RESIDENTIAL SOLAR ENERGY
SUCCESS STORY
Solar Energy Provides
Immediate Payback and
Investment for the Future
Orange County Homeowner Uses Solar
Savings to Plan Ahead for Retirement
“It’s the best investment we’ve ever made on our home,” says
Wendy Moonier, referring to the 30 roof-mounted solar panels
that use the power of the sun to generate electricity.
Wendy has lived in her 2,400-square-foot home in the small
Orange County city of La Palma for more than 30 years. A few
years ago, she and her husband, Fidel Garza, began thinking
ahead to retirement, and how best to manage their
finances. Wendy said she
realized the mortgage might
be paid off in a decade-plus,
but she would still have the
electricity bill, which could top
$400 in the summer months.
SCE customer Wendy Moonier
Around the same time, a bad
leak required major roof
repairs. For Wendy and Fidel
— who had already lowered
their electric bill by
installing more efficient windows and a new energy-saving air
conditioner — that cemented the decision to “go solar” when
they re-roofed their home in the summer of 2009. The
California Solar Initiative (CSI) rebate and Federal Incentive Tax
Credit available for residential solar installations covered about
45 percent of the solar installation cost.
“Our main motivation was to save money in the long run
and cut down on our electricity bill, especially in the
summer, when it’s hot,” Wendy says. “It also makes us feel
good that we’re keeping our environment healthier” by
using renewable energy to meet most of the home’s
electricity needs.
Savings by Managing Electricity
Average Power Usage Before & After
Installation of Solar Panels
Her experience with solar has made Wendy an advocate.
“When I saw how well this works, I thought, ‘Everybody
should have this,’” she says. “We live in an optimal location
for it.”
60
Home size: 2,400 square feet, 4 BR, 2 BA
System size: 5.49 kW; 30 roof-mounted fixed panels
Programs utilized: California Solar Initiative (CSI)
and U.S. Federal Incentive Tax Credit
Results: Financial savings and incentives,
lower electrical bills and related greenhouse
gas emissions
Daily Average Electricity
Used (kWh)
Location: La Palma, Orange County, California
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Before Solar
Panels
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July 2008 – June 2009
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After Solar
Panels
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“It’s the best investment
we’ve ever made on our home.
I figured out we’re saving a couple
of thous and dollars a year.”
— Homeowner and Solar Electricity User
Wendy Moonier
And the savings have been significant. The electric bills that
ranged from $150 to $400-plus per month before installation
of their solar system have dropped to a fraction of those
levels. In their first full year with solar panels, their electric
bill totaled about $300 — for an average of approximately
$25 per month.
“It’s an impressive savings when you know what the bill
was before and what it is now,” Wendy says. “It’s the only
thing we’ve done on our home where we’ve seen an
immediate return.”
The initial payoff projection for the solar installation was
about 15 years. Wendy and Fidel now use the money they
would have applied to their electricity bills to pay down
their mortgage.
“I figured out we’re saving a couple of thousand dollars a
year,” Wendy says of the solar panels — an investment in
the future that now shines brighter than ever.
The California Solar Initiative (CSI)
Helps Homeowners Harvest the Sun
Go Solar California! Energy customers like you are the
focus of California’s campaign to create 3,000 megawatts
of renewable solar-produced electricity — the equivalent to
taking six natural gas-fired power plants offline — and
moving the state toward a cleaner energy future.
The CSI program provides up-front or performance-based
incentives for residential, commercial, industrial and
agricultural properties. In addition, a 30% u.S. Federal
Incentive Tax Credit (Federal ITC) is available on the net
cost of the system after the CSI rebate. The combination
of the CSI rebate and the Federal ITC can cover as much
as 45% of the average installed costs of a solar system
for the homeowner. And with so much solar coming
online, systems have become much more affordable for
consumers. By choosing to “Go Solar,” customers can
reduce annual operating costs and potentially increase
the resale value of their property. Real estate appraisers
estimate that for an average home, every $1,000 of
electricity savings per year that is offset by a solar system
may increase a home’s average resale value by as much
as $20,000.
Learn more about turning sunshine into energy—
visit the following Web sites:
SCE’s Home Energy Survey at www.sce.com takes
only 15 minutes and can help you find opportunities to
save without sacrifice and lower your up-front investment
in a solar system.
SCE offers customers a series of free CSI Homeowner
Solar Classes. you can learn how to take advantage of
the financial incentives available through the California
Solar Initiative. Learn more by calling (866) 970-9221 or
visiting www.sce.com/solartraining.
To find a list of licensed solar contractors, visit
www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/database/search-new.php
To find out about available tax credits, visit the Tax
Incentives Assistance Project at www.energystar.gov/
index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits
For solar industry information, visit the Solar Energy
Industries Association at www.calseia.org
For information on new solar home construction, visit
www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/about/nshp.php
Start Saving Now
California Solar Initiative
www.sce.com/gosolar
www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov
General Questions
(800) 799-4177
Program Administration
(866) 584-7436
This case study is provided for your general information and is not intended to
be a recommendation or endorsement of any particular product or company.
Funding for this case study is provided by California utility customers. SCE
administers the CSI program under the auspices of the California Public
Utilities Commission.
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