Doing it! The Herzog family

“Every day I’d drive to work and pass by the sign at the New Orleans Parish line claiming that New Orleans was a solar city,” Spike Herzog recalls. “It felt like it was false advertising.”

 

But after a little bit of investigation, Mr. Herzog discovered that wide scale solar initiatives were a real possibility for New Orleans. 

 

“The industry had done their job by making the technology available, and the state and federal government had done their job by providing consumers financial incentives, with the support of organizations like the Alliance. The only thing that was left was my own initiative to reduce green house gasses.”

 

Initiative is an understatement. Mr. Herzog was determined to play a role in the transition to a clean energy future: after calling two solar companies, who both claimed there was not enough sunlight for solar panels on his home, a third installer finally put up 3 kilowatt hours of panels. Now, Mr. Herzog’s energy bill is cut more than half every month. Thanks to federal and state tax credits of up to 80%, and financing through the solar installer, the upfront cost of the solar panels was an easy investment.

 

In fact, the Herzog family continues to pursue energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits for their home. While the solar panels can power fans, refrigeration, lights, and appliances, it is not enough to cover the energy needed to heat and cool the house, which we all know causes high energy bills during the hot summer months. 

 

In order to combat this high energy draw, the Herzogs are in the process of putting in split duct air-conditioning units with high efficiency heat pumps. These elaborate cooling machines are so effective that the government provides a $7500 tax credit for them as well. The units are twice as efficient as a standard window unit, and may make it possible for the entire home to be powered by the sun.

 

The leadership and example of the Herzog Family demonstrates that any home can be made energy efficient and powered by renewable energy technology, especially now when there is financial support for such large and important investments. 

 

“We are excited to show that anyone can make a difference in their energy choices if they have the initiative,” says Mr. Herzog. “We only hope that the leadership in Louisiana will continue to provide the necessary infrastructure needed to support families like ours in transitioning to clean energy.”

 

This January, the Herzog Family will receive one of the first Nissan Leaf electric cars that are powered 100% by electricity, but unlike west coast states, Louisiana has no charging stations available to support this new technology. Until charging stations are installed, the Herzog family will be limited to recharging the vehicle in their own home courtesy of a charging adapter.   The first 200,000 Leaf buyers are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

 

The Alliance for Affordable Energy would like to congratulate the Herzog Family for demonstrating the possibility of a clean energy future. Stories like theirs will help move us more quickly to develop the policies, industries, and workforce development needed to make this important shift.