Baca counts benefits of solar panels

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Former Albuquerque mayor Jim Baca's house is now cranking out solar power, and going green may earn him some green.

But adding 3-kilowatt solar panels to his North Valley home is as much about helping the environment, Baca told KRQE News 13.

"To keep about four tons of Co2 out of the atmosphere every year, that's how much this will save in burning coal or natural gas," he said.

The general manager of the company installing the panels said the system will generate about 6,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year.

The solar panels only power Baca's home during the day, and what he doesn't use goes back to pnm and then off to power other homes.

"This takes the power off the solar panels and changes it from a direct current to an alternating current so that it can go into the grid," Baca said of some of the hardware. "I can sell power to PNM when I'm not using it."

Baca said PNM will pay him up to 23 cents per kilowatt hour which will help him pay for energy used at night. Homeowners without solar power pay PNM about 10 cents per kWh.

"I feel good about selling power to those guys," Baca said. "I've been buying from them my whole life. Now they can buy some back."

Baca said this is something he's always wanted to do. However recently it became more affordable because of state and federal tax credits.

The solar power system costs about $24,000, but he'll only end up paying about $14,000 after the tax credits.

Baca said the system should last 30 years and pay for itself in 10 years.

PNM said 475 customers participated in the program last year producing more than 1 million kWh.

Information about PNM's solar program and state and federal tax credits is available from the PNM Web site .