Mesa Home Goes Solar for $25K Match

Updated: Wednesday, 16 Sep 2009, 7:18 PM MDT
Published : Wednesday, 16 Sep 2009, 7:18 PM MDT

MESA - We never look forward to getting that electric bill in the mail this time of year.

But this valley family may not be paying electric bills soon -- they may be getting money back from SRP. The Fixicos are going green, to save some green.

This Mesa couple got SRP to match their $25,000 investment. Starting next month, the change will knock more than $100 off their bill. And eventually, the system will pay for itself.

Donald Fixico and his wife are both history professors at ASU. They've converted their home's electrical system over to solar energy. And Wednesday, they went completely off the grid.

"We are actually utilizing a west-facing array, and a south-facing array," says AJ Saferstein of Dependable Solar Products. "Getting the maximum use out of the sun with no shade, converting everything into AC power."

The panels have been placed on Fixico's roof, and the converters on the sides are pretty shallow.

"Any excess that we produce will go back onto the grid, the customer will receive full credit for it, and it will go to their neighbors house to be used for energy," says Saferstein.

"We think it's also good for the environment, we think other people should be doing it," says Fixico.

In addition to the $25,000 rebate, the couple will also get a state and federal tax credit between $8,000 to $9,000 on this year's taxes.