April 17, 2017
Community Spotlight: Combating Rising Electricity Costs
This month, I had a chance to talk with community partner Matt Harder, who is an energy consultant at LGCY Power. They help homeowners save money on electricity by going solar.
Video Summary
House prices aren’t the only thing affecting the growing cost of living in San Diego. SDG&E’s utility rates are one of the highest in the nation. They have raised their rates every year for the last 6 years an average of 10% per year. And, they have been approved by the California Public Utility Commissions to increase rates through 2019.
Choosing solar is good for the environment and protects you against the SDG&E’s increasing rates. When making the switch, there are three major factors you need to consider: choosing the right company, comparing purchase vs. zero out of pocket programs, and determining the correct system size.
There are over 300 solar installers in San Diego County. So, it can be overwhelming trying to choose one. You should look at the bigger, more established companies. You want the company to last as long as the panels.
Today there are several ways to get solar: purchase, lease, and a power purchase agreement. Things that most buyers do not do is account for are insurance increases, maintenance costs, loan interest rates, and invertor replacement when comparing costs. In many cases, zero out-of-pocket programs are cheaper in the long run when compared to purchasing and the future costs that come with it.
To get a quote on solar, you need to get a customized design based on your roof space, kilowatts used, and sun hours your roof gets. This will determine how many panels you need.
To learn more about current California solar programs, visit www.CaSolarNow.com At that website, you can also request a free personalized solar design for your home. The design will give you an idea of how many panels you would need to match your energy usage.
You can also Matt directly at 619-813-9504 or mattharder@lgcypower.com. He would be happy to walk you through the process and answer questions about your design or program qualifications.
I hope you found that information on solar valuable. Please let us know what you thought. We will continue to bring you valuable information from our community partners each month. To learn more, please give us a call today at (619) 692-3630.
