|
Look Up Your Address Today!
LA County has launched an upgrade to their award winning Solar Map. This is a great resource we would like to share with you. Now coined the "LA County Solar Map and Green Planning Tool," http://solarmap.lacounty.gov is a one-stop site to learn about solar and efficiency incentives based on your exact address.
Recent updates to the map include: an improved user interface, graphical 'calculators' detailing costs, savings and payback for solar systems, an addition of detailed rooftop shading visualization for panel placement, a birds-eye view option for inspecting rooftops, mobile access to solar data and printable property-level solar reports.
A major enhancement to the site is the new cost/benefit calculator, which estimates the cost, payback time, and cost savings over 25 years. Interactive graphs allow users to change the interest rate and system size and see the impacts on cost and payback.
Solar Rebates Now in Second to Last Step
The California Solar Initiative rebate for residential customers of Southern California Edison territory is now in Step 9 (of 10 steps).
The current rebate is $250 per kW of solar installed.
Take advantage of this rebate before it declines to $200 per kW in the near future.
Installation costs are also at an all-time low, so take the time this holiday season to call three solar installers to compare bids on a solar system for your home.
 | |
Average installation cost in CA from 2008-2012.
|
Leasing and Financing are Popular Leasing from companies like SunPower, SolarCity, SunRun, and Clean Power Finance is more popular than ever. With a lease, the solar company buys, owns and maintains the solar electric system, and customers pay a lower monthly bill than they are used to, all while using solar and taking advantage of the energy it produces. This solar electricity offsets the electricity the customer would have been buying from their utility. Since the homeowner locks in a low rate for the term of the lease (10, 15, or 20 years), they save significantly over time as electricity prices continue to rise. The solar company takes complete care of every system. They proactively monitor their solar systems to ensure customers benefit from all the solar electricity the system is capable of generating. Solar leasing companies also provide a money back performance guarantee, comprehensive system insurance, and no cost maintenance, monitoring and repairs. One big question - What happens if the property is sold "mid-lease?" If the new owners meet the credit requirements, they could take over your lease. Or, theoretically the system could be moved to a new house to take advantage of solar conditions and utility payments there. Or, you could pre-pay (pay off) the lease and then wrap the extra cost into the purchase price of the home. So what's the best option - buy or go for no money down? As always, "it depends" -- on the size of your bill and your system, on your utility rates and what happens to them in the future. It depends on your tax status today, and on what happens with credits and rebates in the future. All in all, if you can afford it, you're financially better off in the long run by owning your solar system. But no matter how you manage getting your solar, getting it sooner rather than later allows you to "lock in" today's rates for the next 20 years or longer as electricity prices continue to rise. | 
