In sunny Southern California, there has been a groundswell of homeowner interest in installing solar power. It makes perfect sense with our usually sunny climate, but homeowners may be shocked when they start to explore the cost of solar -- even with some of the financial incentives that are out there to ease the pain.

To help homeowners overcome that hurdle, the state is distributing $3.3 billion in incentives in the California Solar Initiative program. The ratepayer-funded program provides residents with thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in savings, depending on the size and other characteristics of their solar system.

But before investing in solar, some experts think it wise to explore what savings you can realize by first improving energy efficiency in your home through insulation, lighting, and energy-efficient doors, windows, and appliances.

In a North County Times article, Scott Anders, director of the Energy Policy Initiatives Center at the University of San Diego School of Law, commented that significant energy savings can be found in older homes without installing a solar system costing thousands of dollars.

UCAN's executive director, Michael Shames, who installed solar panels in his own home, (Check out Michael's experience with solar be going to http://www.ucan.org/Michael_shames_pv_adventure ), strongly defends the long-term cost-effectiveness of rooftop solar.

"Solar panels are the most cost effective capital investment that a homeowner can make ... especially one that has already pursued the easy energy efficiency measures," Shames wrote. "The attractive part of the solar PV investment for a household is the ability of customers to substantially cut their peak usage and for the option of being able to use that generated electricity for fueling their cars (plug-in hybrids) as well as other applications."

Anders said he isn't really disagreeing with Shames, because those "easy energy-efficiency measures" are those he advocates doing first. And once a home has been made energy-efficient, he said, a smaller and less expensive solar system might suffice.

In the article, staff writer Bradley Fikes quoted David Lloyd, an attorney with NRG Energy Inc., owner of the Encina Power Station in Carlsbad, who said the significant cost of solar is an obstacle to plans by local governments to encourage rooftop solar electricity.

The bottom line to all this: Start making your home more energy-efficient TODAY. There are low-cost measures you can take now before deciding if a major investment in solar is for you.

If you're considering solar energy go to UCAN's Solar Survival Kit at:

http://www.ucan.org/energy/energy_efficiency_alternatives/solar_panels/solar_project

Check out UCAN's Energy Conservation Guide at:

http://www.ucan.org/energy_conservation_guide