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 [...]
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
Determining how many solar panels you need is the first step in setting up your solar energy system in Northern California, and will be the most influential factor in the installation cost. Many of our customers are curious about the number of panels they can expect on their roof array. While we don’t require customers to figure this out for themselves, here are three things that we at Synergy Power assess at each site to calculate how many panels will be needed for a project. Three Questions to Consider When Calculating Solar Panels What is your energy usage? A good [...]
Panel Cleaning 101
California is no stranger to fires, but it feels like an insult to injury this year. If you’ve noticed your solar production has decreased—we’re seeing 15%–20% drops—don’t panic.Solar production is affected by fires the same way it is with particularly cloudy weather. The ash particles in the sky (and on your panels) create a barrier that the sun has trouble penetrating.Let’s help those panels out with a little fall cleaning:Use your trusty garden hose to rinse them off.Do NOT use high pressure. Let the stream of water work for you as the ash rolls off.Do NOT use abrasive cleaners. [...]
Synergy Power is Livermore’s Premier Solar Provider
The word “home” can conjure up a variety of images. Whether you’re from a big city or a country town, you are shaped by the place you grew up in a way that stays with you for the rest of your life. As for us here at Synergy Power, we couldn’t be prouder that our roots are right here in Livermore. Solar Based in Livermore, California Livermore is rich with charm and traditional values that have aged like a fine wine. We love living in a town that treasures relics from the past like Vine Cinema and its vintage [...]
Solar + Battery: If My Power Goes Out, How Long Will My Backup Last?
How many PG&E power outages have you been through so far this year? A battery backup system for your home or business could reduce that number to zero. But many of our customers have asked us, “How long will my battery last if my power goes out?” Good news: Your battery backup system could give you power for several weeks, while continuing to charge from your solar panels … even while the power is out. Let’s talk about that. The Joy of Battery Backup Systems A battery backup system, when used with your solar panels, it is not at all [...]
Cleaning Solar Panels During the California Wildfires
As fires rage through northern California and into Oregon, one of the most common questions we’re getting from our customers right now is this: Will this drastically affect my solar production and, if so, how can I go about cleaning my solar panels? With heavy air pollution and dust and ash settling at an alarming rate, we understand the need you have to keep your solar panels clean. Let’s talk about why regular cleaning is important, what you can do to keep your solar production up, and how to safely care for your solar panels during the fires. Not Surprising: [...]
If You Don’t Use It, You Lose It
With all the recent outages, the incentive to switch to solar and battery backup is high. Not to mention, the Federal tax credit for going solar is dropping—soon. In order to take advantage of the 26% credit (thousands of dollars back), your solar system needs to be installed by the end of 2020. While that may sound like a lot of time now, our installation calendar says otherwise. We’re almost booked for the rest of the year. The new tax credit rate is 22% starting January 1, 2021—and is said to decrease to 10% by 2022. If you’ve been on [...]
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 [...]
If You Needed Another Reason to Go Solar in Northern California
Building code revisions are not usually ground-breaking events, but we think that California’s latest amendment to Title 24 Part 6 is history in the making. The state is not just making a commitment to reduce harmful emissions - these changes will save homeowners a lot of money in the process. Title 24 and Solar Energy At the beginning of this year, a mandate went into effect that will require nearly all new residential construction in the state of California to use solar energy systems, as well as adopt improved standards in air filtration and home insulation. This building code [...]
It’s Lights Out for PG&E
In the last six months PG&E has increased their rates TWICE. During a global pandemic, with over 30 million people unemployed and everyone being forced to stay home (hello, higher usage), PG&E has forgone empathy and opted for greed by raising prices. Take back your power andcontrol. When you go solar, you: Help the environment. Save money (in a lot of cases, solar pays for itself). Get off of PG&E’s grid. Plus, for the remainder of the year, you can take advantage of the 26% federal tax credit. Go one step further, bundling your solar with a battery storage system [...]
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