San Francisco solar incentive info here is NOT UP TO DATE anymore.  Get up-to-date info at the PUC’s site.

If you’re thinking about getting solar on your home the San Francisco Bay Area, it can be a lot simpler if everyone is in the same boat…The tipping point in solar comes when people bring each other into the fold, and solar is made to be comfortable, simple, and cost effective.  1bog works on all of those facets of adoption.  Here is why buying solar in a group is awesome.You can always contact me at dave@1bog.org

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What does this mean for you?  

Well, it means solar pencils out better for everyone $ wise.If you are getting solar installed this year, you can possibly talk to your installer about holding on to the interconnection paperwork until 2009 so you can claim the beefier credit, although they may ask you to float the state rebate for a bit since they can’t get the state rebate money for their company until they file the interconnection paperwork…. this will probably be way worth it in most cases.The most important thing is that it was extended for 8 years, which means we can actually build industry around it instead of having wishy-washy incentives that get patched or revoted on every year.  HOORAY!

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1.  The payment is now assignable to any party on the application.  Whoever the rebate gets assigned to is the party that has to deal with the tax ramification of the subsidy.

2.  You have to add the city of San Francisco as an insured party on your home insurance, but they’ve removed many of the requirements for system sizes under 30kW.  In my opinion adding SF to your insurance is ludicrous overkill for liability protection since there’s really no liability from the city, they are just scared because they are a deep pocket.

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So as you may or may not know, the city of San Francisco was a winner of the “solar cities” grant, where (I think) 13 cities got about $2M a piece to use to promote renewable energy.

One of the ways that San Francisco has chosen to use this money is a “Train the Trainers” Solar Champions course at the PG&E energy center (between 4th and 5th on Howard).  The energy center repeatedly teaches a solar energy fundamentals class taught by Pete Schoemaker, who really knows his stuff.  This new, special, “Solar Champions” version is about twice as long, and trains people how to re-give Pete’s world class slideshow to neighborhood meetings, HOA’s, wherever, whomever.  The idea is to use proactive citizens to educate the public on solar.

Here are the details of the Solar Neighborhood Champions class.  Contact Jason Houck to signup.

If you are a solar energy enthusiast who is interested in organizing a “group purchase” of solar energy, check out One Block Off the Grid at www.1bog.org

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Personally, I have a beef with this particular subsidy because it shakes out the mom-and-pop solar installers who don’t have the bandwidth to hire a new full-time employee from being able to compete in the SF market (no one is going to even pick up the phone if it’s going to cost them a few grand extra right off the bat just to use you as their installer.)  But that’s how it is, and we need to hire one to remain competitive, so that’s what we’re doing.

Here is the PDF on the San Francisco Workforce Development Solar Incentive, and here is their email:

Thank you for your interest in GoSolar SF and the GoSolarSF Workforce Development Incentive program.  The GoSolarSF Incentive program provides a $6,000 incentive for residential installations performed by contractors employing graduates of GoSolarSF-approved workforce development programs.

Solar installers may participate in this program by becoming certified to perform installations that qualify for the $6,000 workforce development incentive of the GoSolarSF Program.  OEWD has developed a list of workforce referral agencies from which your company can interview and hire qualified San Francisco workers.

Complete information on how your company can participate can be found at:
http://www.oewd.org/Workforce_Development-GoSolarSF.aspx and an overview of the Workforce Development Incentive program is attached.

Questions?

Please contact the GoSolarSF Workforce Program.

or more information on GoSolarSF, please visit www.solarsf.org

Thank you,

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Please help get this thing done.  Votesolar.org has helped make it easy, just click the button:

-Dave

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I know this isn’t about the San Francisco Solar Incentive Program, but it’s important.  Without these tax credits the solar industry will be kneecapped and fall farther behind the rest of the globe,  and most installers don’t have the financial fortitude to survive long enough for our new president to pass a new renewable energy incentive program.  Please follow the instructions below to stop the disaster.

Friends,

We have one more shot at passing a long-term extension of the critical federal clean energy tax credits. It’s now, or lame duck session-which is as good as never.

(take action at:http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1179/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=25264)

As early as tomorrow, your Senators will vote on S. 3335, which includes an 8 year extension of the commercial and residential solar tax credit, and doubles the residential cap to $4,000.  Please call or email your Senators today to turn up the heat, and get this thing done.

S. 3335 is a sweet deal, devised by Senate Democrats to include bi-partisan must-pass provisions, such as tax relief for families and businesses affected by natural disasters this year in the Midwest and West, and an exemption on the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for middle- income families. We believe that Senators will be hard-pressed to justify a vote against this bill, but we need to show them that their constituents –you– are holding them accountable.

Onwards,

Annie and the Vote Solar Team
The Vote Solar Initiative
300 Brannan Street, Suite 609
San Francisco, CA 94107
www.votesolar.org

Watch a video about the clean energy tax incentives here

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Saturday, July 26th
Eureka Valley Recreation Center
100 Collingwood
1:30pm – 3:30

Saturday, August 9th
Ella Hill Hutch Community Center
1050 McAllister Street
10am-12noon

Basically you mingle around at 10 or so local installer tables and a few tables from city initiatives like the dept. of environment and the PUC… then some speakers from the city to elaborate on the new subsidy (the people in the picture).

Here’s a picture from the last one that was at 1800 Oakdale Avenue:

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There are a few changes between the original draft and the new ad final version of the solar program that is now written into law. Here is my best attempt at clearly explaining those differences:

(btw, with the varying subsidy levels, some based on geography, income, installer location, it can get damn confusing, but just know that except for the special new “low income” incentive, they are all mutually exclusive. That means you only get one, so it’s either $3000, $4000, $5000, or $6000. Just figure out the highest number you would qualify for and that is the one you get.)

1. The $5000 “Environmental Justice Districts” was extended to low income individuals. It now includes not just zip codes 94107 and 94124, but also anyone who qualifies as “low income” by the Mayor’s office of housing (MOH), or anyone who qualifies for the PG&E CARE program. To qualify at the MOH you must make less than $63,350 for a household of one up to $97,700 for a family of 5. The MOH may also be able to help you with low interest financing for a solar project. The MOH website is here. These loans are generally 3%. Wow. I’ll scan their handout when I get back from out of town.

2. An Additive Low-Income subsidy of extra $5000 - all of the other subsidies are not additive and are mutually exclusive, except this one. If you qualify in the same manner as above (by qualifying as low income from the MOH or through the PG&E care program) you can get an additional $5000 to install solar. That’s pretty huge.

3. The addition of the $6000 workforce development incentive. Personally, I’m not pleased with this addition because it makes the subsidy confusing and makes people think they have to wait when that may not be the case. Don’t be fooled by any marketing from installers concerning who can offer the $6000 and who can’t, because it’s a brand new program and hasn’t even started yet (Starts in July). The positive note about it, though, is that it trumps the “local installer” incentive so that it gives out-of-towner installation companies a chance to compete, and competition is good for the consumer, and solar in general.

So how does it work? Well basically, a solar installer must hire a worker from this San Francisco Workforce Development Program, like one from Citybuild, and then use him or her on the installation on which the subsidy is being applied for. It’s relatively simple, but it’s new and there are kinks to be worked out. Personally, I feel like installers should also be able to hire them to do work other than installing, such as clerical or warehouse work, but it’s a great start.

4. Qualifications for the $4000 “Local Installer” incentive have changed. The wording used to require a “business license with an SF address.” That part has not changed, but now that business address must be your “principal” office.

(To establish a principal place of business in San Francisco, as distinct from an office, a business must demonstrate that the majority of its principals are based in the San Francisco office, and that it pays San Francisco payroll taxes on at least 51% of its total payroll. See here.)

5. The Non-Profit Pilot Program - in addition to the original subsidy, a $1.5M pilot program with very hearty subsidies for non-profits was passed. These include an uncapped $1500/kW incentive for non-profits, and $4500/kW (capped at $30,000) for multi-unit non-profit housing. These are big incentives.

NEW THINGS, NOT CHANGES, CONCERNING THE POLICY:

Solar Fairs - The Department of the Environment will be hosting what is more or less “open houses,” for solar installs where different installers and experts will be there to field your questions and provide you with materials. Here are the first two:

Saturday, July 12th
Southeast Community Facility
Alex L. Pitcher, Jr. Community Room
1800 Oakdale Avenue
10am-12noon

Saturday, July 26th
Eureka Valley Recreation Center
100 Collingwood
1:30pm – 3:30

New date for receiving applications - The solar incentive program will begin accepting applications July 1st.

If you have questions, add them here and I’ll try to answer them:

“Can I install a PV system for each of my tenants in an 8 unit building and receive 8 per meter incentives?”

Yes you can. One incentive amount per meter. All solar systems in California are completely isolated per meter.

“I’ve heard horror stories about passing st electrical inspections…are there any provisions in the new program that will facilitate the process?
often the electrical work is performed by non-union electricians.. Which leads to some wired politics..building officials seem to lean on the non union jobs a bit harder making it difficult to pass inspections and racking up costs to the purchaser..what has anyone heard about this? Is this rolled into the ” streamlined” process?”

The permitting for solar has already been streamlined to eliminate structural permits, if the installers is using approved mounting equipment. As for the electrical permit, there seems to be one inspector who is particularly picky, but this shouldn’t impact you. Your installer simply has to do whatever the inspector says to get it signed off, before they get the rebate assigned to them. The only way I could see a difficult electrical inspector being an issue is if you hired a very small or budget operation that only did the install itself and left you with all the paperwork.

“Has there been any recent development on clarifying the requirements for the “workforce development initiative” incentive?”

They are now saying August 8th they will have logistics of the hiring procedures hammered out.  Believe me, there is a lot of pressure on them as every installer in SF knows they have to hire one to remain competitive.  The small players can’t take on a new full time installer, and are going to be out of the game, which is one of the many reasons why uneven subsidies for solar energy are, in my opinion, a bad idea.  They goof with free market forces in dangerous ways, and in this case, hurt instead of help the consumer.

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