Oil pump shutting down in California Residential solar power systems have never been as effective or as affordable as they are now, and it’s only going to get better. Despite the efforts of certain coal-clinging conservatives, South San Francisco (and the rest of California) is well on its way to completely relying on renewable energy. In fact, during 2017 California was over producing solar power! As technology improves, many homes are adding battery storage to hold onto that excess for when the sun is down, especially after changes in time-of-use peak periods. The future of renewable energy of any type will center around the storage options produced by companies like Tesla, LG Chem, and Mercedes. Rather than selling your excess solar power for a meager 5-10 cents per kWh, many homeowners are opting to store their power for future use. That means that households on time-of-use billing, running your home on solar power during peak hours will save you around 50 cents per kWh. To date, batteries just haven’t been that economically viable, even with the SGIP rebates in place that provide up to $4,000 for a residential 10kWh battery solution, but they are getting there quick.

The Tipping Point

Times, they are a changin’! Over the last year, clean power has gained unprecedented momentum. Multiple automakers launched new lines of electric vehicles, governments around the world committed to moving to renewable energy, and even oil companies are finding it economically viable to switch to solar, building California’s largest solar energy project ever. With rising problems stemming from climate change (such as the arctic thawing), many are pushing to sources of renewable energy despite hostility from our current administration. President Trump opted America out of the Paris climate agreement, despite worldwide concern that we are approaching the point of no return in rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere. France and the UK are on the path to banning fossil-fueled cars completely, while China is working on record levels of wind and solar energy projects to combat high levels of pollution. With economies of scale and everyone getting involved, solar panels are becoming less expensive, more efficient, and more attractive. Home battery packs are also falling in price, as they are being manufactured on a larger scale. We fully expect 2018 to be a banner year for residential solar energy in South San Francisco.

Act Soon...

While it’s clear which way the winds are blowing, it’s hard to say what our own government is going to do in the next few years. The Solar Investment Tax Credit was extended through 2019, giving a 30% credit for panels purchased and installed before then. If you don’t act soon...well, who knows what the state of things are going to be in the next couple years? Already, the industry is faced with the possibility of tariffs for solar imports, which was cause price increases industry wide. And don’t even mention the impact of the new tax bill and what that might mean for homeowners! Solar panel prices have fallen more than 70% over the last seven years, while becoming more efficient in the process. Residential solar energy is an investment upfront, but 2018 is the tipping point that will result in solar being a better economic alternative to fossil fuels around the world. If you’d like to see what energy independence can mean for your home in San Mateo county, we’ll be happy to give you a personal in-home, top to bottom evaluation to see if it’s right for you. Just give our friendly team a call and we’ll get you taken care of. And if you know a skilled and competent roofing installer or project managers that’s looking for a new team to join, send them our way! We’re looking for the best of the best to add to our growing team and family.