Focus On Green - GoSolarMarin's Forecast Appears Sunny

Despite the current economic gloom and doom, the situation for GoSolarMarin seems downright sunny.  The environmental non-profit organization, which began coordinating solar installations for homeowners back in November 2007, is well into its second 'phase' of operation, and things couldn't be busier.

Lisa Max, the San Rafael woman who started it all, is excited. 

"We've got about 120 houses registered for phase two installations," she says, "It started in November and ends at the end of March!"

Max has reason to be excited.  The first phase of GoSolarMarin saw a variety of solar installations in about 100 Marin County homes.  For the second phase, more people are signed up, despite a contracting economy. 

Max came up with the idea for GoSolarMarin when she and her husband, publicist Gary Tobin, were investigating installing solar panels on their own home a couple of years ago.  She shopped around, got estimates and found the $75,000 to $80,000 price tag prohibitive.

"I started knocking on my neighbors' doors and said 'I'm thinking of going solar and if you're thinking about it too, let's try and get a better price'."

Max figured that if she could get a group of people together to contract with one vendor for installation, they would likely get a much better rate. 

She was right.

The IJ found out about GoSolarMarin and did a story on the fledgling non-profit.  Max said she got calls from all over the county from residents wanting in on the project.  It took off from there, and between government financial incentives and the lower costs from vendors, the cost to install solar energy went down significantly to just under $8 per watt.

Now- with phase two well underway- it's even cheaper.

Solar City, the vendor that was picked by GoSolarMarin to install the arrays for phase two, was able to give the homeowners an even lower installation price.  That discount, coupled with the state rebate and the new federal tax credit incentive, dropped the price to just below $5 dollars per watt.

Here's how it all works.

Solar City will meet with each customer to assess their energy needs and, using the prior years electrical usage as a guide, determine the size of the total array.  After the panels are installed, the customer will then be billed monthly by PG&E for service and transmit charges, but not electrical usage.  That bill, the 'net bill', arrives once a year and is the net amount of usage measured by the difference between the energy produced by the homeowner's solar panels, and the total electricity used by the homeowner. 

One additional phase two feature is an option to lease the solar panels if a homeowner doesn't want to, or can't purchase them outright.  Leasing gives you the benefit of not having to maintain the panels and Solar City will guarantee the homeowner a certain level of energy.  Much like a car lease, at the end of the term, the homeowner can opt to purchase the panels.

A solar panel system will usually last 25 to 30 years, which is about the life of a roof.  Max notes that having a solar array can actually extend the life of the roof because it is  shielded from the sun's rays, a major factor in degradation.

What about other alternative energy options, like wind or geothermal?

"You can predict efficiency and output for solar, but you can't predict that for wind," she says, but adds, "Geothermal has huge potential."

Aesthetics might be another concern to the homeowner and Max has the answer for that; thinner, more attractive panels. 

First Solar, a company which makes the thinner panels, has contracted with Solar City to make the more aesthetically pleasing panels available for residential use.  Previously, they were only used on commercial buildings.  And best of all, they don't cost any more than the thicker panels. 

Max is finally going to get her long anticipated solar array.  After replacing her old roof, she is scheduled to get her panels installed this May.  She says it has been a bit of a wait, but it should be well worth it when she receives her first 'net bill' from PG&E.

Going green is the way to go, and with organizations like GoSolarMarin finding cost-effective and attractive options for Marin residents, the future looks sunny indeed.

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If you've been thinking about installing solar panels, contact Lisa Max, at GoSolarMarin here.

Comments

[home solar power]

Since we are experiencing economy crisis right now, we ought to find ways on how to lessen our daily expenses. We all prioritize expenses at home and it's really amazing to have this solar energy for our homes. It is great to save money from our electricity bills.