Steven Cergizan of unincorporated Valparaiso is looking to offset the cost of 30 to 35% of the electricity he and his wife Jane Bohnsack use after the installation of about 20 solar panels.

“My goal is to get the system installed by the end of the year,” Cergizan said, referring to the federal tax credit that expires at the end of the year. “If that doesn’t happen it’s OK. It’s still going to be cheaper to install them myself than the quotes I got.”

Cergizan and Bohnsack plan to install a micro inverter system at their home in the 1100 block of Rigg Road, where they’ve lived for three years. “I’ve always wanted solar. I’m sort of a hobbyist and a tinkerer,” Cergizan said.

Porter County adopted a new ordinance covering the installation of personal energy solar systems (PSES) on Aug. 5. T

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