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Run on Sun Monthly Newsletter

Happy New Year - the Solar & Storage Tax Credit is Extended!

Ok, so of course it took some last minute drama - this is 2020 after all - but the extension to the federal tax credit for solar and storage has been signed into law!  Read on to see what that means for you!

State of the Law Going into Deliberations

As readers of this blog would surely know, the federal tax credit that had been set at 30% for several years, dropped down to 26% in 2020 (just the first of many not-so-desirable outcomes for a year that would see so many!), and was scheduled to decline to 22% for 2021, before expiring completely in January of 2022 for residential solar projects.  We have written before that the solar tax credit was quite popular on both sides of the aisle, so there was always some hope that the current credit rates might be extended, but that was by no means a sure thing.  Fingers crossed and all that!

This new project - designed with Scanifly - will get the full 26% tax credit next year!

A Bill is Born!

As the negotiations between the Trump Administration and Congressional leaders progressed to try and provide economic stimulus at a time when many are out of work, too many facing potential evictions, and state and local governments facing severe challenges, word came out from CALSSA that the extension of the tax credit was in the draft bill!  Then on December 21st we learned that the extension was in the final bill that was being sent to the President!  (For those who are true gluttons for punishment, here's a link to the Bill, and the language for the residential extension is on page 4,915!  Crazy, right?)

Excited by this most welcome development at the end of a dark year - and just in time for Christmas! - I was ready to write this blog.  But hey, this is still 2020, so I resolved to keep my powder dry until the Bill had actually been signed!

Drama

Seems my hesitation was warranted, as the President declared the Bill - negotiated by his Administration - a "disgrace" and threatened to veto it!  Instead insisting that the relief payments be substantially increased (something his own party rejected) and the "pork" in the bill be removed.  (News coverage of the President's displeasure focused on exemptions for "three-martini lunches" (who is doing that these days?) or depreciation schedules for race horses!  The solar tax credit did not seem to be part of the pork in question.)  Of course, one man's pork is another man's livelihood, and besides, you cannot really take an agreement that took literally months to hammer together and then redo it in days.  Didn't the President ever see, "I'm Just a Bill?"

All's Well that End's Well

So after much Sturm und Drang, on Sunday the Bill became a Law!  Which means we can tell you exactly how things will progress going forward on the tax credit front:

The 26% credit will now continue for projects "placed in service" between now and the end of 2022.  The 22% credit will apply to projects placed in service between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.  Projects that go into service after January 1, 2024 will receive no credit under this new law.

Given the stimulus value of solar and storage projects - to say nothing of their environmental benefits - this is a most welcome development.  And for projects that got delayed due to the pandemic, the full 26% credit will still be available next year - a relief to many homeowners and solar installers who have been up against the clock.

In the end, the process was messier than it needed to be, but the job got done.  Here's hoping that 2021 and 2022 can be real boom years for the solar industry, and the broader economy as well!

Going Live in Altadena!

We recently received PTO for a new project in Altadena, and part of what made this interesting was that we decided to modify the project mid-stream so that we would be positioned to add an Enphase Ensemble Storage System down the road.  We wanted to configure the layout so that when the storage was added, we could just "plug-and-play" - so here's how that turned out...

Oh County, Why do you make EVERYTHING so Hard?

Our approved plans from LA County showed the solar disconnect adjacent to the service panel, but that really wouldn't work out if we were going to add storage.   Instead, we were going to install a backup subpanel near the main panel and the Enphase Enpower switch next to that.  Then we would run conduit to a gutter box on the wall, above which the storage device(s) would eventually be installed, and then we would have our combiner box and PV disconnect.  So I redrew the site plan showing the location of the revised equipment, and a new single line drawing to show how everything would be interconnected, crossed my fingers and hit "Submit".

Nope.

County would not allow us to revise our existing solar permit to incorporate the Enpower switch.  Instead, we had to revise our solar site plan to just show the new location for the disconnect, and leave off the Enpower switch.  Then, we needed to pull a second permit - a complex electrical permit - that included a site plan with all of the equipment (all solar components designated as Existing!), and the full single line drawing.  And, yeah, pay for it.  Seriously?

Patience Carries the Day!

Ultimately we were able to overcome all of County's complaints and get the project approved.  Happily, SCE issued PTO almost immediately, so we came back to go live with the system.  Our client, Sean, decided to memorialize the process, so here is an edited version of that footage that let's you see how we designed for the future, and the process of bringing the system online.  Check it out!

Installing Solar in a Time of Lockdowns

Editor's Note: As Los Angeles County sees new COVID-19 cases spiking to over 5,000 per day, we wanted to update our followers and potential clients on how things are shaking out.  We just learned that the wife of one of our roofers is ill with the disease and he is in quarantine. Needless to say, we are hoping for her full and swift recovery.  So while this is anything but business as usual, we are still here and working, albeit moving slower than we would like.  We asked Sophia to remind you of just how we work and let you know that we are looking forward to hearing from you soon!  Take it away, Sophia!

Run on Sun is Very Much Open!

Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, we are still safely operating here at Run on Sun! The great thing about installing solar is that it requires little close-client contact! When we receive new inquiries, we are able to complete the entire solar install process from site evaluation to final inspection at a distance, and of course, masked. We prioritize your safety and our safety over everything. Since we are still open and currently working on projects, we want to give you a little insight on the Run on Sun process!    Since 2006, we have been installing quality solar and storage systems. We pride ourselves on being 100% up-front with our potential clients.

As we all know, solar can be quite the investment! It is important for us to make sure each system is going to have economic benefits and will be valuable to the home. These benefits can greatly vary based on location, roof factors, and shading. We want to assure that you are not going to be putting in more money than you are getting out. Your solar system should eventually result in an investment income. In other words, going solar with us will greatly reduce or eliminate your electric bills and will have an economic return! Unfortunately, there are always going to be some houses that will not reap the benefits of solar.

A site evaluation with Run on Sun is an easy, stress-free process! First, we will collect your energy usage history to determine your potential system size. We will then come to your property with our drone (we call him Oscar!) and capture aerial images, which will give us detailed monthly solar-resource data from your roof. (We aim for an average annual sun exposure of 80% or more to go forward with a project.) After we have gathered all necessary data, we use a sophisticated software service called Scanifly to create a precise 3D model of your home with solar included.

A comprehensive proposal of the system, quote, and savings will be sent to you free of charge!

Run Down of Our Selected Products

Here at Run on Sun–we value quality and have carefully chosen our products from extensive research and testing. Our go-to panel manufacturer for each system is made by LG (you know, the Life is Good folks!).  LG's  durable and reliable panels have been giving us the most efficient results for years. We trust LG to provide us with reasonable prices, amazing quality, and impeccable aesthetics. In addition, each panel has a 25-year warranty so there are zero financial penalties if anything were to malfunction!

We also use all Enphase products, including the IQ7+ microinverter and the Envoy monitoring device, which allows us and our clients to view system production. We are also now installing the Ensemble Energy Storage System, that can be a terrific addition, particularly for clients in the SCE service area. We have been partners with Enphase since 2009 - we installed system ID 1,470!  They are re-imagining the solar industry by making the process easier, faster, and by far–more reliable. Each microinverter comes with a 25-year warranty and allows for complete customer inclusion by making their monitoring system comprehensive and mobile-friendly.

Why go with Run on Sun?

The solar market is competitive and there are a lot of installers out there! Here at Run on Sun, Founder & CEO Jim Jenal is NABCEP certified, and we are constantly updating our knowledge as the solar world continues to evolve. The way we view solar is a little different from other companies. We recognize how big of an investment going solar can be. However, it is one of the best things you can do for yourself and for the world. We want to make sure our customers understand every single aspect of the process and are getting all questions answered thoroughly. For us, it’s not about selling a system. It’s about making sure solar is going to be beneficial for you. Run on Sun is always 100% transparent with each client. If we run the numbers and there is little economic advantage–we will highlight that from the start. Our motive to install solar stems from our passion for the planet and for the people. We put in the necessary time and effort to ensure the highest quality of system is achieved, and we go the extra lengths to help our customers in any way possible.

So–what are you waiting for? Get a free solar quote now! We would love to hear from you.