Big victory for net metering in California!

Friends-

We won! Thanks to the 60,000 of you who showed support for net metering, California will continue to be increasingly powered by the sun. 

Today, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) unanimously voted to give more Californians access to net metering credit for solar power. The 5-0 vote will protect this important solar consumer right for tens of thousands of California homes, schools, businesses and public buildings.

Net metering makes sure solar customers get fair credit on their utility bills for the valuable clean power they put on the grid for others to use (watch this video to see how net metering works). This important solar policy has already delivered tremendous benefits to California: supported 25,000 solar jobs, driven $10 billion in private investment in the state’s clean energy industry, given thousands of homeowners, schools, water districts, industrial users, and cities control over their electricity bills, and installed 2 natural gas plants worth of valuable peak solar power generation that our utilities won’t have to build and you won’t have to fund. 

Another great video that I just *had* to share!

 Look at this!  It is a time lapse video of a huge installation we did in 2009 at Navarro Vineyards.  Great wines grown in, and powered by, golden sun shine.  What is not to love about that?!?!?  And the song is great too, so be sure to pump up those speakers.

A Little Solar Astronomy...

This is a great time for those who watch the sun.

On Sunday there will be a very noticeable solar eclipse starting at 5:30 p.m., peaking at 6:30 and ending by 7:30.  The next eclipse in Northern California will not be until New Year's Eve 2252, so do not miss this once-in-a-life-time event.

There is also a very rare transit of Venus across the sun coming June 5th and 6th. This occurs when Venus crosses between the earth and the sun. (The solar eclipse this Sunday is a result of the Moon crossing between the earth and the sun.) The transit will not be as obvious as the solar eclipse, but there are ways to do it safely. These transits are super rare- the next one is not for over 105 years.

Please note that Solar Works wants you to view the sun safely and reminds you to NEVER EVER look directly at the sun.

Solar Works crew visits Enphase's Roadshow

Last week, Solar Works' Brandon, Johncaleb and John M. visited the Enphase Roadshow.

Play the video below to see them having a great time out there, learning new stuff and making new friends. (and no- much to my chagrin, they did not bring home the cockatoo)

Turn on your volume to rock out with our guys!

We want MORE rooftop solar, not less!

The people over at Sierra Club are getting the word our about this incredibly important California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) action.  We, at Solar Works, hope that you will read the following, sign the petition and tell all your friends.

Stay informed!

The Sierra club writes:

"California is on the verge of a game-changing decision that could help nearly double the amount of rooftop solar power in our state.

"The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will vote this month on a plan that would fix a loophole which currently allows utilities to unfairly limit rooftop solar energy in California.

"Naturally, many utilities are fighting back hard. They don't want their customers to have access to cheaper, cleaner energy solutions and are fighting to keep their monopoly. But if the PUC hears from enough Californians there's a very good chance they could move forward with this important plan which would be a boon to rooftop solar power in the Golden State.

Tell the Public Utilities Commission: Support rooftop solar in California!

"Rooftop solar is an increasingly affordable way to offset your energy bill -- many Californians can now go solar for no money down and start saving money right away. When a rooftop solar array produces more energy than it uses, that energy goes into the grid, and utilities credit the customer on their electric bill. We call this credit a solar rollover credit.

"Utilities are supposed to make available solar rollover credits to customers equaling 5% of California's energy demand. But, utilities use a skewed formula resulting in about half the solar rollover credits than the law originally intended. This keeps more customers unfairly locked into their utility's dirty and increasingly expensive electric bill.

"The proposal at the PUC would fix the problem, making more solar rollover credits available to more Californians.

"Continuing rooftop solar expansion in the Golden State is critical to cleaning up our air, fighting climate change, and bringing much needed jobs and savings to Californians. But the PUC needs to hear from a lot of Californians to make it happen. Please submit a comment now.

Thanks for all you do to grow local clean energy in California,

"Evan Gillespie
Sierra Club

"P.S - Once you've taken action, please forward this message to your friends and family!"

Introduction

Hello to the Big Wide Web! 

This blog belongs to Solar Works- We are the good people bringing solar power to Sonoma and Napa counties- and beyond.  For more information about who we are, please visit our website. Since this is 2012, you can also visit/like/post on our wall on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 

Stay tuned for all sorts of info about solar, new technologies, our latest jobs and anything else that catches our fancy.

We give you the power to make a difference.