Solar Electrical Systems

For many Californians, taking action to help the environment is already a way of life, from recycling and using low-flow showerheads to weather-proofing their home and driving a low-emission vehicle. Now the California Solar Initiative (CSI) – Thermal Program is encouraging all Californians to take the next step in their green routine with solar water heating.

“The time is now to learn more about solar water heating and the CSI-Thermal Program.”

The four Program Administrators — California Center for Sustainable Energy® (CCSE) in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company® territory; Pacific Gas & Electric Company® (PG&E); Southern California Edison Company® (SCE); and Southern California Gas Company® (SoCalGas®) — have launched a statewide outreach campaign to educate the public about solar water heating technology and spread the word about the rebates that are available through the program.

“Earth Month is the perfect time of year for people to think about what more they can do to use energy more efficiently and reduce emissions. Solar water heating is a great way to do both,” said Gwen Marelli, Director of Commercial & Industrial Services, Southern California Gas Company. “The rebates available from the CSI-Thermal Program help make the purchase and installation of qualifying systems more affordable.”

Customers of the four investor-owned utilities in the state who heat their water with electricity, natural gas or propane can be eligible for rebates under the Program, which offers cash rebates of up to $1,875 for solar water heating systems installed on single-family homes and up to $500,000 for systems installed on commercial or multi-family buildings. Increased rebate levels are available for qualified income-eligible single-family and multi-family housing natural gas customers.

“Customers who are looking to save energy and money over the long-term would want to consider solar water heating,” said David Rubin, Director, Pacific Gas and Electric Company. “It’s an environmentally-friendly improvement to your home or business that can also reduce your monthly energy bill. We’re very excited to be able to support our customers who are looking to ‘go solar’ with this technology.”

Typical solar water heating systems reduce the amount of energy needed to heat water by working as a companion system with a current water heater. They capture the warmth of the sun and transfer the heat to water. The solar-heated water is held in a storage tank until it is needed to replace the hot water pulled from the conventional water heater for use in sinks, showers, baths, dishwashers and washing machines.

“The sun’s heat energy is clean and abundant, and the solar water heating technology is efficient,” said Gary Barsley, manager of SCE’s Solar and Self-Generation programs. “That makes solar water heating systems a smart way to generate hot water for your home or business.”

There are requirements that must be met to qualify for a rebate under the program, and factors such as how much energy the system can displace will affect the amount of rebate that can be received. The CSI-Thermal Program rebate levels decline in a series of four steps based on how much has been paid out over time, so those who act the soonest will benefit the most.

“This rebate encourages home and business owners to take the next step in energy conservation and efficiency, and helps build a sustainable future for California,” said Andrew McAllister, Managing Director of CCSE. “The time is now to learn more about solar water heating and the CSI-Thermal Program.”

Source:  Business Wire

Solar Electrical Systems designs and installs solar water heating systnems in private residences, large-scale tract developments, and commercial buildings.  Call us at 805-497-9808 to find out about solar hot water and the rebates now available to you.

According to a report by SBI Energy, the return on investment for solar power is better than for any other source of renewable energy, thanks to big technological improvements expected to drive down costs. The report said the cost of solar energy is expected to be $1 per watt by 2020, with the typical payback period down to three to five years instead of seven to 10 years.

The “Global Solar Inverters Markets” report by SBI said the cost of large solar power will decrease by half about every 10 years. Solar energy could get as low as $0.50 per watt by 2030, according to SBI, with the widespread adoption of photovoltaic inverters and an increase in low cost production by Asian markets.

“During 2011-2012, we expect a short-term lull in the European Union PV market, primarily due to FiT rate cuts and regulations on farm land usage for ground mount installations,” stated Arun Kumar, SBI Energy analyst and author of the report. “But this will be offset by installations in the high growth markets of North America and Asia, and China in particular.”

Source:  SolarEnergy.net

With the news that the LA City Council has granted LADWP the power to enter into feed-in-tariff agreements, here is some news on how FIT’s are working in Europe and other parts of the U.S.

Solar cells adorn the roofs of many homes and warehouses across Germany, while the bright white blades of wind turbines are a frequent sight against the sky in Spain.
If one day these machines become as common on the plains and rooftops of the United States as they are abroad, it may be because the financing technique that gave Europe an early lead in renewable energy is starting to cross the Atlantic.

Put simply, the idea is to pay homeowners and businesses top dollar for producing green energy. In Germany, for example, a homeowner with a rooftop solar system may be paid four times more to produce electricity than the rate paid to a coal-fired power plant.

This month Gainesville, Fla., became the first city in the United States to introduce higher payments for solar power, which is otherwise too expensive for many families or businesses to install. City leaders, who control their electric utility, unanimously approved the policy after studying Germany’s solar-power expansion.

Hawaii, where sky-high prices for electricity have stirred interest in alternative forms of power like solar, hopes to have a similar policy in place before the end of the year. The mayor of Los Angeles wants to introduce higher payouts for solar power. California is considering a stronger policy as well, and bills have also been introduced in other states, including Washington and Oregon.
“I’m seeing it with my own eyes — it’s really having a good effect on our local economy, particularly in these hard times,” said Edward J. Regan, the assistant general manager for strategic planning at Gainesville Regional Utilities in Florida. He said he had gotten calls from other cities and states since announcing the policy.

The new payment method is referred to as a “feed-in tariff” in Europe. It is, in essence, a mandate by the government telling a utility to pay above-market rates for green electricity.

It shifts the burden of subsidizing green energy from taxpayers, as is common in the United States, to electricity ratepayers. And the technique includes assurances that a utility will pay the high rates for a long period, often 15 to 25 years.

The surge of interest in the payment system is a recognition that despite generous state and federal incentives, the United States still lags far behind Europe in solar power. Germany, where feed-in tariffs have been in place since 1991, has about five times as many photovoltaic panels installed as the United States, though they still account for only 0.5 percent of electricity in that country.
In the United States, said Wilson Rickerson, a Boston energy consultant, “a lot of people simultaneously reached the conclusion — who’s moving fastest internationally? And that’s definitely been Germany and Spain.”

In Gainesville, the new policy has already sparked a rush to put up panels. John Stanton, a retired civil servant living there with his wife, put 24 solar panels on his roof in late January, as city leaders sped the policy toward approval. Gainesville’s municipal utility will pay Mr. Stanton and other homeowners and businesses who generate solar power more than twice the standard electricity rate, guaranteeing that rate for 20 years.
Wind power and other sources of renewable energy are generally included in the European payment systems, but solar — as one of the costliest renewables — has benefited the most. Payment rates in Europe for wind are substantially lower than for solar, according to Christian Kjaer, chief executive of the European Wind Energy Association.

If a utility commits to paying a higher rate for renewable power over a period of years, it can offer those with solar panels or wind turbines a steady return that helps defray the initial cost of the equipment. “If you put your money in, you know you’re going to get it back,” Mr. Rickerson said, referring to Germany.

But requiring utilities to pay extra for green power has a direct impact on ratepayers. Homeowners’ electricity bills will rise 74 cents a month in Gainesville, or about half a percentage point of the average homeowner’s monthly bill.

“It was the thing that sort of put us over the top,” said Mr. Stanton, who gained an appreciation of European energy policies after living in Italy for more than a decade.

Mr. Regan said that homeowners with panels received a payment under the new policy that works out to more than a 25 percent premium over the city’s other incentives, which include rebates and a more modest rate payment.
Wind power and other sources of renewable energy are generally included in the European payment systems, but solar — as one of the costliest renewables — has benefited the most. Payment rates in Europe for wind are substantially lower than for solar, according to Christian Kjaer, chief executive of the European Wind Energy Association.

If a utility commits to paying a higher rate for renewable power over a period of years, it can offer those with solar panels or wind turbines a steady return that helps defray the initial cost of the equipment. “If you put your money in, you know you’re going to get it back,” Mr. Rickerson said, referring to Germany.
But requiring utilities to pay extra for green power has a direct impact on ratepayers. Homeowners’ electricity bills will rise 74 cents a month in Gainesville, or about half a percentage point of the average homeowner’s monthly bill.

“Seventy cents — what’s that? A Coke?” said Mr. Regan, of the Gainesville utility.

Opponents of feed-in tariffs like Marcel Hawiger, a staff attorney for the Utility Reform Network in California, say that the policy would hit poor people the hardest by raising their electricity rates because a relatively high percentage of their income goes to pay utility bills.

“Why should we use regressive taxation to support the most expensive form of renewable energy?” Mr. Hawiger asked.

The solar programs have sometimes proved so popular that costs can spiral out of control. Last fall, blockbuster growth forced Spain to cap the number of solar installations it would subsidize. Ontario, which has had a feed-in tariff since 2006, also suspended its program last year after being oversubscribed, but wants to restart the policy.
Even in Gainesville, homeowners wanting to put solar panels on their roof are now out of luck: a few days after introducing the policy, the city reached its cap on solar payments for this year and next. Meanwhile, a handful of utilities around the country are already doing similar things voluntarily, albeit on a tiny scale.

For now, at least, solar-power advocates do not believe they have the votes in Congress to adopt a national feed-in tariff system like the ones in Germany and Spain. They are putting their hopes, instead, on proposals in Congress to mandate that a certain percentage of electricity comes from renewables.

Source:  New York Times

Q: How much does a residential PV system cost?
A: In general, the bigger and more complex the system, the more it will cost. PV systems with batteries cost about 30% more than systems without batteries. Grid power is reliable so most people get an on-grid PV system without batteries. For example, a home in Southern California Edison territory consumes $250 per month utility electricity.  A 3.23 kilowatt PV system with a 300 square feet PV array will save on average $150 per month. This PV system will cost $11,560 and save over $128,000 in electricity during its 25-year power warranty. A larger PV system will cost more but will produce more energy and save you more money. Call SES and get a free quotation for a PV system designed to meet your needs.

Q: How much money will a solar electrical system save me?
A: A properly designed and well installed PV system can save you over 50% and up to 100% on your electric bill. Send SES a copy of your electric bill and get a free estimate.
Q: What is a solar electrical system?
A: A solar electrical system is a clean, quiet, long-lasting generator with no moving parts that produces electricity from sunlight – even on cloudy days. A solar electrical system is also known as a photovoltaic or PV system (photo = light; voltaic = electric power). A PV system literally spins your electric meter backwards to give you free solar electricity during the day and also at night thanks to net metering.

Q: How does a PV system work?
A: The main parts of a PV system are solar modules and inverter. Solar modules are made with solar cells encapsulated in tempered glass and framed with rigid aluminum. Solar modules are assembled into panels called the solar array. Solar arrays are fastened to metal racks that are fastened to your roof or to the ground. The solar cells are solid-state semiconductors made of silicon and trace amounts of phosphorous and boron. Sunlight strikes the solar cells causing electrons in the cells to move in one direction producing direct current (DC). The electrons then flow through wires that connect the cells. Many solar cells are connected together to produce the voltage and current needed to power the inverter. The inverter is a solid-state electronic device that converts solar generated direct current into alternating current (AC) to power your electrical equipment and appliances.

Q: What is net metering and how does it work with a PV system?
A: Net energy metering (NEM) is a special billing arrangement that provides credit to utility customers with PV systems for the full retail value of the electricity that their PV system generates. Your utility meter keeps track of how much electricity you consume how much excess electricity your PV system generates that is sent back into the utility grid. You pay your utility only for the net amount of electricity used. During the day, your PV system can produce more electricity than you use. The excess power automatically goes through the electric meter into the utility grid spinning the meter backwards to credit your account. The new digital meters electronically measure electric current flow in both directions. Excess solar production is carried over from one month to the next on an annual basis. Net metering optimizes your solar investment rate of return and allows you to install a PV that can zero-out your annual electric bill.

Q: What types of PV systems are there?
A: There are 4 types of PV systems: direct, off-grid with batteries, on-grid with batteries, and on-grid without batteries. Direct PV is simply a solar panel connected to a DC device like an attic fan that is not connected to your building wiring or the utility grid. The fan operates only when the sun shines. Off-grid PV with batteries is used to power millions of homes and electrical devices around the world that do not have utility power. Off-grid PV with batteries use special batteries designed to be charged and discharged for many years. The batteries in an off-grid PV system store energy to provide autonomous power at night and on cloudy days. On-grid PV with batteries operates similar to off-grid with batteries except that the battery stored energy is used to provide emergency power during grid power outages. Batteries and other parts increase PV system complexity and cost 30% or more than on-grid PV without batteries. An on-grid PV system without batteries is the most popular urban and suburban solar solution because it costs less, is virtually maintenance-free and trouble-free and offsets costly and polluting grid electricity.

Q: What are the differences between PV systems with and without batteries?
A: The primary differences are cost and complexity. We are all concerned about power blackouts, but utility power is reliable in most urban and suburban areas in southern California so very few people need the extra expense of batteries. If your utility power is unreliable, you have 3 options. You can purchase a fossil fuel generator for occasional emergency power. Solar Electrical Systems can design and install an on-grid PV system with batteries for you that will power your important electric loads (lights, refrigerator, communications, etc.) during a utility power outage. SES can also design a separate battery and inverter system without PV that will provide you with uninterruptible power for special electric loads.

Q: Will a PV system give me power during a grid power outage?
A: Only PV systems designed with battery back-up can give you power during a grid power outage. PV systems without batteries turn off automatically during a grid power outage to prevent possibly injuring workers repairing the grid power. When grid power is restored, the PV system turn on automatically.

Q: What happens with a PV system at night?
A: When there is no sunlight, the inverter automatically switches to standby mode and you get electricity from your utility company. The next morning, when light strikes your solar array, the inverter turns on automatically to provide you with PV power.

Q: What types of PV systems does SES offer?
A: SES offers PV systems with and without batteries for both on and off-grid applications.

Q: What is a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)?
A: A PPA is a long-term agreement to purchase power from a company that produces electricity. PPAs make it possible to benefit from solar electricity without having to buy or lease the generating equipment. Ask SES about its PPA and leasing programs.

Q: Why do you list good, better and best PV systems?
A: There are at least 3 ways you can benefit financially from a PV system. SES thinks that owning a PV system from the start has the best economics. However, you may find it better to purchase the solar electricity or lease the equipment and perhaps buy the system later. Or you may think that getting the solar electricity savings is good for you and are not interested in owning the PV system. You should get immediate savings on your electric bills whether you buy or lease an SES PV system or buy the solar generated electricity.

Q: How does the solar rebate work?
A: The California Solar Initiative (SCI) is a 10-year solar rebate program that subsidizes and reduces the cost of your PV system. The CSI program began in 2007 with high rebates that reduce to zero by the end of 2016. SES discounts the price of your PV system by the rebate so that you save money up-front and do not have to pay income tax on the rebate. SES also handles all the rebate paperwork for you.

Q: Are there other solar incentives?
A: Yes. In addition to the California solar rebate, homeowners and businesses are eligible for a generous 30% federal tax credit. There are additional solar incentive for commercial PV systems like accelerated depreciation and other tax breaks that turn a commercial PV system into a profit center with an excellent return on investment. Both residential and commercial PV systems add value to your property but do not increase your taxes because PV systems are property tax exempt in California.

Q: Can a PV system produce enough power to run my air conditioning, refrigerators, pool pumps and other devices that use a lot of power?
A: Yes, but PV is not usually used to power separate circuits for specific equipment. Instead, the PV systems is connected to the main bus bar in your electric service panel to offset all power consumed. In this way, there is no negative effect on equipment like motors that have large startup and operating current consumption.

Q: How long do PV systems last?
A: A well-designed and properly installed PV system can last for many decades. PV systems installed in the 1970s are still in operation. Since solar modules have a 25-year power output warranty, most people plan on at least 25 years operation, but the first silicon solar cells made by Bell Laboratories in the 1950s are still operational so 40 to 50 year lifetimes for the early PV systems are not unusual.

Q: What are the warranties?
A: Solar modules have a 25-year limited warranty on their power output. Inverters have a 10-year limited warranty. SES provides a 10-year turnkey warranty on all the California Solar Initiative PV systems that it installs.

Q: What maintenance is required?
A: Your on-grid batteryless PV system is virtually maintenance free. There are no moving parts and nothing to lubricate or adjust. Rain keeps the solar array clean or you can rinse off dust and dirt with city pressure water from a hose.

Q: How much roof area does a PV system require?
A: The south-facing roof of most homes has enough space for a solar array that will produce 100% of the energy used in the home. Every 100 square feet of solar array will produce about 1,000 watts of PV power and generate an average of 5 kilowatt-hours per day.

Q: Are batteries required?
A: No. A grid-tie PV system does not require batteries. Any excess power produced during the day is deposited into the grid at full value to be withdrawn later automatically thanks to net metering.

Q: Do PV systems work at night and on cloudy days?
A: A PV system without batteries produces power from daylight. Full sun produces full power. On cloudy and even rainy days reduced power is produced. Your PV system is designed based on climate data which takes into consideration changes in the weather.

Q: How do I get a quotation for a PV system for my home?
A: Give SES your name, address, phone number, email address and a copy of a recent electric bill and we will email you a preliminary quotation based on the aerial photo of your home or business and your electric consumption.

Q: Do I need a building permit for a PV system?
A: Yes. All electrical work over $500 and all PV systems must have a building permit to be eligible for a solar rebate and tax credit. SES is a licensed contractor which is also a requirement for some electrical work.

Q: Who does all the complicated rebate and permit paperwork?
A: SES does all the paperwork, from system design and engineering, to rebate, permit, and utility interconnection application. We also answer all your questions to demystify anything that seems complicated.

Q: Do I need approval from my homeowner’s association?
A: Maybe. Consult your homeowners’ association covenants for details. California prohibits homeowners’ associations from restricting PV systems.

Q: Can Restrictive Covenants and Homeowner Association (HOA) rules stop me from putting a PV system on my roof?
A: No. California has a Solar Rights Act that prohibits a homeowners’ association from restricting installation of PV systems. The Solar Rights Act also allows homeowners to install solar on open ground space.

The LA City Council said yes to LA DWP for 150 megawatts of solar.

After years of contention, the Los Angeles City Council has granted the city’s utility, the biggest municipal utility in the U.S., the power to enter into contracts with solar power producers at above retail rates.

The council delegated to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LA DWP) the right to enter into up to 150 megawatts of feed-in tariff (FIT) contracts with commercial and residential solar power producers.

Like a similar program proposed by LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in 2008, the contracts pre-approved by the City Council allow the DWP to purchase, at an above retail rate (tariff), the electricity fed into the utility’s grid by solar system owners over a pre-designated number of years.

A demonstration FIT plan previously approved by the City Council and already budgeted by DWP allots $58 million over twenty-two years to support ten megawatts of rooftop solar contracts. It is expected to cost $0.9 million in its first year, increase slowly to $2.9 million in 2016 and, finally, to expend $46 million from 2017 to 2033. Its 22-year term is likely indicative of what DWP is considering for larger volume programs

The ten-megawatt demo plan will include systems between 30 kilowatts and 999 kilowatts. The first 8 megawatts, designated for the LA basin, will be for systems between 151 kilowatts and 999 kilowatts. The second 1.7 megawatts, also designated for the LA basin, will be for systems between 30 kilowatts and 150 kilowatts. The last 0.3 megawatts are designated for LA DWP’s Owens Valley service territory and are designated for systems between 30 kilowatts and 150 kilowatts.

The new measure approved by the City Council allows the utility to enter into contracts of up to 150 megawatts.

The approved plan will require approval from the LA DWP’s Board of Directors. Assent is expected.
Feed-in tariffs were conceived in California in the late 1970s as a way to grow renewables by promising a profit over an extended period of time to those willing to risk investing in solar, wind, geothermal and other renewables. The FIT concept was refined in Germany and then in other EU countries from 1999 on.

Advocates say well-designed FITs, with modest tariffs that decline over time in a controlled way as solar capacity grows, drive renewables growth. Opponents claim they inevitably lead to investment bubbles. California’s auction mechanism is an alternative, market-based incentive program. It allows renewable power producers to establish the rate of return in an open bidding process. The DWP demo plan calls for prices set by bidding, using an avoided-cost baseline. Once again, this is likely indicative of what the larger volume contracts will call for.

Villaraigosa kicked off mainstream debate about an FIT program in LA with his 2008 proposal to fund 150 megawatts of solar. Polls showed strong public approval for it and studies by the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) showed it would create jobs and generate economic activity.

But the Villaraigosa plan ran afoul of ratepayer suspicions about elevated power prices, resistance from LA DWP traditionalists and a controversy between the electricians’ union and independent solar installers over who would have access to the work.
New developments of greater force have moved some of those obstacles aside.

VoteSolar’s Adam Browning, who, along with many other renewables, environmental and grassroots activists, has long fought for an LA FIT, said new California legislation and the efforts of LA DWP General Manager Ron Nichols were the primary drivers behind the City Council’s move.

“There is a huge opportunity,” Browning said of the potential to build rooftop solar in Los Angeles. “LA DWP is the country’s biggest municipally-owned utility,” he noted, but “also the farthest behind in California.” Nichols, Browning said, “is the right person [for the General Manager job] and now we have the force of law.”

Due to initiatives put in place by California Governor Jerry Brown, LA DWP must meet the state’s mandated 33 percent renewables by 2020 standard as well as the SB 32-mandated 75 megawatts of FIT-supported renewables.

Nichols, who took charge at the utility after the Villaraigosa plan was waylaid, told a Los Angeles newspaper that the demonstration FIT program is just the beginning of a larger push by LA DWP for commercial and residential rooftop solar.

“We need to do this,” Nichols was quoted, referring to the demonstration plan, “to learn about the costs and the pricing.” But ultimately, he said, “we hope to have hundreds of these as we go forward.”

LABC was credited by Browning and others as one of the key forces in the city council finally turning to the FIT incentive. LABC took up the cause in 2009, backing Villaraigosa by funding five studies that showed how jobs, revenues and pollution reduction benefits would come from driving solar growth.

Approximately eighteen months ago, LABC aligned itself with solar incentive programs emerging across the country and joined the effort to rebrand the FIT concept as a CLEAN Solar program. By enacting its CLEAN Solar FIT program, the LA City Council joined recent new entry Palo Alto, CA. and longstanding members Sacramento,CA, and Gainesville, FL, in the movement.

As recently detailed by GTM, the Palo Alto tariff will be set at its avoided cost price of $0.14 per kilowatt-hour. The Gainesville tariff was in the $0.26 to $0.32 range.

Source:  greentechmedia.com

A definitive new LCOE study says solar has achieved parity.

Solar has suddenly become much more important in Southern California because of the outage at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), California’s third biggest investor owned utility, could lose fifteen percent to twenty percent loss of its base load electricity. “SDG&E, along with the California transmission system operator and Southern California Edison (SCE), are working together right now on contingency planning for the possibility that those two large units could be offline this summer,” said SDG&E spokesperson Jennifer Ramp.

SDG&E, Ramp added, will bring its new 500-kilovolt Sunrise Powerlink transmission line into service in early summer. Designed to deliver 1,000 megawatts of regional solar and wind that are not yet in service, Sunrise will carry extra fossil generation this summer — if it is available.

But, Ramp said, “you could be looking at a very unique situation,” adding, “We could be asking our customers to conserve energy.” SCE, the nuclear power station operator, took the two-unit, 2,200-megawatt SONGS offline in January and announced this week it will not restart the more than quarter-century-old plant until worn and leaking tubes perform “in excess of industry guidelines.”

Even before the power shortage threat from the SONGS outage, SDG&E had been studying the challenges of solar and the opportunities of energy efficiency as part of its smart grid and smart meter planning, said Lee Krevat, the utility’s smart grid program director.

“We had already planned a program for this summer called Reduce Your Use,” Krevat said. Through the program, the utility’s ratepayers will be rewarded for reductions in their electricity consumption. “On certain days when less energy is available,” Krevat explained, “for every kilowatt-hour less that customers use, we will rebate them 75 cents.”

Though the design of Reduce Your Use preceded the SONGS outage, Krevat said, “If there is an energy shortage, this will be a significant arrow to have in the quiver.” Not only will the program reward customers for conserving, he said, but SDG&E “will be able to leverage the smart meter program to verify that they conserved when they did.” 
Since 2001, SDG&E has annually increased its year-on-year installed solar capacity more than 35 percent, Krevat said, with growth of 40 percent in 2010 and 38 percent in 2011. After a decade of such growth, solar’s share of the energy mix is growing — along with questions about the impact of its variability on system stability.
Now, some of California’s nuclear is no longer on. And summer’s heat, along with the attendant surge in air conditioner use, is coming. Can solar help fill the gap?

Source:  greentechmedia.com

A furry friend lends assistance during installation of solar web-based monitoring.

You’ve heard of web-based monitoring for a solar electrical system, but what about cat-based monitoring?  When  Field Supervisor Dan Denning was installing a solar monitoring system on one customer’s computer, he turned around and was surprised by a little unexpected help.

If you have questions about solar web-based monitoring, or solar power in general, call Solar Electrical Systems at 805-497-9808.

Solar Rebates will soon run out for LADWP customers.

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power Residential Solar Rebates are set to expire in early May.  Commercial solar rebates for LADWP customers have already run out, and now it’s first-come, first served for residential solar power systems.  Call us today to lock in your rebate now before they expire.

A cool-down in European solar markets combined with an over-supply of panels from China has led to a massive decline in solar panel prices. Over the last year, prices for solar panels have fallen 50 percent. In the U.S., falling prices spell competition, and many solar providers are hustling to position themselves to take advantage of a rapidly changing solar industry.

While solar panel manufacturers have taken a hit from the 50-percent reduction caused by the glut of supplies, home solar contractors are seeing their profits rise.

As solar providers stabilize their bottom line, they attract more investors. Previously, investors have been drawn to large-scale solar energy projects, but as the market shifts, they are increasingly backing smaller installation contractors. Investment firms are predicting that if solar brands succeed with public offerings, the market could experience exponential growth.

To See New Lower Solar Pricing, click here.

Homeowners have enjoyed lower installations costs as well. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s Tracking the Sun report, the cost of installing home PV systems has dropped 43 percent over the last dozen years.

The most recent drop in solar panel prices, however, has been slow to make a difference in what homeowners pay. Savings from lower component prices first impact distributors, integrators and providers before showing up in installed prices.

A fragmented industry makes it harder to pass on savings to customers, too. As yet, there are no major wholesale solar parts distributors. Most solar contractorspurchase the various equipment needed for installations from a number of manufacturers, driving up costs.

The industry is beginning to address this issue as well. You can expect to see installation costs continue to drop as players in the competitive solar market find their niche.

Source:  Calfinder