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Dear Source,
Thanks for your story on solar energy and the Town Meetings hosted by the VI Energy Office, Monday-Wednesday of this coming week. I want to put in a pitch to my fellow Virgin Islanders to attend these meetings and learn about solar energy. A solar hotwater heater can pay for itself in 3-4 years, and solar electricity can pay for itself in 15 years.
But saving money is not the only advantage:
1) Solar electricity means that you don't have power outages when "WAPA goes Whoaa".
2) The very thought of capturing sunlight and turning it into electricity is a thrill that never goes away. It is a miracle that comes to your house every day when the sun rises. It's like pennies raining from the sky all day long.
My house has been entirely solar since 1998, and I calculate that I've saved $5,400 to date. I invested $10,000. The VI government's Energy Office has one of the most generous rebate programs in the country. They will rebate over half the cost of your solar panels.
Solar energy is a miracle in which you can participate on a hands-on way. I highly recommend that Source readers attend the Monday Meeting on St. John, the Tuesday meeting on St. Thomas, or the Wednesday meeting on St. Croix.
Sincerely,
-Craig W. Barshinger