NEW LOCATION:
Now at the Carolina Hotel !

SHOW DATES:
MCHBA Member Preview Night: Thursday, March 4, 6pm to 9 pm
Friday, March 5, Noon to 6 pm
Saturday, March 6, 9 am to 5 pm
Sunday, March 7, Noon to 5 pm

Ken and George Bonville founded Bonville Construction Co. in May 1989. The company is a design/build unlimited license general contracting firm that has completed more than 350 projects that include custom residential homes, remodels, renovations, horse farms and other unusual structures such as docks, aviaries and commercial renovations.

Bonville Construction recently became an Energy Star partner and in the process discovered that renewable energy technology has come of age and is now within economical reach.

Recognizing this potential, Ken Bonville, president of Bonville Construction, received his North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners certification through N.C. State University and founded Sandhills Energy to provide alternative energy solutions to our community, including solar photovoltaics (PV).

With the recent tax incentives provided by the federal and state governments, most commercial PV systems can pay for themselves in five years and residential systems in nine years, a news release said.

Both have an expected lifetime of more than 30 years, making them viable investments and dodging rising electricity costs.

Anyone needing more information on Bonville Construction can call 295-0462 or go online at bonvilleconstruction.com

Ken Bonville, president of Bonville Construction and Sandhills Energy in Pinehurst, is pioneering residential solar panels in the area. Bonville is an Energy Star builder, and is looking into the NC HealthyBuilt Homes Program and LEED. He says his company has been dedicated to building energy efficient homes for years, and in a time where home construction is off, it helps to have something that distinguishes his firm from the rest.

His first installation of a residential solar power system will take place at a Pinehurst house in the coming weeks. He says the energy created by the panels quickly adds up.

Contrary to some misperceptions, customers using the panel remain on the power grid — meaning the lights stay on at night and on cloudy days — and the system pumps excess energy back into it.

The system is monitored by computer 24 hours a day, and customers can even access a Web site that displays the amount of power being produced, the total amount produced since the system was installed and individual performance breakdowns of each individual panel.

When there’s a problem, Bonville gets an e-mail alert telling him about it.

The technology still isn’t cheap. Bonville says a single panel costs about $1,000. But with all of the incentives out there, it’s possible that the system can pay for itself within five years if it gets good production. The 52-panel system on the roof of his office is already paying dividends.

“The sky is the limit, basically because you’re getting such a big return on your investment so quickly,” he says.

source:  The Pilot Newspaper

This Pinehurst North Carolina home is the first solar PV installation in the Village of Pinehurst.  This 3.7 kilowatt system provides half the power required for this home.

For a free site evaluation please contact us.

In June 2009, Progress Energy Carolinas announced several solar programs for residential and commercial/business customers.

What new solar programs are being offered?

SunSense Residential PV: This new program will be offered later this year in the Carolinas. The proposed incentive is $2 per watt for residential customer solar PV installations, which represents about 25 percent of the installed cost of the system.

SunSense Solar Water Heating: This pilot program launched on July 1, 2009. This program includes a $1,000 rebate for up to 150 customers who install solar water heating capability. For more information, go to www.progress-energy.com/sunsense and click on “Solar Water Heating Pilot Program.”

SunSense Commercial PV: This program launched in the Carolinas on July 6, 2009. Commercial/business customers installing solar PV will be paid per kilowatt-hour for energy produced. For details on this program, go to www.progress-energy.com/sunsense and click on “SunSense Commercial PV.”

SunSense Commercial Solar Water Heating: This program launched on July 6, 2009, and provides incentives for commercial/business customers to install solar water heating capability. For details on this program, go to www.progress-energy.com/sunsense and click on “SunSense Commercial Solar Water Heating.”

SunSense Schools: This program is a partnership to install PV on middle and high schools in the Progress Energy Carolinas service area. Selected schools served by Progress Energy Carolinas will receive 2-kilowatt solar PV installation at no cost.

Progress Energy Carolinas SunSense Customer Programs

Program	Rebate/incentive	Available to customers in NC/SC
Residential PV	$2 per watt	Fall 2009
Residential Solar Water Heating Pilot	$1,000 for up to 150 customers in NC and SC	July 1, 2009
Commercial PV	18 cents/kWh	July 6, 2009
Commercial Solar Water Heating	$20/Renewable Energy Credit	July 6, 2009

Who is eligible to participate in the programs?

Progress Energy customers in North Carolina and South Carolina are eligible to participate in the programs.

The incentives will be available only for newly installed PV and solar water heating systems that have been approved in advance by PEC, not for systems that have already been installed – even if they were installed recently.