Renewable energy catching on in Stoddard County

DEXTER, Mo. -- Carolyn Johnson, a native of Dexter first saw solar panels being installed and used to generate power in the 1970s. She vowed then that she would one day do the same thing. Now, she does.

Living on the outskirts of Dexter, Johnson has a series of solar panels mounted on the roof of her garage; and, while those panels do provide electricity to established lines, they also provide cheap energy to those who use those lines.

"It's basically a small power plant," Johnson explained. "What it does is make electricity and sends it through the lines. I don't have it run directly into my home, because it's too costly right now." Johnson said that as solar power becomes less expensive, she hopes to be completely powered with renewable energy.

The initial cost of solar equipment is expensive, but Greg Mathis of Dexter calculated what his savings would be if he powered Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home locations in Bernie, Missouri, and Dexter with solar power.

"My system went online at the end of June, right before the end of the rebates," Mathis said.

Mathis went on to say that Ameren Missouri is required to offer rebates to customers using renewable energy.

"This past year, Ameren offered $50 million in rebates," Mathis said. "Now, that sounds like a lot, but it got snatched up pretty quickly. Those rebates are what made it economically feasible for me to do this."

Mathis said he had just had a new roof installed when he decided to add the solar panels.

"The system I bought is a 20-year system, so it will age with the roof," Mathis said. "My calculations are that I should have the system paid off in seven-and-a-half years. So, that means I'll have 12.5 years of savings from this system."

And the savings are potentially huge. Mathis said his last utility bill for his Bernie location was $8.40.

"As best as I can figure, we're saving about 37 percent on utilities at the location in Dexter," Mathis said. "The initial investment was substantial, and it would have been cost-prohibitive without the rebates, so I'm glad I did it."

While Mathis was primarily motivated by the long-term savings of solar power, he said he is also aware of its environmental friendliness.

While Johnson also enjoys paying substantially reduced energy bills, she said she is very motivated to reduce her carbon footprint -- a motivation that helped her make her decision to install solar power. In addition to solar power, Johnson also heats and cools her home with ground source heating and cooling.

Johnson explained that her ground source system draws from a pond behind her house and there is basically a heat exchange with the water circulating throughout the lines that run from the pond to her home.

"Renewable energy is effective in two ways," Johnson said. "It pays for itself and the energy is clean energy."

Johnson, who retired in Dexter after a career in Colorado, organized a public forum in Dexter in 2009 to answer questions concerning renewable energy.

"It wasn't political at all," Johnson said. "The sole purpose was to inform people about renewable energy and how everything works. It was a standing-room-only crowd, so I would say the interest is definitely there."

Mathis said he continues to answer questions in Bernie and Dexter concerning solar power.

"I get stopped all the time by people who want to know more about it," Mathis said. "People just don't know very much about it or how it works."

Johnson said she believes the challenge is educating people about renewable energy.

"I believe our public officials and institutions have a responsibility to the public to look into renewable energy," Johnson said. "It is so much cheaper in the long run, and it's cleaner -- which is definitely better for the public. This is ideal, because public entities would benefit the most from the savings and the fact that setting up renewable energy on a broader scale establishes good, strong jobs. It would help everyone all the way around."