Solar Panels in San Diego

Solar panels can be very useful to residents of San Diego. It's a beautiful, bustling city that attracts many tourists, and it's home to nearly 1.5 million people. One necessity that keeps the city running and its inhabitants comfy is electric power. But, it makes sense to look for an alternative energy source in this day and age instead of obtaining it from environmentally harmful fossil fuels.

Fortunately, solar panels offer an eco-friendly way to harness the sun's power, and San Diego is certainly a sunny city! Solar panels can help residents save money on electric bills while also helping preserve our environment for future generations. That's a win all the way around, so how can those interested get solar panels in their home? As you'll soon see, this can be easy and quite affordable.

Solar energy is the most bountiful source of sustainable, renewable, and clean energy on Earth. There are more than 173,000 terawatts of solar radiation that strike our planet at any given time. That's 10x times the world's total annual consumption – enough to power over 20 billion households!

Adding Solar panels to your home allows you to take advantage and harness a portion of the sun's energy. The more sunlight the panels get, the more energy you can capture. So how much sun do they need? If your home or property contains a roof or wall that receives over four hours of sunlight, then solar panels could be for you! 

How Do Solar Panels Work?

Generating electricity is the process of driving an electric current through a collection of metal plates called conductors. When the electrons move due to being knocked loose from their atoms by photons, they produce enough voltage for use. A solar panel comprises multiple cells, and more than one panel (module) can be wired together to form a solar array. The more panels you have, the greater amount of energy you will generate.

Installing solar panels on your San Diego home is not only practical but saves you money.

To go solar, you do not need to do a lot of work. You can do this in four steps. The result is that you will be connected with the best solar installers in your area.

1. Fill out an online solar form. The more information you'll provide about your home, the more accurate and complete your solar quotes will be, and the better our solar installers can help you.

2. Get solar quotes. Once you send your information, one of our qualifying solar contractors in San Diego will contact you.

It's important to get the most accurate measurements and figure out how you can benefit from solar electricity. Schedule a home visit with our local team so that they can communicate in-depth about what benefits are available for your specific needs and situation.

3. Choose an installer. After receiving a competitive quote for your installation, it is in your best interest to ask any follow-up questions you may have before making a choice.

We want you to be as informed as possible so you can choose the best solution for your home in San Diego.

4. Purchase your customized solar panel system and arrange an installation date. Now you can relax because the sun will soon be making your home's electricity.

Solar panels are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to reduce your electricity bills. They can actually pay for themselves within five to seven years of installation. And once they're paid off, that's where the real savings begin, not to mention that energy is only getting more expensive as time goes on. And with solar panels, it's possible to harness enough energy to cover your needs and have some leftover to sell back to the power company!

That makes solar panels a more financially profitable investment than many traditional investment products, including bonds, stocks, and CDs. Plus, solar panels typically last more than 25 years.

San Diego residents can benefit significantly from various tax credits, rebates, and other incentives when they choose to install solar panel systems.

California does not offer a state-wide solar panel rebate program to assist with costs. However, in San Diego, there are some programs that might help you afford a solar panel system.

Residents looking to save money while reducing their reliance on the SDG&E for energy can sign up for solar panels through the Single-Family Affordable Solar Homes Program.

If you live in San Diego and your income is below the median family income, and you are in affordable housing, you can get a rebate that helps pay for your heating system. That means your financial situation doesn't have to prohibit you or your family from enjoying all the benefits of solar energy. This will save not only you but everyone in your household money on their electric bills.

San Diego California's RPS Plan

California has an eco-friendly renewable portfolio standard, which requires a certain percentage of its energy production to come from renewable energy sources.

In 2033, California wants to produce 33% of its energy through renewable means.

Many utility companies are needed in California to help meet this standard. If you adopt solar energy in San Diego, the utility company that you use will get paid.

Solar has no specific carve-out in California's Renewable Portfolio Standards. Nonetheless, it is an excellent way for San Diego residents to participate in meeting the state's RPS goals.

San Diego Solar Panel Tax Credit

There is not a tax credit program that California offers state-wide. They eliminated this program back in 2005. But you can make the most of the Federal solar tax credit of up to 30%! People who install a solar panel system before or during 2022 get a tax credit of 30% of the value.

San Diego Solar Panel Tax Exemption

All solar panel systems installed in California are subject to a 100% property tax exemption, which is great news, given that this type of system can bring about an increase in the value of your home.

While installing solar panels in your residential property will increase its value, you won't be taxed for the increase. This property tax exemption is set to run as long as the system lasts, so it's available throughout the program's lifetime.

Unfortunately, the state of California does not offer a sales tax exemption for solar panels. It would be best if you still took the price for the sales tax in mind when buying your solar panel system.

Power Rate Savings

Electricity rates can be very expensive in San Diego–sometimes as high as $.17 per kilowatt-hour of energy, depending on the season. And as you might know, the cost of electricity may increase because it costs more and more to generate it as time goes on. 

Luckily, you can help with this by having a solar panel system in San Diego. You'll still need to draw energy from the electric grid for your home, but because of your solar panel system, you can offset most of this cost.

San Diego Residence Net Metering

Net metering is a process that involves using solar panels to power your home and sell any excess. This will let the service provider measure how much energy the system has produced.

By generating more energy than you use in your home at any given time, you can sell anything extra back to the utility companies.

San Diego residents are making the switch to solar energy for many reasons. While it may not be feasible for everyone, San Diego has a great rebate program in place that can help make going green more affordable. Participants can also take advantage of a lot of great financing options.

A lease is a good option for many people in the US. A solar lease could allow you to put solar panels on your house for free without paying anything upfront.

Leasing is a good way to make your house more eco-friendly. You will have lower electricity bills because you will not be relying solely on the electric company for your power.

Leasing solar energy can be a great way to help you save and even monetize your future savings with a relatively little initial cost.

Keep in mind that you don't own the solar panel system. As such, you won't be able to benefit from rebates or tax credits.

A solar loan is another option on the table for homeowners in San Diego who want to get started with solar and secure this purchase for initially no money down.

Various financial institutions are currently offering solar loans due to the incredible possibilities of solar energy and renewable energy production.

Consider your credit and how you plan to pay for a solar loan before leaping in. You will own the system that lets you produce more of your energy, which means tax credits are also on offer. Consider what rebates or savings might be made available when deciding if this is right for you.

For situations where you'd like to enjoy the benefits of solar energy without investing in them or dealing with the maintenance expenses, a Solar PPA may be an excellent option.

A solar PPA can be a great choice for a lot of individuals. Unlike owning the system or gaining net metering, a solar power purchase agreement comes without credits and rebates.

However, you can save on your energy bill almost immediately since a solar system owner will sell you electricity at reduced costs as soon as the equipment is installed.

San Diego is a beautiful place, and it's important to do what we can to keep the city running smoothly. One way you can help offset high utility prices that are often not affordable for many residents in our town is by going solar. Solar power offers an inexpensive alternative energy source while also benefiting from producing clean, renewable electricity right here at home. Seizing the sun's energy and transforming it into electricity is a good way to help fix our climate crisis as it helps us get away from fossil fuels.