting for the electric car, solar, and wind industries to catch up.
Ryan
I’m planning to move to South Dakota from Hawai’i, and have purchased a 40-year old refurbished home in Hot Springs. I would like to consider solar panels for it if the cost is not prohibitive, but I’m worried about damage from hailstorms, wind, and snow. Can anyone please comment on those issues?
Ryan,
Solar Energy is the fastest growing Industry in the World and has more then Doubled last year alone. Home owners World Wide are covering there roofs. Solar Energy is not just for Industry or large Corporate Businesses and as you say the rich and extravagant.
Cities and Governments all over Earth are covering there building carports at train stations and work places. The rate of return for Solar Panels is good you do not lose 40% and the Industry Leading Warranty is at 25 Years. Most spend more then that on cars in that time.
Solar Energy is Environmentally Friendly and Very Efficient. Soon Electric Vehicles will outnumber those that need oil to drive down a highway or road. Electric cars and Vehicles will be Recharging from Solar, Wind and Renewable Energy. Happy to say in a very short time the need for black gold OIL will come to a end for most.
Our Homes will get Energy from the Sun and wind and charge Batteries or to be used to split ground water into Hydrogen and Oxygen gases. Then put into tanks in the carport or yard and a Hydrogen Generator will produce energy similar to a gas, oil or diesel generator when needed. Like at Night or when there is no wind or sunlight.
The United States, Germany and China all have for years worked on a Hydrogen Electric Vehicles. Knowing Solar Energy will make them affordable. i have driven them all.
Eloise,
Leaving a place that seams like paradise Hawaii would be a better place to get more out of a Solar Energy Systems. You are closer to the sun in Hawaii, i have a home there and it will soon run totally on Solar Energy. The Roof pitch used to identify the slope or steepness by roofing contractors, architects and other building professionals and the way the roof faces North, South, East or West is going to be the two biggest factors to the output of a Solar Energy Systems. The Slop or Pitch will Determine the snow part. The rest if you call or e mail one of the many Solar Energy Business in the United States i am sure they will be more then happy to help or work with you. Or go to one of the Government sites or Centers like…
Information on the Renewable Energy and energy efficiency research, education, training, and certification activities at the Florida Solar Energy Center, FSEC.
My Good Noble friend Bill Young is the Senior Research Engineer for Photovoltaics at FSEC and in my eyes one of the best Solar Energy Scientist in the World truly a blessing to have worked for years with Mr. William Young the Goodwill Ambassador for Solar Energy.
The Lord’s Little Helper
Paul Felix Schott
solardowork@yahoo.com
Solar Energy is a great source of energy and can really work well with a hybrid system that includes wind. To Ron, I have been working on and around wind turbines for two years now and have yet to see a dead bird lying anywhere.
Sam many of the farms that i fly over in the United States do just that they have their roofs covered with solar and the fields full of Wind Turbines. The United States of America is second in the World in Wind Power only to China. At one time we were first. Just off of State Route 62 in the San Jacinto Mountains is a Large Wind Farm in California. If you do not have a aircraft you would have to hike quite a way to see it. Flying over the State of Minnesota there are 100s of them and if you drive I-90 across the state you will see them everywhere. King Mt. in Texas and the western part of the State there are 2,000 wind turbines.
The Growth of Renewable Energy in the USA is at more then 45% for more then eight years in a row. Solar and wind Farms are growing all over the Planet. Very soon most homes on Earth will have Solar Panels on them as the cost of them drop more. Making Solar Energy the People’s Choice of Clean Energy, and that they can not be taxed for Free Energy From the SUN. In the Pacific Ocean Islands many do have hybrid systems of Wind and Solar.
Solar Energy and Solar Farms are growing at a faster pace then all other forms of Energy on Earth.
South Dakota is a little slow to coming on board to Renewable Energy i do think Lord willing that will change very soon.
May GOD Bless All that add to the good of Solar and Wind Energy.
The Lord’s Little Helper
Paul Felix Schott
solardowork@yahoo.com
News From the Pentagon Clean Fuel Energy From the Sun July 19, 2011
In Hawaii The Department of Defense will start to cover its Military Family Housing with Solar Energy. This will greatly help stop the need for Oil in the Hawaii Islands. This is just the start to the D.O.D. reducing its 4 billion dollar need for Dirty Energy. From now on the D.O.D. will look to Renewable Energy, Clean Energy. The Hawaiian Islands will see the Largest Solar covered homes and housing Roofs in the World 6,000 units. Thanks to William Lynn Deputy Secretary of the Defense and Steven Chu Secretary of Energy and to many others. The D.O.D. has some 300,000 building the day will come when all will be powered by Clean Energy. i can not thank all that made this happen enough.
GOD Bless
United We Stand In GOD We Will Always Trust
Story By
The Lord’s Little Helper
Paul Felix Schott
With college graduation on the horizon and the looming image of mortgage payments continuing to creep nearer, where would be a state, besides California, to consider purchasing a house with solar energy in mind? With the luxury of youth and ability to relocate, what states provide the most bang for your buck? In other words, if I had say $300,000 to purchase a home and also install a PV system where would I be able to get the largest square footage, which is completely run by solar power—off the grid?
I disagree with the statement of all going to diesel powered vehicals due to the black smoke emiited from the exhaust pipe, also they stink to high heavens, and the motor running is loud and obnoxious to surrounding motorists with their windows down enjoying the fresh air. I myself have gone to propane which is clean burning,better for your engine, and also 1.50 per gallon cheaper than gasoline. unfortanatly solar is too expensive for a homeowner to use and save $
