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Run on Sun Monthly Newsletter

Chandler School Chooses Run on Sun

We don't often announce our latest projects, but one this week really stands out, and that is our upcoming project for Chandler School here in Pasadena. The 44.8 kW system will be installed this summer, in time for the 2015-16 school year.

Chandler is a special place that puts great emphasis on challenging its students. As they note in their Mission Statement:

Chandler students gain a love of learning, a means of thinking independently and an ability to work collaboratively. A Chandler education seeks to develop good character, self-reliance and a commitment to community in students as a foundation for academic and personal success.

What a lovely roof for solar!

It will come as no surprise to readers of this newsletter that we at Run on Sun have a soft spot for non-profits, and we take great pride in working with schools and churches to expand their mission while making the world a greener, cleaner place. We understand the process involved, with its many twists and turns, and we have found that our collaborative, information-intensive brand of "selling" solar meshes well with the non-profit world.

In the case of Chandler School, the process actually moved quite quickly - spurred on, at least in part, by the rebate step down announced by Pasadena Water and Power for May 1. Once the decision was made, the design team at Run on Sun was able to move quickly and get the rebate application completed and filed in time to meet the deadline.

We are excited to be working with this wonderful Pasadena institution, and we look forward to providing the Chandler community with a wonderful asset that will both save money and enhance the educational experience of its 450 students.

Top 3 Ways Solar = Water Conservation

After 4 years of severe drought and this year's winter snowpack at a pathetic 8% of typical levels, it's obvious that California will have to find real solutions as populations rise and the effects of climate change worsen. We rely on the High Sierras' snowmelt throughout the year for everything from our green lawns and fresh food (throughout the US) to our hydroelectric power. Governor Jerry Brown's recent mandate for cutting water use by 25 percent was overdue and necessary, but communities will have to step up conservation efforts in a big way. Ever since the Governor's big announcement ideas for how best to curb water use have been flowing. So why should PV solar power generation be at the top of the list? What does water conservation have to do with solar?

1. As noted previously in "Thirsty? Think Solar!"... compared to other energy sources, photovoltaic solar energy systems have the lowest life cycle water use. Increasing the amount of electricity generated by PV directly reduces our water demand
2. Once a big player in California energy production, hydropower dropped from 12 percent in 2013 to just 6 percent in 2014 due to the extreme drought conditions. But solar has stepped in to fill that gap, with production more than doubling to provide 5 percent of California's power in 2014—and that figure doesn't even count rooftop solar! According to the Energy Information Administration, solar PV and concentrating solar power together offset 83 percent of the total hydropower decline.
3. With drought comes a severe shortage of rainy days. Anyone with solar panels knows the joys of monitoring your energy output on a sunny day and the much sadder numbers that result on a gray day. As the drought persists, California's sunshine provides an endless resource that should be tapped.

Solar is an increasingly important solution to water scarcity as well as energy security. With no sign of a solar slowdown in California—we are the first state to get 5% of its energy from solar—strong generation records are likely in coming years. While solar has been included in some communities' plans to reduce water use (such as in the Los Angeles "pLAn"), many people are unaware of this solution. Communities, individuals and businesses installing rooftop solar can make a real positive difference for California's dire water situation.

Final Thoughts

April has been a crazy month!

One reason has been PWP's rebate step-down which has driven lots of interest in advance of a 50% drop in rebates. Seriously—if you had decided that it was time to "go solar" and you lived in Pasadena, why wouldn't you act now? So many people did just that— and we had a crazy month. Crazy in a good way to be sure, but exhausting just the same.

Which leads me to this thought: A year from now the 30% federal tax credit will be expiring, and that will make solar way more expensive (well, ok, 30% more expensive) for most of our clients. And here's the thing — since the credit is tied to completion of the project, delays in getting your project built, whether from the local permitting authority, or due to problems in getting products as demand increases — will create major problems for potential solar clients.

So a word to the wise: DON'T WAIT!

We will do all we can to help clients get their projects completed before the deadline, but some folks will wait too long. Don't be one of them, act now to get the best deal possible... while you still can!