Almost all solar companies offer some type of promotion or special.  We currently offer $500 off, others offer a $1,000 discount, and some package their specials differently and call them rebates. But comparing which of these is best is nearly impossible without knowing the initial price. The best deal may end up being the $500 discount but you won’t know unless you’re given the total system cost first.

And that’s one of the problems with many of the promotions on the market; companies don’t publish pricing so it’s impossible to determine if the discount is actually a good deal.  We’re going to start publishing pricing soon, but in the meantime we’re just as guilty as everyone else.

Normally, these offers aren’t all that exciting. Solar companies just keep recycling the same promotions over and over.

But, once in a while a company comes out with a new promotion that is so misleading and poorly designed that it’s hard to believe they had the bad taste to run with it:      

Sullivan Solar Power recently released a new promotion called the “San Diego Solar Program”.  The design of the website gives the impression that it is an official City program:

SanDiego.gov (official government website)
 SanDiegoSolarProgram.org
(note: .org domains are intended for non-profit use)
 

It’s fair to say that, given the design similarities, they want homeowners to believe their program is associated with the City.  The language on their website also reads like a government subsidized program. For example, it opens with “This program has been developed to help the San Diego region reach its renewable energy goals”.

They even claim that their rebate is in “Phase 1 of Funding”.

This implies that money has been invested to kick start their rebate program.  But, this is in not case.  Instead, “funds are made available per project as they are completed.”   That’s according to an email they sent us and to be exact, the “rebates” are available 60 days after the project is completed not available on the day of completion as indicated on their website.

Deceptive marketing is a mistake.  Claiming there is funding when there isn’t is misleading at best and fraudulent at worst. By destroying trust they inhibit the growth of solar.

It would have been easier and arguably more effective for Sullivan Solar to simply post a coupon on their real homepage  (SullivanSolarPower.com) that said “up to $2,500 off”.

That’s it. Very simple. It would have caught my attention even if I don’t know what their initial price was.

A young guy called this afternoon, he was 23. He told me that his older cousin claimed that clean energy is a hot job market. Of course, the cousin doesn't work in the industry and he's speculating.  In any case, I was the first person the young man called for advice regarding where to start his job search. He is currently enrolled in an automotive training program in San Diego and is presently working as a mover. With job experience like that, it's not surprising that he's interested in the glamorous work as a solar installer.

I told him what his single major challenge will be. Have any idea what that is? You probably guessed it: no experience. Now, if he had a few years under his belt working construction and was a superstar then that might be enough to get his foot in the door. But his chances of finding a job without that are nearly zero. If he gets some training and a solar certification then his chances go up to about 1 in 1,000.  Just ask all of the energy auditors in San Diego how hard it is find a job.  

I don't get satisfaction crushing dreams. But, being a solar installer wasn't his dream. It was only a passing thought because he was briefly entertaining advice from his uninformed, older cousin.

Most solar companies, mine included, are looking for installers with at least a couple of years up on the roof. With almost no exception, this is the minimum requirement for an entry-level installer.   However, there was one case where a young guy was hired without any experience: his father was a client and it was a favor. So, that's the one special case: you have to know somebody.But, what about the pay? If the money is great, perhaps it's worth pouring every ounce of your energy into landing a job.

Here's the deal.  Entry-level installers can expect to earn around $15 per hour. For a young guy, engaging in moderately skilled manual labor, that's actually not too bad. Even with the high cost of living in San Diego it would be enough to pay the bills. But, the pay isn't the problem.  The real issue is the fact installing solar panels is dangerous work. Really dangerous work.  A single mistake could result in serious injury or death.

In my opinion, $15/hour isn't a lot of money to risk your life. But let me clear.  It's not a lot of money to risk your life for solar.  If you find a job saving drowning kittens in the class 5 rapids of the San Diego River than I'm 100% on board with that.  

And believe me, solar installers are putting their life on the line. Carrying 50 pound panels up two story ladders with nothing but 25 feet of free fall below them is a major risk.   And when it's 7:00am and the roof tiles are still slippery from the morning dew you might wonder to yourself if it's really all that important to zero out Mr. and Mrs. Smith's energy bill.  Remember, if you slip then it will be cement waking you up from your solar dream.

Getting back to the young man that called this afternoon.  I told him to stick with his automotive training and if he's interested in electrical work than he should consider being a licensed electrician.  I suggested he call the local union and see what it takes to be an apprentice. He sounded like a nice kid. I wish him the best.

Monthly leases and power purchase agreements (PPA’s) are one of the last options I present to clients because they cost the most in the long run.  A better alternative is to invest in a 20-year prepaid lease/PPA and then use financing to cover the upfront payment.On the low side, the cost is roughly $8,000 for a small system and $15,000 for an average sized system.  For clients that do not have the cash on hand, financing is available through home equity and unsecured loans.

Home equity is an excellent option because rates are extremely competitive and the interest is tax deductible.

I recently met with a client that had a competing quote for a SunPower monthly lease. Here’s how their monthly payments compared to purchasing a prepaid PPA and then financing the cost.

SunPower monthly lease:
4.58kW (DC)
14 327W panels
1 SunPower inverter

Initial Payment: $2500
Monthly Payment : $77 (includes sales tax)

 Total payments over 20 years: $2500 + 20*12*77 = $20,980

Our 20-year prepaid PPA:
4.6kW (DC)
20 230W SolarWorld panels
20 enphase microinverters

One-time payment: $13,334

Financing $13,334 with a fixed-rate home equity loan for 10 years at 6.5% would make the monthly payments $151.40.  

Total payments over 10 years:  10*12*$151.40 = $18,168

That’s a savings of $2,812.  In addition, $4,834 in interest is tax deductible.

The upside is clear: You will save a significant amount of money by choosing a prepaid PPA and financing the cost rather than signing up for a monthly lease.   

A week and a half before the holiday normally isn't the best week to sell solar, however this year is different. 3% fixed, interest rates with a limited pool of funds seem to motivate homeowners.

If your household earns between $45,000 and $120,000 you most likely qualify for the loan and grant. If you don't qualify, please tell someone that does.

The program is based on a 15-year fixed-rate loan. For example,  the monthly payment on a $10,000, 15-year fixed-rate CHF Loan at 3.00% interest would be $69.06 and the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) would be 3.403%.

For every $1,000 you borrow it will be roughly $7/month in payments...this is a great deal.

GRID Alternatives, the non-profit that specializes in installing solar for low-income families needs your help. No experience is neccesary and this if you're thinking about working in this industry this is an excellent opportunity get some hands-on experience.

Visit their website at GRIDAlternatives.org for more information and  their calendar to find a date that works for you: http://www.gridalternatives.org/calendar?tid[]=3.

Is the $50 card free or is it "Free"?

What do they mean by "Your Solar Solution".  Are they really your solar solution or are they something else? Who knows. Anyway, an underline would do just fine.

Arguably the best one is on the about us page where they claim to have installed 100's of "state of the art systems". 









Recently, a few homeowners asked if the SMA warranty could be extended.  5-year and 10-year extensions are available if purchased within 60 days of installation.

From January 2007 to February 2009, the average residential SDG&E bill was $129.53 with an average of $75.22 electric charge and $54.31 gas charge.

Source: SDG&E

For a fixed photovoltaic array, a tilt of 32 degrees from horizontal and an azimuth of 194 degrees from true north will yield the highest annual production (kWh). You can download the production estimates for a standard 5kW system here.

Notes:
Model: PVWatts
Climate: San Diego
Latitude:  32.7333 degrees
Longitude:  -117.167 degrees
DC Rating: 5kW
AC-DC Derate: .77
Array Tracking Mode: Fixed
PV Array Shading: None

Analysis was created by SanDiegoSolarPower.com using the Solar Advisor Model designed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

Disclaimer: 
In no event shall SanDiegoSolarPower.com be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever, including but not limited to, claims associated with the loss of profits which may result from the use of this information, negligence or other tortious claim that arises out of or in connection with this data.

*Efficiency defined as:  STC Watts/Area of panel divided by 1000W/m^2

Only monocrystalline and polycrystaline panels with a STC wattage of 200W or more were included.
Data Source: California Energy Commission's approved list of photovolaic modules as of March 28th, 2010.