Dear Eagle Rock residents,

I have been a resident of Eagle Rock for more than 20 years. Recently, my family got a solar photovoltaic system installed on the roof of our house and I want share the experience with you.

We are of course quite pleased. Solar power does both the soul and the pocketbook a lot of good—and there aren’t many projects that can accomplish that.

You might consider going solar, too! Let me tell you that this is a great time to make the investment because of two factors: First, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power offers very generous rebates for solar energy. And second, the federal government offers tax credits for solar photovoltaic systems. Thank you, ex-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and your “Million Solar Roofs” program.

(Editor’s note: The 2006 statewide Million Solar Roofs program is aimed at generating 3,000 megawatts of solar electric power and is part of the California Solar Initiative, which authorizes the state to invest $3.2 billion—reportedly the largest solar investment by any state in the nation—in small-scale solar electric power systems over an 11-year period ending in 2017-18.)

Now, get this: The DWP rebates are officially scheduled to expire in 2016. However, there’s considerable competition among Los Angeles residents to get solar rebates and there's a chance that the rebates might be “used up” in the next two to three years. Bottom line: Act fast!

I think our case is a good, typical example and I hope it encourages you to explore the possibility of a solar roof for yourself. Here is what we did to install a solar roof, some of the relevant facts that guided us, and a summary of how we have benefited from our decision:

• We have a sufficient south-facing roof area and only slight to moderate shading there. Otherwise, we would have had to pass on the solar roof panels. Some houses are just not suitable for a PV system. Fortunately, ours was okay—and my guess is that about half the houses on the street where I live, Oak Grove Circle, have south-facing roofs.

• I went to Angie’s List on the web, which has customer reviews of trades' people, such as plumbers, carpenters, contractors, etc., to find a good solar contractor. I had three companies make bids and chose the one that seemed right for the job.

• We had 18 panels installed in December 2010. Our solar contractor estimated that the system would cover 99 percent of our yearly electrical use. So far, the performance is close to the estimate. In fact, no reviewers in Angie’s List complained that the company they chose did not deliver. In fact, solar contractors even do all the paperwork for you to get the DWP rebate.

• We will receive a rebate of 30-40 percent of our installation cost from DWP. We lost a little on the rebate by taking too long to give the project the green light, and the rebate fell a bit in that time. So if you’re going to install a solar roof, the sooner you do it the better.

• We have also received a 30 percent federal tax credit on the initial cost. The final cost to us, after these wonderful subsidies, was about $8,000.

• Solar panels have a guaranteed life of 25 years. But they often last past 35 years.

• Our annual electrical bill before we sent solar was about $1,000. With solar, we expect to spend almost nothing. 

• Electricity rates have increased historically at an average of 6.7 percent per year at DWP.

• I can follow the entire solar power production from our 18 solar panels online to see how many watts of power is being generated moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, day-by-day. It’s very cool.

• Our property value has increased by about $20,000, using Appraisers’ Association of America estimates that solar PV increases property values by about 20 times the yearly savings on your annual power bill.

• Because of the DWP’s expected 6.7-percent power rate increases, the cost savings to our family will be about $98,000 over 25 years, and it is expected to be even more for the full life of the panels. The return on investment is about 5-6 years. And the percent return is about 140 percent. 

• Some panels were installed over my upstairs den.  Before that, it used to get uncomfortably hot. But because of the shading of the panels, it is more comfortable now, and I use a lot less air conditioning.

Do you know of any investment better than this? If so, please tell me. Either way, I want to tell you why, in addition to all those benefits, I opted for solar energy. Again, I’ll start with some background:

• I taught physical and environmental science for more than 20 years in two local public high schools—Abraham Lincoln High School, on Broadway, and at the former Silver Lake branch of the City of Angels, an option school.

• For more than 20 years, I have seen the “writing on the wall” pointing directly to human-made climate change and its potentially devastating consequences.

• Now, we are way beyond the environmental writing-on-the-wall stage.  

• The reality of human-made climate change commands as great a scientific consensus from the world’s responsible climate scientists as, for example, the theory of DNA and genetics, or the plate tectonic theory, which explains earthquakes and volcanoes, or the germ theory of infectious disease.  There is that much hard evidence. To me, it is not a political issue.

• Knowing this, I wanted to do my bit, however small, to prevent the catastrophic consequences of this change. I also wanted to make the ethical and moral choice not to inflict harm on other people—now and in later generations—simply because of my own energy appetites. 

So, yep, my solar project is good for the soul, each and every day. In only about three (winter) months our PV system blocked the emissions of 1,700 pounds of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of 86 gallons of gas. And this during the coldest, darkest, most shaded months. We can expect far better in the summer.

So, why don’t you explore the possibilities for yourself? I think the best start is to call a few reliable companies, those with a good track record.

I'm pretty sure you would be very happy with the kind of solar photovoltaic system I have right over my roof—provided you have a south-facing house. It makes good financial sense, and it just might help keep our only, precious Earth cool, too.

Post Script: If you see I am in error in my descriptions or if you have any questions, please feel free to email me (Jan Freed) at freed358@gmail.com.