For Mike Geringer, the decision to install a solar electric system on his home was not a spur-of-the-moment one. Since the late 1970s the Cal Poly professor of strategy and international management has been doing his homework on solar electricity.

"I have been driven to examine solar (electric) systems for many years, primarily from an envi-ronmental stand-point," he said. "I wanted to live in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, and solar is just one of the elements of such a lifestyle...." Geringer is one of several Cal Poly professors who have recently put their knowledge to use and invested in solar electric systems for their own homes.

Two of his colleagues, professors Margot McDonald and Don Swearingen, purchased solar electric systems for many of the same reasons that impelled Geringer.

McDonald, like Geringer, was drawn to solar electricity out of concern for the environment. Also like Geringer, McDonald was no novice to the concept of solar electricity when she decided to outfit her home with a system. As interim director of Cal Poly’s architecture department she has made a career of sustainability research. When she isn’t acting as department head, McDonald teaches classes in building systems and is co-director of the Renewable Energy Institute (REI), a non-profit orga-nization dedicated to promoting renewable energy and sustainability on campus.

McDonald said she and husband Eric had been talking about walking the walk by putting a solar electric system on their home "since the beginning of time." Finally, after researching local solar electricity companies, the McDonalds’ 1,600-watt system was installed by Renewable Energy Concepts at the end of 2001.

Swearingen, who has taught architecture at Cal Poly for 30 years, became inter-ested in environmentally friendly building when he visited Denmark and Sweden 20 years ago. He was fascinated to discover their practice of recycling old buildings.

"I was very positively impressed with that," Swearingen said.

In the classes he teaches at Cal Poly, Swearingen said he has always encouraged his students to incorporate alternative energy systems into their design projects.

"I was always preaching this, but I never really practiced it," said Swearingen.

Swearingen knew the time was right to invest in his own solar electric system when he recently refinanced his home. His 7,200-watt system was installed in July and Swearingen said he couldn’t be happier.

"I’m very proud of it," said Swearingen. "I feel comfortable about my energy use now that my electricity is coming from the sun." Of course, it doesn’t take a Master’s degree to realize the environmen-tal benefits of solar energy and sustainable living. Solar electric systems, also called photovoltaic systems, convert energy from the sun into electricity that is then used to power residences. These systems have become popular among homeowners looking to improve the environment and decrease their electricity bills at the same time.

By reducing reliance on finite and pollutant energy sources like oil, solar energy cuts back on carbon dioxide emissions. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), using solar energy to supply one million homes with energy would reduce CO2 emissions by 4.3 million tons per year, the equivalent to removing 850,000 cars from the road.

Even those whose interest in solar energy is piqued primarily by its environmental benefits cannot resist its substantial financial rewards.

Thanks to a net-metering agreement between California electricity utility companies and the owners of these systems, any electricity generated by the solar electric system that isn’t used by the homeowner is "sold back" to the utility company.

Hence, the owner’s electricity meter rolls backward, crediting his or her account. Throw in the $3.80-per-watt rebate money offered by the California Energy Commission (CEC) and a California tax credit, which offset a significant portion of the cost of a solar electric system, and solar electricity becomes a practical option for the average homeowner.

For Geringer, he knew it was the right time financially to get his own solar electric system when he moved into a new home earlier this year.

"The house I recently purchased is all-electric: lights, water heater, refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer, heating system, etc.," he said. "Given the rapid escalation of electric rates in recent years and the rela-tive inefficiency of electric heating, dryers, water heaters, and so forth, I was concerned about facing large monthly bills. I also was concerned about contributing to the over-load problems that California’s electricity grid has experienced. I knew that my new house had excellent southern exposure and that there were good programs at the state level to help promote investment in solar energy systems, so that stimulated me quickly to investigate the installation of a PV system." When deciding who would install their systems, Geringer and McDonald both did some shopping around.

"I solicited bids from a number of different companies on the Central Coast who were involved in the design and instal-lation of PV systems," explained Geringer. In addition, I investigated the cost of a system purchased from an out-of-area pro-vider and having it installed by local pro-fessionals." In the end, both Geringer and McDonald, who also solicited bids from more than one installer, chose Los Osos-based solar electricity company Renewable Energy Concepts.

Neither Geringer nor McDonald have regretted their investment decisions for a minute.

McDonald said that, after having the system for nearly two years, it has become such a fixture that she hardly notices it anymore.

"It’s so quiet that we don’t really think about it," she said. "We don’t remember it’s even there until we get our electricity bill. It has so little impact on our day-to-day life but has such a large impact on the big picture." In Geringer’s case, his new solar electric system has made him more aware of his energy consumption. He has taken additional measures to cut down his elec-tricity usage, including switching the light bulbs in his house to more energy efficient bulbs and investing in a new energy-efficient washing machine.

For Geringer, limiting our energy consumption is simply common sense.

"Our planet is really not very big," he said. "Without conscious efforts to manage and protect our environmental resources, we will further damage not merely our qual-ity of life locally, but the sustainability of humankind worldwide."

Don’t Procrastinate: Now is the Time For Solar The CEC rebate program and California tax incentives are what make solar affordable. Unfortunately, the CEC rebate money is quickly dwindling and drops by 20 cents per watt every six months. The current rebate amount is $3.80 per watt, although that amount will dip down to $3.60 per watt after January 1, 2004.

In addition, the state tax incentive will drop from 15 percent of the total cus-tomer cost to 7.5 percent after January 1.

It may not sound like much of a difference, but it adds up. At the current rebate and tax incentive levels, the total average customer-cost for a typical-size system is $12,486.50. After January 1, 2004 when the rebate and incentive drops, the total customer cost for the same system will be $14,041.50. This translates to an increase of $1,555 in the system price.

To find out about current solar energy legislation and to stay up-to-date with solar industry news, visit www.californiasolarcenter.org or www.reconcepts.com.