The Truth about Free Solar
You’ve probably been told a hundred times that nothing in life is free. How can going solar be any different? Not only is it an exception to this rule—you really can get solar for free—but you can save money now and eliminate your entire electricity bill in the future! (That makes us happy, too.) This is what it means when you go solar: Pay no additional out-of-pocket costs for energy (and potentially lower what you’re currently paying) Free yourself from rising electricity costs Protect yourself from PG&E power shut-offs Own your solar system within 5-8 years Does this sound too [...]
The COVID Effect—How Much Did You Spend on Electricity?
It’s been a full year since the pandemic started, and you’ve probably spent more time at home than ever before. Some perks you may have enjoyed are trying new recipes, commuting from the bedroom to your home office, finally having time to binge watch your Netflix shows, and most importantly, spending quality time with your family. But all of these directly impact your electricity usage. How so? We compared the electricity usage of two families in our area—and it's surprising to see how much this year has affected our community. If your electricity bill has increased, we'd love to [...]
Alert! NEM-2 Savings Are Ending
There are major changes on the horizon that will impact how much you can save by going solar. The current net metering program, NEM-2, will be replaced by NEM-3 this year, and PG&E and the other big utility companies are pushing to reduce the cost-saving benefits solar customers enjoy. While we don’t want to be the bearer of bad news (who does?), it’s important to understand how NEM-3 could negatively affect you if you wait to go solar. Your ROI will decrease. The big utility companies suggested that “bill savings eventually cover the cost of the investment over the life [...]
Lights Out for 2020!
Wow, what a year it’s been. Things were a little different than we originally imagined but we’re finishing out 2020 with immense gratitude for our solar family. Because of this community, the installations we completed helped offset our carbon footprint, allowed you to become fully energy independent, cut down CO2 emissions, and conserved trees. Your contribution to the planet and future generations is not lost on us. As we wrap up the year, we hope that the rest of your 2020 is full of family time and relaxation. We’re excited to see what the new year holds. From the entire [...]
How one customer saved $2,700
Things are looking really bright for the Ruiz family—they saved $2,700 in ONE year by making the switch to solar. Last week they received their yearly True-Up bill and to their delight they saw that PG&E actually owed them money. How? You’ll see from their bill that PG&E tracks how much power (kWh—kilowatt hours) is consumed each month. Some months the net usage is negative, meaning you produced more solar power than you needed. Other months it can be higher depending on the power you use (think air conditioning and heating). Because they had the right size system for [...]
This ONE tip will keep your lights on
The power goes out. Now what? Hopefully you’ve got a backup in place. Even if you do, many of our battery-backup customers reach out with this question: How do I know my battery backup is going to work? It’s simple—you try it out. Here’s how: Turn your power off. Test it. Your battery knows what to do next. Enjoy your reserved power. Having solar is great, but it doesn’t get you completely off the grid. Maximize your smart decision to go solar by having a battery storage system when the next outage strikes. Plus, buy now and get cash back [...]
PG&E’s “Lights Out” Stunt- HashtagRUJoking?
"It's not because we're bad at our job or anything. This is for your safety. We're doing this for you. This has nothing whatsoever to do with our ineptitude." Ok. "The dog ate my homework" seemed worth a try at the time. So let's spread the utility giant's rationale (and there's plenty to spread) across other markets: What if the pizza guy rang the bell, came into your kitchen, and took food out of your fridge? Or the doctor showed up for a visit and emptied your medicine cabinet. The paramedic arrives at the accident and punches someone. Your [...]
Solardough Bread
The Original Silicon Valley- Part II We crossed the threshold from simple to infantile in our ‘Earth Science by a Dummy’ segment last week. The point was proffered that silicon, a primary component of semiconductors, is basically sand. Super fancy stuff is made out of dirt. It was meant to make you go “Hmm.” Semiconductors help form the basis of modern electronics, and that means cool toys. Your phone performs functions that border on miraculous, no matter how nonchalant we act about it. In reading various definitions of semiconductors that elude my grasp, it seems safe to say that [...]
A Tale of Two Utilities- Rich Mann, Paul Mann
It is the best of times (if you have solar), it is the worst of times (if you don’t). Here’s a bedtime story we think you’d like to wake up to: Rich and Paul Mann are brothers and next-door neighbors. They’re both married, two kids, two cars, and a mortgage on their 1800 square-foot homes. They have the same annual income. Ten years ago, an average household electric bill for Rich and Paul was around $180. That Was Then, This is Now In May 2008, Rich installed 24 solar panels on his home. He didn’t have any cash available [...]
Horsepower & Horse Sense
Horsepower- 18th century Scottish engineer James Watt coined the phrase ‘horsepower’ based on his own equations. Since he was hoping his steam engine would perform work traditionally done by horses, such as moving heavy loads, pumping water from mines, or grinding mash at breweries, he needed a succinct way to compare what his invention could do with what his customers were used to seeing. Watt multiplied the speed by the force of a working horse, and devised a formula for measuring strength: "Horsepower" is the unit of energy needed to move 550 pounds the distance of 1 foot in 1 second. [...]
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