Is solar electricity affordable?

Single family homes in the San Francisco Bay Area are excellent candidates for solar electric systems. We pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country and have great solar exposure throughout the year. California rebates and a 30% Federal Tax CREDIT can cut the cost of solar-produced electricity to less than what PG&E charges.

The return on investment can exceed 15% (AFTER TAX)!

Remember ENRON? Remember the energy crisis of 2001?  Electricity rates are much higher now than they were then and will stay that way for some time. When PG&E advertises a 6% rate increase, what they do not advertise is a much larger increase at the higher tiers. It is clear that high end residential consumers are going to pay disproportionately more (no surprise—Sacramento is protecting the low end residential and business customers and sticking it to the high end):

If these increases continue, here’s what you can expect five years from now:

Owning your own solar electricity system is much more affordable than renting power from PG&E in situations where monthly electricity usage is 200% + of baseline. The power that solar is replacing is this very expensive "over baseline" tiers (first).  You can lock in your future electricity cost now, save money, and isolate yourself from the inevitable future rate increases from PG&E.

Financing the cost of solar electric systems via home equity loans is very affordable with current interest rates and the tax benefit of deducting interest expenses.  You can be cash-flow positive Day 1!
Sky Power Systems specializes in this market (3 - 20 kW in system size) and can provide a free site evaluation and financial analysis for you, and show you how your own solar electric system can be free of charge after the savings from your electric bill are factored in -- contact us today!

Is solar hot water free?

Conventional fuel resources such as coal and oil are destined to increase in cost, and eventually run out. The sun's power is unlimited and available to everyone. It's free! No corporations or utility companies own the rights to the sun's energy, so there are no monthly bills.

Is solar pool heating free?

Energy costs continue to rise. In the last few years, the price of natural gas has almost doubled. On the other hand, the sun’s energy is free, and more and more pool owners are taking advantage of this opportunity to save money and avoid future price increases.

Over a 15-year period, you could spend five times or more on heating with gas what you would spend on installing a solar heater today. Once your solar heating system is installed, there are no more heating bills to pay. Then, the only cost of solar pool heating is the money it costs to run your filter pump (which you would also have to run when using a gas heater). While you are filtering your pool water, you can also be heating your pool via your solar panels. You can save on your filtering and solar pool heating costs by a) using a thermal cover, b) keeping your filters clean and c) using an energy efficient pool pump.

Replacing an old single speed pump with a multi-speed or variable speed pump has been shown to save between 50 and 90% on your energy consumption. These pumps also have the advantage that they are whisper quiet (~10dB) and the Return On Investment is typically 18 months or less. Sky Power Systems offers these pumps as a great way to save you money and save the environment. PG&E is offering $100 rebates to pool owners installing these pumps as a part of their energy efficiency program. See PG&E's website for more details.

Many pool owners switch to solar because it meets all of their heating needs. But, even if you continue to use a gas or electric heater as a backup, solar heating is a smart investment that will save you money, year after year.