Solar panels are slowly coming to the Lowcountry, but folks aren’t really seeing a strong economic benefit to going green, according to a Post and Courier report today. The story included one unhappy couple begrudgingly taking what little they could get out of their good intentions.
Charlie Sneed and Libby Smith plan to install solar panels on their home in James Island, but they were surprised to learn they would save just $7 to $20 a month under a net-metering plan SCE&G recently submitted to state regulators.
“It’s pretty underwhelming,” said Smith, who recently set up a foundation called SCGreen. “But we still want to do it because we think it’s important to move toward cleaner energy.”
The story makes a solid point on lagging power company incentives. But it doesn’t mention the bundle of energy saving bills Senate leader Glenn McConnell introduced last month. The legislation includes one providing a state income tax credit for folks using solar energy for their home and a sales tax exemption on materials used in the production of renewable energy.
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