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By Derek Girling, HelioPower Energy Consultant

This past year’s tremendous growth in residential solar installations hasn’t gone unnoticed and new solar companies are hanging their shingles out every day!  Contractors that up until last year were busy installing aluminum windows and garage doors or wiring parking lot lights are now touting themselves as solar power experts. California alone has over 1,500 solar installers operating in the state. More than a few of these companies are very small operations run out of the owners’ garage.

Designing and installing a reliable and efficient solar power system requires expertise in engineering, roofing techniques, and electrical systems. Another overlooked skill is the ability to accurately submit your permitting and rebate application paperwork in a timely manner.

Selecting a contractor can be stressful! This is a significant investment and you’ll have to live with the results for decades. Some questions a homeowner should ask include:

Does the contractor have more than one crew? If not, managing your installation along with inspections and follow up visits will be challenging.

What is the likelihood of this contractor being around in ten years to back up their warranty? The California Solar Initiative requires all installers to warranty their workmanship for 10 years but if your contractors is out of business, you’re out of luck.

How does this contractor manage their cash flow? This is very important considering they may be floating literally tens of thousands of dollars in rebates. Cash flow problems can result in delays or substandard materials used on your home. Make sure your contractor is well capitalized. Evidence of a financially strong contractor can include direct relationships with their industry partners. Larger contractors are able to leverage their size to get the best pricing and availability of components from their vendors as well as offer residential solar financing services from companies that trust their installation abilities.

Fortunately for homeowners there are several on-line tools to help answer these questions and steer you to an experienced professional.

The first place to start is at the California Contractors Board website to check their license. Just type in the contractor’s license number (if they don’t provide you with a license number be suspicious!) and this website will verify that their license is current and in good standing. Confirm that the license number they gave you corresponds with their company name. You can also check the contractor’s bonding and workmen’s compensation policy information as well as if there are any complaints against them.

Next go to the California Solar Initiative website to find out a little more about your potential installer. This webpage has a search function so you can see how many, where, and what size installations they’ve done. The data is compiled from reservation requests filed within the last three years with Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas and Electric, or Pacific Gas and Electric. (Municipal utilities like LADWP or SMUD are not included in this database.) Many solar water-heating installers with limited solar electric experience inflate their installation number claims - this is where you’ll see just how many installs they’ve done. Another red flag is an inordinate amount of withdrawn or cancelled applications.

One of the best features of this site is the ability to determine if your installer is actually the one doing their installations! Many new solar marketing companies function as a middleman and are not the actual contractor on the job. Note the two different fields “Seller” and “Contractor” in the search tool. If they aren’t the same, this may be the case.

Two other useful resources are Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau. You can see if anyone else has experience with your contractor. Of course, a potential contractor should be able to provide you with a few customers as references.

It’s a fact that a well-engineered and properly installed solar system will deliver you clean low-cost power for decades. Spending a little time researching your solar power contractor is the best way to avoid headaches and ensure that you get your money’s worth out of your investment!

Contact Derek Girling at DGirling@HelioPower.com

By Derek Girling, HelioPower Solar Consultant

2009 was a watershed year for residential solar photovoltaic (solar PV) installations in California. Lower panel costs coupled with the uncapping of the Federal Personal Tax Credit (previously limited to $2,000) made solar PV more affordable than ever. Factor in announced rate increases from state utilities and you can see why solar system integrators are one of the few bright spots in today’s economy.

As a Solar Consultant with HelioPower, one of the most common questions I hear from my customers is “Do you think I should wait another year or two to install my system?” Homeowners are fearful that either the cost of the systems will come down significantly or new technologies with significantly better efficiencies will come on the market.

There are several reasons why this argument does not hold up!

First and foremost is the fact that our current state utility ratepayer funded system is functioning exactly as it was designed. When the California Solar Initiative was created, the incentives were high to reduce the impact of the initially high system costs. The theory was that, until enough manufacturers and installers entered the market, homeowners and businesses would need large rebates to incentivize them to invest in their solar PV systems. As competition drives pricing down, the rebates required to make solar PV a sound financial investment are reduced as well. The program is functioning exactly as planned and is even ahead of schedule!

Another good reason to invest in your system now is that when you factor your current utility bills in the period between now and when you decide invest, you’ll have to increase the system’s efficiency or decrease in the system’s price just to compensate for the lost costs the solar PV system would have avoided. If your current bill is $200 per month and you wait 18 more months, you’ll need to save almost $3,400 just to break even. More efficient technologies are on the horizon over the next several years but their actual efficiencies, price-points and reliability have yet to be determined. Solar PV modules have been around for over 30 years and have a well-established track record of production and reliability.

Postponing your decision has a dramatic effect on the back end of the investment as well. To get the best return on your solar system (IRR’s of over 14% are not uncommon), you’ll want to use your system for the longest time possible. In fact, solar systems are designed to produce clean energy for over 25 years. Unless you’ve figured out a foolproof way to extend your life, you’ll lower your return by waiting to install.

Here’s an example of exactly how much doing nothing costs. A typical homeowner in Southern California uses about 10,000 kWh. They will spend over $150,000 on electricity over the next 25 years if rates follow their historical rate of inflation. The typical system to offset 90% of this use would be around 6.4 kW. Right now this system will return nearly $110,000 in avoided utility bills including factoring in the cost of the system! So the cost of doing nothing is $110,000. Who wouldn’t want to have an additional $110,000 in their retirement account?

New financing vehicles like SunRun’s residential Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) bring the investment required to go solar down to as low as $1,000. Your installer designs and installs the your system exactly as if you’d purchased it from them and SunRun pays the installer and sells you the power produced at a greatly reduced price. You get most of the financial benefits of solar right away with a minimal investment.

Finally, let’s not ignore the reason that most of us were interested in solar in the first place – our environment! Whether or not you believe global warming is both real and controllable, solar PV reduces the amount of pollutants introduced into the environment from burning dirty fuels.

The bottom line is that by installing your solar PV system now, you’ll make a big impact on your cost of living for decades to come.

You can reach Derek Girling at DGirling@HelioPower.com

Last week, Canadian Solar Inc (CSIQ) announced that five of its solar module series, CS6P- 220P, 225P,

HelioPower Temecula, CA solar installation using Canadian Solar modules

230P, CS5P-240M and CS5A- 180M, rank amongst the highest performing in last month's PV USA (PTC) ratings. PTC ratings are quickly becoming universally accepted standards for measuring real-world module power and performance.

The PTC measurement, a mandatory test in the State of California, measures a PV system's power output at atmospheric conditions that closely resemble true solar and climatic variable conditions. A higher PV rating indicates higher actual production on-site per-watt installed, which translates directly into higher rebates for system owners.

“With this industry recognition, it is again confirmed that Canadian Solar brings high quality products to market,” said Scott Gordon, Vice President Sales, Residential for HelioPower. “We are very pleased to offer Canadian Solar modules to our customers because of their compelling value proposition.”

Resource: Go Solar California, List of Eligible SB1 Guidelines Compliant Photovoltaic Modules http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/equipment/pvmodule.html

If you received a letter and selection form recently mailed from Southern California Edison’s (SCE) to Net Energy Metered (NEM) customers, as required by AB 920, this information if for you.  On October 11, 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 920 (AB920 – Huffman – Solar and Wind Generation) into law.  This law addresses several aspects of renewable energy in California.  One provision of the law that directly affects SCE NEM customers is a requirement that SCE offer customers compensation for any net surplus electricity generated over a 12-month period.

AB 920 also requires that the California Public Utilities Commission set the compensation amount for surplus electricity by January 1, 2011.  The compensation amount will be used to pay eligible customers for net surplus electricity generated during their relevant period ending in 2011.  SCE will notify customers of the compensation amount as soon as it is established; then, they will have the option to either receive payment for their surplus electricity, or have the surplus electricity credited towards their electricity usage in their next relevant period.

Note that although SCE is automatically enrolling its NEM customers in the compensation option beginning with customer's next relevant period, customers have the option to end their current relevant period now and start a new relevant period for tracking their surplus energy.  To do this, SCE customers are encouraged to fill out the form which was mailed to them in January and return it to notify SCE of their choice.

When available, the revised NEM tariff will be posted online at: www.sce.com/schedulenem.

SCE is available to assist with any questions regarding these new options. Please feel free to contact SCE Customer Service:

Residential NEM Customers
(866) 701-7868

Business NEM Customers
(866) 701-7869  

The SunRun program, which HelioPower offers, enabling homeowners to receive 4 free months of electricity has been extended through the end of February.  If you sign up with SunRun through the end of February, your first 4 months of solar electricity are free! If you sign up in March you get 1 month free.

With HelioPower, this promotion is available to new customers who reside in California. The specific dollar value of the monthly credit will be equal to the value of an average monthly bill for the first year of your solar system. Each homeowner will see the specific value of the promotion credit before they sign a contract. Promotion credits will be applied when the solar system has been installed and is operating, and will appear as a credit on your monthly SunRun bill.

For more information, please visit us at www.HelioPower.com and click on the Four Free Months button.

NBC affiliate Cox Media reporter Diana Guevara caught up with HelioPower's Scott Gordon and solar power client Robert Schmalz in Oceanside for her solar piece Monday, January 25.  Schmalz, a HelioPower client who went solar just recently through the solar San Diego 1BOG program, talks about solar as a smart investment:

Start your year with solar!

This year, make solar electricity your New Year’s resolution.  HelioPower has made it even easier for you to bring clean, renewable energy to your home with SunRun, the nation’s leading provider of home solar financing.  Sign up with SunRun in the first 3 months of 2010 and we’ll reward you with free months of solar electricity. 

·        January: first 4 months free

·        February: first 2 months free

·        March: first month free

This promotion is only available to new customers who live in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.  For more information, visit the SunRun promotion page.  Start your year off bright with 4 FREE months of solar!

4…2…1… go solar today! Call HelioPower today for more information, Toll-Free: 1-87-SOLAR-888!

Can you really afford another Summer without solar?

Solar In Palm Desert installed by HelioPower

 
Find out about solar for your home for as little as $1000 down*…
The best solar pricing ever in the Coachella Valley…
& insights from Coachella Valley residents who have gone solar!
 
Please be our guest on Wednesday, December 9 at 6pm to learn about how you can go solar for as little as $1000 down*.  You will also find out about how the 1BOG Coachella Valley solar discount program can save you money.  Martin Alvarez of the City of Palm Desert Energy Program will help you save money on your electrical bills with energy saving tips and neighbors who have gone solar will share their stories!
 
The program is hosted by the HelioPower Coachella Valley Team: Matt McPherson, Matt Rifkin and Scott Gordon. To RSVP or for further information, please call: 1-87-SOLAR-888 1-877-652-7888.

Where & When
Henderson Community Center
Rooms 1 & 2 - 72559 Hwy 111
Palm Desert, CA  92260-3306
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
6-8 PM

*Offer available to CA homeowners only.  Not applicable to commercial buildings. Other restrictions may apply.

The Desert Sun reported Friday that the deadline to sign up for the 1BOG Coachella Valley solar pricing discounts with HelioPower has been extended until January 12, 2010.  The original program cut off date was December 12, the paper reported. 

An excerpt from K Kaufman's article:

The campaign, originally scheduled to end Dec. 12, will now run through Jan. 12 to allow more outreach to the valley's snowbirds, said Dave Llorens, 1BOG general manager.

“You're seeing a delayed buying cycle,” Llorens said. “We think we're going to get a bunch of people to (sign up) in the winter.”

Since the company kicked off its local campaign in October, about 190 residents have registered on the group's Web site, with about 90 asking for estimates, Llorens said.

A dozen have signed contracts with HelioPower, the Murrieta installer chosen for the campaign, said Scott Gordon, vice president of residential sales for the company.

The firm is providing discount packages for 1BOG members in the valley, with prices ranging from $5.49 to $6.99 per watt, depending on the type of panel. Prices at other solar installers in the area are $7 to $8 per watt.

Gordon said the valley's slightly older demographics also have pushed a shift in 1BOG's typical online marketing efforts.

“The general population of the Coachella Valley is not as Internet-based as (1BOG) is used to,” he said. “We need to go through more traditional media.”

The company is planning a kick-off event for the extended campaign at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Henderson Community Building in Palm Desert.

For the full article, click here.

On November 19 Scott Gordon of HelioPower worked with Brad Burton of 1BOG on a webinar answering questions about the new Solar San Diego discount community buying program with 1BOG.

You can watch the webinar here:

Solar San Diego Webinar with HelioPower and 1BOG from David Llorens on Vimeo.