Residents, businesses invited to join program
CITY HALL A team of contractors has been selected to upgrade 50 homes and businesses with energy efficient solar products as part of City Hall’s new “Solar Santa Monica” program.
The four providers will offer interested applicants package installations at fixed prices, some of which are 25 percent cheap-er than what people could find on the open market, said Virginia Nicols, a spokesperson for EcoMotion, the consultant hired by City Hall to facilitate the program.
“Under agreements we have been able to negotiate with manufacturers, the basic commercial price for (solar electric) is $6.86 per watt and the residential price is $9.80 per watt,” Nicols said.
The typical residential installation is expected to cost roughly $18,000 and this cost will be further reduced by rebates through a state-sponsored solar Initiative and by a federal tax credit. For commercial installations, City Hall has waived the cost of permits to encourage businesses to participate, said Susan Munves, who heads Solar Santa Monica.
“We are very excited about the manufacturers we are working with,” Munves said.
The manufacturers selected to do the residential upgrades are Absolutely Solar, Advanced Solar, and Permacity Solar. The company selected for commercial solar installations is SunTechnics. These companies will be referred directly to all Solar Santa Monica participants, and will work closely with the city and the Solar Santa Monica team to be sure each site meets the program’s goals, city officials said.
After months of planning, the Solar Santa Monica program went into effect in January. The goal of the program is to get 50 homes and businesses to install energy efficiency measures and solar electric and solar thermal systems. Eventually, city officials would like every feasible rooftop in Santa Monica to have solar panels, with the ultimate goal of making the city energy independent and self-sustaining by 2020.
City Hall is still trying to line up local banks to help finance the solar upgrades, with the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce assisting in the process, Nicols said.
From a financial standpoint, investing in solar power pays off, Nicols said.
Starting from day one, the system provides “free electricity” during the time of day when it is at its most expensive. The systems also reduces or even eliminates the amount of electricity that must be purchased from the local utility, with an added benefit of protecting property owners against future rate increases.
The solar systems are also said to last at least 25 years, but experience has shown that many systems are lasting 40 years or even longer.
There are investment benefits as well. Installing solar products increases a property’s value, Nicols said.
Nearly 200 residents and business owners have already indicated their interest in Solar Santa Monica, with the list growing daily. Those that are not selected as part of the pilot project will be welcomed as individual participants and offered referrals and discounts right along with the demonstration sites, Munves said.
“We are pleased to have reached this important milestone,” Munves said. “We had a number of very qualified applicants who demonstrated their understanding and support of the project. We expect that our list of package providers will grow as the program grows.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 2, 2007. Read the original PDF.