While wind is king in West Texas, solar power is on the rise.
More and more companies are heading here to utilize the Hub City’s flat topography and sunny days. For example, Chris Harrington is one Lubbock native who moved back from Austin to expand TriSmart Solar.
He calls Lubbock “the greatest spot in the world for solar.”
“The suns never let me down, which I imagine it hasn’t you as well,” Harrington said. “I mean, it comes up every day, and basically what we do is we harness the energy from the sun.”
Solar panels are a growing trend nation-wide, and not just because they’re earth-friendly.
“We always think about green in another form as far as our pocket book,” Harrington said. “At the end of the day, you are controlling your energy rates, now you own your energy rates.”
So how does it work? The first step is signing up for LP&L’s net metering program, where they give you a different set of rates. After the installation, as your panels generate energy, it flows back into the infrastructure with the goal of generating enough power to balance out your usage at zero.
“Basically the power is going back into the grid, and so the meter turns clockwise now. It would go counterclockwise while the sun is out producing that energy,” Harrington said.
LP&L opened up the net metering program in 2014.
“Customers going out there and being proactive and putting solar on their side certainly brings down our peak, and lowers cost to everybody else,” LP&L Spokesperson Matt Rose said.
While some other cities in the U.S. buy back solar energy from customers, LP&L has contractual obligations with Xcel Energy making that illegal.
However, there are some other benefits, including a federal tax credit on 30% of your purchase and the added value it brings your home as an asset.
Industry professionals warn that it is an investment, so customers should do their homework.
“Customers should always look at the baseline costs,” Rose said. “Take a look at what you are paying for electricity and then put that up against what the entity selling solar panels is talking about in terms of initial cost.”
Harrington said, if you look at states like Arizona and California, it’s the way of the future.
“As the price of energy continues to go up, why not own your own energy?” Harrington said. “When I look at this next generation, that’s what we are doing.”
So, you might be seeing a few more solar panels alongside our West Texas windmills.
CLICK HERE for information on net metering rates.
To contact Chris Harrington, email charrington@trismartsolar.com.