Chuck Dunn is a financial planner and recent homeowner in the Catalina Foothills. He enjoys spending time with his wife and four kids, working on his house and watching his utility meter run backwards.

This is because the Dunn family home runs on solar electricity.

The glass panels located on the roof of his home collect sunlight and convert it to an electrical current, which is transformed into kilowatts of energy and used to run their air conditioner, electric lights, and other household appliances. He calls this "growing" his own electricity.

But these modern marvels are not what makes Dunn’s meter spin backward. The numbers on his electrical meter go down rather than up because the house is hooked into Tucson Electric Power Company's SunShare Program, a program that recycles the electrical current from houses generating solar energy and credits those that produce enough energy to share throughout the TEP grid.

While building his home in 2007, Dunn decided he wanted to make it a model of energy efficiency. His plans included specialty insulation, private well for water, glass and household appliances such as an energy-efficient refrigerator and ice maker. With the finishing touch of 96 glass solar panels, Dunn’s rooftop became home to the largest customized solar array of any private residence in Southern Arizona.

On a sunny day the panels provide about 80 percent of the energy needed for the 6,000 sq. foot house, and drop to 30 percent on a cloudy day. At night, when the panels are inactive, the house draws on energy through the TEP grid to run the heating and cooling systems.

The panels work to make money for the family when they are not using all the electrical current created by the system.

Since the energy is used immediately, the panels require no batteries to store the energy for both the Dunns’ home and other TEP customers. In return for the sunlight his roof generates, the family gets credits from TEP for each kilowatt hour produced and sent into the grid.

“I like to think of it in terms of money," Dunn said. "Everyone understands money."

Dunn estimates he makes 10 cents per day, per panel, for a total of $10 per day. From October 2007 through October 2008, the first full calendar year of operation, the panels earned the Dunn family $3,600. The family had no energy bill for February through September of this past year because of their alternative energy source.

“I’d say I am getting a 12 percent yearly return on my initial investment,” Dunn said.

He touts the efficiency of the solar panels, explaining they could potentially lose efficiency at about 1 percent per year. After 25 years of operation, the whole system will still be working at 75 percent.

“I love it,” Dunn said. “When it is sunny outside, the panels are cranking. They are good workers, and they don’t take a lunch break and they never leave behind cigarette butts.”

Dunn admits his situation is unique, and not everyone is capable of financing such an operation.

The endeavor added about $47,000 to the cost of the family’s home. The system was completely customized by TEP while he was building his home. The additional cost of the solar panels were added to the home loan, just as a pool or patio deck would be.

TEP no longer sells the glass panels wholesale, which is how Dunn purchased his. Now homeowners interested in going to solar energy have to purchase their supplies from private retailers such as The Solar Store or GeoInnovation.

Both TEP and the state of Arizona are making strides to remove the obstacles associated with solar electricity.

“The Dunns’ setup is pretty impressive,” said Joe Salkowski, spokesman for the Sun Share Program. “He is very committed to solar.”

Salkowski acknowledges that there are many barriers to clear before it’s feasible for others to participate.

Primarily, monetary incentives offered by both the electric company and the state government help to reduce the up-front cost. (The initial price tag of the Dunns’ system was around $90,000 before tax credits, federal rebate, state rebate, and TEP discount). These incentives also entice people to become part of the SunShare program, which connects them into the grid.

As of December 2008, 538 homeowners in the Tucson area — about .1 percent of TEP’s 400,000 customers — were sharing their sun-produced energy, Salkowski said.

Dunn has begun partnering with members of the SunShare program to help make solar energy a possibility for people who don’t have the financial resources to build their own array, or perhaps don’t own their own home or don’t have space for large panels, but still want to invest in solar.

A new project Dunn calls Off-Site Solar would consist of substations located all across town, full of solar panels. People and businesses could purchase an array of 10 panels but they wouldn’t be housed and maintained on their property. The energy made by the panel would be used by the owners, whether for a home, apartment or business.

“It would be like a community garden of solar panels. Organic energy,” Dunn said. “If the practical use of solar panels is going to get off the ground here, then we need to change the business model. And this is a near perfect solution.”

There are still many steps to take before this project can break ground. In the meantime, Dunn and his family are going to continue to run their house with the knowledge that they have 96 hard workers on the roof, dedicated to their renewable energy.




Solar energy education:
Community lecture series March 10, Science Cafe