Social site powers investigative journalism

Published on November 30, 2008 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Trends.

Freelance journalists often can’t get what they need from advertising revenue in todays market to support quality writing. It can become a game of low quality, high volume content. Enter the non-profit spot.us. Writers pitch a story, like this one about the affordability of solar energy in the Bay area.  Then people like you and I can donate to get the story written by a professional Freelancer. 

Check it out. I just donated 25 bucks.

How Much Solar did we do in the Bay Area in 2007?

Published on November 24, 2008 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Trends.

This report, written by Norcalsolar.org, analyzes solar installation data in the bay area from 1998-2007.  

The bottom line?  

• We did 244 megawatts in all of California1998 up to 2007
• In 2007, we did just over a quarter of that again.  
• About 35% of the solar is in the bay area
• Average installed Cost/Watt for residential was $9.87

If you’re interested in helping take the bay area to the next level, check out One Block Off the Grid, which does solar group buying in the bay area.  They have a program right now.

The Difference Between DC and AC Watts (and PTC/STC)

Published on November 19, 2008 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: Solar Trends.

As you may know, solar is bid for in dollars per watts ($/W).  But are those DC watts (direct current, like in a battery) or AC watts (alternating current, like in a light socket) watts?  Hopefully this post will get you informed enough to be sure you’re comparing apples to apples when reviewing multiple solar bids.

The size of your solar system will be referred to in watts.  For example, a 3000 watt (W) system will produce 3000 watts (or 3 kilowatts) during optimal conditions.  We’re talking about watts, here, not watt-hours, which are different.  When getting a system quote, whether they are referring to AC or DC watts matters, because those numbers are different sizes.

The idea is, if you got two bids you’re looking at, both of which are $30,000, and one is in AC watts and one is in DC watts, you have an easy decision (assuming both installers are well-vetted, quality installers).

DC WATTS

There are two ways to quote DC watts.  One is called STC, or Standard Test Conditions, also known as “nameplate rating.”  This is the most simple and easy to grasp way to quote, because you just take the wattage of the panel and multiply it times the number of panels.  For example, if you had 10 SPR230 (Sunpower 230-watt panels) panels, you would have a 2300 Watt DC STC sized system.

The other way is PTC, or Performance Test Conditions.  This number will be slightly less than STC.  What PTC means is they put the panels under outside test conditions and see what they actually pump out.  A 200-watt Panel may actually produce only 180 Watts.  PTC ratings take into account everything, including loss from wires, etc.

AC Watts

You get to AC watts by multiplying the PTC DC wattage by the inverter efficiency.  Many inverter efficiencies can run around 95%… so just take the DC rating an multiply by .95.  This will be the lowest number of the three.

SO WHAT SHOULD I BE QUOTED IN?

The answer is that it doesn’t really matter, as long as when comparing quotes, you’re looking at the same number.  In Northern California, the standard is to quote in CEC (California Energy Commission) AC wattage… but in many other places in the nation, the standard is to quote in DC Watts.  Naturally, if you are comparing a quote from a multi-state installer and say, one that does most of their business in northern California, you will be looking at different numbers.

Additionally, some disengenious installers may try to pass off DC wattage as AC because it makes the number bigger, and makes $/W look cheaper.  This is rarely the case, but it’s what this post if for.

Check out here if you want to get some solar quotes for your home or business.

Solar 101 – How sunlight converts into electricity

Published on November 14, 2008 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: Solar Technology, solar video.

A Financing Option For Solar

Published on by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Financing.

By Guest Author Dean Konstantine

People say they can’t afford solar. The reality is, you can’t afford not to go solar!

Let’s go over an example of a California solar system and run some rough numbers on a guy with a $300/month electric bill.  Assuming our homeowner needs a 5200 watt system to zero out his current electric bill of $300.

System Size 5.2 kw (5200 watts) x $9/watt = $46800
State rebate tier 3 $1.90 = -$9,880 cash rebate
Balance Financed = $36920 (zero down program OAC)
Clean Power Financing Interest 6.99% APR
Amortization 15 years
Monthly Clean Power Payment = $270
Savings over electric bill per month = $30
Federal Tax Credit @ 30% = $12,480
Assuming an annual tax refund of $2,496 From 30% tax credit
Tax refund applied to solar Financing Accelerated payoff Program
Allows a 15 year loan paid off in 7 years By applying annual tax refund towards loan
Interest saved on accelerated payoff = $11,081
Electric Bill Savings over 7 years = $2,520
Total Savings = $13,601
Electricity cost starting year 8 = $0

Here the state rebate drops as more and more people install solar on their homes.  It just dropped from $2.20/Watt to $1.90/Watt and could drop again in a few months.

On top of that handsome state rebate, you can stack the Federal tax credit for solar, a 30% tax credit of the total cost of a system (minus the state rebate). That works out to about a $2.30 a watt of savings. This year (2008) the 30% tax credit has a cap of $2000 for residential customers, but beginning in 2009 the cap has been eliminated.

So the government is willing to pay for half of your system.  Wait till electricity prices rise to the point where solar makes financial sense without the rebates and see if those subsidies are still there.  Solar lasts for decades… the free cheese won’t.

But, what about the cash upfront?  Well, for those with solid credit, there are new loan products sprouting up which will incorporate the assumed increase in value to your home created by the solar system, allowing you to qualify for a higher loan-to-value ration (the interest is also deductible).  Unsecured loans are also available.  Finally,  there are short and long term ease programs for both residential, commercial, and government agencies.

Businesses can reduce take advantage of depreciation and have greater flexibility to deduct lease payments.

Most of the time, buying makes sense to me.  Some installers have leasing options which can be compelling for people who cannot get financing or if the up-front cost is just not digestible.  However, I’d rather own the commodity producing machine on my roof.

Remember, sunlight is free, you’re just paying for the equipment to harvest it. Once you pay it off, the sun will set you free!

Dean Konstantine
Solar Utilities Now
www.solarutilitiesnow.com
760-961-2332 X11

North Carolina Solar Energy Calculator Up and Running!

Published on November 11, 2008 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: Solar Trends.

Good news! We’ve completed the first iteration of our solar energy calculator for North Carolina. Over the next few months you’ll see calculators like this for every state in our country on each state page. You’ll notice that each calculator has unique incentives and rebates specific to the state weaved in, all with a nifty break-even analysis, up front cost, and net due after one year. Our calculator also shows you how many panels are required to completely eliminate your power bill as well as the roof area required. Not only that, but there is a financing example as well.

All of this data is tailored to your unique power bill. For now, we invite all of you to click through to North Carolina’s page and test out the calculator yourself. Any requests or feedback would be highly appreciated. Of course, these figures are approximate. To get a much more refined sense of your total investment into your home, we recommend connecting with one of our friendly solar experts in your area who can answer all of your questions and evaluate your home or business.

What’s up with the Berkeley FIRST solar financing program?

Published on November 6, 2008 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Financing.

By Guest Author Sheldon Norberg

Berkeley’s long awaited solar program hit the ground yesterday, with the 40 initial financing spots being lotteried off at 9 AM. From the turnout at their public information meetings, it could be as many as five entries for each spot. However, most folks in Berkeley are sharp enough to take a pass on B FIRST and invest in solar for themselves.  Here’s why.

Originally touted as a low cost financing option (with rumors of 2% fixed loans) B FIRST’s novel approach of placing the financial burden on parcel taxes seemed like a smart move. As well intended as it may be, the B FIRST program took over a year from inception to delivery, and in that time, the interest rate has gone up considerably.

More importantly, with congress finally passing the 30% tax credit extension, the program actually costs more than buying yourself. As we read it, the federal prohibition from receiving tax credits on purchases funded by bond measures means that Berkeley FIRST candidates pay $5,000-15,000 more for their system than they ordinarily would. Put that on a 20-year loan with no pre-payment option, fix it to your property tax bill,  and see who wants to buy your house in a few years.

The additional factor left unconsidered by the city of Berkeley is that the financing doesn’t come through for a month or more  after the job is done. I can’t think of any quality solar installer that’s going to want to loan anyone $20-50,000 for that amount of time, so you may need to get a loan for the job, and then pay it off with the B FIRST loan. Or perhaps not.

You can find out all about solar and your (bay area local) financial breakdown by attending our free online webinars.

Sheldon Norberg
Sun’s Free Solar
www.sunsfreesolar.com
510 496-6008

Get Free Stuff!

Published on November 3, 2008 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: Solar Competitions.

We need more people to realize how affordable solar now can be with the removal of the $2,000 cap from our federal tax credits. In the spirit of community organizing, when you spread the word about a state incentive page on any forum, website, or blog that accepts comments, we’ll credit you with SPR points.

Send batches of at least 10 URLs where you have left a link back to a state page on our site and we will credit you with 100 points for each link (1,000 points for each approved batch of 10). Send your batches to dan@solarpowerrocks.com for approval. A leaderboard will be up within the next week where you can check your point total (UPDATE: It’s up already check the right hand side of the page, you guys are fast!).

Some notes about links:

Your link must be on a relevant thread where the discussion refers to some aspect of domestic energy issues. Your link needs to be tied to the context of the discussion. Simply pasting a link onto the thread is not going to get you credit. An example comment: “You might want to check out this site for Louisiana solar incentives: www.solarpowerrocks.com/louisiana. They have all the details”.

Tips: Try googling for energy blogs or solar sites.

Here’s what you can get with all those points!:

All items include shipping within the United States.