Solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) systems use the sun’s energy to make electricity. PV technology produces direct current electricity by collecting electrons freed by the interaction between sunlight and the semiconductor materials in a PV cell.

A PV system reduces or eliminates the amount of electricity you purchase from your electric company. A PV system can save you money on your electricity bill and act as a hedge against future price increases. The electricity generated by your PV system is clean, renewable and reliable. You help the community by reducing the load on the utility grid and you can provide additional electricity for the grid when you generate more than you use during the day, when electricity demand is highest.

 

Your site must have clear, unobstructed access to the sun. Buildings, trees or other vegetation should not shade your site. South-facing roof exposure is best, but roofs facing east and west may be okay. If a rooftop is not available, your PV system can also be mounted on the ground.

You can match the size of your system to your electricity needs and budget. The average household in California uses about 6,500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. If your usage is typical of the average household, a system in the three to four (kW) range would be adequate to meet most of your electricity needs.

To estimate the best system size for your home or business, examine your electricity usage for the last 12 months and apply this easy formula.

Annual Usage / 1kW System Output* / System Capacity

6,500  /  1,750 kWh  =  3.71 kW

*1750 kWh per year is based on a 20 percent capacity factor. Capacity factor varies with location.

A system with a capacity of 1kW can produce about 1,750 kWh per year. Divide your annual electricity usage (in kWh per year) by 1,750 kWh to get the system size (capacity in kilowatts) that would meet most of your electricity needs. If you want your PV system to meet half of your electricity needs, then you should size it to meet half of your annual electrical usage. Or you can offset only a small portion of your electricity bill with a single PV panel. If you size your system larger than your average electricity needs on summer afternoons, your system would generate more electricity than you could use during the rest of the year.

A small PV system can use as little as 50 square feet. A larger system, to meet the needs of a typical household, would use between 300 to 600 square feet. As a rule of thumb, 100 square feet of PV area produces one kilowatt of electricity.

Although many factors affect the cost, an average PV system ranges from $9 to $10 per watt, including installation, or $12,000 to $20,000 for a 2 kW system, prior to incentives.

YES! The California Energy Commission’s Emerging Renewables Program offers cash rebates on eligible PV systems. To find out what the current rebate level is, contact the California Energy Commission at (800) 555-7794, or www.consumerenergycenter.org

The best way to finance a PV system on your home is through a mortgage loan that includes a primary mortgage, second mortgage or home equity loan secured by your property.
If mortgage financing is not available, look for other sources such as conventional bank loans. A list of companies that finance PV systems can be found on the California Energy Commission’s Website at www.consumerenergycenter.org/erprebate/financing_intro.html

You will need to enter into an Interconnection Agreement with your electric company. This agreement addresses the terms and conditions under which your system will be safely connected to the grid. The agreement also specifies the metering arrangements (called Net Metering). Net Metering allows you to “bank” any surplus electricity your system generates on the electric grid.

Excess electricity might be generated during the day when your system produces more electricity than you need. Your meter would simply run backwards to record the amount of electricity banked on the grid. You can use an equal amount of electricity later without incurring any additional cost. If you use more electricity from the grid than you have banked, your utility will charge you annually for the difference.

The City requires both building and electrical permits. Additionally, the City requires a zoning clearance. To find out more information, contact the Community Development Department at (805) 449-2500 or e-mail CommunityDevelopment@toaks.org

You can find more information about the solar marketplaces at these links:

https://marketplace.sce.com/solar/

https://www.energysage.com/p/cpa/

https://cleanpoweralliance.org/nem/