Aspinwall resident Steve Paff hasn’t had an electric bill in six years.

He followed his keen interest in solar energy and made the decision to install a large, 20-panel solar unit in his backyard in 2019.

The ground-mount solar panels were installed in a fixed position and cost around $27,000, including installation.

“It was a combination of wanting to be more sustainable and eco-conscious and to save money,” Paff said. “We pay nothing for electricity.”

Previous monthly electric bills for the Paffs averaged around $130.

Not only do the Paffs not have an electric bill, but they also receive two dividend checks each year for being generators of electricity.

Additionally, the couple receives a 20 percent tax credit for having the solar panels.

The couple hasn’t yet broken even on their solar investment, but they will and are happy to share their double lot in Aspinwall with the productive panel powered by the sun’s rays.

The Paffs hired Green Solar to install on the ground instead of on the roof, mainly to spare the weight of the panels on a 60-year-old roof and to maximize the morning sun to collect maximum south-facing sunlight.

Twenty panels were recommended by Green Solar because there isn’t as much sunlight annually in Pittsburgh as say, Phoenix, so more panels are needed to generate enough electricity to run their entire household.

Joyce Hanz | TRIBLIVE Aggie and Steve Paff installed a 20-panel solar grid in the backyard of their property in Aspinwall.  

Steve, 62, has a chemical engineering degree from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Wisconsin.

He works part-time for Locus Technology, selling environmental software.

Aspinwall council approved the solar project and to date, at least two other homeowners in the borough have installed solar panels on their rooftops.

Net generators

The panels generate enough electricity for the Paff household to run exclusively off of the sun’s rays.

“Oh, I love a sunny day,” Paff said.

The couple chose to install an all-black solar panel instead of silver.

“It looks much better than bright silver,” Aggie Paff said.

Finding solar success is a source of pride for Steve and he now serves on the Aspinwall Sustainability Committee.

“We’re trying to work with someone that can provide bulk buying of the solar panels,” Paff said of the newly formed committee.

It’s been a learning curve on learning to live “off-the-grid” with solar electricity.

Annual maintenance is minimal, with the panels being cleared of snow and washed off with a hose a few times a year to remove dust.

Panel life is estimated at 20-30 years.

Paff often fields questions about the panels from folks passing by and he’s eager to share information on solar living.

“People always want to know two things — does it supply all the electricity for our house and does the power stay on when the power goes out?” he said.

The solar panels operate silently and provide electricity to Duquesne Light, so all of the electricity goes into their system, and they are billed based on the net.

“We make more than we use,” Paff said.

A good summer day can result in 40 kilowatt hours being generated by the panels.

“A whole house could use 20 kilowatts a day, using air conditioning,” Steve Paff said.

The couple plans to collect rainwater next, to expand their eco-footprint.

To date, the Paffs’ panels have generated enough electricity to save 40 tons of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere or the equivalent of planting 500 trees.

“I recommend solar panels to anyone that has the room and has access to south-facing sunshine,” Paff said.

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