Since April, residents in Waukee have been able to take advantage of a group buy-in program for solar panels, and now that program is being made available to all of Dallas County.
Solarize Waukee offers discount start-up costs for residents and business owners to install solar panels, which initially was only open to residents in the Waukee School District. However, seeing the success of the program, with nine properties already taking advantage, the organization decided to not only offer it to everyone in the County, but also to extend the sign-up deadline to August 31st. Solarize Waukee reports the nine properties that have utilized their program have surpassed the first “kilowatt goal” of 50kW per day produced, which lowers the collective start-up costs even further. The price tag will lower even more upon reaching 100, 200, and 300kW using solar panels.
However, even with the discounts, solar energy is still pricey to get going, averaging around $21,000 per customer, and even after tax credits it’s still around $12,000. That said, solar experts point out that the average electrical savings are $1,100 annually, meaning the system pays for itself in around 10 years. Solarize Waukee emphasizes that now is a good time to buy, as next year the State Legislature could put restrictions on solar energy tax credits, making it more expensive. To learn more about the program, click the link below.