Seekonk Contractor Passionate About Solar Power

The season of the sun has finally arrived, and for Ron Bennett of GotSun-GoSolar.com there is no better time of year. Bennett, a full-time contractor, started his solar installation business two years ago in response to the growing trend toward renewable energy and a personal interest in sustainability.

“We’re polluting the atmosphere with CO2,” Bennett says. “If we curbed our dependency off of fossil fuels it would also help with National Security. Think about every war we have - it’s all over oil. We’re imprisoned by our dependency on fossil fuel.”

When Bennett was a college student in the '70s he remembers being struck by Jimmy Carter talking about the White House solar panels. Though he didn’t pursue solar energy at the time, the opportunity came back full circle. Bennett’s three decades working in construction are what made it easy for him to get up to speed learning to install solar energy systems. He says having his own construction company gives him a leg up when it comes to any kind of structural impediments to installation.

Bennett’s mission is to educate consumers about the value of solar power, and dispel the myth that it’s too pricey for the average homeowner. He says rebates and tax credit incentives have finally made solar an affordable option, with a return on investment that averages 4 to 6 years.

Lori Rossi, one of Bennett’s clients, says after a 30 percent Massachusetts rebate and a 30 percent Federal government rebate, she and her husband were left to pay only 40 percent of the installation cost. She says for every 1,000 kilowatt hours their solar panels generate, they receive one Solar Renewable Energy Credit, which they sell back to their energy company for between $300 and $600.

Despite all this, Bennett says some people are too skittish about the economy to make long-term investments, but that’s not letting it stop him.

“I truly, honestly believe that solar technology is probably the best direction of all the renewable energies,” he says. “I firmly believe each and every household should have solar on their roof and in their yard.”