San Francisco Solar Energy Incentive Program Info

On March 12, the SF Chronicle wrote this article about the solar panel ballot measure:

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that he has withdrawn a measure scheduled for the June ballot that, if it had passed, would have offered rebates for city business owners and residents who install solar panels.

Newsom said the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission instead will fund the $3 million worth of rebates in 2008.

In recent weeks, the Board of Supervisors and Newsom have clashed over the solar panel ballot measure, which, if approved by voters, would have allowed the PUC to fund the rebate program continuously in future years without having to obtain budgetary approval on an annual basis.

Newsom said he still may decide to ask voters to weigh in on the issue in the future.

The average cost of installing solar panels on a San Francisco home is about $20,000, city officials said. Under the city’s rebate program, residents are eligible for up to $6,000 and businesses can receive up to $10,000.

E-mail Cecilia M. Vega at cvega@sfchronicle.com.

Just a few things to mention here.

1. It’s not a rebate, it’s a cash incentive. That means it has to be reported as income. No one has paid this money into a fund, the money is coming from elsewhere (the excess Hetch Hetchy Damn funds). On the other hand, if you look on the of a PG&E bill, you will see that you are paying, monthly, for “public purpose programs,” which includes the California Solar Initiative, the state rebate program…. a true rebate program. Ironically, if you install solar energy, you pay less of these public purpose program fees.

2. The headline may turn people off very quick. Skimmers are going to assume the credit is kaput, and give up in on Solar in San Francisco. The truth of the matter is that the measure’s failure to pass doesn’t mean all that much. The rebate is still in effect until the end of the year, and probably will be renewed next year.

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