Los Angeles Contractors | Solar Panels, Battery Storage, Roofing, HVAC
Solar power is generated from the sun, the most powerful force in our galaxy. Sunlight is collected on rooftops by Solar panels. The solar panel is made up of many photovoltaic cells joined together to form a system of collecting sunlight, transforming it into energy, and distributing the energy to a building’s electrical system. Simple right? Benefits of Solar Solar power is cheap, useful, and the benefits economically and environmentally are clear. Control over your utility costs Hedging against rising energy costs Increase in the value of your home Achieving Energy Independence Benefits to Local Economy Reduction of greenhouse gases These are all ways that we know solar power benefits both the homeowner and the businessman. But how about investing in the future of scientific discovery, innovation, and invention? Investing in Solar power promotes a creative and dynamic explosion of the new and ends the old, antiquated system of generating electricity not only in homes and your community but the world at large. Technology and Electrical Power We take for granted the invention of the telephone, television and the washing machine which are commonplace or were until the digital age. Suddenly it seems we have smartphones, smart Tv’s and smart just about everything including smart homes. All these inventions have one thing in common that we often overlook. They all run on electricity. With the move away from fossil fuels and even the electric grid itself, we have gone from The Flintstones to The Jetsons and beyond. Will solar power someday launch rockets into space? Communication is as fast as the speed of light. We are becoming an interconnected world powered by electricity from continent to continent. Add to that electric cars as a viable alternative for millions of vehicles, one thing is sure; Our world will demand more, not less, electricity to power the future and that future has arrived. Investment in Solar Power Investing in solar now will prepare your home for the invasion of technology-driven appliances and devices and innovations we have not yet seen. And the good news is that this can all be done without harming the earth or creating greenhouse gases. The future is bright for renewable energy, and solar power is the pioneering force lighting the way. With the price of solar dropping annually, the incentives and rebates and financial benefits of solar power are an attractive investment. But if you use your imagination, you are buying into much more than lower bills and lowering your carbon footprint, you are on the road to a sustainable world with clean air and water, with less noise and complicated machinery blasting away everywhere you go. Solar in Woodland Hills Going solar is easy these days. California is ahead of the pack and Woodland Hills, being a conservation-conscious city, with lots of sunshine, green space, and beautiful parks and scenery is a great place to jump aboard and join the residential solar boom that is happening on rooftops in this eco-friendly town and across the globe. Semper Solaris is the go-to solar contractor for installing solar on your rooftop in Woodland Hills. We are experts with years of experience serving this city and the surrounding areas. We can make the installation of solar easy for you and help you with incentives, rebates, and solar loans to make installing solar an affordable option along with the many benefits you will enjoy by going solar. If it is good for the planet, it is good for you.
There is nothing like a beautiful, sunny day in Santa Monica. While there may be a lot of them, we still never grow tired of the consistent sunshine! One of the main reasons? It means we can help our customers continue to harvest the power of the sun for their benefit! With how expensive the electricity bills can be in this community, there is no doubt going solar is a serious attraction. As the fastest-growing solar contractor in Santa Monica, Semper Solaris is ready to help you make your community greener and take maximum advantage of solar savings. While going solar may feel like a big, complicated decision, we like to take the confusion out of the equation. Our goal is to make the solar process and investment as simple as possible for our customers to understand and determine whether it's right for their circumstances. We’ll walk you through each and every step to ensure you are comfortable with it! Learn about our current offers or find out how you can go solar by calling our experts today! Perks of Installing Solar Panels Having solar panels installed on your home can be extremely beneficial. There are countless benefits you’ll reap from this investment -- that includes everything from creating a more eco-friendly home to extra cash back in your pocket every month. Take a look at the wide range of solar benefits below! Real Savings on Long Term Expenses Looking for a way to reduce your energy bills? Having solar panels installed will greatly cut down on your monthly electricity costs. Electric company rates are predicted to have a steady increase throughout the next years, and being dependent on volatile rates and unable to dimish your electric use can be extremely damaging to your personal finances. Renewable energy allows you to break that cycle — to take charge of your energy source, to monitor your energy production, to understand how much you’re using and producing and to adjust your habits accordingly. On top of that, you’re no longer paying for that electricity: what you produce is yours, and whatever is leftover, you sell back to the electric company. No Waiting Period for Savings If you are on the fence about the upfront investment, solar purchase power agreements and leasing options allow you to get more affordable green energy through solar panels right away. You can enjoy all the benefits of solar with a simple “pay-as-you-go” model to take the financial burden off your shoulders and enjoy more immediate savings. A third-party company will actually own the system, but you’ll be able to buy the more affordable solar energy, saving you money month to month. Reasonable Payback Timeline & Cost For those who do want to buy their own solar panel system, the option can be very affordable and reasonable. With all the incentives, rebates, and savings, the payback period is often much quicker than homeowners even realize. This means all their savings on electricity goes right back into their pockets! Boost to Home Value As a prospective homebuyer, seeing that a house has a solar panel system in place can be very appealing. They can step into a smart home that will offer lower electricity bills, ultimately making it a much more attractive purchase. In fact, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that homes with solar panels were able to sell not only 17% faster, but for 20% more than comparable homes without panels installed. Numerous Incentives Available The most attractive incentive is no doubt the Federal Solar Tax Credit, which allows you to deduct a percentage of the total cost of your solar panel system (including equipment and solar installation expenses). That automatically takes out a huge chunk of the solar panel system cost! This credit is set to expire soon, however, so make sure you take advantage of it while still available. California is also determined to expand its reputation as a “green” and energy-conscious state, offerings rebates and incentives alongside the Federal Solar Tax Credit and local rebates for Santa Monica residents. Proven Performance & Savings Though they are constantly exposed to the elements, solar panels are designed to be sturdy and long-lasting. Typical solar panel manufacturers stand by their products with extensive warranties, often around 20 to 25 years. These performance guarantees give homeowners peace of mind that their panels are designed to perform exceptionally well for decades to come. And that’s just guaranteed performance, as solar panels are able to last much longer! Protects Environment & Keeps Local Community Green Santa Monica is a beautiful area to live in. Protecting that natural beauty is important, and going solar is one of the ways you can help promote a more sustainable future. It may seem small, but every house and every neighborhood can make a big difference for Southern California in the long run. Renewable energy options like solar panels cut back on air and water pollution that traditional fossil fuels emit. Not only is renewable energy good for the environment, but it's also great for public health, reducing air pollution and protecting precious water supplies. Provides More Energy Independence Electricity costs are currently volatile, with some uncertainty about future expenses to homeowners. That means going solar is more valuable than ever before. Having solar panels allows you to take control back over your electricity costs from utility companies. Even with net metering and time-of-use rates, having solar energy gives you much more peace of mind with your primary electricity use coming from your solar panels or solar credit from your panels. With the always-improving solar battery storage technology, you can further increase your energy independence and decrease reliance on the grid! Why Wait When You Can Start Saving Right Away? Helping the local Santa Monica community doesn’t have to be time-consuming or costly. Going solar can be a great way to help support the environment and your wallet at the same time! The incentives and tax credits still available for homeowners in California make it an ideal time to invest in solar panels. If you are interested in learning more about how installing solar panels in Santa Monica can help you save, add value to your home, and benefit your community, reach out to our team. We can walk you through each and every step of the process and help you select the right panels and system size for your home needs and budget. Semper Solaris is always just a quick call away. Get expert solar guidance today!
Los Angeles residents are all too familiar with the looming threat of wildfires. As of this writing, 16 large fires burned through the state of California, scorching 410,000 acres and displacing over 40,000 California residents. That includes the Valley Fire, burning just outside of Los Angeles in the San Bernardino National Forest. Unfortunately, this may be the new normal for our state, as climate change makes wildfires a year-round threat. What does this “new normal” mean for your solar installation in Los Angeles? Can your solar panels survive a fire, and if not, who will pay for the damage? A Year-Round Fire Season It wasn’t so long ago when Angelenos could breathe easy for most of the year. Wildfires threatened only in the late fall as vegetation dried out and offered easily kindling. Large fires were thankfully few and far between. We don’t live in that world anymore. Continuing and extended droughts mean that wildfires can sprout up any day and quickly burn through dried vegetation. It also means that Angelenos need to be prepared for bigger, more destructive wildfires. Nothing hit this point home like the devastating Thomas Fire that started at the beginning of December in 2017 and tore through the city of Ventura. By the time it was finally 100 percent contained in mid-January, the Thomas Fire had destroyed over 1,000 structures, including many homes. No Los Angeles resident will soon forget the hazy sky, the tinge of smoke in the air, and the vivid images of homes in flames over that un-merry holiday season. Even as wildfires get stronger and more frequent, solar installations in Los Angeles have proliferated. The City of Angels is at the forefront of solar adoption, meaning that solar panels and wildfires are likely to meet more frequently in the future. If you are considering a solar installation in Los Angeles, here’s what you need to know about how fire may affect your panels. Can Solar Panels Survive a Fire? Solar panels are built to endure the elements, and they can survive some pretty brutal weather, including snow (a rarity in Los Angeles), heavy winds, and even hail storms (up to a point). The truth is that data about how solar panels perform in a fire just isn’t available. However, it’s safe to say that they certainly aren’t fireproof! If you lose your home to fire and you have solar panels on your roof, it is highly likely that you will lose your solar panels as well. What’s more important is to ensure that solar panels do not cause or exacerbate fires. Manufacturers are continually improving their panels, which includes making sure that their solar panels meet building and fire codes and do not contribute to wildfires. How Hot Can a Solar Panel Get? Is it possible for solar panels to survive even if flames are nearby? This is a tricky question to answer. A lot of work has been done to test how much heat a solar panel can handle, but this typically refers to normal environmental heat, not the heat of flames. Solar panels are designed to withstand a lot of heat. After all, many of the largest commercial solar arrays are in some of the hottest, driest parts of the country. Even residential solar installations in Los Angeles can endure high temperatures since roofs tend to be hotter than the ambient temperature on hot days. We do know that solar panel performance begins to drop when temperatures climb above 77 degrees Fahrenheit and that they can continue generating energy even up to temperatures as high as 149 degrees Fahrenheit. Does this still hold true when flames are licking the edge of a roof? We don’t know, but if flames are close enough to affect the temperature of a solar panel, focus on evacuating your family (including pets!) as quickly and safely as possible. You can worry about your Los Angeles solar installation later. Solar panels can be replaced. Lives can’t. Who Pays When Solar Panels Are Damaged by Fire? What if the nightmare comes true and a wildfire destroys your home, including your solar panel installation? Your first focus should always be on ensuring your safety and your family’s safety, but when all the flames are out and the ash has settled, will your solar panels be covered by insurance, or will you have to replace them out of pocket? While it is hard to find the positives in such a bleak scenario, one silver lining is that most home insurance policies do cover rooftop solar installations. When you install solar panels on your roof, most insurance policies consider it a part of your home. Therefore, your system should be covered without any premium hikes. You’ll definitely want to double check and make sure that your policy covers your solar panels. If not, you may need to request a specific rider to cover them, which will increase your premium. It’s also important to recognize that your homeowner’s policy is less likely to cover solar panels on a carport or a ground solar installation. Don’t forget that in the event that your solar panels are damaged or destroyed in a fire, you’ll still need to pay your insurance premium before you can receive payment and that it may take weeks or even months for your claim to be processed and approved. Solar Pro Tip: As you begin the process of purchasing solar panels, double check your homeowner’s insurance to make sure it will cover your Los Angeles solar installation. Next, review your coverage limits. Even a modest solar system can cost over ten thousand dollars. If your solar system pushes the value of your home above your insurance coverage limit, consider adjusting your policy. Otherwise, you could be paying out of pocket to replace your panels if your entire home is destroyed in a wildfire. Leased Solar Systems and Power Purchase Agreements If you currently (or plan to) lease your solar installation or have entered into a power purchase agreement with your solar provider, then the solar provider owns the system. If the system is damaged or destroyed in a wildfire, they – not you – are responsible for repairing or replacing the system. We suggest contacting your solar installer as soon as possible after a fire to report damage. They will likely have to deal with a big jump in repair and replacement requests, and homeowners who are slow to make a claim will find themselves at the back of the line. Solar Panels and Smoke You don’t have to be directly in the path of a wildfire to be affected by it. When a big wildfire hits, even far off communities may have to deal with smoky air and ash. Smoke in the air isn’t good for your lungs, and it can even hurt the performance of your solar panels. When fire burns vegetation and other things, it releases soot and aerosol particles, like carbon, into the air. These particles actually absorb sunlight, which means less light hitting your solar panels and generating energy. The biggest wildfires can take days or weeks to wrestle under control. If you live in a neighboring community, you may notice that your solar panels are less efficient. The level of the drop off in efficiency will depend on how close you are to the fire, the direction of the smoke, and the direction of the wind. It may be interesting to check out your solar installation’s performance before and during a fire to see how its performance changes as a result of the smoke in the air. Solar Panels and Ash Fire creates ash, and high winds can blanket neighboring communities in a fine layer of the stuff during a wildfire. Chances are that if you go outside and find a layer of ash on your car, there’s also probably a layer of ash on your solar panels as well. Anything that covers your solar panels will prevent sunlight from hitting the solar cells, which will lower the output of your Los Angeles solar installation. Even if your community wasn’t directly affected by a wildfire, it’s useful to check on your solar panels to make sure they aren’t caked in ash. If you do notice ash on your solar panels, you can easily fix the problem. In many cases, it’s as simple as spraying down your panels with a hose. If you notice that the hose bath doesn’t entirely clear the ash from the panels you may need to use a spray bottle and soft sponge to get off that last layer of crust. Use an anti-water-spotting solution if you notice water spots on your panels. Please, please, please be careful when climbing ladders and doing any type of work on your roof. If you don’t feel entirely comfortable cleaning your solar panels on your own, contact a service to assist you. Solar Pro Tip: Make sure to use a soft mop or microfiber cloth to scrub your solar panels. Do not use hard brushes, or you could scratch and damage your solar cells! The Future of Los Angeles Solar Installations in the Age of Fire The increasing severity of wildfires across California is a direct result of the ongoing drought conditions our state faces. Climate change is here, and wildfires are just one of the negative effects it brings to Los Angeles. One of the primary drivers of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels to create the energy that powers our city, our vehicles, and our homes. If you want to help fight climate change, one way to do that is by investing in solar panels for your home. Solar panels produce energy using the clean, renewable energy of the sun instead of burning dirty fossil fuels. We Angelenos may need to accept that wildfires will be a persistent threat, but that doesn’t mean we have to also accept that climate change will continue to get worse. We can make a difference and lower our carbon footprint with every decision we make. If you want to make the decision to switch to solar energy, contact Semper Solaris and schedule a free energy analysis for your Los Angeles home!
Los Angeles is a great place to invest in solar panels. Not only does the most populous city in the Golden State get plenty of sunshine throughout the year, but the city itself actively encourages its residents to go solar through its Solar Incentive Program (SIP). To make the cost of solar panels in Los Angeles a little more affordable, SIP offers rebates to residents who purchase or lease solar panels. (It helps to have the assistance of an experienced solar panel company in Los Angeles to obtain the rebate.) That’s right, Los Angeles will actually give you money to put solar panels on your roof. How does the SIP work, and, more importantly, how can you get your check in the mail? In this article, we’ll explore the history of the Solar Incentive Program, explain how it can put money in your pocket, walk you through the steps to apply, and tell you why now is the best time to take advantage of the program. (Hint: It might not be around for much longer!) Why Los Angeles Wants to Pay You to Go Solar In 2006, the year of his re-election, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made history when he signed the California Solar Initiative (CSI), which required that all California utility companies implement a solar incentive program. The CSI was designed to increase the amount of renewable energy that California produced by making solar installation more affordable for businesses and homeowners. Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles was ahead of the curve. Its massive public utility company, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) had already implemented its own Solar Incentive Program (SIP) all the way back in 2000. The California Solar Initiative supercharged the LADWP’s program by handing the utility $313 million to funnel to its residents and businesses. In 2007, the LADWP Board of Commissioners released a revised Solar Incentive Program that offered rebates (also called “incentives”) to residents and businesses that installed solar panels on their property. The program was designed so that the amount of the rebates would decline over time as certain solar power goals were met. The program was slated to wrap in 2017 (ten years after it started) or whenever the program met its solar energy production goals. Fortunately for you, Los Angeles still hasn’t met its goals, so the program is still currently open. (More on that toward the end of this article.) How the California Solar Initiative Works In the simplest terms, the SIP is a one-time rebate that is calculated based on the energy your solar panel system produces. In this way, the more energy your system produces, the bigger your rebate will be. The effect of this system is that homeowners who invest in larger (more expensive) solar installations will receive a bigger rebate to help offset their expanded costs. One of the really nice things about the SIP is that it is available for homeowners who purchase or lease their solar panels. If you don’t have enough money to purchase your solar panels out-of-pocket, leasing allows you to get solar panels, often with no money down, for a fixed cost. As a bonus, you’ll still get your SIP rebate! As of this writing, the SIP rebate for a residential solar system is $0.25 per watt. How Much Can You Save? How much savings can you expect from a SIP rebate? The answer will depend upon the size of your system and ultimately how its capacity is calculated according to the SIP’s formula. If you really want to know what type of rebate you could be looking at, it’s best to schedule a consultation with a solar panel company in Los Angeles. Your solar installation company can make a recommendation on the right size solar system for your energy needs and budget and then use that calculation to do some back-of-the-envelope math to estimate your SIP rebate. Let us stress that these are only ballpark figures, and you should definitely speak with a professional solar installation company with experience in Los Angeles before making your purchase decision. How to Get Bonus Savings Want an even bigger rebate for your solar panel purchase? The SIP hands out a bonus rebate if you invest in solar panels (also called photovoltaic cells) that were manufactured in Los Angeles. Again, we encourage you to work with a solar panel company in Los Angeles to determine the right brand of solar panel for your project. How to Qualify for the SIP Rebate This whole “get the city of Los Angeles to give you money for purchasing solar panels” thing sounds pretty good, right? Before you start dreaming about how to spend your rebate check (tickets to Wicked at the Pantages, anyone?), make sure that you qualify for the program. It’s not that hard unless you veer pretty far off the normal solar panel path. Here’s how to qualify for a SIP rebate: Be a customer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Purchase solar panels (solar batteries and solar water heaters do not qualify) Purchase solar panels and equipment that is certified, meet national standards, and come with a minimum 10-year warranty Purchase a minimum 1kW system with a maximum allowable system size of 5mW (megawatts) Hire a licensed California contractor to install the panels These standards are relatively basic, and as long as you work with an experienced and trustworthy solar panel company and receive service from LADWP, you shouldn’t have to worry about qualifying for the rebate. Receiving the rebate, however, is a whole other can of worms! A Step-by-Step Guide to Snagging Your SIP Rebate This section will look at all the steps involved in applying for and receiving a SIP rebate for solar panel systems 10kW or smaller, which will cover the majority of residential systems. The steps may seem complicated, but keep in mind that your solar installation company should handle the entire process on your behalf. It’s useful to understand what’s involved in receiving the rebate, but you shouldn’t need to actually perform any of these steps. Step One: Your solar installer will complete the PV Preliminary Review Information Sheet. You should answer “no” to each question. If you answer “yes” to a question, your solar installer will need to schedule a pre-construction meeting with an LADWP Electric Service Representative. Step Two: Your solar installer will submit your LADWP Solar Reservation Request through the LADWP’s PowerClerk Database on your behalf. Step Three: Upload the following documents to the PowerClerk Database to reserve your rebate: A signed reservation request form A copy of your solar panel installation contract or your lease agreement Your most recent LADWP electric bill A solar inspection agreement Electronic document authorization form Energy audit Residential Disclosure Agreement Preliminary Review Information Worksheet Copy of Ten Year Warranty Step Four: Assuming your solar installation company knows what they’re doing, you’ll be approved by the LADWP Solar Group and receive an Incentive Payment Claim Form. Your installer will need to complete and submit this form when your solar panel installation is complete. Step Five: Your solar installer will need to pull the required permits in order to start on the installation. A company with a lot of experience working in Los Angeles should have no problem with this step. Step Six: Once all the permits are successfully pulled, your installer can get to work installing your system. At this point, you can just step back and watch as your roof seems to magically sprout solar panels overnight. Step Seven: When your solar system has been installed, your solar contractor will contact the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) to schedule a final inspection. The city will send out an inspector to make sure the system meets all the city’s codes and requirements. As long as you use a legitimate solar installation company, your system should pass inspection with flying colors. Step Eight: Once you get approval from the LADBS, your installer can formally submit an Incentive Payment Claim Form to the LADWP. Along with this form, the installer will also have to submit: A copy of the approved Building and Safety permit A copy of your invoice for the solar panel system. The invoice must show a zero balance Step Nine: Thought you were done? This is a bureaucracy; of course not! Once your solar installer submits the rebate claim form, the city will send out a Solar Inspector to verify the size, tilt, orientation, and shading of your system in order to confirm that your solar system will produce that amount of power you claim. The inspector will also confirm that you used the equipment you listed in your submission. If everything looks good, the Solar Inspector will install your net meter so that you can actually turn on your system. Hooray! Step Ten: If everything goes according to plan, your Solar Inspector will submit the approval of your system, and you will – at long last – receive your rebate check in the mail. Aw, the sweet smell of success. Why You Should Call a Solar Panel Company in Los Angeles ASAP At the beginning of the article, we mentioned that the LADWP’s Solar Incentive Program was designed to run out in 2017 or when the LADWP had met its solar power generation goal. The calendar says that it’s past the middle of 2018, and the program is still active, which means that it’s basically living on borrowed time. If you are considering solar panels, there is seriously no better time to invest in solar power in Los Angeles. Hopefully, this has shown that the LADWP’s solar rebate program can be a little complicated. That’s why it’s so important to work with a local solar panel company in Los Angeles that understands exactly how to use the program. You wouldn’t want to miss out on your rebate, because a national solar installation company doesn’t know what they are doing! At Semper Solaris, we are proud to have locations throughout California, including in Los Angeles. Our Los Angeles team knows how to obtain SIP rebates for our clients in a smooth and effective way. To start on your solar journey, contact us for a free energy analysis today.
