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A local man is taking green living to the roof.
Andrew Koenisberg recently installed at his 3 Smith St. home a 5 kilowatt-hour solar powered energy system, one of the largest of its kind and a first among Westborough residents.
When Koenisberger's father passed away 18 months ago, he left him with an inheritance and an important decision about how to use that money.
"I thought it was kind of the patriotic thing to do," Koenisberg said. "Every kilowatt of electricity I'm using instead of importing coal or burning oil, I think is going to help this country."
Ever since he flipped the switch on his new system last month, his electrical meter has been running backwards. Koenisberg's home is almost like a power utility itself now, generating about 8 kilowatts per day back to National Grid's power grid.
"Today it reads 806 kilowatt hours," Koenisberg said. "That means that we've sold about 50 kilowatt-hours of electricity back to the grid."
Because of the amount of kilowatt-hours Koenisberg's system has given back, heĄŻll receive a credit on his next electrical bill.
On a sunny day, the system generates between 30-35 kilowatts of electricity, of which Koenisberg said he only uses about 24 kilowatts per day on average. Coupled with the credits he'll receive, that efficiency is already paying for the system's initial cost, he said.
After originally thinking it would take between 15 to 20 years to pay off system and installation costs, Koenisberg now figures he will have made the $28,000 investment back by 2017. The cost of the system was also offset substantially because of a rebate from the Mass. Technology Council, which sent him $9,360 for the purchase.
Since the installation, Koenisberg's past energy costs of $1,400 per year have dropped to a mere $150.
The system is much more complex than a rooftop adornment. The solar panels on Koenisberg's roof generate a DC current, and through a converter installed in the basement, the energy is then converted to AC current, which goes into their household electrical system through their breaker panel.
"Anything we do not use goes out from our house and into National Grid's power system which runs into the community," Koenisberg said.
While the general public is feeling the weight of energy these days, Koenisberg realizes that not everyone can afford to install such an energy saving system to their own home. But he has a different way to look at the investment.
"If I stuck that $28,000 in a CD earning 3 to 4 percent interest, I'll be getting a better return on my investment with this instead," Koenisberg said.
Thanks to the system that's generating electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Koeninsberg expects to never be without energy, even in the face of a power failure by the townĄŻs power grid.
Koenisberg is so passionate about his new purchase that he quit his job working at a software firm that sells commercial software to work in the IT and manufacturing department of Evergreen Solar.
The Koenisbergs in front of their solar powered home.
Article Sources:http://www.wickedlocal.com/westborough/news/x1611221841
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