As Seen October 31, 2007 in the St. Charles County Journal
Busch estate installs solar panels
By Eric Becker
Kirkwood-based
Farmergy on Oct. 23 completed the installation of what it says is the
largest private solar energy panel project in the region at Adolphus
Busch IV's Belleau Farms in St. Charles County. But the topic of the
day was improving the state's standing for usage of renewable energy
sources.
Busch's hope in installing the solar panels was to push
the state toward increased consciousness of renewable energy sources,
something he said the state sorely lacks.
With the passage of
the Easy Connection Act by the Missouri Legislature in March, those
using solar panels and wind turbines to generate electricity may sell
back extra energy they generate that enters the grid to local energy
companies, such as AmerenUE, at the going retail rate. Previously, they
would only receive the wholesale rate for such energy, about half its
value. Such an arrangement is commonly referred to as a net meter
system.
"You hear reports criticizing Al Gore because he takes
private jets and stuff like that, and I drive an SUV, so I thought,
'Well, here's a way to maybe help Missouri and get it to the point
where the Legislature will start giving grants and tax incentives for
this type of project," Busch said.
Busch, a member of the famous Anheuser-Busch family, also is founder of the environmental group Great Rivers Habitat Alliance.
Farmergy
Chief Executive Officer Mark Green said the passage of the Easy
Connection Act was a step that should allow more Missouri projects to
move forward.
"With the new Easy Connection Act, it's allowed us
to be able to do things, so we've got two or three projects we're going
to be beginning in the next six months," Green said.
The most convenient point of comparison would be Illinois.
"A
lot of other states are a lot more progressive," Green said. "Illinois
offers a $50,000 grant on solar systems and pays up to $25,000 on wind
turbines."
Farmergy also has a hand in biodiesel fuel and mostly
targets rural customers. Its projects across 20 states include
corporate facilities and stretch to the West Coast.
"You can get
into it for as little as $2,000 or $3,000 pumping a remote well," Green
said. "Right now, there hasn't been a lot of education to individual
farmers (about renewable energy), and most of the projects have been to
large utility-grade turbines you see in northern Missouri, as well as
biodiesel and ethanol."
The Busch project, which would generate
10 kilowatts of energy through five solar panels, could power 60
percent to 70 percent of the Busch house, Green said. The project
should pay for itself in 10 years if it cuts Busch's $1,500 energy
costs in half, as expected.
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who was also at Belleau Farms, said such technologies have become increasingly economical.
"(Solar)
is a priority, but the problem to this point has been the economics of
solar, it being dramatically more expensive," Kinder said. "Now, there
are state and federal tax credits for installing solar and costs have
come down."
Busch said energy corporations finally appear to be moving in the right direction with renewable energy.
"Now
you even see GE and oil companies like BP turning to these things after
trying to suppress alternative energy for so long," he said.
Missouri,
too, still has quite a way to go. Busch would receive 8 cents for each
kilowatt/hour of extra energy his panels produced under the Easy
Connection Act. Green says Wisconsin offers 28 cents per kilowatt/hour.
Farmergy says there are less than 100 solar energy users in Missouri.
"The
reality is that you're looking at an eight- to 10-year payback right
now," Green said. "If you throw more incentives in, you can get that to
two to five years."
Busch says he hopes his decision will encourage other private homeowners, as well as farmers, to switch to renewable energies.
"I think as long as you have entrepreneurial spirit and get corporate America involved, you can have this thing work."
