Why Ventura County is Good for Solar

by charlie, posted on August 26th, 2010.

Do you live in Ventura County, CA? Do you love energy efficiency and/or saving money? Well you’re in luck because today, Ventura County is one of the best places in the country to install a home solar system. Here’s why:

California Solar Initiative

Under Governor Schwarzenegger’s Million Solar Roofs program, California has set the goal of installing 3,000 MW of new solar-power capacity by 2017. The California Solar Initiative offers Expected Performance-Based Buyout (EPBB) rebates, which offers a one-time incentive based on your solar system’s expected performance for systems under 30kW. CSI rebates are reduced as more homeowners go solar, so the sooner you act, the greater the savings! Be sure to check out the CSI trigger page.

Federal Tax Credit

The United States’ 30% Federal Tax Credit makes going solar anywhere in America an attractive option, so even if you’re not from Ventura, be sure to check out all of One Block Off the Grid’s Solar Cities! There is no maximum incentive and the credit isn’t scheduled to expire until December of 2016.

Solar Boosts Your Home’s Value

Real estate appraisers have estimated that every $1,000 of annual savings off of electricity bills due to solar adds an additional $20,000 to the average resale value of a home. So even if you can’t imagine living in your house long enough for a home system to pay for itself, solar can still help you save today!

It’s Good for the Environment

Though California is powered primarily by natural gas (the “cleanest” fossil fuel), any gas-generated electricity replaced by solar means more greenhouse gases abated. Burning fossil fuels (like oil, coal, or natural gas) releases greenhouse gases which, when built up in the Earth’s atmosphere, trap heat and cause the Earth’s surface to warm. This is what causes climate change. Using clean power technologies like solar panels can help avoid adding more greenhouse gases to our atmosphere.

Our Los Angeles group purchase program, including Ventura County, has been extended to October 14th! Sign up now to receive free advice and a group discount at http://solarlosangeles.1bog.org/.

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