| You CAN save money AND make a difference! |
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The typical homeowner can save 50% to 85% off their utility bills. |
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The typical home produces 350 tons of greenhouse gases over 25 years; the equivalent of 2 cars on the road. Install solar power to do your part. |
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See our Solar Power FAQ for more information. |
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Solar Power Information
How Solar Panel Power Systems Work
Solar panel systems, also known as photovoltaic (PV) systems, convert sunlight into electricity. Solar panels can produce electricity on cloudy days, but not as much as on a sunny day. To produce more power, solar cells (about 40) can be interconnected to form solar panels, ranging in output from 10 to 300 watts. About 10 to 20 solar panels could provide enough power for a household.
Solar panel arrays should be mounted at a fixed angle facing south, or they can be mounted on a tracking device that follows the sun, allowing them to capture the most sunlight over the course of a day. Because of their modularity, solar panel systems can be designed to meet most power needs, no matter how large or how small. You also can connect solar panels to an electric utility system (grid-connected), or they can stand alone (off-grid).
A grid-connected solar panel system receives back-up power from a utility when the solar power system is not producing enough energy. When the solar panels produce excess power, the utility is often required to purchase the power through a metering and rate arrangement. Under this arrangement, also known as net-metering, the utility essentially pays you retail price for the electricity you provide into the grid in the form of energy credits. Your local system supplier or installer should know about and be able to help you meet the requirements of your utility company.
Solar Panel System Costs
If you are paying more than $150 each month in utility bills, you can likely save money with solar power. As a rule of thumb, a one kilo-watt (1 kWh) solar power system could cost between $8,000 to $12,000 when installed by a solar professional. Geography, energy consumption, size of the home, roof pitch, roof direction, and even the presence of trees or other obstacles to sunlight could all effect the size of the solar power system needed.
Depending on geographic location, energy consumption and other installation factors, the typical California home will require a 2 to 6 kWh system. Therefore, a 2 kWh system could cost between $16,000 to $24,000, while a 6 kWh system could cost between $48,000 to $96,000. These costs do not include any state or local rebates, or solar energy tax credits, income tax deductions that may be available and could reduce your installation costs by up to 50%. Remember, you will likely recoup many times over this investment by reducing your monthly utility bill by 50% to 85%. Plus, you will feel especially good about making a significant impact on global warming.
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