From an article by Tim Damos in the Baraboo News Republic:
Green energy subsidies and new partnerships between manufacturers and contractors are making it easier for the average homeowner to utilize solar technology.
“I’m really excited about this,” said Craig Dittrich, general manager of Senger Lumber, Inc. of Baraboo. “I think it’s really going to catch on.”
Customers of Senger Lumber soon will have the option to build with metal roofing that comes with a solar-energy-trapping film already attached.
Dittrich’s supplier is McElroy Metal, a national firm that produces metal roofing, siding and substructural components, and operates a manufacturing plant in Mauston.
McElroy Metal has partnered with UNI-SOLAR, which produces thin, flexible solar laminates with an adhesive backing that allows them to be easily applied to smooth surfaces.
“It’s easy to apply so you don’t have to pay as much for the installation,” Dittrich said.
With a 30 percent federal tax credit and another 30 percent credit available from the state, Wisconsin home builders can purchase the portion of the roof that includes solar laminates at a 60 percent discount, Dittrich said.