Peter O'Donnell: Why Buy Solar this Year?

People install solar energy systems for two reasons. One is emotional, the other financial. So San Francisco is rolling out a new program that can help you be an environmentalist and still have it pencil out.

The program is called Generation Solar and its goal for the year is to install solar power systems on 100 homes and commercial buildings. We intend to make the best products, best practices and attractive financing plans available to participants.

Our ultimate goal is to install 10,000 solar rooftops in San Francisco, which could meet about 10 percent of the city's energy needs and help make the City energy-independent.

The emotional reasons for installing solar are obvious. It's clean, green and you can feel great about not getting your energy from a fossil-fuel-based source that spews toxic pollution into the air.

The economic arguments are many. Many real estate specialists argue that every dollar spent on solar power adds $21 to your property value. State incentives pay up to 50 percent of the installation cost. You can become energy independent and are buffered from future rate increases. And once you've paid for installation, the energy it produces is free - and a solar power system can last for at least 25 years!

Generation Solar aims to put the right sized system on each roof so your metered electricity use averages out close to zero. So instead of paying large monthly utility bills, you'll make payments to pay down your new solar system. While every situation is a little different, the average time to payback is 6 years on a commercial system and 9 to 12 years for a home.

Another benefit of Generation Solar is that you'll get a new NetMeter electricity meter that runs backwards.

On sunny days, your solar system will put power back onto the grid. You'll actually get credited for the energy you generate.

And don't go thinking that San Francisco is too foggy for solar. There are homeowners in the misty Sunset District who have solar power - and utility bills under $5 per month! Believe it or not, the City has only 10 percent less sunshine than Sacramento. Even on dismal days, there can be enough ambient light bouncing around to run solar panels at 20 to 30 percent capacity.

Generation Solar is lining up installers, designers, distributors and manufacturers to provide cost-efficient solar power systems. We are talking to private lenders and banks to negotiate attractive interest rates. We plan to start interviewing homeowners and conducting roof inspections in April and May. Installations may begin as early as June.

To register for the program online, please visit www.SolarSF.org. To register by phone, call SF Environment at (415) 355-3715.

Peter O'Donnell is a renewable energy specialist at San Francisco's Environment Department, where he manages the Generation Solar program. Learn more about how SF Environment is protecting and preserving the City's environmental well-being at www.sfenvironment.com, visit the EcoCenter at 11 Grove St. or call (415) 355-3700.