After 20 years working in Electrical Contracting, we are branching out into the Solar Field. It is a natural expansion for after all, Solar Photovoltaics is electricity. Join the Green Business movement and find out what a great and affordable investment a photovoltaic system is. If you could pay the same amount every month that you spend on your electric bill, but instead have that payment go towards financing a system that generates electricity, wouldn’t you jump on it? Electric rates are only going to rise. Why would you want to pay them when they could be paying you? There are some attractive incentives available from PG&E and the State of California ($1.10 per watt) while 30% of your entire system cost is deductible form your Federal Taxes! There’s valuable information on this site, Have a look and give me a call to schedule a system analysis for your very own home.

To size your solar photovoltaic (PV) system you need to take a look at your roof and your electricity bills. For your PV system to work best, your system should face south or southwest. PV systems work most efficiently when they are sloped at about 38°, but they also work well on flat roofs and any sloped roof that faces south/south-west. In addition to roofs, parking lots or other open spaces make good locations for PV systems. Your roof should have minimal to no shading from trees, mechanical equipment, and other buildings. The shade-free area of your roof will limit how large a PV system you can install, and your electricity usage (as measured by your electricity bill) will dictate how much solar power you need. Once you know your electricity usag and your available roof area, you can size your PV system.

The utility companies in California have adopted a complex tiered electric rate structure. This rate schedule establishes a ‘baseline’ rate for all usage each month. Usage up to the baseline amount is charged one rate, and usage above baseline is charged at a series of increasing tiered rates. Residential customers who exceed their baseline quantities face steep penalty rates. 

Net Metering measures the difference between the electricity you buy from the utility and the electricity you generate with your solar electric system.

When you are making more electricity than you are using, like typical summer days, your extra electricity automatically gets metered back out (sold) to the utility grid. You receive credit for this power at the same rate they sell it to you. Net Metering allows you to use the electric utility grid like a bank account. You can put electricity into it that you don’t use immediately and you can withdraw the same amount later on, at no net cost to you.

The State of California is presently offering a $1.10* per kilowatt cash rebate for solar electric systems that are connected to the utility grid.  Upon signing a sales agreement, we will submit a reservation for you after receiving a deposit on your solar system. Once your system has been permitted, installed and operational, the claim form and your final inspection approval will be submitted to the utility for payment. Within 30-60 days, the utility will send you or the installer the rebate check, depending on your contract. The incentive level does drop over time as more customers take advantage of it, so if you are considering solar, the best time to do it is now.