Los Angeles | Solar Panels, Battery Storage, Roofing, HVAC
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.
These days, it seems like solar panels are everywhere — especially in Southern California. The large number of homes with solar panels in Los Angeles may be attributed to our ideal climate, along with state or local initiatives that encourage solar installation. Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the U.S., ranks #2 in the nation for most solar energy systems installed. At the end of 2016, the city had 267 megawatts of total solar installed, falling just behind San Diego, at 303 megawatts. For those looking to live in the Los Angeles area, here are the top neighborhoods for solar based on a combination of factors, including solar saturation (the amount of solar homes out of the total houses in a zip code) as well as key attributes that contribute to the overall quality of living. Santa Clarita The town of Santa Clarita has a solar saturation of 21.2%, making it the third most saturated neighborhood for solar panels in the Los Angeles area. With 225,000 residents and 6,000 business owners, the L.A. suburb is booming with life; CNN Money Magazine even deemed it “one of the best places to live in California.” Santa Clarita is distinguished by its award-winning schools, and the town boasts extensive trail systems, and culture and recreational programs that make it especially enjoyable to live in. For those looking to buy, the median home value is $417,400 and average rent sits around $1,650. Additionally, the residential demographic holds an A+ rating based on ethnic and economic diversity. The Santa Clarita neighborhood of Valencia, in particular, is the most solar-saturated zip code in all of Los Angeles. Not only is solar panel installation for Los Angeles’ already-high standards extra prominent here, it’s a great place to settle down. Castaic Just south of Santa Clarita, still within the northern part of Los Angeles county, is the suburb of Castaic. Here, nearly 15% of homes have solar panels. Los Angeles County residents that reside here are surrounded by alternative energy, as Castaic Lake — part of the California Water Project — is the site of a hydro-electric power plant. The town has a population of more than 19,000 with a median home value of $425,200. Median rent is $1,346 and the median age of its residents is 36 years old. It’s known for its good public schools, diversity and being a top place to raise families. Manhattan Beach For Manhattan Beach, one of the top beach towns in Los Angeles, the sun is no stranger. It’s one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the area, with a median home value of $1,537,200. Manhattan Beach also falls into the top 10 in California for the categories of “Best Places to Retire,” “Best Suburbs to Live,” and “Best Suburbs to Raise a Family,” according to Niche.com. Its top-rated schools make it appealing for families, its bustling nightlife attracts the urbanites, and, business professionals frequent the area thanks to its close proximity to LAX. Solar panels in this Los Angeles beach-town complement the nature of the area; while the cost of living is higher, residents look to solar energy as a way to save — and capitalize on the abundant sunlight. Glendale Glendale is the third largest city in Los Angeles County and is considered one of the most livable areas. It’s home to nearly 200,000 residents and ranks in the A-grade category for public schools, diversity, nightlife and families (it was even deemed one of the safest cities in America by the FBI!). The L.A. Zoo, Norton Simon Museum and hiking trails in the San Gabriel Mountains are some major attractions nearby. Solar panels for Los Angeles residents that reside here are a viable option and way to save on electricity bills in your median $809,000 home, and you’ll fit in with your eco- and health-conscious neighbors. In fact, Glendale ranks #13 among the “Healthiest Cities in America” and the “Healthiest Places to Live in America”. South Pasadena Just six miles from downtown Los Angeles, South Pasadena ranks #15 as the “Best Suburb to Live in California”. It’s known as the City of Trees (21,000+ to be more exact), which plays well with its environment-friendly theme that welcomes solar panels. Los Angeles residents that reside here will find a charming community known for its stunning homes, robust small business economy and top-notch schools. Homes here have a median value of $876,900, with average rent around $1,500. Find Your Solar Panel Installer in Los Angeles These neighborhoods for solar installation in Los Angeles have earned their spot at the top. Their overall high livability and other friendly features make them very attractive to those looking to settle in Los Angeles; but since L.A. is known for its dense population and high pollution levels, it’s important to consider installing solar panels. Los Angeles residents not only are able to reduce their carbon-footprint by investing in solar energy, they can invest in improving the overall quality of air in the area. Ready to join them? Learn more about Semper Solaris, the #1 trusted solar company in Los Angeles.
California is no stranger to solar panels. Los Angeles, the largest city in the Golden State, is helping to lead the way in solar power system adoption. The rising popularity of solar panel installation in Los Angeles is fitting, given various factors including government incentives, favorable climate and the global effort to reduce carbon emissions, and the city’s influence in growing the solar industry in general also holds significant value. How Los Angeles Helped Pioneer Solar Power Implementation in California The Los Angeles area has played a historic role in solar power commercialization. Dating all the way back to 1979, the world’s largest photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing facility was constructed in Camarillo, California, just north of L.A. in Ventura County. Additionally, the city played a further role popularizing solar in California when the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power worked with the Department of Energy, Southern California Edison, and the California Energy Commission to design the Solar One program that was the first to test a large-scale thermal solar tower power plant in 1981. Supplementing the overall spread of solar energy in California, the state’s Pacific Gas and Electric Company created the first-ever, grid-supported photovoltaic system, considered the first “distributed power” PV installation. With all these foundations for solar energy technology in place, it was just a matter of time before the city’s residents could really start to benefit from this alternative form of electricity. Adoption of Solar Panels in Los Angeles Even though its setting would imply otherwise, solar panel installation in Los Angeles wasn’t necessarily the most popular in most recent decades. In 2012, L.A. didn’t make the U.S. Department of Energy’s top 25 “Solar America Cities,” while both San Diego and San Francisco did. The reasons behind this could be attributed to high-cost solar power previously held and the city’s larger use of the cheapest form of energy produced from coal. With more recent and significant dips in the cost of solar energy - along with the rising electricity rates - a positive shift toward installing solar energy has taken up momentum. The need for cleaner air in the well-known pollution-filled city of L.A. has further helped to drive the switch to solar energy. In September 2010, an executive order signed by the city’s Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and approved by the California Air Resources Board, required the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to produce at least one-third of its energy by 2020. To do this, the city partnered with UCLA to study the feasibility of an incentive program for promoting distributed solar energy usage. Pro-solar, statewide initiatives were also a major supplement to these city-driven mandates—the main one being the California Solar Initiative (CSI) as well as the overall Go Solar California campaign. The CSI program works to benefit customers of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Overall Shift Toward Sustainable Energy Outside California and the U.S., an overall shift toward adopting sustainable energy is happening around the world. In 2015, nearly every country in the world participated in the first global pact, the Paris Climate Agreement, that was aimed toward reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. With this accord, each country would make a conscious effort to set goals toward decreasing their carbon footprint in order to slow down the possible negative impact on the earth’s atmosphere. Organizations and businesses around the world have also caught on to this trend of innovating their operations and products to be environmentally friendly. Tesla, for example, is a company that prides itself on creating technologies that work to accelerate the universal transition to sustainable energy. It has invented multiple products like electric cars that run on clean energy and is currently in the process of producing a stationary battery for powering the home. SpaceX’s Hyperloop One reinvention of transportation using alternative electricity sources and technology is currently being tested and the concept could come to fruition in the very near future. Another trend toward sustainability lies in waste-to-energy conversion. To address a growing crisis in waste management around the world, cities and governments are finding ways to turn trash to “gas”—to reduce waste and emit fewer emissions. These alternative solutions for energy are addressing the world’s issues and are helping to keep momentum toward making sustainable energy sources the norm. Meanwhile, the increasing need to stay connected and share information is helping to fuel the trend to “go green” and helps consumers to understand the negative impacts certain types of energy sources could have on the earth. With Los Angeles being one of the major cities within the United States, it can be looked at as a leader in sustainable practices, starting with greater adoption of solar panels in Los Angeles. Why Solar Power Installation in Los Angeles Will Continue Rising Los Angeles upholds a reputation of holding forward-thinking ideals, with its people being on the pulse of the latest trends, technologies, and news. With increased energy costs, government-mandated initiatives, and incentives to go solar in place there is a general shift toward sustainable energy throughout the country. And this perfect storm has created this rising popularity of solar panels in Los Angeles. If you are looking to contribute to the positive momentum and be a hero in your own right, give us a call for solar panel installation in Los Angeles. Semper Solaris is the most trusted solar power company in Los Angeles County, with unmatched expertise in solar power. We’ll get you on your way to saving not only money via lower electricity bills but also to drastically reduce your negative environmental impact via the switch to solar.
