By Mimi Moffat, Sierra Club Kansas Chapter
Have you ever considered putting solar panels on your house? In our last house, I thought that would be a good move, environmentally, but then I learned that the payback period could be 10 years and I wasn't sure we'd be there for 10 years. You can get your own estimate from the U. S. Department of Energy's solar calculator.
As it happened, we moved to a 1952 ranch-style house in 2023. We were planning on major remodeling and I thought getting rid of the gas-powered HVAC, fireplaces, and appliances would be a sensible first step toward a later solar installation. So, we did it. We're on our way to standing up for solar and taking advantage of federal tax credits for doing so. Yay! First step - check.
All good, right? Since January of 2023, we have had four electrical outages, the worst of which lasted a couple of hours under three days. We were among the last few thousand customers of Evergy Metro in Johnson County to have our power restored.
Have you figured out what I didn't think about when I was congratulating myself for helping the environment by having an all-electric home? If we lose power, we lose everything. And since our kitchen and laundry appliances can only be moved by a professional, it doesn't help if our friendly neighbor offers to lend me an extension cord to their gas-powered generator.
One crucial piece of information I didn't give you was the one that I should have paid attention to. If you live in an area that is heavily treed and the power lines are above ground, you are more likely to be the victim of power outages.
Don't wait to find out what I do next, (Part 2 is coming next year). Here's a great resource if you're thinking about a solar installation. Homeowner's Guide to Going Solar