Cosmic Solar

Is Solar Expensive?

2012-02-17T16:51:00.000-08:00

So many roofs that need solar!

This morning back at the Cosmic Solar office we all huddled around in a circle at the close of our morning meeting.

"We're going to draw straws," our president said, "to see which one of you is the lucky individual who we'll send to the inspection down in San Diego today."

As I stood there, dreading the ultimate outcome of this proposition, I somehow I just knew it would be me. Sure enough, as luck would have it, my straw miraculously ended up being the shortest and I inevitably ended up warming up my engine in order to make the trip down for the inspection to meet with the electrical inspector.

If you've ever had to perform an inspection, you know why everyone dreads getting out of bed that morning. The truth is, though, that inspections are 95% waiting around and 5% hightailing it around, answering questions for the inspector about the installation. It just always happens to be that way. So, for example, if your inspection is scheduled between 10:00am and 2:00pm, you might find yourself waiting around for three hours and 45 minutes before you see any action at the site. If any of you readers out there have ever had to wait around for an inspector, I feel your pain.

While I checked my watch, waiting for the inspector, I began to nonchalantly glance around the neighborhood at a few of the local neighbor's houses. "Funny," I thought to myself, "I wonder why only one homeowner on this block has made the conscious decision to go solar on this street..."

Soon after a neighbor came by to inquire why I had been standing at her next door neighbor's house for three hours and 45 minutes with my blank stare. "Excuse me, can I help you?" she said with a raised eyebrow. As we struck up a conversation and eventually made our way to the issue of rising electric rates, I built up the nerve to ask her why she had never before considered solar for her home, despite having a $450 electric bill.

"Well, solar is expensive, you know? And we looked into it before but the payback period was sort of intimidating so, you know, we didn't go ahead with solar at that time. Maybe in the future things will make more sense for us."

I'd be lying if I didn't hear homeowners say this on a daily basis and the funny thing is it's just not true. Here comes the shocking truth: Solar is no longer expensive! As I spoke to our client's next door neighbor for the next 20 minutes, I couldn't help but highlight all of the benefits of going solar today for no money down with today's prepaid or no money down arrangements.

"No money down, you say?" That's right... absolutely no money down and you begin saving money from day one, not to mention adding value to your house and making it more attractive for any prospective home buyer down the line. Suffice to say she didn't exactly say "where do I sign" but I definitely piqued her interest in obtaining a free solar bid from us here at Cosmic Solar.

After returning to the office and running the numbers, this is what I found:

Her current SDG&E electric bill is now $450 per month
I can "zero out" this electric bill, effectively reducing it to $5 with solar

This solar system -- purchased with no upfront investment -- would cost $300 a month to "lease" it, allowing for an instant and immediate savings of $150 a month with no upfront investment. Sounds pretty good, right?

Better yet, all the maintenance on the system is included for 20 years
While SDG&E's prices continue to increase each year, this annual price is fixed, meaning the savings grow larger and larger each and every year
If you decide to sell your home down the line, a new homeowner would be excited about the fact their bill would effectively be less than half of what their neighbors are paying
Did I mention there is no upfront investment, meaning it's essentially "free"

After taking these facts into consideration, it's difficult for anyone to argue that solar is expensive these days. In fact, from what I've seen, the prices are now steadily beginning to increase over time. Six months ago leases were much more attractive than they are today. In another six months, the same may be true.

Let's face it, what have you got to lose other than your electric bill? Why not just see what solar can offer you? Really, what have you got to lose?

Pey Shadzi

Operations Manager at Cosmic Solar

pey@cosmicsolar.com

760-532-9712

Word to the Wise: Watch Out for Those Space Heaters!

2012-02-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

Every winter I receive a few calls from our clients with space heaters...

"Hey! Even though I have solar, I received a utility bill this month, what's the deal with that?"

Just a word to the wise -- space heaters use a substantial amount of electricity. The typical unit we see is generally a 1,500 watt space heater but I've even seen a few which use as much as 4,000 watts every hour of operation.

That's a whole lot of electricity! Let me put it into perspective here...

If your typical solar system out there is producing, let's say, 5 kilowatts per hour for about eight hours per day in the winter and you've plugged in a space heater which requires 1,500 watts of electricity (or 1.5 kWs) for eight hours, a good portion of what you're producing during the daytime is being used up by that single space heater.

To make matters even worse, some families out there use a few space heaters at a time, really increasing the amount of electricity used. So now you can begin to see why I receive calls every winter with questions why our solar clients have now received a utility bill. I can't stress this enough: be careful with those space heaters, they use more electricity than you'd think!

It's also worth mentioning that once you go solar, you only need to "settle" with the utility company once each year so if you do receive a bill, make sure not to pay it unless it's actually your time of the year to settle. If you have further questions about net metering (NEM), feel free to visit SDG&E's website here: Smart Meters and Net Metering.

If you're anything like me, you're looking forward to those sunny warm summer days. However, in the meantime while it's rainy and a bit cold, be careful with those space heaters!

Pey Shadzi

Operations Manager at Cosmic Solar

pey@cosmicsolar.com

760-532-9712

New Completed Projects in San Diego!

2012-02-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

This week the Cosmic Solar crews had three more systems up and running all over San Diego! We're looking forward to adding a few more clients to our Cosmic Solar Alumni chapter, as well as eliminating electric bills and watching those power meters spin backward.

Here at Cosmic Solar, we'll be sure to keep you updated on all the new projects popping up all over San Diego.

Needless to say, we're looking forward to a beautiful summer!

2012-02-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

On the way back from a client's house today, I spotted a sign in Valley Center that was literally too good to pass up.

Sun Rocks? Wow, that's classic.

I couldn't even make this stuff up if I wanted to!

"We Should Just Go with the Cheapest, Right?"

2012-01-31T16:38:00.000-08:00

The other day I stopped by our local sign and trophy shop to pick up a few placards we ordered for one of our more recent solar jobs here in Valley Center. While I was waiting for the front desk staff to return from the back of the store, my eyes slowly scanned around the trophy shop, admiring all the placards, trophies and signs they had plastered all over the shop. They must have had hundreds on every square inch all over each wall.

I mean really, they had all kinds of signs. Some serious, some useful, some funny. Some that probably would only make sense if you knew about the business or company. Then one caught my attention...

This sign was really hilarious to me because there's a hint of truth in it, is there not? The reality is you there is no such thing as a cheap, fast, high quality product or service out there. If you want fast and cheap, quality will suffer. If you want cheap and high quality, It'll take longer and if want a high quality product or service that's fast, it's not going to be cheap. Such is life. I think most people recognize this when they seek out a good or service. It's something that is almost engrained in us from when we're very young.

As I waited for the front desk employee to return, I couldn't help but think how this applied to the solar industry as well. I bet it's safe to say there are installers out there who cut costs at every corner, even if it means using cheap materials, in order to offer the lowest price. Conversely, there are probably solar installers out there who only use the best of the very best and, as a result, likely charge more for their product and service. There are definitely a large number who fall somewhere in between.

"So, we should just go with the cheapest, right?"

Unlike some things like a pack of gum or a soda from the vending machine, choosing the right contractor for your solar job should be more than just about price. As the old saying goes, "you get what you pay for" certainly applies in this case. Let's ponder this for a second:

Would the cheapest contractor use the best quality materials?

Would the cheapest contractor have insurance, workers' comp and insurance?

Will the cheapest contractor be around in ten years to service your system?

Should you expect a lot from a contractor who barely makes enough to make a living?
Does it make sense to use someone who is giving you the deal of your lifetime because he just needs to keep his crew busy?

We all know the answer to all of the above questions is "no."

So if you're in the market to install a solar system on your roof -- or purchase or request any service really -- ask yourself if just going with the lowest cost is really in your best interest.

Today, with solar contractors offering solar systems for as little as $0 down, why would you necessarily go with the lowest price unless they were offering you the best quality materials and installation on your project?

Just a little something to think about. In the meantime, while we're on the topic, if you've ever wondered if solar might be right for your home, why not ask for a free quote? What have you got to lose other than your electric bill?

Pey Shadzi

Operations Manager at Cosmic Solar

pey@cosmicsolar.com

760-532-9712