Skies to brighten for solar?
Decades since the energy crises of the '70s sparked research and interest in turning sunlight into power, solar panels have yet to arrive in the mainstream of residential building in Southern California.
Largely the domain of environmentally conscious homeowners who add systems to existing or custom-built homes, and a few low-income rental developments eligible for state rebates, solar-power systems are included at only a handful of new home developments in the region. And those homes tend to be expensive.
Most newly built solar-powered homes in Southern California are aimed at the higher-end consumer, said Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Assn., a national trade group based in Washington, D.C. For example, at Soleil at Bordeaux, a Pardee Homes solar development in San Diego County, homes start in the $800,000 range.
But solar energy can benefit home buyers in any price range because of the long-term savings. So why has the shift to solar been so slow? Without evidence of consumer willingness to pay more initially to have solar power, few builders have taken on such projects.
"It's really educating contractors that solar is a product that people desire and they can make money from," Resch said.
Soon solar may get a push from the state. On Feb. 28, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced support for a bill that aims to place solar energy systems on 1 million new and existing California homes and businesses (or 3,000 megawatts of solar capacity) by the end of 2018. By comparison, at the end of 2004, the state had about 93 megawatts of grid-connected voltaic systems. That figure includes businesses using solar power, but it's the equivalent of about 47,000 homes.
Introduced by state Sens. Kevin Murray (D-Culver City) and John Campbell (R-Irvine), SB 1 would create the "Million Solar Roofs Initiative." The bill directs the state's Public Utilities Commission to provide funding and incentives for the voluntary installation of photovoltaic solar collectors.
For now, however, the bottom line motivates most builders, said Bob Yoder, president of the Inland Empire Division of Shea Homes, one of four builders offering solar technology at Terramor, a planned community at Ladera Ranch in south Orange County.
"Solar power is still expensive," Yoder said, "and you need higher-priced homes to absorb it." The average cost of a 2-kilowatt residential system is about $15,000 per home.
