Even while the City's moratorium on newsletters was in place (to keep residents from being overwhelmed during the political season), Solar Santa Monica work continued.

New resident Fred Zimmerman contracted with California Solar Electric for a 4.078 AC kilowatt system, to be connected in 2009 so Zimmerman will be able to take advantage of the new tax credit. See the next article...!

October passage of the "Bailout Bill" may have focused on the banking industry, but it also included important legislation for potential solar owners. Briefly, it gave solar a new lease on life!

Homeowners who put finishing touches on their system in 2009 can now get a tax credit to offset 30% of its cost - with no cap!

For example, for a system that costs $30,000, the new owner could receive a credit of $9,000 to apply against income taxes. (In 2008, that credit is limited to $2,000.)

Key to getting the new tax credit - the system must be "placed in service in 2009." If you are in the midst of the installation process, negotiate with your installer to be sure final payment takes place in 2009 so you will qualify for the full amount of savings.

Commercial system owners, on the other hand, have had this same 30% credit , with no cap, for the past two years. For them, 2008 offers the most flexibility, since a special Section 179 write-off is doubled for 2008 (up to $250,000), and a 50% bonus depreciation is also available -- but both of these are available only until the end of the year. (In 2009, commercial systems go back to the "regular" Section 179 deduction, and the MACRS depreciation schedule.)

If you have any questions about the timing of your solar installation, or its financial impact, don't hesitate to call Solar Santa Monica. We are able to run various computerized scenarios to help in decision making.

Our commercial specialist is Michael Ware, phone number (310) 560-9273.

Congratulations to David Lappen, Santa Monica Solar Champion, for responding to our recent survey and winning the survey raffle prize -- a handy Kill-a- Watt!

Earlier this month Solar Santa Monica sent out a survey to 287 participants who arranged for a Solar Site Check and received an Energy Savings Analysis. The purpose of the survey was to measure challenges and successes of the program, now in its third year.

Thanks to 67 residents who gave us useful feedback, we are able to measure what efficiency actions are most popular as well as understand why residents may be hesitant to install solar. We have found that people want ever more detail in understanding both the economical and environmental benefits of installing a solar system, in particular the benefits of installing it sooner rather than later. We are also streamlining our process to complete more solar site checks and quickly turn around quality Energy Savings Analyses.

Some specific results from the survey include: At least 5 participants are planning to install solar within six months and 7 more participants within one year. Low-cost, quick return-on-investment upgrades such as replacing incandescent light bulbs to energy efficient options and/or new Energy-Star appliances were found to be a good starting point for 100% of our participants.

Some things Solar Santa Monica participants are saying:

"I will be happy to discuss ways we can further contribute to the solarization initiative, using our photovoltaics and electric car as an example." - Andrew Apter

"It is a great effort to make Santa Monica more sustainable." - Michael Farzam

A big Thank You to all who participated!

You may have heard the term "solar ready". It generally applies to homes under design or under construction, where the home can be prepared for the installation of solar-based equipment.

Some qualifications for being solar ready are: a large, south- facing roof that is free of shade; a roof that is largely free from vent pipes, skylights, and other protuberances; chase runs for wiring and piping included in the construction of the house to enable solar PV and/or solar hot water systems.

Solar ready homes make it easier for a solar system to be installed, so many installation companies offer discounts because of the saved effort from reinforcing the roof, retrofitting the home's electrical system, and doing other roof repairs.

The Solar Santa Monica Commercial Team has created a database of the top commercial roofs for solar in the city. If you belong to one of these properties, look forward to seeing one of us come in for a visit! If you'd like to nominate your property or workplace as a Top Commercial Roof, or are ready for an assessment of the solar potential for your roof, email or call us at (310) 560-9273.

• Virginia Avenue Farmer's Market on Saturday, November 22nd

The Solar Santa Monica crew will be out in force at Saturday's market. Stop by to say hello or to sign up for a solar site check.
• Realtor Briefing on December 2nd
  A number of realtors have approached Solar Santa Monica with questions regarding the resale value of a solar home. In response, Solar Santa Monica is hosting an informal "Solar Briefing" at the SSM office on December 2, from 10-11:30 a.m. If you're a realtor, or know one who should attend, please let us know immediately so we can reserve a place for you.