With home energy costs on the rise and great incentive offers from both the City of San Francisco and the California Energy Commission, now might be an ideal time to introduce solar power to your home.

There are many reasons to convert. First, solar energy systems have no negative impact on the environment. Second, besides being an environmentally responsible choice, solar power also makes practical sense: the panels require virtually no maintenance and provide a dependable, free source of energy that functions independently of any power company. Third, these attractive features can also add significantly to your property value. And fourth, even if you decide to switch only partially to solar power, you could take advantage of “Net Metering,” an arrangement that allows you to feed your unused solar energy back into PG&E’s grid for credit against your monthly electric bill. While solar panels themselves are not inexpensive, they could be well worth the long-term investment, especially if you act now and participate in the “Generation Solar” program. 

“Generation Solar –– A Residential and Commercial Solar Program,” sponsored by the Department of the Environment and the Public Utilities Commission, aims to provide a minimum of 100 San Francisco participants with solar energy systems. The program offers a comprehensive package that includes low-cost financing, considerably reduced permit fees, a connection to qualified contractors, plus the leveraging of state and federal subsidies such as California’s “Emerging Renewables Program," which could pay up to half the cost of your solar energy system. Visit Go SF Solar Program online to get all the details or call (415) 554-3289. You may also go to the California Energy Commission’s Web site to learn more about the “Emerging Renewables Program". If you’re still skeptical, use the Clean Power Estimator to calculate your potential annual cost savings.