Project of the Month

3.8 kW Itek Energy Solar System - Mercer Island, WA

Al & Meg Lippert from Mercer Island placed one of the first orders for a Nissan LEAF electric vehicle. Wanting to make sure the all-electric vehicle was powered by truly green energy, they went solar at the same time. Their 16 Itek Energy 240 module (3.8kW) system will produce 3,500 kWh's its first year and over 100,000 during its 30-year plus life-span.  Their LEAF averages around 3.6 miles per kWh. That's over 12,000 miles per year powered from the modules on their roof!

This Itek Energy solar system could generate over 50% of their households annual electricity consumption if it wasn’t powering their new LEAF and offsets over 350% of their current annual energy bill by taking advantage of Washington's Solar Incentive Programs.

They'll also save the state of Washington the need to waste over 9000 gallons of water per year.  An NREL study of water use for electricity production shows Washington loses 2.7 gallons per kWh from evaporation at hydropower reservoirs and thermal power plants.

The Lippert's system is a great example of clean electricity use and production; a model for world energy that has finally come of age.