California Center for Sustainable Energy

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (July 15, 2008)- The California Center for Sustainable Energy ( CCSE) will be joining San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders from 11:00 a.m. until noon on Thursday, July 16, at the city’s Environmental Services Division (9601 Ridgehaven Court) in Kearny Mesa to announce the launch of an interactive solar mapping website for San Diego County. The website enables users to view the locations of thousands of solar power and solar water heating systems installed in San Diego and will ultimately allow users to estimate the potential size and cost of solar equipment on their home.

The San Diego Solar Map is a cooperative project of the City of San Diego, CH2M Hill and CCSE with funding from the Department of Energy’s ( DOE) Solar America Cities program and the California Solar Initiative. Its purpose is to promote greater public awareness about the potential for solar energy in the San Diego region, as well as to illustrate the extent to which solar is currently being used.

"The map is an important tool for San Diegans because it shows the widespread adoption of solar technologies and will inform and encourage others to invest in systems themselves," said CCSE Executive Director Irene Stillings. "When they are ready to plan a solar electric or water heating system, CCSE can assist with rebates, workshops, technical advice and information about financing options and qualified installers."

Upon entering the web site, there is a map of the San Diego region, with markers identifying existing solar installations. By clicking on a marker, it displays information about that solar installation. Users can view total installed solar capacity by zip code and see photographs of existing installations on homes and businesses. The map will be updated continually by CCSE as systems are completed, and the map has a feature to allow owners of existing systems not included to be added.

Some functions of the solar map are still in development. When it is completed, users will be able to estimate the solar power potential for any home, including annual system output and associated financial performance information. There also will be links provided to get online resources for estimating the cost of installing a solar power system, as well as finding a solar installer and getting information on financing options, tax incentives, rebate programs and other topics.

Using Google Maps as a visualization platform, the San Diego Solar Map is a dynamic catalog of solar projects developed from detailed aerial photographs and other data. It bases its calculation of solar potential for a structure on roof square footage and considers factors, such as a roof angle and obstructions, including tree shading and nearby tall buildings.

The map is primarily the result of a $400,000 DOE grant awarded to the city in August 2008 for several solar projects in the region. Part of the grant was allocated for the solar map to be developed by CCSE’s technical staff. A goal of the grant is to help CCSE and the city set the stage for wider adoption of solar throughout the region. Additional funding for the map came from the California Solar Initiative through the California Public Utilities Commission.

CCSE administers the regional California Solar Initiative program that provides technical support and rebates to businesses, public agencies and homeowners who want to lower their energy costs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels by using solar technology.

The San Diego Solar Map is available at no charge via the Internet. Similar maps are being developed throughout California and other cities worldwide. The website can be viewed and used at sd.solarmap.org/solar. Mayor Sanders and representatives from CCSE, Environment California, CleanTech SD and CH2M Hill will be speaking at the event.