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Solar

Solar Basics: Azimuth and Tilt

The direction your roof (the one with solar panels) face is called its azimuth. You get the best performance when panels face south, but they are very effective facing east or west as well (or anywhere in between).

The tilt is the the angle of you roof off horizontal. The California Solar Initiative Rebate system is set up to favor a tilt of about 17°. This angle provides the greatest production in the summer months and helps meet the regions peak demand during hot days with a lot of air conditioners running. Coincidentally, most houses have a tilt of near 17° so panels matching this slope work very well and provide for a ore pleasing aesthetic. If you have a flat roof, the solar panels will be placed on a frame that will hold the panels at about 17°. You could place them flat on your roof and they would still work pretty well. However, you want some tilt to dust doesn’t build up and reduce their performance.

How Solar Works

A residential photovoltaic (PV) system is relatively simple. There are solar panels, usually mounted on your roof, that generate DC current. An inverter converts the DC current to AC current, which is what we use in our homes. This system is connected to the utility grid at your service panel and the meter measures the amount of electricity coming from or going out to the grid.

During the daytime, the PV system will generate more electricity than we use and the extra will flow out to the grid. Our meter spins backward. When the sun goes down our PV production stops, but we still need electricity and we get it from the grid. Our meter spins forward. Net Metering is the accounting of electricity that flows in and out from the grid.

Solar Cost Calculator - Coming Soon!

Under current SDG&E rates, installing too many solar panels could mean that you will give away free electricity to SDG&E.  With this calculator, you determine how much photo-voltaic capacity you need to hit the "sweet spot" in SDG&E's complicated rates.

All you need is your electric bills for ther last 12 months (they're online if you don't have them) to determine what size system is right for you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UCAN's case against SDG&E's rate hike demand now published

Posted October 12th, 2007 by Charles Langley

Small shot of UCAN's General Rate case
Today, UCAN submitted a 366 page "brief" to regulators at CPUC, the California Public Utilities Commission. We argue that SDG&E's demand for a rate hike of $1.4 billion during the next six years will force San Diego utility victims to pay the highest rates in the nation. Learn more.

Solar energy rebates gaining popularity in San Diego

Posted June 21st, 2007 by brandon

North County Times: After a confusing start for the California Solar Initiative this spring, more homeowners in San Diego County have been applying in the last few months for the rewards that come from installing solar panels. Read more.

California Solar Rights Act and Solar Shade Control Act

The Energy Policy Initiatives Center (EPIC) has recently conducted a review of the Solar Rights Act and the Solar Shade Control Act in anticipation of increased demand for solar energy in the near future. Please see California's Solar Shade Control Act and California's Solar Rights Act for an in depth look at each important Act.

The Solar Shade Control Act grants certain protections to owners of solar collectors. Solar collectors that are blocked by the shade of a neighbor's tree or shrub may be protected under the Shade Act. The solar owner must be able to answer "Yes" to the following questions:

  • Does the neighboring tree or shrub shade more than 10% of the solar collector between 10 am and 2 pm local standard time?
  • Was the tree or shrub in question planted, or did the tree or shrub in question grow to shade the solar collector, after the solar collector's installation?
  • Did the tree or shrub in question begin to cast a shadow on the solar collector one year after the solar collector's installation?
  • Was the tree or shrub in question planted after January 1, 1979?
  • Was the solar collector installed pursuant to the Section 25982 setback requirements?
  • Does the solar collector meet the statutory definition of a "solar collector" provided in Section 25981?

There may be no violation of the Shade Act on the part of the tree or shrub owner if any of the following questions can be answered "No":

  • Does the tree or shrub shade more than 10% of the solar collector between 10 am and 2pm local standard time?
  • Do you own or lease the property on which the tree or shrub is located?
  • Was the tree or shrub in question was planted after January 1, 1979?

In addition to the questions above, the tree owner may not be in violation of the Shade act if any of the following questions can be answered "Yes":

  • During the 12 months following installation of the solar collector, did the tree or shrub in question cast a shadow on the solar collector?
  • Is the tree or shrub in question owned by a municipality that has passed an ordinance exempting itself from the Act?
  • Is the tree or shrub in question growing on land designated as timberland or agricultural land?
  • Are the trees or shrubs in question part of a passive cooling and heating strategy in which net energy savings from the passive solar system are demonstrably greater than those of the shaded solar collector?

Energy Conservation Guide


Save money on your energy bill AND reduce your carbon footprint with the Energy Conservation Guide!

Photovoltaics

If you have a roof or side-yard with Southern exposure and are interested in providing your own power on-site, this is the section for you. The San Diego Regional Energy Office of SANDAG has additional information and is a source of assistance for local consumers interested in installing solar panel systems. For additional information on solar panel systems including system sizing, see the Dept. of Energy's resources, here. For more information about the Calif. Energy Commission's Emerging Renewables Program, click here.


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