Friday, 9 September 2011

Information Regarding California Solar Power Incentives

By JJ Green


Any utility customer today can take advantage of the current California solar power incentives. Solar energy can create several green jobs in the service industry and with those interested in the Renewable Standard Portfolio Standard program will certainly have a chance at not only creating jobs, but also saving a significant amount of money.

The Renewables Portfolio Standard program even provides incentives to those who are in the business of producing renewable energy. This in turn creates even more jobs in the production sector as well.

The California solar incentive program provides reason to enter the solar power industry on the production side with feed-in tariffs as well as the ability to purchase Solar Renewable Energy Credits otherwise known as SREC. California's Public Utilities Commission is making available to smaller facilities these feed-in tariffs if they have the capacity to produce as much as 500MW of energy.

Customer incentives have a rate of $2.50 per watt at he moment, and government tax incentives sit at 50% for installation. There will be a nine year leeway of course for those who want to take advantage of these incentives, and those who get in initially will have the best benefits.

Solano Beach is of course just one Californian city that has taken advantage of the new solar incentives, and at the moment they are actually working on offering a financing program for solar energy installations which will provide finding for those homeowners that want to switch to solar power.

Solano Beach is one example of a Californian city that has taken advantage of these solar incentives as well as the effort to bring the state into the future. Right now they are offering a financing program specifically for solar energy installations which will allow home owners to install their own panels without needing to spend a lot of money up front.

In this one instance, residents and small business owners will have 20 years to pay for their alternative energy systems through their property tax contributions.There is however, a downside to this plan. The amount financed will incur interest over time. The good thing about it is that with 20 years to pay it off, more home owners will be able to take advantage of this new source of energy than would otherwise be possible if most were required to pay for the cost of the installation up front, especially during a time when money is tight.

There are many communities determining whether or not they want to take part in the California solar power initiative, but Solano Beach is leaps and bounds ahead. With the sale of bonds an the resulting financing, the city will not have any issues with debt.

There is plenty of information available if you take a look at the Center for Sustainable Energy California's website, and you will find that solar panel prices are quite good at the moment. Now may be your time - your time to save.




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