California Center for Sustainable Energy

San Diego Offers New Energy Discounts

Summer is in full swing and so are homeowner’s utility bills. But there’s a new pathway for San Diegans to take to reduce their home’s energy use and produce their own solar power - Reduce then Produce.

Reduce then Produce is a first-of-its-kind group purchasing program. It’s a collaborative effort between the City of San Diego, CCSE, Group Energy and more than a dozen local home performance contractors and solar installers. The program, which provides special savings and discounts on home energy efficiency upgrades and solar installations, is a complement to San Diego’s Summer of Energy Independence, which was announced in July by Mayor Jerry Sanders. (View the press conference at CCSE online here.)

"The best way for homeowners to take advantage of clean energy technologies is to first achieve energy savings through efficiency measures and then install solar energy systems to generate their own power,” said Irene Stillings, CCSE executive director. “Creating sustainable, clean energy is such an important opportunity on so many levels – for a better environment, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, decreased dependence on foreign oil – and our long-term security as individuals and as a nation."

Homeowners who take advantage of the Reduce then Produce program will not only reduce their energy use and utility costs but also improve their home’s comfort and create a healthier home environment for themselves and their families. "This program is designed to make it both easier and less expensive for San Diego homeowners to get their homes into top energy shape," Sanders said.

The Reduce then Produce program is now under way, and to participate, homeowners must sign up by October 20, 2011. You can join the program by going to SDreduceproduce.org and answering a few basic questions. From there you choose a participating home performance contractor to provide a comprehensive home energy assessment and make any needed improvements to your home.

For a limited time, contractors participating in Reduce then Produce have agreed to provide the energy assessment, which can cost up to $500, for no more than $199. Homeowners may also get incentives of up to $4,000 for improvements from the Energy Upgrade California™ program.

Once a home’s energy upgrades have been made and the energy consumption has been lowered, homeowners can join the group solar purchase. Current residential solar pricing averages about $8.30 per watt. Through Reduce then Produce, Sullivan Solar Power and SunPower are providing pricing on 2- kilowatt ( kW) systems or larger that starts at $6.40 per watt. When each contractor reaches 100 kW, all participants in that pool will get another 5 percent back. Add in the CSI rebate, and that’s $5.75 per watt plus the 30 percent tax credit. That’s 30 percent off the average price of solar before the 30 percent tax credit.

For more information or to sign up for Reduce then Produce, visit www.SDreduceproduce.org.

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