May 28--Ascom, an electrical company in Dover Township, is itching to install some solar panels.

The state government announced last week that it will reimburse homeowners and small businesses up to 35 percent of the cost to purchase and install solar energy technology.

That's exactly what Ascom wanted to hear.

To be eligible for the rebate, consumers must use an installer approved by Pennsylvania's department of environmental protection.

While about 40 approved installers cover York County, Ascom is one of only two approved installers based in the county, according to a list posted on the department's Web site.

New Park-based TRC Electrical Construction is also an approved installer, according to the department.

Ascom vice president Jeff Georg said more than a dozen local residences and businesses have obtained quotes from the company in the past month.

The base price for a residential solar power system ranges from about $20,000 to $40,000, Georg said. However, consumers are then in a position to receive federal tax credits and the state rebate.

Those systems don't take the buyer totally off the grid; they're still somewhat reliant on the electric company. Still, they can expect to save hundreds each year on their electricity bill and hundreds more through solar renewable energy credits, Georg said.

Therefore, the average solar power system pays for itself within 10 to 15 years, Georg said.

Not knowing when the state's rebate program would

take effect, many people obtaining preliminary quotes from Ascom weren't sure when to proceed with installations, Georg said.

Now that the rebate program is official, those residents and business owners are calling the company for updated quotes, Georg said, adding that the company's phones have been ringing off the hook with solar-related inquiries.

Time may be of the essence, Georg said.

The state has allotted $100 million for rebates under its "Sunshine Solar Program," according to DEP. There's no telling how long that money will last, department spokesman John Repetz said.

"The consumer has been waiting some time for this to open up," Repetz said. "A lot of consumers were ready to go as soon as the governor opened the program (May 18)."

Ascom was eager for the solar program to open, as well.

Its business slowed last year when the housing market declined, so Ascom's senior project manager, Ed McDaniel, took classes to become an approved installer.

York County's other DEP-approved installer, TRC Electrical Construction, has installed solar technology since the early 1990s, vice president Frank Kennell said.

The company has installed solar panels at a local elementary school as an educational tool for students there, Kennell said, and also worked on solar-related projects in Africa, Haiti and the Philippines, among other places.

One prospective TRC customer wanted to install solar power in February, but Kennell told him to wait until the rebate took effect.

TRC has fielded a couple of

rebate-related inquiries, Kennell said, but he is expecting more as the word starts to trickle out.

"Unfortunately, up until now, it's been for people who have a lot of money," Kennell said. "The rebate program's definitely gonna help some."

LEARN MORE

For more information on the state's solar-rebate program, visit the state Department of Environmental Protection's Web site, www.depweb.state.pa.us, and enter the keyword "Pa Sunshine."

Also, loans for solar projects are available through Keystone HELP, a home energy loan program. More information is available at www.keystonehelp.com.

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