Does Solar Energy Have a Sunny Future?

There’s no doubt that a move towards green building is a good thing. The bottom line of whether it's affordable is being actively pursued by several Connecticut-based businesses.

A Branford company is busy building a $550,000 solar hot water heating system for Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford. More than half of the cost is being funded through a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. The system will will provide up to 65 percent of the hospital’s hot water needs.

A recent tour of Munger Construction Company in Branford gave manufacturers and political leaders a glance at the state's green industry in the making.

Among those on the tour were Ben Kaplan, CFO of SolarUS Inc., a Branford-based company providing the solar thermal panels for the Gaylord Hospital project.

Kaplan joined state Sen. Edward Meyer, D-Guilford, and other business owners on the tour to discuss what they called a grass-roots effort to expand green energy concerns in the state.

The manufacturers said the comprehensive energy reform bill (SB 1243) should help both homeowners and manufacturers through financial incentives.

“We are trying to be competitive in Connecticut to offset the electric bill. If you can invest in a solar energy array that you can have paid off in seven to eight years, you can reap the benefits for 25 to 30 years,” said Jeffrey Lendroth a sustainable energy consultant.