Sunshine isn’t nature’s only affordable source of renewable energy.

Biomass is organic fuel, and can offer compelling returns to California growers and food processors.

HelioPower Vice-President of Business Development Tom Millhoff recently took several walnut, pistachio and almond processors on a tour of

Phoenix Energy's Pyrolytic Gasifier

a 500 kilowatt (kW) biomass facility in Merced to learn how they can turn agriculture waste from a nuisance to a profit.

“Solar isn’t always the answer.  My mission is to reduce the energy expense required to produce, transport and store California’s food,” said Millhoff.   “We can do that by reducing demand, altering pricing structures, or replacing expensive energy.    Biomass becomes compelling when there is readily available high quality feedstock: nut shells and tree trimmings fit the bill.”

“There are many approaches to processing biomass.  The pyrolytic (the use of heat to break down complex chemical substances into simpler substances) gasification approach we favor has several advantages – it is small, scalable, efficient and decidedly low-tech, so uptime is high and operating cost is low,” explained Millhoff.

“Emissions are low and we have air quality management board acceptance.  The facility is power-dense, generating 20 times as much energy per square foot as a typical solar facility, and the waste heat can be used for drying or to reduce cold storage loads.  The facility produces very high quality biochar, which is in high demand from organic farmers and as a filtration agent.  We’re seeing IRR’s approaching 20% when excess energy is sold to the utility, higher when energy offsets domestic load.”

“And this is before we consider revenues from biochar sales – these facilities produce very high quality biochar, which is seeing exploding demand from organic farmers and for filtration applications. Revenues from biochar sales can bump IRR’s by 5% or more.   It’s amazing – our clients are getting paid to sequester carbon… we’re at grid parity without incentives.  Early adopters will really benefit when Cap & Trade comes along.”

The tour was followed by an open lunch discussion of project economics, policies and development challenges.  Attendees included nut

HelioPower Biomass Tour for CA Agriculture

growers and processors, research scientists from UC Davis and UC Merced, private industry energy researchers, utilities representatives as well as energy professionals.

Future biomass tours are being scheduled. For more information on biomass, biochar or other creative energy solutions, contact Tom at Cell 775.830.0448, eFax 775.548.9819 or Email TMillhoff@HelioPower.com.

Sources: Solar Industry Magazine and MarketWatch

Nearly all U.S. adults – 97% – overestimate the costs of installing solar systems on their homes, while nearly 8 out of 10 of those who do not

HelioPower, Sunrun home solar install in Palm Desert, CA.

already have solar panels say they would install solar if cost were not a factor, according to the results of a recent survey from Sunrun.

In partnership with Harris Interactive, the company conducted a nationwide poll assessing 2,211 U.S. residents' beliefs about the desirability and costs of installing a home solar system.

Four out of 10 U.S. adults believe that installing a home solar system requires $20,000 or more in up-front costs, Sunrun says, noting that it and other firms offer solar leases that do not require upfront costs.

The vast majority of Americans are concerned about rising home energy costs from utility companies, as 95% of U.S. adults who do pay and/or are aware of their utility costs cited their rising utility rates as a concern. The survey also indicated that 44% of respondents would install solar within the next year if they knew cost were not a factor.

"The widespread myth that solar is too expensive is a remnant from the time when buying costly panels for tens of thousands of dollars was the only option," said Sunrun President and co-Founder Lynn Jurich. "Fortunately that era is over. Misinformation is the root of the problem, and this data can help increasing numbers of homeowners get educated and opt into solar."

Solar is a Smart Financial Choice

Not only does solar power service cost consumers little or nothing upfront, but according to the National Renewal Energy Laboratory (NREL) it also can allow homeowners to "save money the very first month, rather than breaking even a decade later after an initial investment."

"When it comes to money matters, ignorance is rarely blissful. When it comes to solar money myths, misinformation actually prevents U.S. homeowners from making smarter financial decisions," said Manisha Thakor, Harvard MBA and former portfolio manager turned bestselling author and financial literacy advocate. "Solar power service has become something any homeowner should now consider as part of a modern investment portfolio, if it's available to them. Among other benefits, it offers homeowners the unprecedented ability to plan and predict one of their largest household expenses for years to come: energy. Consumers can direct any savings from solar to other top financial priorities like paying off debt or investing in retirement."

Solar Service Eclipses Other Forms of Home Solar

Though many Americans don't realize there is a way to go solar without the high upfront costs, solar power service — also known as third-party-owned solar — has become the preferred way for consumers to go solar in the nation's leading solar markets. In California for example, according to data from the California Solar Initiative (CSI) about three-quarters of those going solar choose solar power service.

Over the past 12 months, market share for solar power service climbed steadily in California and reached about 75% of the home solar market in February 2012. One in every three Californians switching to solar chooses Sunrun.

Use Price per Watt to Get Best Value

“Comparing price per watt is one of the most effective ways of determining the efficiency and return on investment of any home solar installation,” said Scott Gordon, SPV of Sales for HelioPower, a California based solar installer with nearly 3000 completed installations.

“Real value is about getting the lowest price per watt for the highest quality system installed as quickly as possible,” Gordon said. “Anyone who is serious about going solar will use these criteria to save thousands of dollars on a solar purchase or lease and enjoy a faster return on your investment."

HelioPower delivers the highest value in home solar in California, according to an independent consumer study of all major solar power installers in the state.

Figures released by PV Solar Report, a daily digest for California’s solar power industry, found HelioPower ranked highest in the state for offering the best value to its clients, with a price per watt at $5.55, compared to the state average of $7.82 per watt as of March 14, 2012.

Overall, HelioPower provides over twice the value of the worst-performing large installer’s rate of $12.57 per watt for that date, the study reported.

Price-per-watt value measuring is important in ensuring a consumer gets a fair deal. Prices quoted March 14 by PV Solar Report indicate the cost for an average 5 kilowatt home solar system at between $27,750 for HelioPower (at $5.55 per watt) and $62,850 for the highest-priced competitor (at $12.57).

That’s a difference of $35,100 saved on an average sized solar power system by choosing HelioPower: a value leader in the industry.

PV Solar has also found HelioPower to be among the quickest in terms of getting the job done.

“Our data shows HelioPower consistently delivers one of the lowest prices per watt of the state’s solar installation firms and one of the shortest installation times,” said Stephen Torres, founder and managing director of PV Solar Report.

For more information: http://www.heliopower.com/HomeSolarValue

Source:  Press Enterprise

At the Southern California Association of Governments 2012 Regional Conference and General Assembly, the Western Riverside Council of Governments was presented with the President’s Award for Excellence for its HERO Financing Program.

SCAG’s highest award was presented to WRCOG during the sixth annual Compass Blueprint Recognition Awards Dinner held at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.

WRCOG Executive Committee Chair and Moreno Valley Councilmember Robin Hastings accepted the award on behalf of WRCOG, and was joined on stage by more than a dozen elected officials from Western Riverside jurisdictions who helped make the program a reality.

“HERO supplies $325 million of private funding into our Western Riverside communities. It is a perfect example of a successful public/private partnership to stimulate our economy and create jobs. I was proud to accept the award on behalf of all of WRCOG’s 18 member jurisdictions,” Hastings said.

WRCOG’s HERO Financing Program is the nation’s largest Property Assessed Clean Energy program. Residential and commercial property owners can finance over 150,000 energy and water efficient products and renewable energy systems, such as solar, HVAC, roofing, and windows, with attractive tax-deductible payments. The financing is repaid through a property owner’s property tax bill and may be passed onto the new owners if the property is sold before the financing is fully paid off.

“The HERO Financing Program puts energy efficiency within reach for property owners and stimulates our local economy. HERO projects will create jobs for local contractors, and property owners can save money on their utility bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rick Bishop, executive director of WRCOG.

HelioPower solar projects in the WRCOG region were featured in the award video.  Those solar installations were located primarily in

HelioPower Riverside solar installation

Riverside and the surrounding areas.

For more information about going solar with this government funding go to: http://www.heliopower.com/HowDoWeGetSolarEnergyWithGovernmentFunding

Link to the video is here: http://www.compassblueprint.org/toolbox/videos/12awards/wrcog

Source: EcoOutfitters.net
Post Written by DawnAllcot

“We live in a global world … and the fact is, if everybody on the planet lived like we do in America, we’d need 10 planet Earths. This is a sad fact, but, unfortunately, we’re all going to have to make do with a lot less in the future.”
~Scott Gordon, SVP of  Sales, HelioPower

Let’s think about that for a moment. Smart metering is one way for the utilities to monitor and regulate electric usage. As more electric providers introduce smart meters, more people will look to solar power as a way to regain control of their own electricity use.

But a mindset shift will occur, where we begin to think of affordable electricity-on-demand — with the simple flip of a switch or push of a button — as a privilege rather than a right. (And if you don’t believe that, take a look at the recap of our 3/14/12 #SolarChat, during which we discussed charitable initiatives to bring solar energy to impoverished areas of the world.)

In the same conversation that he shared the above words, Gordon mentioned that by 2015, we may begin to see programmable appliances, equipped with smart chips, that enable users to program them to turn on only when electric rates are at their lowest. “When electricity rates are between X and Y, your appliances are allowed to run. At other times, you’ll get an error message when you go to run your dishwasher,” Gordon explains.

All of this sounds exciting and high-tech but, as Gordon points out, “Ninety-nine percent of the world is not technical. They just want to plug something in and have it work.”

People who are not technically savvy, and who can’t afford to pay someone else to program their appliances for them, will subsidize electricity production for everyone else. Sadly, these are the people who can least afford to pay even more for electricity — people on fixed incomes, the unemployed, the elderly, and people with young children.

What’s the answer? You call a solar installer, and within a week to 120 days (depending on installation schedules and how long it takes to acquire permits), you can turn on the lights, TV and appliances in your home during the day and enjoy free, clean, renewable energy. Produce enough energy, and you feed it back into the grid to use as energy credits when you need to use electricity at night or on rainy days.

How Will Your Solar Installation Affect Your Electric Company?
The electric companies want to see people using solar, just as they want to see people conserving energy. It’s good for the environment and reduces the risk of brown-outs, helping to ensure the electric providers have enough power to supply their region.

But only to a point. Gordon says, “Every time we sign on a customer, the electric company loses part of a customer, maybe 50 or 75 or 80 percent. That’s what they’re worried about.”

Since the electric companies still need to make money, the grid will change. Instead of being a provider of energy, utilities will become distributors.

Gordon uses the analogy of a cable company. “Your local cable company or satellite dish provider doesn’t produce a lot of content — less than 1 percent. But they distribute massive amounts of content. When we move into the distributed grid of the future, you’ll see utilities charging to use their pipes — as a distributor of electricity rather than content.”

Net metering, according to Gordon, is just the first step. Ultimately, we’ll see a model where electricity comes from a variety of sources, including renewable sources like wind and solar farms owned by individuals or communities, and the utility company is simply charging people to use the grid for distribution.

If this makes you think it might be time to start creating your own power now… you’d be right.

The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) and HelioPower won the 2011 Energy All-Star Award for Outstanding Innovation in a Building Project.  The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) recognized HACSB’s Maplewood Homes for creating a sustainable and clean environment through specific actions that showed superior energy management with an integrated approach using energy efficiency, renewable energy and water efficiency.  The award was presented at CCSE’s eighth annual Energy All-Star Awards held Thursday, March 22, at the University of San Diego.

HelioPower, an integrated energy solutions company based in California, developed, constructed, owns and operates the project’s lynchpin solar installation, comprised of 100 arrays and funded in part by a $1.84 million grant from Southern California Edison’s MASH Track 2 program – the largest program grant awarded.

“These award recipients are truly furthering the goals of sustainable energy, each in their own way, by making significant contributions to reducing energy use, adopting renewable energy technologies and using green building technologies,” said Andrew McAllister, CCSE managing director. “Their leadership stands as exemplary models of how California leads the nation in our conversion to a clean energy future.”

The Energy All-Star Award is the second major accolade for the newly completed Maplewood Homes energy retrofit:  Maplewood also received the prestigious “Development of Distinction” award from Novogradac for use of the U.S. renewable energy 1603 tax credit. The Housing Authority collaborated with HelioPower to apply the credit and California Solar Initiative (CSI) grant money to reduce the community’s energy costs, create jobs, educate tenants, and foster an environmentally green community.

“We are extremely honored and humbled at this prestigious recognition.  We accomplished this with the support of our partners such as HelioPower and our residents who have taken great pride in this green endeavor that has revolutionized the housing site.  We look forward to implementing future energy saving solutions in our housing communities,” states Gustav Joslin, HACSB’s Chief Operating Officer.

The project was complex, implemented as “rolling retrofits” to minimize tenant disruption.  Maplewood’s 296 duplexes – an entire neighborhood – were “whole-house” retrofitted in rolling batches, thus permitting efficient installation of energy efficient lighting, programmable thermostats, plumbing fixture upgrades, dual pane windows, evaporative coolers and tankless water heaters.  100 solar arrays were installed on all viable roofs, with production scaled to accommodate energy efficiency implementations.  Installation was staged and sequenced in concert with new roof installation to minimize labor costs and preserve new roof warranties.  The Housing Authority upgraded electrical service entries and Southern California Edison contributed upgraded transformers to the comprehensive effort.

The project also incorporated a substantial community education and outreach effort, including tenant water and energy conservation training and workshops, green job training from Helio University, HACSB-HelioPower collaborative ribbon cutting outreach & presentations as well as solar education and energy efficiency and savings workshop open to all tenants.  HelioPower continues to provide real-time solar production and carbon offset monitoring available online and via wall mounted kiosk at Maplewood’s Johnson Hall Community Center.

“Congratulations to HACSB for being honored again for the Maplewood Homes project,” said Tom Millhoff, Vice President of

HelioPower solar crew onsite at Maplewood Homes award winning installation.

Business Development at HelioPower.  “Maplewood is a shining example of how an integrated and comprehensive approach to energy management can yield dramatic and lasting results.  The project is saving over 50,000 therms and 1 million kWh annually, generating an annual C02 offset equivalent of almost 900 metric tons and saving over 58,000 kilogallons of fresh water. “

“HelioPower is proud to have played a major role in designing, developing, financing, engineering, installing, operating and maintain these energy projects at Maplewood.  Nothing succeeds like success: HelioPower and HACSB will soon complete a similar project in Barstow, and other projects are in development,” said Mr. Millhoff.

Source: EcoOutfitters.net April 5, 2012

What happens when a group of solar installers from across the country get together to discuss how best to serve the solar market — with simplified proposals, easy-to-compare estimates, and pitches that really relate to what the customer wants?

If you read the recap of the most recent #SolarChat, held March 28, 2012, Solar PV Economics – Solar Financing: How, What & Why, you’ll see. The chat drew many industry heavy-hitters, including our experts panelists, Scott Gordon, senior vice president – sales of HelioPower, and Danny Kennedy, founder of Sungevity. We also had #SolarChat newcomers @TiogaEnergy and @TrinaSolarUS, along with notable solar media from Renewable Energy World and Greentech Media join us, and regulars like @YesSolarNC, @StreamlinerSolar, and @AztecSolarPwr.

Once again, we’re grateful for the opportunity to present #SolarChat, and appreciate all the industry members who join us in this effort. And, just as the chat benefits industry members focused on growing the proverbial solar pie, we also welcome solar homeowners and the solar-curious. You may learn something new about renewable energy or make just the connection you need for your own solar installation!

Discussing Dollars & (Solar Financing) Sense
Our most recent #SolarChat focused on various options for consumer financing of solar installations, including solar leasing and PPA. We talked about the costs of solar, leasing and purchase options for customers, and what the best price quotes for a solar installation may include.

Some of the talking points for industry professionals included:

• How to keep solar estimates, quotes or proposals simple while providing the customer with the information they need
• When it is better to offer lease vs. purchase vs. PPA
• How installation timelines can affect ROI
• How to standardize solar estimates so consumers can compare apples-to-apples
• The key selling points of a solar installation

Scott Gordon addressed the question of simplifying solar estimates with the following tweets: “Too little leaves out cash price making price/watt comparisons difficult,” and “Too much is a 20+ page proposal that obfuscates critical consumer info, confuses the customer, and [leads] to a ‘no’ decision.”

When it comes down to selling specific solar systems, efficiency becomes a key factor, because the consumer cares about the return on their investment. As Sungevity’s Danny Kennedy noted, it’s a shame that there’s no easy way to calculate the health costs of energy derived from coal. When we compare the costs of conventional electric vs. renewable energy, it is easy (and important) to emphasize the impact of a solar installation on a home’s carbon footprint. Carbon emissions offset is a factor that can be easily worked into a proposal without confusing customers.

HIT Solar simplified the question of selling efficiency and quality to consumers, tweeting: “Present electric cost per month with and without solar. Also more efficient panels = less install costs so ROI even better!”

Pamela Cargill of Chaolysti, a solar consulting firm, reminded participants of the first rule of sales: Customers are interested in benefits and the end result. She noted, “Some would argue that modules and inverters are commodities and the energy production is more important to the customer.”

We agree that effective pitches must keep it simple and focus on the ROI.

Why People Go Solar: The Granite Effect
With the nuts and bolts of selling solar (and selling solar financing) out of the way, the topic shifted to a discussion of solar advocacy, circling back around to the four main reasons people go solar. LA Solar Systems, Inc. listed them concisely: 1.) Bottom line 2.) Go green 3.) Increase property value and 4.) Comfort.

But there’s another important and often overlooked) factor as well — Solar as technology, or the “coolness factor.” It’s true that most solar customers ask about the ROI (and you can get a good estimate of your own home’s ROI using our free solar calculator), but as Carter Lavin reminded us, “Solar isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ luxury, it’s a wise investment. You gotta sell the savings + a touch of cool.”

Gordon jumped on the cool factor, comparing solar to granite countertops. Few people calculate the ROI on granite countertop, “they just want it,” he tweeted.

And that’s one of the exciting things about solar. There are so many reasons to want it, and the industry is truly focused on the needs and desires of consumers. If you’re shopping for a solar installation, it’s just a matter of connecting with the solar installer that best relates to you and offers the financing or payment options you need and want. They’re out there. If our most recent #SolarChat showed one thing, it’s that the industry really does care.

Electricity is a growing expense for many businesses; taking up to 30 percent of a typical office building’s operating costs.

With energy rates expected to continue to rise, it makes good business sense for commercial property owners to upgrade their buildings with solar power, particularly with new financing made available to buildings within western Riverside County, officials told a group of property owners at a recent breakfast co-hosted by HelioPower at the Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, CA.

The Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) has launched the nation’s largest financing program to help residential and commercial property owners’ pay for the installation of solar panels and other building improvements that will save energy.

Two programs are available. The Commercial Energy Retrofit Application provides financing for small and mid-sized commercial projects that produce less than 125 kilowatts of power. Large commercial projects producing more will be financed through WRCOG’s Commercial Properties Energy Program. Both are based on California’s Property Assessed Clean Energy legislation enacted through AB 811.

“If you combine that with the rapid rise of energy costs for commercial properties in Riverside County, you have a situation where now solar more than pays for itself. It allows companies to lock in their rate and fix their rate for a twenty year period,” said Jean Dunn, managing director for Structured Finance.

“The big question is how do you pay for it? Because, unfortunately, we’re in a world where most businesses and most property owners are cash constrained. And one way that we think is a terrific way to pay for it is PACE. PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy. We provide up to 100% financing for energy improvements and for solar. That allows you to reduce your cost of energy and lock in those rates. The assessment that’s associated with the PACE financing ranks ahead of all private debt and is part of your property tax.”

What’s available through the program?
• Up to 100 percent financing with terms of up to 20 years
• Zero percent down in many instances
• Locked-in energy costs for between 25 and 50 years

What do you need to qualify?
• Clear title on the property
• Mortgage payments up to date
• Current on property taxes
• At least 20 percent equity in the property
• Cost of improvements cannot exceed 50 percent of the mortgage amount

“We are all going to be seeing much higher electric bills in the future,” said Steve LoRusso, vice-president of commercial sales for HelioPower.

HelioPower has developed a process that emphasizes ease and efficiency.

In partnership with WRCOG and Structured Finance, the other co-host of the event, HelioPower can help to identify incentives such as tax credits, rebates and other subsidies.

“We’re going to make sure that your project is cost effective,” he said, “and monitor and manage it to ensure productivity long into the future.”

WRCOG Executive Director Rick Bishop said he anticipates that many commercial building owners will be able to get the work down with net costs at zero. “In fact,” he said, “it will probably be a benefit to companies to install solar on their commercial buildings.”

For more information about the commercial PACE program, visit www.wrcogpace.com. Visit Structured Finance at www.strucfinance.com. To learn more about the products and services available through HelioPower, visit www.HelioPower.com.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is accurate to the best of our knowledge and we make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness.

HelioPower delivers the highest value in home solar in California, according to an independent consumer study of all major solar power installers in the state.

Figures released this month by PV Solar Report, a daily digest for California’s solar power industry, found HelioPower ranked highest in the state for offering the best value to its clients, with a price per watt at $5.55, compared to the state average of $7.82 per watt as of March 14, 2012.

Overall, HelioPower provides over twice the value of the worst-performing large installer’s rate of $12.57 per watt for that date, the study reported.

Price-per-watt value measuring is important in ensuring a consumer gets a fair deal. Prices quoted March 14 by PV Solar Report indicate the cost for an average 5 kilowatt home solar system at between $27,750 for HelioPower (at $5.55 per watt) and $62,850 for the highest-priced competitor (at $12.57).

That’s a difference of $35,100 saved on an average sized solar power system by choosing HelioPower: a value leader in the industry.

PV Solar has also found HelioPower to be among the quickest in terms of getting the job done.

“Our data shows HelioPower consistently delivers one of the lowest prices per watt of the state’s solar installation firms and one of the shortest installation times,” said Stephen Torres, founder and managing director of PV Solar Report.

“Comparing price per watt is one of the most effective ways of determining the efficiency and return on investment of any home solar installation,” said HelioPower’s Scott Gordon, senior vice president of sales. Because of the wide disparity in pricing cited by PV Solar Report, he urged every consumer to shop around before they buy.

“Real value is about getting the lowest price per watt for the highest quality system installed as quickly as possible,” Gordon said. “Anyone who is serious about going solar will use these criteria to save thousands of dollars on a solar purchase or lease and enjoy a faster ROI.”

Once you’ve narrowed your list of contenders using this approach, Gordon recommends taking a little extra time to look them up on the Better Business Bureau, CSLB, and on consumer rating sites like Yelp. “This extra homework helps to ensure you won’t be sacrificing quality for price.”

Commercial buildings in Western Riverside County are participating in one of the nation’s largest campaigns for clean energy and HelioPower is a part of it.

The Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) has launched the nation’s largest financing program to help residential and commercial property owners pay for the installation of solar panels and other building improvements to save energy.

Two programs are available. The Commercial Energy Retrofit Application provides financing for small and mid-sized commercial projects that produce less than 125 kilowatts of power. Large commercial projects producing more will be financed through WRCOG’s Commercial Properties Energy Program. Both are based on California’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) legislation enacted through AB 811.

“There is extreme and extraordinary energy savings that can come from this,” WRCOG Executive Director Rick Bishop told a group of commercial building owners at a recent breakfast meeting at the Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, CA. “We think that the net costs to businesses will be zero, in fact, it will probably be a benefit to them to install solar on their commercial buildings.”

HelioPower co-hosted the meeting with Structured Finance, the company charged with financing large-scale commercial solar projects through the WRCOG program.

Electricity is a growing expense for many businesses, taking up to 30 percent of a typical office building’s operating costs, said Jean Dunn, managing director at Structured Finance. “We need to figure out ways to make our buildings more profitable, making our businesses more profitable,” he said. One solution is to lock in energy costs by going solar, he added.

“If you combined the decreasing costs of solar with the rapid rise of energy costs for commercial properties in Riverside County, you have a situation where now solar more than pays for itself,” he said.

HelioPower not only installs solar power systems on commercial buildings, it monitors and manages the system to ensure productivity throughout its 25-year warranty period, said Steve LoRusso, vp of commercial sales. “We’re going to make sure that your project is cost effective,” he said. “Our goal is to make it a cash-flow neutral investment.”

Bishop agreed.

“We anticipate that net costs will be zero,” he said. “In fact, it will probably be a benefit to companies to install solar on their commercial buildings.”

For more information about the commercial PACE program, visit www.wrcogpace.com. Visit Structured Finance at www.strucfinance.com. To learn more about the products and services available through HelioPower, visit www.HelioPower.com.

There’s never been a better time for homeowners in Western Riverside County to go solar.

The Western Riverside Council of Governments has launched the nation’s largest PACE financing program to help residential and commercial property owners pay for the installation of solar panels and other energy improvements that will save energy.

Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone was one of the first to take advantage of WRCOG’s Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) program.

“I can’t tell you how easy it was to do it,” Stone told a group of property owners at a recent breakfast meeting hosted by HelioPower and Structured Finance at the Bear Creek Golf Club. “The process is really simple.”

Under the HERO program, qualified homeowners can often put solar on their rooftops with no money down and payments made as a part of the home’s property tax bill.

In most cases, the interest on the loan is tax deductable. Rebates, credits and other financial incentives make solar more affordable than ever, Stone said.

He chose HelioPower as the company to do the job.

“I am very pleased to say that I’ve had friends that have utilized them and been very happy with their service,” he said.

Douglas McAllister, mayor of the City of Murrieta, credited the HERO program and HelioPower with helping to create jobs through innovation and entrepreneurship.

“You have folks who are able to innovate, to create the programs and technology to do these wonderful things. And then you have the entrepreneurs. They’re the ones who go out and find the customers to sell them to,” McAllister said. “You put those two things together, you are going to create jobs every time.”

In the last 10 years, Southern California Edison has raised rates by 47 percent. In the second quarter of this year, another 12.8 percent increase is planned, said Steve LoRusso, vice-president of commercial sales for HelioPower. “We are going to be seeing much higher electric bills in the future.” (Editor's note added 3.21.12, rate increase over last 10 years, source CPUC: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Electric+Rates/ENGRD/ratesNCharts_elect.htm, planned rate increase, source rate case: http://www3.sce.com/sscc/law/dis/dbattach3e.nsf/0/AC215F321506F4BA882577E30022A241/$FILE/S01.pdf)

Stone agreed, adding that solar power can is not just a smart economic decision, it’s good for the nation, too.

“It’s going to decrease our dependence on foreign oil,” he said. “And we know a lot of foreign oil comes from rogue nations that do not necessarily have the best interests of this country as their first thought.”

For more information about the HERO program, visit www.wrcogpace.com. To learn more about the products and services available through HelioPower, visit www.HelioPower.com.