Bakersfield is a Solar Gold Mine For Home Owners
By: Jim Darling
Topics: beat the heat, solar, power, energy, Green, agriculture, PG&E, energy rebates, review, health, bakersfield, save money, Real Estate
Posted by LovinBakersfield Tue Jun 24, 2008 14:37:39 PDT
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This time of year in Bakersfield, it’s easy to have a chip on your shoulder while trying to avoid the blazing sun day after day, month after month.
Not me, every day the sun shines, I’m actually being paid by our utility company. You see, the roof of our patio is made of solar panels. So while our kids play ping pong in the shade of the “solar roof” we're sending energy back into the grid, earning credits and off-setting our usage. Essentially, solar power runs our air conditioners.
California is the third largest solar power producer in the world, and yet we are really only scratching the surface. Most home owners and businesses think that solar is a good idea, but they seem to think that solar power is still in the conceptual stage and not something to take advantage of now. Wrong.
Like the old saying, “There is no time like the present”.
I read an article recently in the Bakersfield Californian that local builders had dropped solar as part of their new construction standard features because of the additional cost.
While that may be a short term savings, it certainly does not pencil in the long run.
A friend of mine told me that he was interested in purchasing solar for his home when systems became more efficient. To me, that is like saying that I will not buy a computer until they become faster and cheaper. In the mean time I remain in the dark ages.
Now through November the State of California will pay a substantial check to home owners and businesses that install a solar system.
There are several companies in town that are qualified to do this type of work. Locally owned Sharpe Solar Energy Systems installed our system. They were very competitive and professional, the best part they did all the paperwork to get me a $14,000 rebate check from the state of California!
If we decide to sell our house and all things are equal, now whose home is the better value?
Take advantage of solar now and reap the benefits now and in the future.
About the writer: Jim Darling is an avid traveler and enjoys writing about his experiences. He has lived in Bakersfield his whole life.
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