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Solar Power Interest Growing

June 24, 2008 at 5:52 pm · Filed under solar, solar energy, solar hot water, solar pool heater, solar power ·Tagged , , , ,

Sun City Energy of Tulsa believes solar power is the future. They share their message with interested homeowners.
Sun City Energy of Tulsa believes solar power is the future. They share their message with interested homeowners.

In South Tulsa, a group met to plan some bold moves. They’re learning more about solar power in an attempt to free themselves of skyrocketing utility bills.

Sun City Energy of Tulsa believes solar power is the future. They share their message with interested homeowners.

“We’re very passionate about helping America become energy independent. And we think that every home should own a portion of their own utility,” said General Manager of Sun City Solar Energy, Deanna Christ.

“I want to make sure that I’m doing what I need to be doing for the environment. Plus, I got hit with a couple of $400 gas bills over the winter and that was just for hot water,” said Christella Chavez, who is interested in solar power.

America is now being gripped by the high energy costs Europe has been facing for years, but has been slow in changing.

“8% of the country is on solar power, whereas Germany, which has the same amount of sunlight as the state of Michigan, is 55%,” said Christ.

But, for more and more Green Country homeowners, becoming your own utility company is looking more and more attractive.

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Solar Panels responsible thing to do

May 4, 2008 at 2:25 pm · Filed under solar energy ·Tagged , , ,

Keener Oil solar panels responsible thing to do

Courtesy / Keener Oil & Gas Co.

Solar panels atop the Keener Oil & Gas Co. building could sometimes produce enough electricity for sale to AEP-PSO.

 

By JASON WOMACK Tulsa World Staff Writer
3/18/2008

Putting a row of solar panels along the south side of his office building was a way of demonstrating that alternative energy is important and practical, oilman Dewey Bartlett Jr. says.

Bartlett, president of Keener Oil & Gas Co., had the panels installed last week after years of contemplating how he could best use energy sources other than fossil fuels.

“It’s a responsible thing for us in the energy industry to do,” he said. “We’re not just focused on oil and natural gas.”

The installation marks a first for American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma. Keener Oil & Gas, 1648 S. Boston Ave., is the utility’s only commercial customer in Tulsa to tie into its grid on a two-way basis.

“This is the first commercial customer set up to send power back to us,” said AEP-PSO spokesman Stan Whiteford.

On days when Bartlett’s building does not use all the power collected by the panels, the energy actually will be transferred into the utility’s system. The building’s meter will run backwards, and Keener Oil’s electricity bill will be credited. But on most days, the solar panels will supplement the power that Keener purchases from AEP-PSO.

Bartlett expects to shave up to 30 percent off the company’s electricity bills, which run $800 to $1,200 per month.

And the utility couldn’t be happier.

Whiteford said AEP-PSO encourages energy efficiency among its customers and is in the process of developing a demand-side management program, which will include incentives for customers who take steps to conserve electricity.

Bartlett anticipates that Keener Oil will eventually be able to recoup its investment of about $40,000 to install the solar panels and related equipment atop the building. The total expense will also be reduced through tax benefits that he says will total about $17,000.

“If we get paid back in five years, I’ll be happy,” Bartlett said.

Sun City Solar Energy LLC installed the panels. Deanna Christ, general manager of the Tulsa-based company, said more and more people are becoming interested in using solar energy to power their homes and businesses.

The outfit has installed solar panels for a number of Tulsa clients and, over the last year, has opened offices in Oklahoma City and Springdale, Ark.

Christ said that many of Sun City’s customers are concerned about U.S. reliance on foreign sources of energy.

“They’re interested in Americans becoming more energy independent,” she said.

Sun City Solar has also garnered interest from those in the traditional energy industry.

“People in the energy industry know we are not finding new reserves” as rapidly as before, she said.

 

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Green thoughts

May 1, 2008 at 7:10 pm · Filed under solar energy ·Tagged , , , ,

Green thoughts lead to local solar energy dealer
May 1, 2008
OKLAHOMA CITY –

Solar energy is a source that won’t go away anytime soon.
If it does, we won’t be a position to give it a thought.

Relying on the sun to power homes is something that has interested Chris Gary and his wife, Ctaci, who opened a Sun City Solar Energy office in Oklahoma City in February.

Chris Gary said he’s always had his eye on all things green and spend 14 years in the recycling business.
Sun City is based in Tulsa and Gary opened a dealership here.
He said he owes a lot to his wife.
“Ctaci did a lot of the investigation,” he said. “She was the major backbone to get it running. She handles marketing and is our chief financial officer.”

The Garys began looking into solar energy about a year ago.
“We were doing some studies, got excited and basically decided to get into it,” Gary said. “Eventually we will put it on the home we are going to build.”

Solar panels and grid-tie systems make for a lucrative business, he said.
“We install systems anywhere from $3,000 all the way to $100,000,” Gary said. “Every single home and business is different. It really depends on what the homeowners want to do.”

He said the federal government provides a 30 percent tax rebate for residential solar systems up to $2,000. Commercial customers get a 30 percent tax rebate and there on what they can spend.

The Oklahoma City office, which is at at 7540 Berkley Avenue – just to the east of May Avenue and Grand Boulevard – is manned by the Garys.

Oklahoma is the perfect spot for solar energy, he said.
“We have a great solar state,” he said. “We get the same solar gain as Florida, Texas, and southern California. I don’t think people realize that one of the best resources we’ve got is the sun, and it’s basically underutilized.”

As energy costs rise, more and more people are looking into alternatives.
“We hold educational seminars and look at the advantages of solar power and solar hot water,” Gary said. “It’s green a great way for people to learn about solar and the different systems available.”

Sun City has had one seminar per month at its office and Gary is planning to add one each month.
Gary said residential systems have been the most popular, mainly due to costs.
“The main residential systems are solar grid-tie systems that tie into the meter and can make the meter spin backwards,” he said. “That’s the majority of the systems we put in. Most are looking at grid-tie systems to reduce the utility cost. They also offer solar hot water systems, solar pool heating systems, and solar attic vents.”

Gary said print and radio advertising has helped spread the word and boost business.
“The main thing is letting people know we’re here,” he said. “We still get a lot of people hitting our Web site. We’ve been extremely busy.”

Gary said the company has installed hot water systems and power grid system and has more on the books for homes that will be built this summer.

Gary said there are few solar companies in the area and said the 25-year old company has been based out of Tulsa is proof of experience. Hot water systems installed in 1983 are still in use, he said.

“People are starting to realize that we are going to have to do something,” he said. “Things are changing.”
Copyright © 2008 The Journal Record All Rights Reserved

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Lawton Home Going Green

April 17, 2008 at 3:41 pm · Filed under solar energy, solar power ·Tagged , , , , ,

Lawton home going green, March 8, 2007, KSWO News, Channel 7

“It’s not easy being green.” Kermit the Frog may have been talking about his appearance but it could also apply to a home owner in Lawton. They’re going green meaning they’re doing their part to save energy and the environment by installing solar energy devices in their home.

 Blame it on Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth. That’s what got Dale Nomura and Barbara Boguski thinking about how they could do their part for the environment. Dale sat down at her computer and started searching for solar energy in Lawton.

Barbara says at first she thought it may be hard finding different options in Oklahoma. But she found a company in Tulsa that did exactly what she needed. Barbara says she is finding that Oklahomans are becoming more knowledgeable, interested and concerned about what they can do to make a difference.

Garret Roth and his company Sun City is installing 3 different systems. One will heat the hot water, another will heat the water in the pool and a photovoltaic system will convert sunlight into electricity. Roth says the good news for anyone who installs this type of solar system is they are entitled to a tax break.

If you want to go green, it’ll probably cost you some green. Roth says the cost depends on how much energy you use and how big your home is. Roth says if you plan on being in your home for a several years the systems will eventually pay for themselves.

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The Rising of Sun City Solar

April 17, 2008 at 1:39 pm · Filed under solar energy, solar power ·Tagged , ,

The Rising Sun City, April 11, 2008, Kirby Lee Davis, The Journal Record

Fueled by 1980s federal tax credits for solar energy investments, Sun City Energy Systems of El Paso mushroomed from one to 11 stores across four states in just two years.

Now Sun City burns bright once again, aided by a 2005 federal tax rebate program, soaring fuel prices that renewed interest in energy alternatives, and increasing discretionary spending from Oklahoma’s oil boom.

Last year revenues jumped, with the Tulsa company adding a dealership in Springdale, Ark., under investors Dwight Stinchcomb and John Gerrard.

Christ added an Oklahoma City dealership under Chris and Ctaci Gary on Feb. 1 while landing the Tulsa’s first large-scale commercial contract, installing solar panels on the Keener Oil and Gas headquarters.

That March deal – marking the first commercial customer in Tulsa that Public Service Co. of Oklahoma has allowed to tie into its grid – has spurred more than seven inquiries that led to site inspections and proposal evaluations.

Fielding potential dealership investors from Colorado Springs, Kansas City and other locations, Sun City intends to limit that expansion to one every six months.

“We need to be able to fully manage our growth,” said Christ, who this year changed the company’s name to Sun City Solar Energy, adopting a new logo to emphasize its solar power foundation. “So that we can fully help them to succeed, we need to be available to them when they need us.”

As dealerships instead of franchises, Christ requires investors make only a one-time training fee determined by the size of the market. She then helps them get off the ground, providing ongoing training to help them establish and operate their business. Christ also contracts her installation and repair teams to dealerships, until they create their own departments.

” We have a team here. We’ll always be improving and growing. It’s a team effort.” Behind that team stands her family, which was raised in the business. Christ sees that as her strength. “Everybody in the family knows how to install, including me,” she said. Her sister Pam Speraw, who launched the original Sun City chain, is head of business development. Her brother Garret Roth oversees installations and most service needs. Christ’s son Seth serves as a solar consultant, occasionally helping with training sessions. Her sons Sonny and Jason also help with installations when needed.

She also gives credit to the 2005 federal tax rebate program, which provides a 30-percent investment credit capped at $2,000 for a residential solar hot water or power system, with no cap on the 30-percent credit for commercial system investments. This year’s possible expiration of that program concerns her far more than talk of a national recession.

Costs vary from project to project.  The return on investment also varies, although she said a pool heater will often pay for itself within two or three years.

Sun City’s strong sales have carried over to its dealerships. “It’s been going great guns,” said Gerrard, whose team has finished several installations since its October launch. “From a standpoint of a startup business, I think we’ve exceeded where we thought we would be at this time. We’re making more contacts every day.” While that hot northwest Arkansas economy is settling somewhat, Gerrard said the leveling has not affected their business. “There was some overbuilding in the commercial sector and larger homes,” he said. “We’re mostly concerned with retrofitting. Only about 20 percent of what we do is with new construction.”

Chris Gary said his Oklahoma City office at 7540 Berkley Ave., just east of N. May and Grand, has already made installations, with several deals pending. “For people not really knowing anything about us, we feel that’s really good,” said Gary, who has yet to set projections for the year. “We haven’t started advertising here yet. We’re starting advertising this week, as far as radio spots. “Anytime you open up a business, it’s going to take a while to get you up and running,” he said. “I feel happy so far with what we’ve been doing.”

Christ draws much of her enthusiasm from the educational side of the business. Her seminars, often held at Sun City’s 6709 E. 81st St. showroom, focus on information and analysis, with no sales pressure. That’s one reason why her presentation won accreditation from the American Institute of Architects. “First and foremost, we want to educate the consumer,” she said.

“A lot of people are surprised to hear the average home puts out more CO2 than a car. She uses that as supporting evidence for installing a solar water heater, saying a family of four using electricity from coal or oil creates the same pollution as a car driven 40,000 miles per year. Looked at from the other direction, she said solar water heating systems keep 7,200 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air each year. But those seminars also prove Sun City’s greatest marketing tool, with 75- to 80-percent going on to buy some solar product – often for new home installations. “It’s our best source of customers,” said Christ, one that spurs heavy repeat business. “Once someone invests in our solar products, they will almost always end up owning all of them.” Copyright © 2008 The Journal Record

 

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Oil and Gas Company Goes Solar

April 17, 2008 at 1:18 pm · Filed under solar, solar energy, solar power ·Tagged , , , ,

Local Company Turning To Solar Power, Mar 12, 2008, The News on 6

The sunshine probably has you feeling energetic. That’s especially true for one Tulsa office building. It is the first in town with a special kind of solar power system. The News On 6’s Steve Berg reports it’s the first in Tulsa that’s actually tied into the electrical grid. So they can actually send power back to the power company. The first in town to have what’s known as a grid-tie solar system is an oil company.

Keener Oil’s Dewey Bartlett teamed up with the law firm in his building to buy the system. He says petroleum types, like himself, are more receptive to alternative energy than people might think.“I think by having a photovoltaic system on the roof of our building is a great way to show the public that we understand how precious energy is,” said Bartlett.

Even he was a little surprised though when Deanna Christ, the owner of the company that installs them, told him he was the first to be tied into PSO’s grid.”We have checked with the home office in Columbus, Ohio,” said Christ, Sun City Solar Energy. “This is the first commercial application. “That floored me when she told me that,” said Bartlett. And this will give any electric customer a sunny disposition. On the weekends when nobody is there and nothing is turned on, they might generate more electricity than they use, and their meter would actually turn backward.

“We will be putting energy back into the grid,” said Bartlett. During normal usage, the panels will provide around 15% to 30% of their power needs. “It’s certainly not a big step for mankind necessarily, but it’s a big step for us, so it’s going to be interesting to see over a year’s time how it really does compare,” said Bartlett. The system cost about $40,000. But they’ll get around $12,000 in tax credits. And of course they’ll pay less for electricity each and every month.

 

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