“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” —Thomas Edison (1931)
Yes, believe it or not, Thomas Edison made this statement in 1931! Almost 80 years later we are just seeing solar take off in the US as a viable way to light and heat homes. I still hear from many friends and colleagues that they would like to “go solar” but they think the upfront cost is too high. We decided to bite the bullet and installed solar on our home in the city. We live in San Francisco in an area of the city that is particularly foggy so we were concerned about the number of panels it would take to service our home. Not that the panels are very heavy, they weigh about 2.5 pounds per square foot and I’m just now convinced that my roof isn’t going to cave in. If we lived in one of the City’s sunnier microclimates, say the Mission, perhaps we could have gotten by with fewer solar panels on the roof but moving for better solar was not an option.
One day to day difference for us is that we are conscious of when we run the dishwasher and do the laundry. We try to do these things during the daylight when we are generating a lot of power. Thankfully I never have to think about kilowatt-hours or PV arrays or conversion efficiency. The only difference between my pre-solar days are now when we have nice weather my electrical meter actually runs backwards instead of forwards! I see the light on solar every month when our PG&E bill arrives.
Surely anyone looking at the images of the devastation in the Gulf is as sickened as I am. Certainly BP is to blame, but we must also blame our fuel addiction to cheap fossil fuel, most of it from outside our country. President Obama made this connection right here in San Francisco just a few weeks ago, saying, “The reason that folks are now having to go down a mile deep into the ocean, and then another mile drilling into the ground below, that is because the easy oil fields and oil wells are gone, or they’re starting to diminish. That tells us that we’ve got to have a long-term energy strategy in this country. And we’ve got to start cultivating solar and wind and biodiesel.” There are many ways we can address not just the symptoms, but the underlying problem itself. Conservation, public transit, smaller cars, and investment in renewable energy sources are all part of the solution.
San Francisco is a standout, pursuing solar both aggressively and progressively. If you search your address on the San Francisco Solar Map you can find how much peak sunlight your roof is getting. You will also discover the initial investment of installing solar can be prohibitive, even with substantial price cuts thanks to state and city incentives and federal tax credits. But now a program is in place that will put solar within reach of even more San Franciscans. GreenFinanceSF has $150 million to lend, up to $50,000 per property owner. Loans are paid back through extra fees added to your property taxes, with 20 years to pay it back. And the loan is attached to the property, so if you move the new residents continue to pay for the improvements.
Return on an investment in solar starts immediately, both for the environment and your energy costs. As someone with firsthand experience of just how cool solar is, I can’t help but be excited. The technology has gotten better, prices have fallen, rebates have increased, we have national and local leaders promoting long-term energy goals, and millions of Americans are motivated for a better solution. I imagine a day not too far from now when tens of thousands of roofs in the City are all generating clean energy from the sun, making San Francisco a virtual power plant. What did it take for me to take the step forward? Just a little research, a phone call to Solar City (they were great to work with), a desire to make an investment in the future, and (eventual) faith in my roof’s sturdiness.
“Here comes the sun, and I say it’s all right” —Lennon and McCartney
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