Energy Program News

Want $5 electric bills? Go solar. Want to do your part to solve global warming? Go solar. Or, so is the experience of homeowners in San Diego who have invested in solar power. And, thanks to a new program adopted by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in January, the California Solar Initiative, a million homeowners and businesses throughout the state can cost-effectively invest in solar power too.  

“Solar power is no longer just for backwoods hippies or Malibu millionaires,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, clean energy advocate with Environment California, a statewide nonprofit environmental group with an office in San Diego. “What we are seeing is that solar power has become a mainstream technology and promises to play a key role in solving global warming and bringing us energy independence.”

Environment California toured the San Diego home of Maggie Kennedy, who a year ago invested in a 3 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system. Thanks to their solar panels, the Kennedy family has $5 electric bills despite their 1300 square foot home and energy needs for a family of five. In contrast, the typical California electric bill is around $80-100/month.

“Along with the good feeling that comes from saving the environment, we practically don’t pay an electric bill anymore,” said Maggie Kennedy. “I think every house in California should have solar power.”

Other solar homeowners feel much the same. A recent study by Environment California Research & Policy Center, Rave Reviews for Solar Homes: A Survey of Homeowners in California, found that 70 percent of solar homeowners surveyed enjoy very low energy bills.  Further, according to an earlier report by Environment California, incorporating the cost of solar into a low-interest mortgage, the typical new homeowner will save money within the first month of ownership.  

The California Solar Initiative aims to create a mainstream solar market by providing a combined $3.2 billion in direct rebates to consumers.  For the typical home, an average 2.5 kilowatt solar system costs $20,000. After a state rebate of $7,000 and a $2,000 federal tax credit, the system should cost $11,000. By taking advantage of a program called net metering in which owners get a credit on their electric bill for excess power generated during the day for use at night, a typical solar homeowner can expect to see net savings in the first month of owning a solar home.