Colorado shines in the solar rush

Colorado shines in the solar rush

Sharmila Devi, Foreign Correspondent

* Last Updated: August 10. 2008 10:40PM UAE / August 10. 2008 6:40PM GMT

Joe Gierlach, a local resident, walks past his solar panels at his mountain home in Nederland, Colarado. Kevin Maloney for The National

Boulder, Colorado // Joe Gierlach checks his electricity meter every morning to see how much power he has used. By evening, the metre is running backwards thanks to the electricity generated by his home.

Since Mr Gierlach became one of the first residents in his rural community in the Rocky Mountains to install solar panels on his roof three years ago, his family has changed its lifestyle.

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“Our solar system is tied to the grid and designed for 85 per cent usage. We hit equilibrium between how much we generate and use in April and November, and make a lot more in the summer and live off the credit given by the power company during the winter.”

Heightened ecological awareness and supportive policies by the state have made Colorado a leader in renewable energy in the US, standing in stark contrast to political bickering by many in the federal government in Washington.

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