Solar panels are an investment in the future that starts to pay off immediately, according to Solar Bermuda Ltd Project Manager Andrew Davis.Addressing the Hamilton Rotary Club yesterday, Mr Davis said installing solar water heaters or photovoltaic energy systems can lead to thousands of dollars in savings.“It’s as if you give me $9,000, and I give you $1,200 next year, and $1,200 the year after that, and $1,200 ever year for 20 years,” he said. “It’s an investment.“If you think of any other investments you make in your home a refrigerator, a swimming pool every day it costs you money. When you put a solar system in your home, every day the system pays you back, and when the power of electricity goes up, it pays you more.“It’s an investment that pays you back on day one.”He explained that there are two types of solar equipment that are in regular use on the Island: Solar water heaters rely on the sun to heat water; photovoltaic systems convert light into energy.“Heat and light are things that we have in abundance in Bermuda,” he said. “That is why these are good options here.”Asked why the cost for a system is so high compared with other areas, Mr Davies told the club that the cost of importing the equipment is high. Governments in other areas also offer greater incentives, he added.“The Government has jumped in with both feet here, and they offer some good discounts, but when you get an instillation in Arizona, the government will cut you a check for 50 percent of the cost that day,” he said.Mr Davies also dispelled fears that the panels could contaminate water collected on the roof, saying: “They would not be allowed if they contained anything harmful.“If they are damaged, they would have to be replaced because they’re not going to be producing energy, but the panels we use are completely inert and there are no chemicals that could leak.”Useful websites: www.solarbermuda.com, www.rotary.bm.