Interested in Solar in San Diego: Meet Face-to-Face With Our Representatives

If you’re interested in greening up your home and have questions about solar power in San Diego, HVAC or the latest energy efficient products on the market, our knowledgeable team of representatives will be happy to address all your concerns.

At Solaire Energy Systems, we believe in working with people on a one-to-one basis to best inform those looking to upgrade to green energy. Our friendly staff is readily available in many local farmers’ markets on a weekly basis and can also be found at a variety of special events in the San Diego area.

We’re here to help! Below is a list of places and events where you can find Solaire's representatives:

Every Wednesday

Santee Farmers’ Market

Abandoned School Parking Lot. 10445 Mission Gorge Rd. 92071

Event Hours:  3:00pm – 6:00pm (Winter)        

Every Thursday

Oceanside Sunset Market

Tremont and Pier View Way, Oceanside CA 92054

Thursday:  5:00pm – 9:00pm

Every Sunday

San Marcos Farmers’ Market

San Marcos – Cal State University, Parking Lot B

333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos CA 92078

Event Hours:  10:00am – 2:00pm (Winter)

North San Diego (Sikes Adobe) Certified Farmers Market

12655 Sunset Drive, Escondido, CA 92025

Event Hours:  10:30am – 3:30pm

Specific Dates

December 8, 2012

Vista Farmers Market - Second Saturday Event

County Courthouse Parking Lot -- 325 South Melrose Drive, Vista, CA

Event Hours: 8am - 12 noon

December 22, 2012

Vista Farmers Market – Earth Expo Event

Green, sustainable and otherwise good-for-the-planet products and services

County Courthouse Parking Lot -- 325 South Melrose Drive, Vista, CA

Event Hours: 8am - 12 noon

Solar Power Peer Pressure & How Solar Companies in San Diego can Benefit

According to a joint Yale and New York University study, homeowners are more likely to install solar panels on their homes if one of their neighbors have them. The study, titled “Peer Effects in the Diffusion of Solar Photovoltaic Panels”, examined solar installation patterns in California between January 2001 and December 2011.

The researchers found that a resident living in a particular zip code was more likely to install solar panels on his/her roof if their neighbors had already installed solar panels. To put it in numbers, for every 10 additional solar panel installations in a zip code, the probability of solar panel adoption for a household increases by 7.8 percent.

There were two other factors that confounded the increase in solar panel adoption: 1) how visible solar panels were, and 2) word-of-mouth among the area residents. It seems that people were too nervous to embark on installations alone, but when they saw that their friends and neighbors had done it, they felt more comfortable and went on to install solar panels on their own rooftops.

The researchers hope that information from this study will help policy makers and marketers develop appropriate subsidies for solar power and improve the diffusion process. Solar companies in San Diego will surely benefit from the study’s findings, as they have implications for community involvement. Another benefit from these findings; knowing that installing solar panels within a certain zip code can lead to more referrals and solar projects, especially since word-of-mouth is such an important contributing factor.

Have you installed solar panels after seeing your neighbor do so? Are you inspiring others to go solar? Let us know!

If you’re interested in more information regarding solar panel installation in California, please contact Solaire Energy Systems.

California Solar Initiative to end for Solar Power in San Diego County

The California Solar Initiative’s (CSI) solar panel subsidy program will end for San Diego County residents by the end of the year. Solar panel installers and CSI program officials say that end of the program will not negatively affect solar panel San Diego sales.

The CSI program was introduced in 2007 to provide subsidies for solar panels – it offers cash back to those who installed solar panels on their home or business. As more people purchased solar panels, the subsidies offered dropped through a series of levels of decreasing prices. The project, with a budget of $2.167 billion, was initially planned to last until 2016. However, the state’s solar panel purchases exceeded the program’s expectations, causing the program to end early.

As the subsidy declined, the cost of solar panels decreased. In fact, the cost of solar panels decreased so much so quickly that some companies prefer to just discount a customer's bill rather than fill out the detail application for the subsidy. The solar leases, which are owned by third parties, have stolen the market from traditional solar installations under the CSI.

Traditionally, a person would buy solar panels and then get paid back when their panels produced more power than they used, usually taking around seven years. With a solar lease, companies like Solaire Energy Systems are contracted to install the solar panels and keep ownership oft hem. Then the company, not the home or business owner, collects the subsidy and is able to take advantage of a federal tax credit – which should be available until 2016. In result, the home or business owner gets a lower electric cost compared to the cost without using the panels. According to the CSI, solar leases made up 76 percent of all installs in the San Diego area last year.

California is known for their progress in solar energy – in 2006 the CSI program made international news. With the solar panel subsides decreasing as popularity for solar leases increases, a solar market is being created that can sustain itself without government help.

San Diego Zoo to Provide Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Thanks to solar electricityin San Diego, CA, electric vehicle (EV) owners can soon add another reason to their list of why they should be happy for purchasing an eco-friendly car. In addition to reducing both their fuel cost and their dependence on fossil fuels, they can now keep their minds at ease while they visit the San Diego Zoo.

The San Diego Gas & Electric's sustainable communities program will initiate their project to supply a section of the San Diego Zoo’s parking lot with solar panels this fall, installing enough solar panels to supply five EV charging stations. Renewable sources, such as solar power, will thus provide a more efficient way to travel around the state. In addition to the electricity generated, the panels will also provide shade for up to fifty vehicles – a positive externality of solar power to say the least.

Each of these solar electric SanDiego Zoo panels is projected to provide approximately 90 kilowatts of energy. The local power grid will purchase any surplus electricity generated, which can then be used for the local community – so no need to worry about waste.

Here at Solaire Energy Systems we are thrilled by the San Diego Zoo’s decision to support individuals going solar. For more information, check out this supported article on the San Diego Zoo going solar.

Bringing Solar to San Diego Pools with Bill 2249

A bill passed by the California State Assembly in August will amend the 2007 California Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act to provide an incentive to commercial pools choosing to install solar water heating systems.  Bill 2249 is part of a series of three bills recently passed by the California legislature designed to improve access and financing for solar energy in California, particularly for businesses and large-scale commercial properties.

Authored by Joan Buchanan (D-Alamo), Bill 2249 seeks to expand on a state incentive program that was designed to encourage California residents to choose solar pool heaters over traditional gas or electric heaters.  The bill will expand access by making certain businesses that may not have been eligible before eligible – in particular, it will expand the state’s definition of a solar water heater to include solar pool heaters.

The bill will also expand the qualifications to be eligible for government financing for a solar pool/water system to include schools and non-profit organizations, which allows school systems in San Diego and all over California with swimming pools to enjoy the same cost-saving benefits as private residences.

In spite of warm summer California temperatures, pool water can often be unpleasantly cold year-round.  It’s especially important for community pools and schools to be able to heat their pool water –maintaining the water at swimmable temperatures during the entire year facilitated school water sports and P.E. classes as well as motivates students and community members to be active and use the pool.  San Diego solar pool heating systems can reduce costs associated with heating a pool immediately and significantly increase use of the pool whether installed in a residence or a school.

Solaire Energy Systems is one of the leading solar pool installers in in San Diego. Contact us to find out more!

San Diego Could Save Big with Energy-Efficient Replacement Windows

Hot weather plus large, thin-paneled, or poor-fitting windows means a lot of unwanted heat entering your home during the warm summer months.  With temperatures rarely falling below sixty in winter and rising over 100 in summer, San Diego windows need to be especially well-installed and suited to the weather to protect homeowners from extreme heat (and even more extreme energy bills).

Replacing your old windows with a more energy-efficient variety is one of the absolute best ways to conserve energy and keep your home air conditioning or heating costs down.  There are a number of reasons that old windows can cause hot air to enter a house in the summer, and with new replacement windows, San Diego residents can enjoy a comfortable house and significantly lower energy bills year-round.  Consider the following:

• If you find that you’re cranking up the air conditioner and your house can never get as cool as you like, older-model single- or double-pane windows are usually the culprit.  These windows let air pass easily – even more so if they’re over fifteen years old.  You may also find that your energy bills are higher every year, and your windows could also be to blame.
• The sealing and caulking around a window frame is crucial to preserving cold air inside your home.  Older windows with wooden frames can easily warp with years of changing weather and humidity, and it’s easy to miss caulking that’s come undone or falls loose on the outside of the window.
• Love opening the curtains, but hate how warm it makes the room?  It’s not just harmless light entering the house – any increases in the temperature of a room can kick your A/C into high gear, increasing your home’s energy expenditure and raising your bills.  Special energy-friendly coatings on new windows can actually block solar radiation from coming in through your windows. 

Vote for Solaire as San Diego's Best Solar Panel Company

Solaire Energy Systems is proud to announce that we have been nominated in the San Diego Union-Tribune's “Best of San Diego” contest for the category of BEST Solar Panel Company. Please take a brief moment out of your day to vote for us. We would truly appreciate it!

Below are the quick and easy steps to submit your vote:

1) Please click HERE to register (or go to this web address:  http://www.utsandiego.com/accounts/register/?next=/bestof/2012/vote/for-the-home/best-solar-panel-company/)

2) Please fill out the quick registration page and click “Sign Up”.

3) Go to your email and activate your new account by clicking on the link the San Diego Union-Tribune will send you.

4) Login using your created username and password, then click on…

• “VOTE NOW” at the top right corner of the screen or click here http://www.utsandiego.com/bestof/
• At this point the SAN DIEGO'S BEST U-T READERS POLL 2012 page will appear. Please click on “For the Home”
• Then click on “Solar Panel Company”
•  Then click on "Solaire Energy Systems".... WATCH OUT!!! There is another solar company by the name of 'Solar Energy Systems' on the ballot. PLEASE double check the spelling of our company to include the “I” and “E” (Solaire Energy Systems) and click on us!

The rules dictate that registered voters are allowed to vote once a day all the way till July 3rd! So feel free to vote more than once. 

Thanks for your support!

Solaire Energy Systems
Go Green, Go Solar, Go Solaire!