San Francisco solar power is famous in the United States, but is it enough to combat the ongoing environmental issues we face on a global scale? Bay Area solar panels are becoming increasingly common, but many solar enthusiasts believe that larger efforts could (and should) be made to incentivize home and business owners to go solar in San Francisco and around the country.
While California is certainly doing well compared to other American states, there’s still a great deal of work to be done. Here’s a look at San Francisco’s approach to solar power and why now is the time to make the switch.
The Good: Generous Incentives
San Francisco solar energy is highly appealing to local residents because of the obvious environmental benefits, but that’s not the only reason why eco-friendly home and business owners are choosing to go solar. Money talks, and there are quite a few financial benefits associated with transitioning to clean solar power. Here are just a few of them:
- Reduced PG&E bills
For starters, the average San Francisco resident pays around $200 every month for PG&E services. That statistic includes many small city apartments, so it’s often significantly higher for home and business owners. Switching either fully or partially to Bay Area solar panels is a fantastic way to drastically reduce or even eliminate those bills.
- Incentive Programs
There are quite a few San Francisco solar energy incentives available to people who adopt this important green technology. Besides being able to deduct 26% of the total cost of your solar installation from your taxes, you can take advantage of state programs such as the Property Tax Exclusion for Solar Energy Systems, the Self-Generation Incentive Program, NEM 2.0, and the California Solar Initiative - Single-Family Affordable Solar Housing (SASH) Program, as well as local programs such as the Sonoma County - Energy Independence Program and the City of San Francisco - Solar Energy Incentive Program.
- Net Energy Metering
So far so good, right? In addition to reduced bills and incentives, San Francisco solar users can take advantage of net energy metering. Quite simply, net metering is when you’re able to offset your electricity costs. But that’s not all.
Did you know that you can actually sell your excess energy right back to the grid? In other words, instead of receiving an electric bill, you send one! Naturally, this is great for solar users, but not for utility companies. That brings us to the next section:
The Bad: Potential Policy Changes
As you can see, there are plenty of benefits associated with switching to Bay Area solar panels. The problem is that not everyone is on board. While there are plenty of people in power who fully support solar power, there are some Lawmakers and utility company regulators who believe that the incentives are actually too good for consumers.
It’s important to note that San Francisco solar users haven’t experienced any change to their incentives, as of the middle of 2021, however, it’s an ongoing conversation. While San Francisco isn’t to blame specifically—it’s mainly the California Public Utilities Commission talking about changing net metering incentives—the Golden City could certainly be doing more to push lawmakers in the right direction. After all, our children’s futures depend on it!
Go Solar San Francisco
Now is the time to embrace solar power. There are still generous incentives in place to make the transition not only affordable, but profitable. The reality is that as solar power becomes more mainstream, and as utility companies push for stricter regulations, new San Francisco solar customers may not have access to the incredible savings and benefits associated with today’s Bay Area solar panels. Of course, solar power will always be a better option regardless of the incentives, but as the old saying goes, the early bird gets the worm!
Talk With an Advisor Today
The highly qualified and experienced Simply Solar team has helped many San Francisco residents to transition to clean solar power, and we can do the same for you. You can find answers to common questions on our FAQ page, and we encourage you to contact us for a free consultation. San Francisco solar power is good, but it could be better! Talk with an advisor now so you can make a difference.
