{"id":10397,"date":"2020-05-26T10:30:49","date_gmt":"2020-05-26T17:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10397"},"modified":"2020-05-26T12:17:54","modified_gmt":"2020-05-26T19:17:54","slug":"solarizing-made-simpler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=10397","title":{"rendered":"Solarizing Made Simpler"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Originally published in Santa Barbara Independent May 14, 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n

CEC Makes Sun\u00a0Power Easy and\u00a0More Affordable<\/strong><\/p>\n

As everyone shelters in place, our home energy\u00a0use is going through the roof. Why not use that\u00a0roof to harness the power of the sun to create\u00a0energy?<\/p>\n

If the nuts and bolts of researching, purchasing, and\u00a0installing a solar panel system seem overwhelming, the\u00a0Community Environmental Council (CEC)<\/a> offers a group\u00a0purchasing model to help homeowners install solar electricity\u00a0through a streamlined and hassle-free process, at a\u00a0discounted price.<\/p>\n

As of March, CEC programs have served almost 800\u00a0homes, according to April Price<\/a>, the organization\u2019s renewable\u00a0energy program senior manager. The programs run for\u00a0a limited time to make sure that the recommended vendors\u00a0and products are fully vetted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this ever-changing market, we want to make sure\u00a0that we\u2019re working with companies that are currently doing\u00a0well financially and offering solid services and products,\u201d\u00a0Price explained. \u201cEvery time we run one of these programs,\u00a0we will negotiate a discounted price. A local committee\u00a0reviews the vendor applications, and each time we run\u00a0a program, we come at\u00a0it with a clean slate to\u00a0determine who we\u2019re\u00a0going to partner with.\u201d<\/p>\n

This summer, CEC\u00a0will run a Solarize\u00a0Ventura<\/a> and a Solarize\u00a0Santa Barbara<\/a> program\u00a0for residential customers\u00a0and is also relaunching the Solarize Nonprofit <\/a>program,\u00a0which helps nonprofit organizations install photovoltaic\u00a0solar systems<\/a>, free of charge.<\/p>\n

Pairing your solar power with energy storage is becoming\u00a0a trend and is an option that is also available through\u00a0the CEC programs. \u201cThere are two reasons why people\u00a0consider pairing their solar with energy storage,\u201d Price\u00a0said. \u201cThe most straightforward one is you want to have\u00a0power when the electricity goes in the event of a public safety\u00a0shutoff or for any other reason. The second is there\u2019s\u00a0a definite financial savings for most customers that pair\u00a0their solar and storage.\u201d<\/p>\n

If installing solar is on your wish list, the federal tax\u00a0credit available for residential solar systems provides a great\u00a0incentive to do it sooner rather than later. Systems installed\u00a0before the end of 2020 have a 26 percent tax credit, which\u00a0goes down to 22 percent in 2021 and disappears in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>See cecsb.org\/go-solar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Stay at Home and Garden, special issue of SB Independent May 14, 2020.<\/p><\/div>\n

This story was originally published in the Santa Barbara Independent<\/em><\/a> on May 14, 2020. Click here<\/a> to read it as it appeared in print.<\/p>\n

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