GetSolar.com Solar Homes & Solar Installers Directory Blog

Good News! New Solar Financing Options for Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey

2012-02-02T16:41:09Z

The folks over at Clean Power Finance sent us this press release earlier today indicating an expansion of their residential solar financing product to new markets. This is indeed good news as residential solar financing is an important enabler for making solar more affordable for more customers. With low money down or no money down down options becoming more widely available, and with more choice than ever before, potential solar customers can now get clean, long term energy right from their rooftop, without big upfront costs.

Here at GetSolar just about every conversation we have with homeowners involves a discussion around solar financing options; be it leasing, power purchase agreement, loan, home equity line, cash, you name it. Residential Leases and Power Purchase Agreements (PPA’s) have driven some 30% of California solar installations in the last year, and for good reason. For many customers, they can start saving on their electric bills right away, while keeping more cash in their pocket for other expenses. We welcome additional financing choices in these markets, as it helps our partner installers offer creative solutions to residential solar customers, allowing them to save money on their utility bills while helping America strengthen its energy future.

See the press release.

Solyndra Failure and US Solar Industry Myths

2011-09-23T23:25:36Z

Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) sent us an email today talking about the Solyndra hearings taking place on Capital Hill. Apparently the company (Solyndra) is not providing much information on their situation, which has led to a partial information vacuum during the hearings around the current state of solar in the United States. With the media machine buzzing and looking for sound bites in a politically charged environment (GetSolar’s opinion), surrounding a high-profile clean-tech failure, the SEIA is making all effort to set the record straight about solar in the US.

After taking on a billion dollars of private venture capital, and a further half billion dollars in Federal loan guarantees, Solyndra finds (among other things that will surely come to light in the investigations) that it no longer has a cost competitive solar product in today’s much lower-cost solar market. In an effort to dispel various solar technology myths the SEIA has published several of the most prevalent myths, which we have re-published here for your reading. Rhone Resch was on C-SPAN this morning (see video below), providing additional background information about Solyndra and solar in the US.

MYTH #1: There are no jobs created by the solar industry FACT: Today, the solar industry employs more than 100,000 Americans, double the amount of solar workers in 2009. They work at more than 5,000 companies, the vast majority being small businesses, in all 50 states. The industry grew by 69 percent in the past year, making it one of the fastest growing sectors in the U.S. economy.

MYTH #2: Solar only works in states like California. FACT: Solar energy works in all 50 states. Germany has more installed solar capacity than any other country and it receives roughly the same amount of sunshine as Alaska. Less than one-third of the photovoltaic (PV) capacity installed in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2011 was installed in California. In fact, more PV was installed on commercial buildings in New Jersey than in California during that quarter.

MYTH #3: The market for solar energy is very small. FACT: The U.S. solar energy market is big and growing fast. In 2010 alone, $6 billion worth of finished solar energy systems were installed in the U.S. The U.S. solar energy market grew 69 percent in the second quarter of 2011, helping aid our economic recovery. In fact, many analysts project that the U.S. will become the largest solar market in the world in the next few years.

MYTH #4: Solar energy is too expensive for widespread usage. FACT: Solar energy is already cost effective in many locations across America. The price of solar modules has dropped 30 percent since the beginning of 2010 as the industry scales up and companies innovate with new products and manufacturing techniques. Also, new financing options allow homeowners and businesses to start saving money on their utility bills as soon as they turn on their solar systems.

MYTH #5: If solar power really worked, it wouldn’t need government support. FACT: The U.S. decided long ago to support energy sources since energy drives our economy. Every major energy source and technology has benefited from federal government R&D support and incentives of various types. This is true of the oil, natural gas, hydroelectric, nuclear and biofuels industries—all of which continue to receive government support today.

MYTH #6: Solar products are all made in China. FACT: The U.S. was a significant net exporter of solar products in 2010, including to China. Total U.S. exports of solar energy products was $5.6 billion, with net exports totaling $2 billion. Of the $6 billion in direct value created by U.S. solar installations in 2010, more than $4.4 billion, or 75 percent of the value, accrued to the United States.

MYTH #7: Solar devices require more energy to manufacture than they produce in their lifetime. FACT: Studies have conclusively demonstrated that energy payback for photovoltaic (PV) energy is now less than three years. Given that PV module warranties are generally in excess of 20 years, a PV system will produce far more energy over its lifetime than was consumed to manufacture it. Technological progress is reducing the energy consumption of PV manufacturing further. Energy output and input ratios for concentrating solar power (CSP) and solar water heating equipment are also favorable.

MYTH #8: Solar energy needs a technological revolution to go mainstream. FACT: Solar technologies available today already provide enough electricity to power 630,000 American homes. Solar panel prices have fallen 30 percent in the past year and a half. No scientific breakthroughs are required for solar energy to power America. Solar is ready and available today; it only needs smart and consistent policy to thrive.

Los Angeles Relaunches Solar Rebate: 2 Dollars is Better than Zero Dollars

2011-08-04T15:39:06Z

From the perspective of homeowners and businesses looking to go solar, the bigger the solar rebate the better. From the perspective of the utilities and government agencies that finance those rebates, often the opposite is true.

Usually, the decided upon rebate level ends up somewhere between these two parties’ preferences.

That appears to be the case with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP), which on Tuesday announced it will in September relaunch its solar energy rebate program at a new, lower level. Back in April, the utility suspended the program, citing record demand and dwindling coffers.

Once reopened, DWP’s solar incentive program will offer residential rebates at a rate of $2.00 to $2.20 per watt — a reduction of around 45 percent from the previous level of $3.25 per watt.

Not surprisingly, solar companies aren’t exactly thrilled:

“Los Angeles should be a leader in residential solar and even at current program levels the city is far behind most every other comparable city,” said Ethan Sprague, director of government affairs at SunRun, a home solar company that provides solar leases in Los Angeles. “The new proposal will put LA farther behind, taking away from homeowners the chance to improve their bottom line with savings from solar.”

Compared to what’s available in the vast majority of the country, a $2.00 per watt solar rebate is incredibly generous. So Sprague’s comments may strike some of you as misplaced. There is an underlying logic, however: some folks argue a more generous rebate is required to sufficiently spur demand, mainly because electricity rates in DWP service territory are lower than the state average. Apparently, SunRun’s energy analyst have crunched the numbers and decided that $2.00 a watt won’t cut it.

Still, two dollars per watt is better than zero dollars per watt.

Photo courtesy of LADWP.

Yosemite Dedicates Largest Solar Energy Project of Its Kind

2011-08-02T13:31:14Z

What better place to host the biggest solar energy installation at a U.S. national park than Yosemite? Tucked in a region that gets more annual sunshine than just about anywhere in the country, the California park boasts nearly perfect conditions for solar power.

Officials several days ago inaugurated the 672-kilowatt (kW) solar array, which comprises a 500-kW parking canopy for employees and visitors; a 100-kW rooftop solar array atop a warehouse; and a 72-kW wall-mounted installation (pictured above).

As we reported over a year ago, it was originally speculated that the “solar panels are expected to generate electricity at a levelized cost of about 13 cents per kilowatt hour, reducing annual electricity costs by about $104,000.” According to The Business Journal, however, those annual energy costs savings are actually projected to be closer to $50,000 — equivalent to around 12 percent of the park’s annual electricity needs.

All 2,800 solar panels were supplied by SolarWorld, a manufacturer known for making high-quality, highly efficient monocrystalline solar panels.

“The combination of harnessing California’s abundant sunlight and technology and labor provided by U.S. workers ideally suits this energy advance for Yosemite National Park,” Superintendent Don Neubacher said. “Solar panels from SolarWorld, along with the contributions of a number of other U.S.-based service firms and manufacturing enterprises, will maximize the sustainable impact on this effort to not only take care of the park but stretch the planet’s resources.”

The $4.4 million solar project was made possible thanks to a renewable energy grant via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Photo courtesy of SolarWorld.

Solar Lease Availability Grows: SunPower, Citi to Finance $105 Million Worth

2011-07-29T15:02:45Z

Solar leasing is well on its way to becoming mainstream.

SunPower Corp. and Citi today announced a new fund to finance approximately $105 million in residential solar lease projects. According to the announcement, the lease program will be available to qualifying homeowners in eight states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Here’s a requisite sound bite:

“Citi’s global financial leadership combined with SunPower’s leading technology and quarter century of experience offer customers an unprecedented level of assurance that is vitally important when a homeowner enters into a 20-year lease agreement,” said SunPower CFO Dennis Arriola. “We are proud to partner with Citi, and applaud its commitment to promoting the use of solar power.”

Solar leases enable homeowners to pay a monthly fee for their solar home energy system rather than buy it outright. The approach makes good financial sense in those parts of the country where the homeowner’s combined monthly lease payment and electric bill sum to an amount that’s less than their pre-solar electric bill. Let’s take a quick example:

Current electricity bill = $200/month
Projected bill after installing solar panels = $100/month
Your monthly solar lease payment = $60/month
Monthly savings from Day 1 = $40

Solar power is relatively less cost competitive in those regions, like the Southeast, where electricity rates are lower than the national average. That’s partly why you’ll tend to see many solar lease options available in states like California and New York, but relatively few in, say, Alabama.

The news from SunPower and Citi comes just a few days after Sungevity, a California-based solar lease provider, announced a mid-summer tour to promote its financing option among homeowners in five northeastern states. And, back in June, Google announced it would provide $280 million to SolarCity for its residential lease programs. The other major solar lease provider is SunRun, which is active in nine states across the U.S.

Solar Power Leases, Ice Pops Coming to Five Northeastern States

2011-07-27T13:20:21Z

Ah, nothing like a mid-summer promotion… lucky for us, this one is actually pretty cool.

Sungevity, a California-based company that bankrolls the option to lease solar panels for an increasing number of Americans, is coming to five northeastern states — in an ice pop truck.

As part of the company’s Rooftop Revolution campaign, Sungevity representatives will pile into a bio-diesel-powerd ice pop truck equipped with solar panels and tour New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts and Delaware. Destinations along the route include events like music festivals, county fairs, farmers markets and minor league baseball games.

Two other solar lease providers, SunRun and SolarCity, are already active in parts of New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Patrick Crane, Sungevity’s Chief Marketing Officer, had the following to say about his company’s summer initiative:

[w]ith our ‘Rooftop Revolution’ campaign, we are taking the leadership position in breaking through the last major barrier to adoption – raising awareness around the ease, accessibility and most of all, the affordability of solar energy.

Why ice pops? Well, if you couldn’t tell, the campaign is ripe with symbolism, as explained in the press release:

[The ice pops] symbolize solar energy as the refreshing alternative to fossil fuel. Quarters on Sungevity-branded seeded paper also will be distributed to symbolize the cost savings homeowners’ typically experience through the company’s $0down solar lease.

As hokey as the campaign may sound, who in their right mind is going to turn down a free ice pop in 100-degree heat?

All joking aside, it’s great news that Sungevity is moving into the northeast. While the region doesn’t get as much annual sunshine as some other parts of the country — like the southwest — its residents tolerate some of the highest electricity rates in the country. It is exactly here, where the price for conventional electricity is the highest, that solar power often makes the most financial sense.

Bye-Bye Heat Dome, Solar Panels Have Cooling Effect on Buildings

2011-07-26T13:19:16Z

In light of the recent heat wave — er, heat dome — that has been blanketing the country, we thought it’d be fitting to share one of the interesting side benefits of solar panels: they can help keep your roof cool. Here’s how it works, in general terms:

Solar panels are typically installed on a rack that stands off against the roof. The resulting gap between the panels and the underlying shingles allows air to circulate around the array. This setup is good for the solar panels, which perform best in cooler temperatures. It’s also good for the roof, the ceiling and the residents inside.

It turns out that the gap and the panels create a thermal barrier that helps keep the inside of the building cool. Recently revisited by the Independent, a 2010 report confirms that buildings with rooftop solar panels are typically cooler than those without:

The study … used thermal imaging to monitor the temperature of buildings. The researchers found that during daylight hours the ceiling of a building with solar panels was five degrees Fahrenheit (2.8 degrees Celsius) cooler than the ceiling of an equivalent building without solar panels.

Five degrees may not sound like a lot. But, as many across the country are learning, all those dog days of summer add up.

The team found that the cooling effect of the solar panels impacted the building’s total energy costs and amounted to a 38 percent reduction in “annual cooling load” – the rate at which heat is removed from a conditioned space and the amount required to maintain a constant temperature.

Beyond this somewhat surprising cooling effect, solar panels of course go a long way in reducing high monthly electricity bills that accompany the AC-heavy months…

Photo credit: Wikipedia.

Redskins to Install Solar Panels, As More Pro Sports Teams Embrace Renewables

2011-07-13T13:32:45Z

In recent years, a number of pro sports teams have seen solar panels installed at their home venues. It appears the Washington Redskins aim to join the list.

According to the Washington Post, the NFL team will soon announce plans to install solar a big energy system at FedEx Field. Composed of 8,000 solar panels, the 2-megawatt (MW) system is expected to generate enough electricity to offset the facility’s annual electricity consumption by about 15 percent. The array will also create a covered carport, featuring 10 electric-vehicle charging stations and enough spaces for 850 cars.

The Redskins organization will enlist NRG Energy, a New Jersey-based energy services company, to handle the design and installation of the project.

Speaking about the Skins’ soon-to-be-announced solar plans, David Krichavsky, the NFL’s director of media affairs, noted that a number of other teams already have in place — or are working on — solar projects of their own. The Philadelphia Eagles are making progress on a hybrid solar and wind project, for instance, and the Seattle Seahawks’ Qwest Field is adorned with solar panels. The New England Patriots have a 525-kilowatt solar array at their practice facility.

“It [installing solar] makes great sense from the public awareness standpoint, but it’s also good business sense,” Krichavsky said. “It’s one of those things that’s a double or triple win. . . . We believe that we are responsible in our community to act responsibly on multiple fronts, but also in environmental leadership.”

Whether football will happen this fall remains an open question — as is whether the Redskins will ever again have a winning season… (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.) What remains certain is that more and more sports teams are looking to solar power and other renewable sources of electricity to reduce annual consumption of conventional energy.

Image: Artist’s rendering courtesy of NRG Energy.

Solar Power ‘Standard’ in New Southern California Neighborhood

2011-07-07T15:11:48Z

Judging from a 2006 survey, a remarkable number of U.S. homeowners have become interested residential solar energy in recent years.

As a result, more and more U.S. homebuilders are actively building out their solar-powered home offerings. Big-name builders like Pulte Homes, Meritage Homes and KB Home have all been jockeying for top spot as the provider solar-powered, energy-efficient homes.

KB Home is the latest to notch a success.

The Los Angeles-based homebuilder yesterday announced the grand opening of a solar home community in Lancaster, California. Situated in Antelope Valley, KB Home’s Arroyo community is the first in the area to offer solar energy systems as a standard feature on all new homes.

To be sure, the standard systems on offer aren’t particularly large. A single-story, three- to four- bedroom home is designed to accommodate a 1.35 kilowatt (kW) system, according to the press release, and carries an estimated monthly energy bill of $94. Homebuyers can upgrade to a 3.15-kW system to cut their estimated bill to $46 a month. Both sizes are well shy of the national average for residential solar arrays, which is closer to 5.5 kilowatts.

Regardless, with southern California’s abundant sunshine and high electricity prices — and the homes’ energy-efficient construction — buyers may see meaningful savings. A 2008 U.S. Census Bureau study found that Lancaster residents pay on average about $210 on gas and electric bills.

If these 1.35-kW and 3.15-kW systems aren’t doing it for you, don’t worry: an infinitely larger solar power project may soon be coming to Antelope Valley…

Photo courtesy of KB Home.

Arizona a Growing Hot Spot for Solar, Renewable Energy Companies

2011-07-06T13:31:47Z

Blessed with lots of sunshine, Arizona is a great place to install solar panels. Thanks to a pro-business climate and its close proximity to big markets, like California, the state is turning out to be a great place to make solar panels, too.

Consider that the two world’s two biggest solar panel manufacturers have Arizona-based operations: thin-film maker First Solar has long called Tempe home, while Suntech, a China-based company, opened shop in the Phoenix area last October. All told, Arizona is home to more than 100 “significant solar energy businesses,” according to PV Magazine.

The uptick in business has been welcomed. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession, many governors took up job creation as a top priority. Perhaps more than in any other state, Arizona officials have enacted policies intended to encourage renewable energy companies to set up instate operations.

“Arizona has been an ideal location for First Solar to grow its business, including our new factory under construction in Mesa that will add 600 associates to our local workforce,” Maja Wessels, First Solar’s Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, told PV Magazine. “Arizona offers an attractive business climate, a talented workforce and boundless potential for clean solar energy.”

Working in conjunction with other lawmakers and entities like the Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has actively promoted incentives — like those in the 2011 Competitiveness Package — to attract renewable energy companies.

According to PV Magazine, the list of incentives Arizona currently has on the books include:

Up to 10 percent of capital investments as a refundable income tax credit

Arizona Competes deal closing fund

Income tax credits up to $9,000 for each quality new job

Up to $1.5 million in reimbursable grants to train employees

Up to 34 percent R&D tax credit

Significant business tax reductions including lowering the state income tax from 6.97 percent to 4.9 percent

While companies like First Solar and Suntech export much of their end product, a good number of the solar panels are installed instate. A report released last week, for instance, showed that Arizona ranked third in the country (behind New Jersey and California) in terms of the amount of solar power installed during the first quarter of 2011.

Photo credit: Arizona Commerce Authority.