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May 15 2018
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California Will Require Solar for New Homes

By Solar Incentives by State No Comments

California just took a major step forward in their renewable energy effort by becoming the first state in the US to require new homes and major residential installations to include solar panels.

These measures were adopted on Wednesday, May 9, by the California Energy Commission (CEC). The new rules are set to take effect in 2020 and are poised to be a “very bold and visionary step” towards California’s 2030 goal of generating 50% of their state energy from renewable sources.

An obvious benefit of these new rules is that it will result in significantly more residential solar panel installations in California.

California is already the leader in solar installations and is continuously setting the bar higher and higher for other states in the US. Hopefully, this will influence other states to follow suit.

On the other hand, this requirement would also make the cost of a new home or major home installment go up by $8,000-$12,000. Housing is already quite expensive in California, with the median home value at $537,315, so this measure would appear to not be helping with that issue.

There are many long-term benefits however, that come with owning a solar panel system, including significant energy cost savings over time.

To get a more accurate picture of the value that you can gain, you have to look at the pros and cons in detail.

Policy Details

The new rules regarding residential solar installations are part of California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which are a set of standards that focus on electricity and natural gas conservation and renewable energy generation measures. The recent updates are focused only on new homes and major home renovations that occur on or after January 1, 2020, and is also only applicable to homes under 3 stories.

The size of the solar panel systems that must be added to these homes must be equal to or greater than the home’s annual electricity consumption. This is determined by a set equation within the code itself. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the average size for all of California’s regions would be 3.38 kW.

Because the size of the solar panel system is dependent on the home, the exact amount that would be added to the cost of a home is also dependent on this. An official analysis determined that for a single-family residential home the required solar panel system would add $9,500 to the cost, which can be paid through increased mortgage payment.

All said and done, the California Energy Commission projects that this will add around $40 each month to a 30-year mortgage payment while saving an average of $80 on electricity expenses per month.

Long-Term Benefits

After a proper analysis, it is easy to see how the long-term savings from your solar panel system will outweigh its added cost to your home. Based on the CEC’s estimation of a net $40 in savings each month, the amount of savings would be $14,400. Other calculations show even greater savings, which can easily amount closer to $20,000.

If you are paying for the solar panel system upfront, then your net savings each month on electricity will be $80-$100.

Outside of the individual savings from a solar panel system, there will also be collective benefits to the state of California as a whole. The SEIA also found through their analysis that this new measure would lead to an additional 200 megawatts of solar installed in the state annually.

These new rules regarding solar installations are a way to normalize solar to the point where when an individual thinks about building a new home, a solar panel system will be just as normal as a bathroom or front door. Homeowners of existing homes without solar will also be more familiarized with solar when they see the systems on the new homes of their friends and colleague.

Solar Going Mainstream

Overall, what we are seeing here is yet another leap forward in bringing solar technology into the hands of the average consumer. As solar becomes more affordable each year and investments in solar continue to grow, we will likely see more measures like those adopted by states throughout the country.

California’s requirement for solar installations on new homes is a huge step in this direction. If you want to learn more about getting started on a solar project, check out what our Energy Advisors can do for you!

May 07 2018
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Everything You Need to Know About Solar Carports

By Charging Your EV With Solar Panels and Using the EV Tax Credit To Lower the Cost No Comments

 

The increasing adoption rate of solar technology has led to both surprising innovations as well as obvious and practical applications. One such application of solar technology is found in solar carports.

Solar carports are an offshoot of traditional carports, which provide shade and protection for your vehicle. Typical carports are much different from solar carports however and call for different hardware and installations.

Solar carports use similar equipment as ground-mounted solar panel systems and therefore require a similar installation process as well. Here is everything that you need to know about solar carports.

What Are Solar Carports?

What makes solar carports unique is that they do not require a roof or surface that the solar panels must attach to.

This is different from installing solar panels on an existing carport which already has a built-in roof. Solar carports are customized to include solar panels in their structure. The panels themselves serve as a dual-purpose solution for both covering the owner’s vehicle and for producing clean energy.

Solar carports are essentially taller ground-mounted solar panels. They are simply lifted high enough so that a vehicle can fit below.

The Benefits of Solar Carports

The primary benefit of having a solar carport is that it gives you flexibility in the way that you can customize your solar project. When installing solar panels on a rooftop, there are many variables that may limit where the panels are placed.

A ground-based system can be built anywhere and to any specifications. Your rooftop may not be able to support 100% of the solar panels that you want to install, so having a solar carport can open up this opportunity to any property owner.

The direction of your solar panels and the angle at which they are placed has a large impact on the amount of energy being produced. A solar carport can be structured to optimize the positioning of your solar panels, whereas this may not be as simple for a rooftop solar panel system.

Among these benefits, a solar carport can also be easily integrated with a home battery or electric vehicle (EV) charging port.

The electricity being produced by your solar carport is just like any other solar energy — it can be used in your home, stored in a battery, exchanged for credits in the grid, or funneled into your EV battery. Overall, a solar carport gives you a significant amount of flexibility over how you use your solar energy.

Commercial and Public Solar Carports

Solar carports are also found commonly throughout cities across the nation in the parking lots of commercial and other public or private entities. Whether it is a corporation, recreation center, high school, church, or basketball stadium, parking lots all over are being converted into large-scale solar carports.

The way that these organizations view a solar carport is that it is an investment in their future electricity savings. The available real estate in a parking lot is a perfect fit for adding solar panels to a business or other organization. It brings value for both the organization and its members.

In fact, Intel installed two of the largest solar carports in the country at both their Folsom California campus and their Chandler Ocotillo campus. The California carport generates a total of 8.7 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and the Chandler carport generates approximately 7.7 megawatts of electricity and includes 30,000 solar panels. The majority of large corporations that operate in states where solar is viable are following this trend and installing their own solar carports.

Public and private solar carports for organizations like businesses and nonprofits bring two main benefits: 1) They save the organization money through their energy production, and 2) They can direct excess funds from these savings into other relevant solutions like EV chargers in their parking lots.

Organizations that have both a solar carport and integrated EV charging ports are especially sought out by members who own electric vehicles, due to the money that they can save from its use.

A Practical Solution

Solar carports are a very viable and straightforward solution that can benefit anyone looking to go solar. They are simple structures that serve as a cover for vehicles and as a source of solar energy production.

The simplicity of solar carports is evident when considering their basic form of just solar panels and a ground mounting system. This differs from the traditional carport in that it does not include a roof surface. At the end of the day, a solar carport is a great option for individuals who want more flexibility in how they set up their solar project.