WELCOME
Welcome to The Solar Citizen, SolarCity's look at what's new under the sun.
Analysts expect U.S. solar adoption to double in 2009.
Back to the ... Present
2009 should be an exciting year for solar power. According to estimates from Lux Research, the U.S. is expected to surpass 1.21 gigawatts of installed solar capacity sometime in the next 30 – 60 days. If that number sounds familiar to you, it may be because, according to Hollywood, it's also the amount of power required to send a DeLorean backward in time. Great Scott!
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As of January 1st, the solar investment tax credit has been extended for 8 years, hopefully long enough to help the industry achieve grid parity pricing. Now your friends can go solar as affordably as you did. During the national election, both candidates strongly stated support for more investment in renewable energy. President-elect Obama has announced a plan to invest $150 million in alternative energy sources over the next 10 years. At long last, solar power seems ready to realize its tremendous potential to be the cleanest, most cost-effective source of energy on the planet.
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The Party That Pays You (And the Planet) Back
The decision to use solar power means something a little different to everyone. Some do it purely to reduce their carbon footprint, out of love for the planet. Others like the great return on investment they realize in the form of electricity savings. Whatever the reason, almost all of our customers like to share their solar experience; what better way to do that than throwing a party?
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If you would like to host a Solar Party, SolarCity will help your organize and cater an event at your home. Sunset Magazine attended one of our solar parties — read what they had to say about it here, or check out this blog from the Gutmanns of Phoenix, AZ., for details on the solar party they threw earlier this year.
Perhaps best of all, new this month, SolarCity will pay a $1,000 referral bonus* to existing customers for each new customer they refer. So check out our Solar Party web page for more info, and get those invites out!
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A quick, simple efficiency audit can generate substantial savings on energy costs, and allow your solar installation to offset more of your energy use.
Going Green Without
Breaking the Bank
As more Americans begin to incorporate sustainability practices in their lives, we continue to hear that "going green" can be expensive. Well, environmental responsibility that everyone can afford is a SolarCity mantra. Since our solar financing options can allow many homeowners to switch to solar power for less than they previously paid for electricity, we suspected that there might be other ways to go green for less. Here are three green things you can start doing today that can save you money!
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- Use recyclable bags and containers. Re-usable beverage containers and shopping bags are available from a growing list of retailers. Some stores, such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, provide raffles and other rewards to shoppers who use re-usable bags. Less pollution AND free groceries? Sign me up!
- Compost! Composting can contribute to a beautiful, healthier garden, save money on fertilizers. Composting paper and food waste in lieu of throwing it in the garbage is faster and easier than it's ever been before. SolarCity customer Greenwaste Recovery (just installed a 300 kilowatt solar system!) recycles trash into usable compost for San Jose area residents. Electronic composters can convert your table scraps into food for your garden without making a stink, or a mess. Try it!
- Conduct an energy efficiency audit. Energy efficiency experts can conduct an energy audit of your home for as little as a few hundred dollars, and their recommendations—replacing old appliances, improving insulation and other efficiency improvements—can potentially save you thousands in energy costs.
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The Otay Mesa Border Station sees more than 1 million vehicles and $30 billion in goods pass through its gates each year.
FEATURED INSTALLATION
Otay Mesa Border Station SAN DIEGO, CA
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is the largest public real estate organization in the country, and the world's largest landlord. GSA manages more than a quarter of the government's total procurement dollars, and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings. So needless to say, we were thrilled and very honored when GSA tapped SolarCity to install a 274 kilowatt solar power array on the Otay Mesa Border Crossing Station in San Diego.
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The Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection is responsible for screening all foreign visitors, returning American citizens and imported cargo that enters the U.S. at more than 300 land, air and sea ports. The Otay Mesa Commercial Port of Entry (POE) is the busiest commercial port on the California-Mexico border, and in 2007 handled more than 1.4 million trucks and $31.2 billion worth of goods in both directions.
"Otay Mesa is a flagship facility, demonstrating how federal and private buildings can reduce their energy use in a cost-effective way," said Tim Cashman, the property manager for California Land Ports of Entry in the GSA's Public Building Service. "We hope to serve as a model to other facilities and demonstrate how technology can improve government services." GSA has deployed a wide variety of energy efficiency techniques in addition to solar, including "dragon power", a way to capture power transferred by the weight and motion of passing vehicles. The Otay Mesa Border Station is helping the federal government meet its mandate to go greener, something we can all appreciate.
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The Kobayashis' compact array offsets approximately 60 percent of the family's annual electricity costs.
SOLAR CITIZENS
The Kobayashis LAFAYETTE, CA
Greg Kobayashi's family is committed to green living: The family has worked to reduce their trash to only one bag a week, and his 9-year-old daughter even rinses out and reuses the plastic storage bags. "We're always looking for ways to conserve," he says, adding that he recycled about 80 percent of the materials he pulled out during a recent kitchen remodel.
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Plugging into solar seemed like the next step towards sustainability, Kobayashi says, but the initial costs prevented him from moving forward. "We got three bids from solar providers, and it just didn't pencil out," he remembers. SolarCity's SolarLease option changed all that: The Kobayashi's lease replaced what would have been a large cash cost upfront with monthly payments lower than their previous electricity bills. Solar power output was guaranteed, and repairs included at no additional charge.
"It's taken our bill down considerably," says Kobayashi. "Our bill for August was about $30 bucks. Before we installed solar, it used to be closer to $200."
He says that because "we were sort of like the guinea pigs in our area" he's already been approached by several neighbors. "Everyone thinks, solar is important, but they don't see solar as being easily accessible for personal use," Kobayashi says. "With SolarCity and SolarLease it's so easy. You sign up, and that's literally all you have to do, they take care of everything else." Next on the to-do list: host a Solar Party to show off his system to his curious neighbors and friends.
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Did you know?
Did you know you can share your solar production website with your friends and neighbors? Simply click the "Share This Page" button from your online SolarGuard account page. Your friends will get an email with a direct link to your interactive display.
* After reviewing some of our marketing costs, we determined that you, our customers, are our best advertisers, so we decided to take some of the money we've been spending on advertising and give it to you. Our lawyers have also asked us to add that to qualify for the $1,000 Refer a Friend promotion, you must be an existing SolarCity customer. Your referrals must first contact SolarCity between January 1 and March 31, 2009 and sign a contract for a new solar system by March 31, 2009. Ask your friends to mention your name when they first call SolarCity so that we can give you credit for the referral. The $1,000 Refer a Friend promotion is not valid with any other promotions or group discount programs.
