Seal Beach Solar Tour June 13, 2009 Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM

Seal Beach Solar Tour and Information Outreach

June 13, Saturday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Starbucks near Boeing parking lot

On the Boeing Parking Lot, walking distance from the Seal Beach Starbucks

Boeing Company has graciously allowed us to use a portion of their parking lot on the NE side, facing Westminster Blvd. near the intersection of Westminster and Seal Beach Blvd.

Solar-powered business in Seal Beach, next to Mahi

This is the first commercial system in Seal Beach

Do you want information about solar power, how to install it, what to expect, how much it costs, what the rebates are, and how it's working for those who have already "gone solar"?

Are you planning on getting a plug-in car some day, and want to find out how to make your own power?

Here's how to find out.
Join the Tour of Solar Homes!

Held under the auspices of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES.org), this tour is an "early bird" chance to see how solar is working right here in Seal Beach. There are so many solar homes in Seal Beach, you can practically take a walking tour; still, the whole idea of "going solar" is daunting until you find out how it works. There's a lot to planning your system, and a lot to decide about what kind of a system you want.

While solar rooftop power's amortized cost is less than the cost of the utility power that it replaces, it's still a big chunk of money you have to put up to install solar power. It's not a get-rich-quick scheme, it's just a way to spend your money wisely, on hardware that goes on your roof, instead of being nickeled-and-dimed each month by the utility company. Take your time, it's going to last a long time; solar panels are guaranteed for 25 years, so you're going to own it for a long time. Don't be rushed, get full value for your money. And three bids.

Schedule for June 13 Tour of Solar Homes

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM: On-site fully-contained working battery-backup solar system and Toyota RAV4-EV at Boeing Parking Lot. Sign up for Tour, ask questions. Solar experts will be on-site all day while the tour is going from solar home to solar home.

11:00 to 3:00 P.M. Tour local solar homes, spend a half-hour finding out about each system, receive details from a solar tour guide, and speak with the owner about the system and how it's worked out on finances, how it feels to make their own power, and how they made their decision to go solar.

3:00 P.M.to 4:00 P.M. Tour wrapup back at Boeing Parking lot for questions and further information.

There is no charge, but you must be signed up to go on the Solar Tour.

Name:

Tele: (Please change area code if not 562)

Address:

City:

Email:

All fields are required, thank you!

SoCalSolarTour.com/gosolar.htm Pitfalls and issues when considering going solar.

Preparing to go solar:
Evaluating current and future usage. It's often easier and less expensive to "go solar" if you can reduce waste, increase energy efficiency, and lower the size of the solar system you might need. Why put in solar to meet a need that you don't have? On the other hand, if you're planning for more usage, you might need a bigger system that dwarfs current usage...but still should reduce waste.

Other than going solar... You can install more efficient lighting, energy-star appliances, a 92% or 96% effiicient furnace, even a heat-exchanger instead of an Air Conditioner. Front-loading washer, rack drying, low-maintenance native-plant landscape, proper insulation, composting, the issues around graywater systems, and so on. Lots of agencies can help with this.

What am I getting for my money? There are roof-mounted and ground-mounted systems. Most systems go on the roof, and help protect it from heat and UV (there's a six-inch gap between the panels and the roof, which means you're living under shade so far as the solar goes--one reason to choose lower-rated panels). There are roof penetrations, and you need to ensure that someone will be there if there are issues. The panels mount on rails affixed to posts set into the roof and mounted to rafters; wires connect them in series to develop high-voltage in a combiner box. Conduit is laid down to the DC cutoff, usually running down the side of your home. Condui then runs to the Inverter, which needs to be placed properly; there's an AC cutoff, and then the conduit goes to a new breaker in your main electric panel. The technology is in the panels and inverter, and your building inspector will ensure that the system is properly installed to meed electrical code and buildng safety requirements. Hence, the only difference between contractors is the price, and the level of service that they warrant for the ten years guarantee of electric work (in addition to the 25 year panel warranty).

Decided on the electric usage you will need, now what? There are decisions to make:
Zero-out usage, or just take off the top tiers? SCE won't let you have a zero bill, and then there's the Seal Beach Tax.
What's your roof configuration? Southwest is best, but most roofs work.
Battery-backup system is more complicated and costs more, is there a need?
Time-of-Use pricing tariffs can leverage a small system if your usage is at night.
A large number of low-efficiency panels or smaller number of high-rated panels?
What's the ballpark cost, and what do system "Watt" ratings mean?

How to find solar installers; or, can I do it myself? Both the California Energy Commission and American Solar Energy Society provide lists of fully licensed solar installation contractors. But the evaluation is up to you. You can install solar yourself as an owner-builder, SCE even gives classes on how to do it.

Evaluating solar bids against doing it yourself How to read the bids, and what you will be saving by doing it yourself.

Pitfalls to avoid Roof penetrations are an issue, you don't want leaks, and you should evaluate your roof prior to solar install to make sure it has 10 years life in it. Make sure the installers avoid roof damage, paint the conduit, locate the conduit and inverter properly out of the way, make sure that the Contractor has good references and seems responsible, makes sure all electric wiring is neat and workmanlike.

How long will it take? There is a reservation for the rebate to file with SCE. This tells SCE that you intend to become a partner, a "co-generator", potentially supplying power to the grid during daytime peak periods. The Reservation belongs to you, if you change your mind on installers.

The paperwork takes perhaps 6 weeks of time and effort to prepare the Building Permit and Rebate Request, this is done by the Contractor unless you are doing the system yourself.

You are required to perform SCE's "Energy Audit", which is supposed to show where your usage is going.

The physical installation takes a day for the roofer, a day for carefully placing and wiring the panels on the roof in accordance with the Wiring Plan, and then a day for the rest of the electrical work. The Contractor will be present when the City and SCE inspectors arrive to verify the work and the predicted performance of the system.

What do I get out of it? There's the feeling of empowerment, of becoming a visible part of the solution to meeting our electric energy demand. The money you spent on the solar system goes into hardware on your roof that you get to keep, instead of sent to SCE to burn fossil fuel far away. You can generally find new uses for any surplus; in fact, many solar customers find that their system is too small, and want to upgrade to meet increased need. The solar system is worth more than you paid for it from the get-go, increasing your home's resale value (the Solar Rights law doesn't allow reassessing for this improvement, so it won't affect your taxes). It's like doing a room addition that pays you back. The solar system helps preserve and cool your roof, lowering AC demand. You are insulated against future SCE rate hikes, because you have, in effect, purchased future electric at the rate it is now. If you borrow the money in a HELOC, the interest may be deductible. If your system is well-designed, the amortized cost of solar will be less than your former monthly SCE bill, sometimes far less.

SCE Rebate: The rebate declines as more solar systems are installed in each service area. In general, it's about 20% of the cost of the system.

Federal Tax Credit: Take your cost after the rebate, multiply by 30%, and that's the Federal Tax Credit. Your Contractor will help you file IRS Form 3468, which carries forward the rebate for 3 years; it goes against your bottom-line tax liability (you can't use it if you pay no tax). For example, if your Tax in each of the next 3 years is 3,000 per year, and your rebate is $5,000, you receive a $3,000 rebate the first year and $2,000 rebate the second year. This rebate, if fully deducted, lowers the cost of the system about another 24% (.30 time 80%) so your final cost is something like 56% of the real price of the system.

SoCalSolarTour.com/gosolar.htm	Pitfalls and issues when considering going solar.

Preparing to go solar: Evaluating current and future usage.	It's often easier and less expensive to "go solar" if you can reduce waste, increase energy efficiency, and lower the size of the solar system you might need. Why put in solar to meet a need that you don't have? On the other hand, if you're planning for more usage, you might need a bigger system that dwarfs current usage...but still should reduce waste.
Other than going solar...	You can install more efficient lighting, energy-star appliances, a 92% or 96% effiicient furnace, even a heat-exchanger instead of an Air Conditioner. Front-loading washer, rack drying, low-maintenance native-plant landscape, proper insulation, composting, the issues around graywater systems, and so on. Lots of agencies can help with this.
What am I getting for my money?	There are roof-mounted and ground-mounted systems. Most systems go on the roof, and help protect it from heat and UV (there's a six-inch gap between the panels and the roof, which means you're living under shade so far as the solar goes--one reason to choose lower-rated panels). There are roof penetrations, and you need to ensure that someone will be there if there are issues. The panels mount on rails affixed to posts set into the roof and mounted to rafters; wires connect them in series to develop high-voltage in a combiner box. Conduit is laid down to the DC cutoff, usually running down the side of your home. Condui then runs to the Inverter, which needs to be placed properly; there's an AC cutoff, and then the conduit goes to a new breaker in your main electric panel. The technology is in the panels and inverter, and your building inspector will ensure that the system is properly installed to meed electrical code and buildng safety requirements. Hence, the only difference between contractors is the price, and the level of service that they warrant for the ten years guarantee of electric work (in addition to the 25 year panel warranty).
Decided on the electric usage you will need, now what?	*There are decisions to make:* Zero-out usage, or just take off the top tiers? SCE won't let you have a zero bill, and then there's the Seal Beach Tax. What's your roof configuration? Southwest is best, but most roofs work. Battery-backup system is more complicated and costs more, is there a need? Time-of-Use pricing tariffs can leverage a small system if your usage is at night. A large number of low-efficiency panels or smaller number of high-rated panels? What's the ballpark cost, and what do system "Watt" ratings mean?
How to find solar installers; or, can I do it myself?	Both the California Energy Commission and American Solar Energy Society provide lists of fully licensed solar installation contractors. But the evaluation is up to you. You can install solar yourself as an owner-builder, SCE even gives classes on how to do it.
Evaluating solar bids against doing it yourself	How to read the bids, and what you will be saving by doing it yourself.
Pitfalls to avoid	Roof penetrations are an issue, you don't want leaks, and you should evaluate your roof prior to solar install to make sure it has 10 years life in it. Make sure the installers avoid roof damage, paint the conduit, locate the conduit and inverter properly out of the way, make sure that the Contractor has good references and seems responsible, makes sure all electric wiring is neat and workmanlike.
How long will it take?	There is a reservation for the rebate to file with SCE. This tells SCE that you intend to become a partner, a "co-generator", potentially supplying power to the grid during daytime peak periods. The Reservation belongs to you, if you change your mind on installers. The paperwork takes perhaps 6 weeks of time and effort to prepare the Building Permit and Rebate Request, this is done by the Contractor unless you are doing the system yourself. You are required to perform SCE's "Energy Audit", which is supposed to show where your usage is going. The physical installation takes a day for the roofer, a day for carefully placing and wiring the panels on the roof in accordance with the Wiring Plan, and then a day for the rest of the electrical work. The Contractor will be present when the City and SCE inspectors arrive to verify the work and the predicted performance of the system.
What do I get out of it?	There's the feeling of *empowerment*, of becoming a visible part of the solution to meeting our electric energy demand. The money you spent on the solar system goes into hardware on your roof that you get to keep, instead of sent to SCE to burn fossil fuel far away. You can generally find new uses for any surplus; in fact, many solar customers find that their system is too small, and want to upgrade to meet increased need. The solar system is worth more than you paid for it from the get-go, increasing your home's resale value (the Solar Rights law doesn't allow reassessing for this improvement, so it won't affect your taxes). It's like doing a room addition that pays you back. The solar system helps preserve and cool your roof, lowering AC demand. You are insulated against future SCE rate hikes, because you have, in effect, purchased future electric at the rate it is now. If you borrow the money in a HELOC, the interest may be deductible. If your system is well-designed, the amortized cost of solar will be less than your former monthly SCE bill, sometimes far less.
SCE Rebate:	The rebate declines as more solar systems are installed in each service area. In general, it's about 20% of the cost of the system.
Federal Tax Credit:	Take your cost after the rebate, multiply by 30%, and that's the Federal Tax Credit. Your Contractor will help you file IRS Form 3468, which carries forward the rebate for 3 years; it goes against your bottom-line tax liability (you can't use it if you pay no tax). For example, if your Tax in each of the next 3 years is 3,000 per year, and your rebate is $5,000, you receive a $3,000 rebate the first year and $2,000 rebate the second year. This rebate, if fully deducted, lowers the cost of the system about another 24% (.30 time 80%) so your final cost is something like 56% of the real price of the system.