Jan Pepper doesn’t worry about PG&E rate hikes. Nor is she subject to rolling blackouts. And instead of watching her PG&E meter roll forward, she actually sees it turn backward from time to time.
In September, Pepper installed a solar electricity system in her Los Altos home and has been enjoying the benefits since. Pepper said she got the system because it is environmentally friendly and she felt it was the socially responsible thing to do.
The majority of California’s electricity production comes from nonrenewable sources, which pollute the environment, such as natural gas. The fuel to power Pepper’s system is completely renewable, in unlimited supply, costs nothing and produces no pollution.
“It makes more sense to take care of ourselves in a nonpolluting way,” Pepper said.
Continuous energy
Pepper purchased her solar electricity system from Pacific Solar (since purchased by EcoEnergies in Sunnyvale) and installed it with the help of friends. Pepper, owner of Enertron Consultants, has worked in the renewable energy business for nearly 20 years. She said that installation was fast and during the transition, her electricity was only down for a couple of hours.
During peak hours of the day, the system makes more electricity than the Peppers use, so the surplus electricity goes to PG&E, helping meet the needs of other users. Pepper gets full retail credit for every watt her system produces.
The Peppers need energy from PG&E after the sun goes down, but they expect the amount of electricity their system generates during the year will offset the amount they use. PG&E sends Pepper monthly statements which itemize the amount of electricity she consumes as well as the amount her system creates and sends to PG&E. She is billed annually and said, “I’m pretty sure that my electric bill will be zero at the end of the year.
If a blackout occurs during nondaylight hours, Pepper has a backup battery to power her refrigerator, computer, garage door and furnace. The battery can run for 24 hours and will recharge at sunrise.
The overall cost of a solar energy system is roughly $10 to $12 per watt (Pepper’s system is 3,200 watts). The California Energy Commission offers a $4.50 per watt rebate. Californians also receive a 15 percent tax credit on the net cost of the system.
“People put in kitchens and baths and this is another way to add value to your home,” Pepper said. “With PG&E rates as they are, the system will pay for itself in seven to 10 years.”
Energy security
Pepper said that her system is very reliable because it has no moving parts and the sun shines every day. It is also extremely efficient.
“This is a distributed power plant, meaning that it is located at the place where the power is used,” she said. “This makes it more efficient because it avoids the losses inherent in moving electricity from a large centralized power plant, across power lines, to the ultimate user.”
Distributed solar electric systems could help protect personal and societal energy security. “Large centralized plants are easier to target than a bunch of small decentralized solar systems,” Pepper said. “Additionally, if one large plant goes down, the impact on the overall system is big. Having lots of small solar systems increases reliability because a bunch of small systems won’t all fail at the same time, causing a large disruption.”
