California Center for Sustainable Energy

Are you a fence-sitter when it comes to solar for your home? Have you just not wanted to think about the efficiency of your home’s energy systems? I can’t imagine a better time to address these issues. In all of my years in the energy sector, I have never seen such deep discounts and generous rebates as are available to all San Diego County residents right now.

My husband and I are in the process of buying a new residence, downsizing from a too large home to a smaller one, and soon after escrow closes, we will be signing up for Reduce then Produce. It’s a terrific offer with the opportunity to get a photovoltaic ( PV) system for as low as $5.75 per watt. (Current residential solar pricing averages about $8.30 per watt.) When you add on the 30 percent federal tax credit, a 2- kilowatt system, which may be all you need after comprehensive energy efficiency, can cost you as little as $7,600.

Almost 8,000 San Diegan households have made the choice to go solar since the start of the California Solar Initiative in 2007, and many have had whole-house energy efficiency improvements with Energy Upgrade California since it started earlier this year. They are already saving energy and money and enjoying greater comfort and cleaner air in their homes. Thanks to smart meter technology, they also are able to monitor and control their energy use in reaction to demand.

Why is it important to act now? Because the cost-savings offered by Reduce then Produce are only available by signing up by Oct. 20, 2011. In addition to the solar savings, with Energy Upgrade California you’re also able to get up to $4000 for up to 40% energy savings from SDG&E.

Not convinced about energy efficiency and solar? Join us for a workshop here at CCSE about the value of doing both together on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 5:30 p.m. There’s still time to sign up and attend.

Come visit our Residential Energy Roadshow at the San Diego Fall Home/Garden Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, Sept. 16-18. It’s our new mobile home energy exhibit featuring various products for reducing energy use, solar systems and educational resources. We’ll have energy efficiency contractors on hand to explain more about what happens during an assessment. And we’ll even buy you a free ticket to the show worth $8 and give you half off on additional admissions. Simply click here.

Of course, pairing energy efficiency and solar with an electric vehicle (EV) creates even more cost- and energy-saving synergies. To help EV owners understand how to use their home charging systems efficiently, CCSE is offering a workshop called “High-Performance Home Fueling Stations” on Tuesday, Sept. 13. We also have rebates for zero-emission vehicles, including electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles. To learn more, click here.

The goal is to achieve energy independence at home by balancing our use with our ability to generate distributed power. It’s not simply the money; it’s also about comfort, sustainability and increasing confidence in our nation’s economic prospects and future well-being.

So what are you waiting for? Visit www.SDreduceproduce.org and take action NOW.

Continue reading September's newsletter.