DIY Solar Power System
One of our readers recently wrote in asking for hints on finding solar water heater manufacturers in California, mainly to avoid the high cost of shipping from overseas. Luckily, finding solar companies in California keeps getting easier, manufacturers included.
There are innumerable sources of information across the Internet, all with their own twist and turn, and it can be difficult to find a concise list from any single source. But they do exist. The best list I found was from the Utility Consumer’s Action Network (UCAN) . Their list does not separate water heater manufacturers by state, but instead by SRCC certification — a must for reaping federal solar tax credits . So some browsing will have to be done, although it takes little time to find quite a few solar manufacturers in California. Here are a select few:
Sensible Technologies, Inc.
4723 Tidewater Avenue
Oakland, CA 94601
(510) 434-3130
Radco Products, Inc.
2877 Industrial Parkway
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(800) 927-2326
ACR Solar International
5840 Gibbons Drive Suite G
Carmichael, CA 95608
(888) 801-9060
SunEarth Inc.
8425 Almeria Avenue
Fontana, CA 92335
(909) 434-3100
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May
Wall Street Journal reporting April 24, 2009…Defying a global trend of weak solar demand, owners of homes and businesses in California installed a record 78 megawatts of solar panels in the first quarter of 2009, the California Public Utilities Commission said Friday.
While solar-panel prices have fallen 25% or more, on average, due to a global slowdown in demand, rooftop solar panels remain in high demand in California, the world's third-largest solar market, the CPUC data show.
The strength of California's solar market is due largely to generous state incentives, coupled with federal tax credits that greatly reduce the cost of installation and the fact that California has among the highest utility rates in the nation, making self-generated solar power competitive with conventional utility power, especially for large users.
The state is spending $3.3 billion to install 3,000 megawatts of solar panels over 10 years.
In a quarterly report on a solar rebate program it administers, the CPUC cited a recent change in the federal tax code that allows homeowners a larger tax credit for solar installations as a factor driving strength in that market.
Solar rebate applications filed with the CPUC in the first quarter hit a new quarterly record for capacity, at 52 megawatts, since the program started in January 2007, while the number of applications was down compared with the fourth quarter, the CPUC said.
To date, customers of utilities owned by PG&E Corp. (PCG), Edison International (EIX) and Sempra Energy (SRE) have installed 211 megawatts of new rooftop solar generation since 2007, the CPUC said. Statewide, California generates more than 500 megawatts of power from solar panels, the agency said.
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April
AB 811 Helps CA Towns Go Solar!
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The intent of the Legislature is that AB 811 should be used to finance the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources or energy efficiency improvements that are permanently fixed to residential, commercial, industrial, or other real property.
AB 811 authorizes a property owner, upon written consent of an authorized city official, to purchase directly the related equipment and materials for the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources or energy efficiency improvements and to contract directly for the installation of those sources or improvements.
Funding options include using the general fund, issuing municipal bonds, partnering with a utility to get financing or setting up private financing.
Palm Desert and Berkeley led the legislative charge to put AB 811 in place, and have now enabled hundreds of properties to be outfitted with energy efficiency and renewable energy systems including solar. The “Berkeley First” program was launched Nov. 07. Their pilot program is fully subscribed at $1.5 million. The Palm Desert Energy Independence program is now in its third round of financing, having installed $7.5 million in energy efficiency and solar photovoltaic systems in their town.
The Sonoma County Energy Independence program has completed a feasibility study and is planning on offering a $40 million program, which will also include water conservation systems.
San Diego is working on a “Solar Roof Program.” The pilot project will focus on 150 to 300 homes, and 1 technology – solar photovoltaic. Success for the pilot is deemed to be completing the financing cycle, collecting 150-200 loan packages, and aggregating those smaller loans into larger packages that can be sold off on the municipal bond market. Encinitas, Napa and Redlands are all in the exploration phase of AB 811 programs.
Cities like Anaheim and Santa Monica have solar supportive programs already in place. Santa Monica promotes solar adoption through its Solar Santa Monica program . Solar installation firms bid for program, and guarantee “group” pricing. HelioPower is a installer for this program.
All across California residents and property owners are working with their elected officials to find new and innovative ways to increase the use of sun to power our electricity needs.
For further information and a review of the legislation, click here . Support AB 811 adoption in your town!
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April
A growing number of states are moving to require home builders to offer solar electricity and hot-
water systems in new homes, right alongside more traditional options such as fancy kitchen countertops and special window treatments.
“It’s just like the granite countertop upgrade or the two-car garage or the larger closet — these are options the homeowner can choose to purchase,” said Jeff Lyng, the renewable energy program manager for Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter’s Energy Office.
In Colorado, lawmakers are considering a bill that would require builders to offer a range of options, from pre-wiring the home for solar power to full installation of a solar system. The legislation would also require builders to tell buyers they can roll the cost of the system into their mortgage, reducing up-front costs, Lyng said.
“What this begins to do is standardize things. We’re trying to build Colorado’s infrastructure to be ready for solar,” Lyng said.
The Colorado proposal has passed in the state House and awaits Senate consideration. Ritter, a Democrat who had solar panels installed at the Governor’s Mansion in Denver several years ago, said he plans to sign the bill.
Elsewhere:
•New Jersey lawmakers approved a bill last month that would require builders in developments of 25 homes or more to offer solar panels to home buyers and to discuss during construction the benefits of clean energy.
•A California law taking effect in 2010 will require builders to offer solar panels on homes in developments of more than 50 houses.
•Hawaii, starting Jan. 1, will require all new single-family homes to include solar hot-water heaters, said Russell Pang, a spokesman for Gov. Linda Lingle, a Democrat. Hawaii imports 90% of its fossil fuel energy sources, Pang said. “Living on an island, that’s not the kind of thing we want to be depending on.”
•New Mexico home builders must offer solar-ready wiring but are not obligated to offer solar installation, under a law that took effect last year.
The federal government is offering a 30% tax credit for homeowners who install solar panels or solar water heaters through 2016, said Karen Schneider, spokeswoman for the federal Energy Star program. The credit covers materials and installation costs, with no ceiling on claims.
Colorado officials hope at least 10% of the 12,000 new homes expected to be built in the state this year have solar systems installed, creating at least 300 jobs for installation technicians, Lyng said.
Daniel Glick, of Lafayette, Colo., helped persuade more than 25 families in his neighborhood to install solar systems over the past several years. Glick said residents agreed to use homeowners association dues to make low-interest loans to their neighbors to cover installation costs. Glick now gets a monthly check from his power company because his home is generating more power than it uses.
“It’s not just the right thing to do. It makes economic sense,” he said.
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March
The first checks issued by way of the city of Berkeley’s landmark solar lending program have officially been received, marking the first of several final steps for city homeowners . Jeanne Pimentel and Aaron Mann are the first solar homeowners to receive funding under the much-hyped loan program.
Cities throughout California and around the world are keeping a close eye on Berkeley which is offering homeowners loans for solar power systems, with monthly payments embedded as part of their property taxes. In return the homeowners get cash to pay installers for their systems , in effect nullifying the nagging problem of paying high up-front costs for solar energy.
Both homeowners expect immediate savings from their solar system. For the average $22,000 solar PV system, Mann and Pimentel would pay roughly $180 per month in property tax increases. But lucrative utility rebates and government incentives bring that amount down immediately. Pimentel received a $3,000 rebate from PG&E and a $6,600 tax credit for a $20,000 solar system. Aaron Mann will receive $6,000 from PG&E and more than $13,000 in tax incentives, more than paying for his typical $350-per-month electric bill.
These two homes represent the first two of 40 Berkeley homes that will finalize their city-funded solar systems over the next few months. Immediate results will most certainly vary by home, but initially things are looking up for Berkeley’s program which sold out in just nine minutes when the application process opened last fall. The next round of funding begins later this year.
Click here for more Home Solar Power information
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March
Freescale Semiconductor unveiled new technology for power conversion for photovoltaic devices at this year’s Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) in mid-February. The breakthrough comes in the form of a tiny integrated circuit that boosts ultra-low voltage (produced by solar cells) up to levels high enough to start up small devices like cell phones.
Energy Boost for Solar Cells
The impact of this could be monumental for small electronic devices. The long-standing problem surrounding small solar applications has been this: it has been difficult to extract more than 0.3 volts from a single solar cell, not enough to start up and operate a typical cell phone. Therefore, solar cells must be arranged in strings, eventually forming panels for larger uses. Unfortunately, a string of solar cells only produces as much power as its weakest link, which means that if one cell is shaded, mismatched, or damaged, the entire string suffers. Freescale’s circuit technology — a tiny DC-to-DC converter — is able to boost the voltage from a single cell to usable levels without external assistance.
From Panels to Single Cells
The impacts of this on daily life could be huge. The ability to extract usable power from a single solar cell could mean solar powered phones that are smaller and cheaper. Freescale’s circuit could make that string of cells smaller or even unnecessary, reducing the effect of shading while increasing efficiency. (more…)
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