INNOVATIVE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BEGINS “SOLAR FOR ALL CALIFORNIA” INSTALLATION TRAINING PROGRAM

“Solar for California” pilot program to provide no cost solar power for low-income multi-family residents

Main Street Power Company, Inc., a national solar finance company, today begins the citizen training component of the no cost solar energy pilot program it is implementing in partnership with MS Solar Solutions Corp., Central Coast Energy Services and California Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Providers. The program is designed to deliver no cost solar power to income-qualified residents of multi-family units across the state of California.

“This training is a very exciting step in our program and marks the beginning of our combined efforts to train local California non-profit LIHEAP weatherization agencies in the new and growing green energy economy. This solar installation training will be lead by our program partners, Zep Solar, Enphase Energy and Canadian Solar,” stated Arleen Novotney, Executive Director of the Association of California Community Energy Services (ACCES). ACCES is the statewide association of LIHEAP Providers directing the implementation of the projects.

According to Ric Tan, Main Street Power’s Vice President, “our hands-on training program is the culmination of months of coordinated planning and team work. Together ACCESS, Main Street Power, and MS Solar Solutions, are demonstrating how to provide innovative financing options to the low income renewable energy space.”

Morgan Stanley Vice President Martin Mobley stated, “This project provides an incredible opportunity for community based organizations that employ many local residents to gain valuable experience in the growing field of solar energy. MS Solar Solutions is proud to partner on this important solar education and training program that will provide real world job skills to its participants.”

Program Specifics

The two-day training program will teach over 30 LIHEAP agency employees how to perform basic residential solar installation work. The systems they install will provide no cost solar power benefiting over 1000 residential units. Collectively, the solar systems will produce about 1,575,000 kWh of electricity annually, which would offset 1,131 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. This is equivalent to the removal of 216 automobiles per year or the carbon sequestered annually by 241 acres of pine trees.

If you have been following along, and even if you haven’t, the solar power system for our house is now moving along nicely. Over the weekend Blue Turtle Roofing came and sealed up all the mounting posts for the solar panels on our roof so that the whole system is sealed and ready to mount and install the solar panels.

Now we are at the point of installing the rails that the panels are attached to on the roof, laying in the electrical conduit, connecting the panels electrically and installing the inverter on the side of our house.

We are getting a 2.4KW system installed by Solar City on their SolarLease plan. This has enabled us to get this system put in for a very small down payment up front and then monthly lease payments on the system. When you average out our power usage we should come out about even in terms of our monthly payment. Instead of paying money to PG&E for our electrical usage we will be paying for the solar lease. Plus when we are not home and the system is creating more solar power than we are using it will go back into the grid and we get credit for that power generation from PG&E.

So today Mike and his crew from Solar City are cutting the rails, installing the rails to the mounts on the roof, installing the inverter on the house and beginning the conduit runs to tie it all together. He tells me that we should be installing the solar panels tomorrow.

I am looking forward to the day when we can switch the system on and be generating solar power. However once install is done we have to get the city inspector out and then finally a sign off from PG&E before the big switch. I am hopeful that will not take more a couple weeks at most.

Right now Solar City is offering a terrific deal where they will let you get in on this program for $0 down. It is only good till 12/15/09 but if you are thinking of going solar but cost has been an issue you should really look into this offer. If you do please tell them Kevin Rockwell sent you and they will treat you right.