Easy Eco Blog » Solar

SDGE Rebates, SDG&E, or San Diego Gas and Electric Rebate for Energy Efficiency

easy eco blog — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:00:03 +0000

New rebates have been added for 2010.

San Diego’s power utility San Diego Gas and Electric rebates are here. SDGE or SDG&E has a bunch of cash SDGE rebates and ways to go green for energy efficient refrigerators, older refrigerator recycling, attic or wall insulation, Central Natural Gas Furnace, dishwashers, Whole House Fan, water heaters, pool pumps and motors (Variable speed), room air conditioning, and more. You can print rebate forms out online and then send in proof of purchase.

Instant rebates are available select retailers including:

B&B Appliance
Costco
Home Depot
Humphrey Appliance
La Mesa Appliance
MCAS Miramar Home Center
The Navy Exchange 32nd Street
Phillips Maytag

Check your local utility’s web site for similar deals before you buy a new item. Most rebates run through December 31.

We recently bought a new dishwasher that had a $50 rebate that was not advertised by the vendor. The rebate in only 2 weeks. Green your home and get cash back.

You can also call San Diego Gas and Electric at 800-411-7343 and ask about San Diego Gas and Electric rebates, SDG&E rebates, or SDGE Rebates.

Be sure to also take advantage of the 30% Federal Energy Tax Credit which expires 12/31/2010.

Ways to Save Energy, Money on your Energy Bill is full of tips to save you money.

Interested in Solar? Read our article Are Solar Panels for Me?

For Northern California Energy Rebates see: PG&E Energy Efficiency Rebates
For Southern California see: SCE Rebates or Southern California Edison Rebate for Energy Efficiency
For San Diego see: SDGE Rebates, SDG&E, or San Diego Gas and Electric Rebate for Energy Efficiency

SCE Rebates or Southern California Edison Rebate for Energy Efficiency

easy eco blog — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:00:19 +0000

New rebates have been added for 2010.

Southern California’s power utility Southern California Edison rebates are here. SCE has a bunch of cash SCE rebates and ways to go green for EnergyStar refrigerators, $50 Old Refrigerator or Freezer rebate, Energy efficient Electric Water Heater, Pool Pump & Motor Rebate, ENERGY STAR Qualified Room Air Conditioner Rebate, Whole House Fan Rebate, Energy Efficient Evaporative Cooling Rebate, and more. You can print out rebate forms online and then send in proof of purchase.

SCE’s Operation Light Exchange allows residential customers to exchange halogen torchiere floor lamps and incandescent floor/table/desk lamps/night lights for new ENERGY STAR® labeled lamps.

Check your local utility’s web site for similar deals before you buy a new item. Most rebates run through December 31.

We recently bought a new dishwasher that had a $50 rebate that was not advertised by the vendor. The rebate in only 2 weeks. Green your home and get cash back.

You can also call Southern California Edison and ask about an Southern California Edison rebate or SCE Rebates at 800-655-4555.

Be sure to also take advantage of the 30% Federal Energy Tax Credit which expires 12/31/2010.

Ways to Save Energy, Money on your Energy Bill is full of tips to save you money.

Interested in Solar? Read our article Are Solar Panels for Me?

Sungevity $0 Solar Panel Promotion

easy eco blog — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:00:02 +0000

Solar Power for less.

Sungevity has a $0 down Solar Panel Promotion for those in California who sign up for a solar lease through.

Solar Day – Solar Energy Education – Saturday June 19, 2010

easy eco blog — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:32:53 +0000

Solar Day is Saturday June 19, 2010, a Nationwide day to learn about Solar Energy. A day of recognition for solar energy, energy independence and protection of the planet. Check your local area for events, solar home tours, etc. San Francisco has a Green Energy Fair on Saturday, June 26, 2010.

Be sure to read our article: Are solar Panels for me?

Picking Solar Panels – Finding the Best Solar Panels

easy eco blog — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 07:00:34 +0000

The Earth receives more energy from the Sun in one hour than the whole World uses in a whole year. Time to tap into that. Solar power is used to power everything from calculators to Coast Guard buoys to highway signs to the International Space Station.

You have read Are Solar Panels for me? and Solar Panel Installation – Planning and are ready for more details. Photovoltaic Solar panels were invented at Bell Labs in 1953. They have evolved over the years and several different types of solar panels exist, and choosing between then is confusing. No one vendor will have access to all products, so you will have to do some shopping around to find the best solar panels.

Monocrystalline or Polycrystalline Panels

These solar panels are made either from single crystal cells or stringing ribbon of multiple crystals. They are the classic version of solar panels and are rated for good efficiency, around 12-13% power conversion, and a Long lifespan, possibly 30 years+? Sunpower has a model with a very high 19.3% efficiency. Monocrystalline panels are less efficient in hotter climates and work best in unobstructed sun. A panel’s power will drop by 50% if a even one cell on the panel is half shaded. Temperatures typically above 75 degrees F cause most solar panel power generation to decrease. Solar panel suppliers include: Sharp, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Kyocera, Schott, SolarWorld, SunTech, Sunpower, bp solar.

Thin Film Panels

Less efficient than the Crystal Panels, but they much thinner and easier to make. Less efficient than monocrystalline, at 10-12% efficiency. They work better when you have slight shading and are not affected by hot weather as much as monocrystalline. Major Drawback of performance degradation over time. Possible lifespans of 10 years. Suppliers include: Nanosolar, Unisolar

Hybrid Panels

Hybrids of single crystalline silicon surrounded by ultra-thin amorphous silicon layers. Produces 10% or more electricity (kWh) than conventional crystalline silicon solar panels at the same temperature. Good efficiency levels of 16%. Hybrid Solar Panel Suppliers include: Sanyo

Solar Panel Power Ratings

Solar Panels are rated by Maximum power generated or Pmax that they produce in Watts when exposed to full sun. The rating may be calculated at STC - Standard Test Conditions at the factory or PTC – Practical Test Conditions which are more real world. PTC numbers are almost always lower than STC numbers. Most spec sheets will also show how much power they make with varying current and voltage. To calculate total system power, you need to compare Apples to Apples. Power output of solar panels decrease with time. Many panels are rated for 80% output for 25 years, 90% output for 10 years.

Also look for the negative tolerance rating of solar panels. This number reduces the PTC rating, so a high PTC rating with a high negative tolerance is not good. A 200 watt PTC panel with 10% negative tolerance could produce only 180 watts.

Look for the installer to quote a minimum warranted power rating for solar panels.

Total Solar System Power in CEC AC Watts output = Number of Panels X PTC Power rating of each Solar Panel X Inverter efficiency.

3456 watt CEC AC Rating = 3.4 kw = 12 panels X 300 Watt PTC Rating x 96% Inverter efficiency

This is a real world power output ratings of a solar electric array.

Solar Panel Inverters

Inverters convert DC power from the solar panel to AC power you can use. Look for brand name inverters from Sunny Boy. Target inverters with 95% or higher efficiency and 10 year warranty. Options include web interface to get statistics, SD Card for holding data, or even WiFi access.

Solar Panel Warranty

Look for a solar panel that has a long warranty. The longer the warranty, the more reliable the vendor feels the solar panel is. 20 or 25 years is not uncommon. Life expectancies of up to 40 years are now being seen. Watch out for dealers that promise warranties that may outlive their firms.

Solar Panel Rebates

Most rebates have lists of qualified solar panels. This can help narrow down what you can buy. California has a list.

The solar panel that is right for you, depends on your budget, location, and power needs. Some installations may need different types of panels for different locations, especially for areas of no shade and partial shading. Consult a local expert to find what is right for you.

Beware of the latest technology, you do not want to pay thousands of dollars and be a beta tester.

Solar Panel Installation – Planning

easy eco blog — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:00:21 +0000

You have read Are Solar Panels for me? and decided that Solar Panels are in your future. Planning a new solar installation requires lots of analysis and planning. You need to size your solar system, select solar equipment, select a payment option, and find a qualified local solar installer.

Sizing a Solar Electric System

Power Usage – Grab the power bills for the last year. How much power do you use in a given year? What rate plan are you on and what is it? Do you want to zero out your bill (most environmentally friendly) or just reduce your bill (financial benefit) by moving to lower price classes? It may be more cost effective to fall into lower price tiers. In the San Francisco Bay Area most PG&E customers have tiered energy pricing (E1 Residential Pricing plan) that starts at 12 cents, but jumps to 14, 29 cents, 40 cents and 40 cents as you use more power. The solar installer you select must be able to help you here.

It pays to reduce your electricity consumption by conservation and efficiency BEFORE you size a system. Read our tips on saving electricity. Each $1 spent on efficiency saves almost $3 in solar costs. Consider a home energy audit.

Sizing your system – Examine your roof size, power bill, solar panel efficiency, and see how large a system you can actually install. You may be limited by space on your roof. The very nice California Clean Power Estimator takes your power usage information, physical location information, incentive information to give you savings estimates based on solar panel size. Other states may have similar tools.

San Francisco has a nice solar map. It shows various solar system installations and how much solar power and money savings you can expect from your location.

Select Solar Equipment

Solar Panels – Picking the right solar panels is determined by how shaded your location is, your budget, and your efficiency needs. Be sure to compare panels using AC watt ratings.

Power Inverters – These units convert DC power to AC power. Each unit can only handle so many solar panels. Newer models have better efficiency at converting power. How many inverters do you need? Where will they be positioned? Do you leave room for future solar panel additions? Some communities require them to be in the shade and away from fire hazards.

Paying for Solar Panels

Many people do not have $30k sitting around. Do you want to buy or lease solar panels? Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Optimal Installation Date

The optimal time to get your solar panel installed is in early spring/late winter, avoid installations in fall if possible. Very little power is produced when the days are short or when the sun does not shine. The biggest factor affecting an installation date is usually when tax rebates ends or when they ratchet lower. Try balancing the two factors to optimize your solar electric system install.

Utility Company Interaction

Most utilities offer credit for excess solar electricity provided to the utility but not used by the home. When you have your solar panels installed, you should be able to select “time of use” billing where during peak times (Weekdays 1-7pm) in the summer, you generate more power than you need and collect energy credit for the lean winter months. The rates are 2.5x higher in summer, so you can earn a lot of winter offsets. They will also have an interconnection agreement for you to sign.

PG&E has a section on their Solar Energy section on their website. Netmetering changes your power bill to an annual cycle. Our power bill is still charged a minimum $5 a month. At the end of the year, we pay them how much PG&E power we actually had to use.

Finding a Qualified Solar Installer

After reviewing the above criteria, the next step is to contact a local Solar Panel installer. They will first look at your property via online tools to see how your roof looks, examine your power bills, evaluate your goals, and see how your property is oriented.

Solar Electric installers should then visit your location to inspect it. Expect a customized solar system design, financial analysis, and options for financing.

A solar electric quote is a detailed quote a system tailored to your budget and home.

As with any vendor, look for one with a solid track record, solid references, and competitive pricing.

Questions to ask a solar electric system installer:

How long have you been in business, how many installations?
What is the minimum warranted power rating of the solar panels?
What is the PTC per watt rating of the solar panels?
Who makes the solar panels, how long have they been shipping these, factory warranty?
How efficient are the solar panels and power inverter?
Who makes the solar panels and power inverter?
Who makes the solar panel mounting racks? Are they commercial grade?
Get a quote for a solar electric system that will zero out your electric bill and a quote for a smaller system that will kick you into the lowest electricity tier.

California has a database of Solar installers, contractors, and solar panel dealers. California Solar Energy Industries Association

Be sure to read our solar panel deals page for the latest updates in special promotions.

Once your Solar electric system is installed, you will need to maintain them as Solar Panels will need occasional solar panel cleaning.

Are Solar Panels for me?

easy eco blog — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:00:52 +0000

Solar Panels produce green clean energy from an abundant energy source that shines on us everyday. Solar Electric Systems also called photovoltaics or PV convert the sun’s radiant energy into electricity. Unlimited renewable energy that is guilt free and at no cost once our panels are paid for. Enjoy energy independence.

Sungevity has a free solar panel analysis for California residents.

Play a direct part in combating greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, coastal off shore drilling, and help reduce our dependence on foreign dirty fossil fuel. Help your community by supporting local solar businesses. Your energy source is acquired at a specific cost, while rates on power can and usually do rise every year.

Solar Electricity Components

Solar Panels are installed on your roof and collect the sun’s energy and convert it to DC power.

DC power is run from the solar panels into a power inverter mounted on the side of your house, that converts DC to AC, or power that you can use. The power inverter has an LCD display that shows how much power is being generated.

The power from your solar electric system is fed through a special electric power meter that your utility provides. This meter can spin backwards when you are generating more electricity than you use. Extra electricity is sent out the utility grid for others to use.

In 2008 the average residential Solar Electric System cost an expensive $5.40 per watt of capacity, while commercial ones cost $4.20. These figures translates to 25 to 46 cents per kilowatt hour of residential power or 17 to 29 cents for concentrating commercial solar plant. Compare the above numbers to roughly 7 to 10 cents for coal and natural gas and you can see a disconnect. The average US electricity price in 2009 was 11.5 cents, compared to 8.4 in 1995.

In the San Francisco Bay Area most PG&E customers have tiered energy pricing (E1 Residential Pricing plan) that starts at 12 cents, but jumps to 14, 29 cents, 40 cents and 40 cents as you use more power. An average home in PG&E’s territory ends up paying 29-40 cents/KWHr for more than half of their electricity usage. This makes solar much more justifiable.

Enough of the feel good rhetoric, how much $$ can one save? Everyone wants a zero power bill. A sample system run through a large local Solar firm’s website, Solar City’s Solar Calculator:

Assumptions: $300/month electric bill in San Francisco. 8% – A little shading, 22 degree roof pitch, South facing roof.

Save $2904 a year or $242 a month. New electric bill $60 month. 8.6 years to pay off system, then power after that is free! Most solar panels are warranted for 20 years, and some systems have been online or more than 30 years. The value of a solar electric system appreciates over time as power prices escalate.

Return on Investment: 16%

Initial System Cost:	+	$	38,976
Federal Tax Credit:	–	$	10,787
State Rebate:	–	$	3,020
Final System Cost:*	=	$	25,169

Per Solar City: This is a post-tax Internal Rate of Return (IRR), which calculates all the money you will save over the next 30 years because you will be generating free electricity from the sun instead of paying the utility company. IRR also takes into account your initial investment, government rebates and credits, and the time value of money.

By switching to solar you’ll save the equivalent of…

CO2 emitted by driving a car 174,070 miles
CO2 absorbed by 76 trees
49,789 gallons of water used in electricity generation

Owning solar panels is similar to renting vs buying a home, but instead of a home, the asset is electric power. If you could not afford $25k but still want to take advantage of solar, select their Lease plan and $0 initial payment where you lease the panels.

Save $960 per year on power. Solar Lease monthly payment $162 plus new electric bill of $58 = $221 per month compared to $301 a month on your old bill. Save $29,601 over 15 years as utility rates increase.

We have owned a solar system for many years and have been advocates to our friends and family just as long. Solar power is not for everyone. In this article we cover important factors you need to consider when deciding whether a new solar energy system worth the plunge.

Rent or Own Home – If you rent or plan to sell your home within the next couple years, Solar panels are not for you. A solar system’s payback time is typically on the order of ten years. They will increase the value of your property when you want to sell.
Physical Location – If your home does not receive enough solar radiation because of tree shading, weather, or its geographic location, you are not a good candidate for solar panels. Different areas received differing amounts of solar radiation. Solar insolation in the San Francisco Bay Area averages 5.4 peak sun hours a day. National Renewable Energy Lab has a solar map of the US.
Roof – Most solar panels rest on roofs. Your roof must be large enough and angled such that a Southern – Southwest sky exposure allows ample sunlight. The solar panels should be angled similar to your location’s latitude. The roof must also be in good shape and not leak. Fix the roof before considering solar panels. The structure of the roof must be able to hold the weight of solar panels. Some communities like Palo Alto have requirement specifying spacing around solar panels for fire suppression purposes.
Roof Shading - How much of the roof is shaded by trees, equipment, or other obstacles? Clearly, you want to maximize solar panel direct sunlight access. We had to trim trees to maximize sun exposure for the afternoon. Partially shaded areas work better with certain brands of solar panels.
Financial – Solar Panels are not cheap. If cannot afford a solar system costing tens of thousands of dollars or do not have good enough credit to qualify for a solar lease, consider solar energy when your finances have improved.
Permits – Many municipalities require building permits before a solar system can be installed. Make sure you can satisfy any requirements, which may include neighbor or association approval. Permits are usually needed to qualify for rebates.
Rebates – In order for solar power to be cost efficient, your system needs to qualify for Federal, State, and or local solar rebates. Incentives can cover up to 40% of a solar electric system. Verify this before proceeding. Rebates are reserved on a first come first served basis. DSIRE has a national incentive database. California Solar Initiative tracks California rebates. You solar installer will help with the rebate paperwork.
Energy usage – Your energy consumption needs to be high enough to justify solar panels. If your bill is too low, you would never achieve solar panel payback. Use about $75 a month as a ballpark guide. Your local utility can give you annual usage information.
Utility Company – Do they buy back excess power? Where does the excess power go? Do they support Net metering? How much they charge per kW? Are there special monthly charges for solar panel owners or net metering?
Power Outages – Most Solar Electric Systems are Grid-Tied or connected to the power grid. The solar system inverters automatically turn off if a power outage occurs. Inverters generally restart 5 minutes after power is restored. Solar panels will not keep your power flowing unless you setup and expensive battery backup system.

Many local solar installers can walk you through these questions and help you answer them. They will be skewed on the side of selling you a system of course. If you satisfy all the above criteria and are not scared off, read our article on Solar Panel Installation - Planning.

Solar Panels will need occasional solar panel cleaning. Home Power Magazine covers the solar scene.

Nissan Leaf Electric Car – $7500 Federal Tax Savings

easy eco blog — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:00:56 +0000

Nissan Leaf Electric Car, the first affordable mass-market zero emissions electric car, is now available for ordering with a whopping $7500 Federal Tax Credit on New Qualified Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicles through December 31, 2011. The credit will begin to be phased out for each manufacturer in the second quarter following the calendar quarter in which a minimum of 200,000 qualified plug-in electric drive vehicles have been sold by that manufacturer for use in the U.S. The credit is available against the alternative minimum tax.

The drops the price to as little as $25,280 after-tax savings. California adds a Electric Vehicle Purchase Rebate $5000 rebate while funds last dropping it even further to $20,280! See what type of conventional car you can buy for $20k. Check your local state for its rebates. The Chevy Volt unfortunately does not qualify for this level of rebate. Georgia also has a $5000 rebate.

It is all electric, not a hybrid car and is rated for a 100 mile range on a single charge, although this might be optimistic. This car is not for everyone. The Leaf is made in Japan and Tennessee. Nissan makes it, so you don’t have to worry about an unknown new company that may go out of business in a couple years. The car is partly made of recycled materials and they use wind power to power a portion of their factory.

The Leaf comes with a home charging dock that requires a 220/240V 40AMP dedicated electric circuit, so additional costs of approximately $2200 (50% tax credit available via Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit) will be incurred to upgrade your garage. Charging the battery to 80% of its capacity with a special rapid 440V charger takes about 25 minutes.

A full battery charge occurs in eight hours with 220/240V charging and cost approximately $2.28 in electricity. (Approx 19 kWH of charging, average per kW of electricity an expensive $0.12/kW in California) Nissan’s ads quote 38 miles travelled for one dollar of cost vs 19 for a Toyota Prius Hybrid. Kiplinger listed Nissan Leaf fuel cost at an optimistic 2 cents per mile, Prius 6 cents, VW Jetta Diesel 9 cents, and Honda Accord 11 cents. The Leaf is projected to use 0 – 76g of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) per mile driven compared to 153-229 for a Prius Hybrid.

Someday more electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be available to allow charging of the car while you’re outside the home. Map of California Charging Places.

Wind and Solar Mobile Charger for Cell Phones, Gadgets

easy eco blog — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:00:40 +0000

K3 Wind and Solar Mobile Charger generated clean energy and saves it to its internal battery. It charges mobile phones, iPods/Mp3 players, PDA’s, GPS and Digital Cameras and a fully charged K3 will charge a Blackberry or iPhone 5 times. At $89, it is an expensive way to go green.

Microsoft Hohm Energy Saving Website

easy eco blog — Mon, 31 May 2010 07:00:54 +0000

Microsoft has launched a beta of their Hohm.com Energy Saving Website. It provides a home energy report and energy-saving recommendations for your home. Microsoft Hohm uses advanced analytics licensed from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Department of Energy to give you personalized energy saving recommendations based on your zip code, weather data, housing data.

It has some social features allowing you to trade tips with others. You need to enter a lot of information to form your home’s profile. It then spits out suggests along with estimated prices for them.

Residents of California, Washington, and the Midwest can connect their utility providers data directly to Microsoft Hohm. Smart Meters enable this type of tie-in.

We wonder why Microsoft launched this site. Clearly they will be focused on home automation software that helps with conservation, in the future and give Microsoft a piece of the smartgrid of the future.