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Run on Sun Monthly Newsletter

Support Solar!

Regular readers of this blog will know that solar-friendly policies are under constant attack by the utilities, especially the three Investor-owned utilities (or IOUs as they are known), PG&E, SDG&E and our own SCE. Well they are at it again, with rate proposals before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that could harm both solar and energy efficiency measures alike. Fortunately, we have an opportunity to have our say - here's our take. (H/t our friends at CalSEIA.)

Current policies in California, most notably net metering, along with a tiered rate structure (whereby you pay more for electricity as you use more) have provided powerful incentives not only for consumers to install solar, but to also take proactive measures to reduce their energy consumption. As a result, energy use in California over the past twenty years has grown slower than the growth in population despite the explosion of new electronic devices in homes and businesses during that time.

Indeed, California has lead the way for the rest of the Nation, proving that you can have a twenty-first century lifestyle and still reduce your energy demand.

In other words, these policies have been a success.

The proposals being floated at the CPUC would change rates throughout the three IOU service areas (i.e., much of California) and threaten that success. In particular, they are seeking to add a flat, monthly fee to everyone of $10 to all bills, regardless of use and to reduce the number of tiers from four to two. In addition, the rate for the lowest tier would increase, making this a double-whammy not just to solar owners, but to the poorest electric customers who will see a rise in their rates. (So much for the utilities' concern over hurting the poor!)

Fortunately these changes are not yet cast in stone and the public, particularly advocates for solar and energy efficiency, have a chance to have their voices heard. The CPUC is holding a series of public hearings, some in the Run on Sun service area, as well as others around the state. Here are the upcoming hearings:

We hope you will come out to one of these meetings and help Support Solar!

Meet Kendra Hubbard - Intern Extraordinaire!

We are really excited to announce our first ever intern at Run on Sun, the incomparable Kendra Hubbard! As many of you know, Kendra has been involved with solar marketing and social media (@kendra_hubbard) for many years, but she has longed to "get her hands dirty" and see more of the business, particularly from the perspective of a well-respected local installer. We at Run on Sun have long admired Kendra's insights into the solar industry but have never had the chance before to lure her to our fair city. When this opportunity arose, we jumped at the chance. Kendra, of course, wasted no time in getting to work, as you can see in this picture of Kendra working with us on our latest installation: a very cool mix of raised seem metal roof (S-5 clamps and Everest racking) plus ballasted (PolarClaw's Polar Bear III). In the coming weeks and months we are looking forward to Kendra's contributions to a vast swath of what we do, from sales and prospecting, to organizational efficiency (and yes, even some marketing!). So please take a moment to welcome Kendra - one of the true Solar Women Stars - to the Run on Sun team!

Tracking Solar Permits

We wrote back in May about the number of solar permits that were pulled in March of this year statewide for solar (PV) installs and were surprised to see San Bernardino county leading the field and in a big way. Well we just got a peak at the data for July—what surprises might it bring? Compared to the March data, things have really heated up, with the statewide total of 6,521 permits representing a 67% increase over the previously reported 3,901 permits! Our leader board has changed dramatically as well, with San Diego County grabbing the top spot with 10.5% of the statewide total. San Bernardino drops from first to seventh, while Los Angeles County—far and away the state's population leader—was just barely able to beat out tiny Placer county (home to a twenty-seventh of LA's population).

Unfortunately the data does not report the size of these projects, merely their valuation, which can be an unreliable data point since it is not verified in the permitting process. In any event, total valuation for the month was in excess of $105 million, with Riverside county taking the lead ($13.9 million), followed by Orange ($7.9), Fresno ($7.5), Kern ($7.4) and then San Diego ($6.8). PV valuation in LA County was just $4.8 million. Of course, given the nightmare of doing business in LA County's largest city—a topic we have discussed previously, and one to which we will return in future posts—LA County's laggard numbers should come as no surprise.