Heat in Bend, the indoor kind (stores, farmers, companies)

[Bendite]

Originally Posted by kapetrich

Wow - your electric bill is pretty low considering you use AC. Must have good insulation.

Glad to hear the city is in the process of changing how water use is calculated. Do you know when this is suppose to take place?

Since you're selling your house, are you planning on moving out of Bend?

Yes, the insulation on this house is excellent so AC use is limited and fairly low. I don't know when the City will change how they calculate water rates, I just saw a recent article in the Bulletin about it. It is not fair that high users (domestic) with big green lawns in the middle of the desert, pay about the same as low-use users so I'm glad the system is being looked at for change.

I will be moving from Bend to Denver in early November. Although I am an Oregon native, most of my family lives in the Boulder/Denver area and my personal circumstances are such that I need to be there with them. I've really enjoyed my 8 years here in Bend, especially where I live in Shevlin Commons - it's one of the few "dark night" neighborhoods left and it is absolutely spectacular here with no street lights to interfere with moon and starlight. I am so not looking forward to all that Denver traffic either.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by Snownut

good information. I have solar PV on the house I am trying to sell and have installed over a dozen residential systems in VA. If you want to share just curious PV cost there per watt. Straight grid tie here have dropped from around 8 to now 4 dollars per watt installed. no state incentives here.

There are two different types of incentives here -

a feed-in tariff program where your utility agrees to pay you a fixed amt per kwh generated (doesn't matter if you use the energy yourself or send it to the grid) over the term of a contract (15 years). If you opt for this, there are no other subsidies available (you do get the Federal deduction, but nothing else from the state or utility). The current feed-in rate paid by Pacific Power is $0.35 per kwh (versus a retail charged rate of $0.09). The program offers participation by a twice-a-year lottery and the rate paid drops $.05 every lottery, until the point at which the lottery stops selling out.

otherwise it is a state tax credit based on installed watt. From their page:

Tax credit is based on $2.10 per watt of installed capacity (DC) up to $6,000.
An additional $6,000 tax credit per residence taken over four years ($1,500 per year) limited to 50 percent of the cost of the system.

There is also a $5k rebate that goes directly to the licensed installer, paid by the utility which reduces your up-front cost, plus the utilities are required to offer net metering for excess production, but the rate is well below market.

To get the various solar rebates and tax credits from the state and the utilities, the system must be installed by a licensed, state-approved installer - in our case, it worked out to be cheaper in the long run to let someone else install it so we could be part of the feed-in tariff program.

Our total installed cost (grid-tie, 4.8kw, 2 ground panel mounts with a seasonal angle adjustment) was about $5.50 a watt, with REC panels and an Aurora inverter. Roof mount would be cheaper, but this way we can seasonally adjust the panel tilt. In my town, though, there is ONE state-blessed installer, and all the Bend guys are busy enough that they don't travel 120 miles south.

[Snownut]

Thank you for the personal information. We certainly want to add solar if we are able to move to Bend one day. Sounds like incentives there are subject to change. Congratulations on your system.

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

There are two different types of incentives here -

a feed-in tariff program where your utility agrees to pay you a fixed amt per kwh generated (doesn't matter if you use the energy yourself or send it to the grid) over the term of a contract (15 years). If you opt for this, there are no other subsidies available (you do get the Federal deduction, but nothing else from the state or utility). The current feed-in rate paid by Pacific Power is $0.35 per kwh (versus a retail charged rate of $0.09). The program offers participation by a twice-a-year lottery and the rate paid drops $.05 every lottery, until the point at which the lottery stops selling out.

otherwise it is a state tax credit based on installed watt. From their page:


There is also a $5k rebate that goes directly to the licensed installer, paid by the utility which reduces your up-front cost, plus the utilities are required to offer net metering for excess production, but the rate is well below market.

To get the various solar rebates and tax credits from the state and the utilities, the system must be installed by a licensed, state-approved installer - in our case, it worked out to be cheaper in the long run to let someone else install it so we could be part of the feed-in tariff program.

Our total installed cost (grid-tie, 4.8kw, 2 ground panel mounts with a seasonal angle adjustment) was about $5.50 a watt, with REC panels and an Aurora inverter. Roof mount would be cheaper, but this way we can seasonally adjust the panel tilt. In my town, though, there is ONE state-blessed installer, and all the Bend guys are busy enough that they don't travel 120 miles south.

[whirnot]

PNW typeGal's figures were based on Pacific Power, they are not the same if you are on Midstate Rea or Central electric. the rebates are different for Investor owned utilities.

[Snownut]

Originally Posted by whirnot

PNW typeGal's figures were based on Pacific Power, they are not the same if you are on Midstate Rea or Central electric. the rebates are different for Investor owned utilities.

Interesting there are many factors including the utility provider that change the cost of a solar systems there.

The value for me is not in the details of Oregon's state and utility solar incentives and pricing it is the attitude toward solar compared to here in VA/WV. In that regard Oregon win's because the VA/WV and the utility companies have (outside of the TVA in SW VA) shown little interest in solar.

If we are able to move to Bend in a few years it is good to know there is potential for more than just a big investment for the "greater good" as it is here in VA where the financial payoff is long. Investing in solar pv here is more about baby steps toward less coal power and of course the economy of scale that in the long run works toward cost parity with the fossil fuel power sources that are still cheap here.

Speaking of fossil fuels I am still wondering about where and how much firewood costs in the Bend area? Do many use wood as a primary heat source? Is pine firewood used?

[kapetrich]

Originally Posted by Snownut

Speaking of fossil fuels I am still wondering about where and how much firewood costs in the Bend area? Do many use wood as a primary heat source? Is pine firewood used?

You can cut your own firewood during firewood cutting season (May - November): Deschutes2520 The permits 20 bucks and you can take as much as you can carry out - practically. Nothing like grabbing firewood in your own back yard!

Also, you can get your Christmas tree in our NF, too: Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests & Crooked River National Grassland - Forest Products Permits (even if you choose to buy one from a 'store' they'll be MUCH cheaper than you're used to back east)

I'm not too sure how much a cord of wood would coast from a store - sorry, but these are great/cheap options, too.

Hope this helps some.

[hamellr]

You can usually (at least in the Portland area,) find cords of wood in Spring and Early summer in the $120 range on places like Craigslist. As it gets closer to the winter season, prices go up pretty quickly.

But I'd go for the self cut option myself too.

[Snownut]

Good to know about the firewood. I have always lived in homes with abundant access for cutting firewood so it is important for me to be able to cut my own firewood. Even if just for "romantic" or supplemental heating when we move to Bend.

I actually find it peaceful to be out on a cold morning with my chainsaw.

Thank for the information and link which I have bookmarked.

[whirnot]

Or buy a big tree covered lot and have a never ending supply.

[delta07]

We rely on our wood stove for heating throughout the winter. Our house, built in the early 70s, is entirely electric. The baseboard heat is pretty inefficient and would certainly cost us over $300 a month in the winter if we relied on this as our main heating source. We usually burn anywhere from 3-5 cords a winter to heat our 1200 sq.ft. home. Although we've cut some of our own in the past, it's not something we prefer to do with our time, so we buy our wood. We usually pay around $150 split and delivered from a private party. I actually don't know of any stores that sell wood by the cord.