It’s fairly well-known that across the Golden State, more and more Californians are going solar, but the areas where residential solar installations are growing the fastest may come as a surprise.

The nation’s leading residential system installer SunRun teams with PV Solar Report, an industry data analyst organization, to provide stats on California’s solar industry. For their latest installment, PV Solar Report gleaned data from the state’s database of home solar rebate applications to determine the fastest-growing California solar cities.

For example, PV Solar Report founder Stephen Torres noted that “while Apple Valley may not have the most solar in the state, its solar installation numbers grew by almost 70 percent in 2011.”

California’s Top 10 Solar Cities 2012

Here are the cities that made the list:

1. San Jose
2. Bakersfield
3. Simi Valley
4. Lancaster
5. Fresno
6. Corona
7. Murrieta
8. Rocklin
9. Hemet
10. Apple Valley

The report not only counts the number of home solar installations and the rate of growth from one year the next, but looks at the number of solar leases as well. The increase in the number of solar leases is perhaps the most surprising data of all.

In Fresno, for example, out of 459 home PV system installations, 256 were installed as leased systems. It’s a trend that seems likely to continue. Beginning in June of 2001, solar leases began to outpace home solar system purchases. In December of 2011, leasing accounted for over 70 percent of California’s home PV market.

Equally surprising was SunRun’s account of their accomplishments. In 2007, SunRun virtually invented the solar lease model. They have remained the industry leader in solar leasing in California, with twice the market share of any other solar provider.

Their success has led to some pretty astounding statistics. The company boasts 18,000 home solar system installations. As Zach from CleanTechnica wrote in his article about the new data, “Wow, $1.5 million/day, one rooftop every 11 minutes! Impressive.”

SunRun describes their leasing program as a “solar power service,” allowing homeowners to use solar electricity in their homes for as little as zero down and letting them simply pay for the solar electricity that the home generates each month. SunRun President Lynn Jurich says it’s because of this option that solar is expanding to more median-income communities, adding that solar service enables homeowners to “lock in a low rate for clean electricity.”

Other fast-growing solar cities that didn’t make the top 10 list include Antioch, Norco and Whittier. Each grew by almost 70 percent last year. The PV Solar Report’s complete list of top-performing cities accounted for almost 7,500 residential systems installed in California last year.

Sunny California is prime real estate for solar energy, and a number of California rebates make home solar systems highly affordable for Golden State residents. The only downside to these programs is that some have limited funding. Homeowners interested in solar panels will want to act soon to take full advantage of all the savings.

For pricing on a home solar system, click here.

Here are five solar incentive programs that every California homeowner should know.

1. The Federal Incentive Program

The government offers the most generous program. The federal incentive program pays for up to 30 percent of the cost of installing a residential solar system in the form of a tax credit. The program is currently set to expire at the end of 2016.

2. California Solar Initiative

The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) has transitioned its residential rebate program over to your local utility companies. The CPUC oversees the program. The state still exempts renewable energy home improvements from property tax assessments, so installing a PV system won’t raise your property taxes.

The new program offers per-installed-watt rebates from the state’s three major utilities, Southern California Edison (SCE), Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). It’s a tiered program, with rebates that step down in price as more utility customers participate in the program.

Currently, PGE and SDG&E are at the ninth step of the ten-step program, offering rebates of $.25 per watt. SCE is at the seventh step of the program, offering $.65 per watt.

Municipal utilities offer rebates as well, some of them substantially more generous than those offered by the larger utilities, although annual funds are generally limited. Of course, if you live in one of California’s top solar cities, your rebates are likely generous. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, for example, just moved to step six of their ten-step program, offering $1.62 per watt.

3. Single-family Affordable Homes (SASH) Program

Low-income Californian homeowners may be eligible to receive free or greatly-discounted home PV systems under the CPUC’s SASH program. Residents must be PG&E, SCE or SDG&E customers to qualify and must meet income requirements.

Generally, households earning less than 50 percent of the area’s median income levels may apply for a free 1-kilowatt home solar system. Households earning between 50 percent and 80 percent of median incomes may qualify for $4.75 per watt to $7.00 per watt rebates. SASH is administered by the non-profit organization GRID Alternatives.

4. New Solar Homes Partnership

The CPUC offers cash rebates to home builders who build houses with solar electrical systems built in. The New Solar Homes Partnership has been a huge success, and it’s likely the program will meet its goal of 400-megawatt capacity by 2016.

5. Thermal Rebate Program

The three major Californian utilities offer tiered rebate programs for solar water heating systems, too. Currently, all three utilities are in the first of a four-step program. Homeowners who replace a natural gas system can expect rebates of about $1,500. Those who replace electric systems can expect about $1,000.

Photo via joncallas

Biophotovoltaics. It’s the intersection of life and electronics. Of organic matter and renewable energy production. Of one clean, natural process happily married to another.

Interest peaked? Good. Keep reading. 

The beauty of biophotovoltaics

The term is fairly new to solar industry circles. It’s used mostly to describe a device that can generate solar electricity through photosynthesis.

You may remember a certain “Juicing Jellyfish for Solar Power” idea buzzing around the web over a year ago. Or Daniel Nocera’s artificial leaf, which uses solar to split hydrogen and oxygen for use in a fuel cell.

As farfetched as those concepts seemed at the time, biophotovoltaic breakthroughs keep coming, this time in the form of grass clippings that may someday power whole villages.

How? MIT researcher Andreas Mershin believes that powering up rural villages–often left in the dark without an electrical grid–could be done simply and cheaply by blending custom chemicals with green plant matter and painting it on a rooftop.

Granted, the current efficiency of his solar cell is miniscule. At just 0.1% efficient, it has a long way to go in development, though Mershin’s cell has already quadrupled the performance of earlier biophotovoltaic systems.

His projection for a deliverable paint-chemical-plant mixture? Just a few years.

Do you think it’s feasible?

Let me know in the comments, and check out Mershin’s video for more information.

Photo: MIT News

San Jose added more residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems last year than any other city in California, according to the latest PV Solar Report, a quarterly analysis conducted by solar company SunRun.

San Jose’s number of home solar systems in 2011 was up 45.4% from just the year before, a dramatic increase that points to the rising popularity of home solar.

Out of the 960 home PV systems installed last year, 648 of them were leased systems, what SunRun calls “solar service.”

In total, nearly 7,500 home solar systems were installed in California last year.

SunRun, the nation’s top residential solar power company, installs over $1.5 million in solar every day.

SunRun president Lynn Jurich credits the company’s success to the growing popularity of solar leasing, stating that solar service “allows homeowners to make the switch for zero or very little money upfront, and they lock in a low rate for clean electricity.”

For home solar power pricing, click here.

Beginning in June 2011, solar leasing in California began to outpace purchased systems. In December 2011 alone, over 70% of solar installations in the Golden State were leased systems.

The appeal of leasing reaches beyond lower monthly electric bills. Many Californians are glad to find affordable ways to support technologies that reduce the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels.

San Jose residents can take advantage of incentive programs as well, including the federal tax credit program that can cut installation costs by up to 30%.

San Jose Pacific, Gas & Electric (PG&E) customers are also eligible for per-watt rebates from the utility. The current rate for PG&E rebates is $.25 per watt.

For a 4 kilowatt-sized home PV system in San Jose, rebates can cut the upfront costs from $33,000 to $22,000, with a payback period of about eleven years.

PG&E customers in San Jose can take advantage of net-metering, too. By reducing their conventional electrical use, they can often stay in the base-rate range, avoiding higher rates during peak demand periods.

Whenever the home is generating more power than the home is using, PG&E will credit the surplus to their monthly bill.

The PV report not only looked at the number of solar installations added, but the fastest-growing California solar cities, such as Hemet and Apple Valley.

“We thought it was important to not just look at which cities have the most solar installations,” said PV Report founder Stephen Torres, “but also those that are growing the fastest.”

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has filed two proposals with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that, if approved, may allow you to choose electricity generated by solar energy instead of fossil fuel-based energy, whether you own a home or not.

SDG&E is applying to begin two pilot programs. Information for each of them (and they’re worth checking out) is detailed below.

Note: for pricing on a residential solar system, click here.

Share the Sun Solar Farms

The first program, called “Share the Sun,” would allow solar contractors to purchase and install their own “solar farms” on their own or purchased property. San Diego customers would then be able to purchase a portion of the electricity generated from the provider installations.

You would be able to choose the size of the portion you wish to acquire, and would receive credit on your electricity bill for the value of the solar energy generated. In effect, this program would be similar to group-buying or community solar gardens.

Get a percentage of solar energy through SunRate

The second pilot program, called “SunRate,” would indirectly allow customers to purchase solar electricity produced by SDG&E’s own solar projects. SDG&E would establish a “green” rate that would reflect the cost of the solar energy generated by these projects.

In a twist that puts the power right in your hands, you could choose to have 50 percent, 75 percent or 100 percent of your electricity at the new, green rate. Although you would have to agree to a year’s subscription, the price (and reduction in energy costs) would be guaranteed for the term of the contract.

Why are utilities going solar?

In California, a utility’s renewable energy portfolio must represent 20 percent of that utility’s total energy distribution by 2013, and 33 percent by 2020. SDG&E has been showing progress towards reaching those goals, with several solar farms of their own up and running–and with more planned.

Recently, however, SDG&E proposed that the CPUC allow them to demand a “network usage charge,” a $20 to $30 a monthly fee, on homeowners who own or lease residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The CPUC struck down the proposal.

SDG&E provides service to 3.5 million customers in San Diego and Orange County. The company is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy. Recently, Sempra Energy stock hit a new 52-week high. Before applying to the CPUC for the two pilot programs, SDG&E met with solar providers, community leaders and policymakers for input.

SDG&E is also proposing that the CPUC oversee a series of workshops where interested parties would be able to help shape the pilot programs to ensure transparency. Homeowners in San Diego can already save quite a bit on solar costs due to rebates, incentives and the like.

Should the CPUC approve the two pilot programs, many residents in the area will have the opportunity to go solar without installing a home solar power system at their own homes. As solar energy produced by larger solar installations typically costs less, residents may have the chance to lock in cheaper rates for their electricity, proving, once again, that going green can add green to the wallet, too.

In Vermont’s state legislature, a bill is under consideration that will help owners of residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems put more green into their pockets.

It’s not a rebate or an incentive program to reduce installation costs, but a change to net-metering policies–a change that can reap substantial savings for Vermont residents.

For pricing on a home solar system, click here.

What Is Net Metering?

When a grid-connected, residential solar system generates more electricity than the home is currently using, the home’s electrical meter literally spins backward, sending the surplus energy back into the electrical grid. In many states, the customer then gets a credit for that energy on the monthly electrical bill.

Net metering is one of the primary reasons that going solar has become so affordable. Even with a small home solar system, there are periods of the day when it will generate more energy than the home needs. When that excess electricity is credited to a home energy bill, it cuts down on the costs of the conventional energy that a homeowner may need to supplement the PV system.

Why is Vermont’s Net Metering Policy Changing?

Across the nation, public utilities are mandated to invest in renewable energy. Many utilities partially meet these mandates through net metering, but states are allowed to dictate the percentage of solar-generated electricity that utilities credit their customers. Last year, Vermont raised the cap on the amount that utilities can get from net-metered PV systems to 4 percent.

This, along with Vermont solar rebates, was good news for residents, but the new law restricted the size of eligible solar panel systems to only 5 kilowatts. In Vermont, the average home PV system is around 7 kilowatts, leaving most homeowners ineligible to take advantage of the extra savings without undergoing a taxing application process.

House Bill 475, which just passed in the state’s house of representatives, allows for a simple application process for PV systems sized up to 10 kilowatts. Best of all, the bill also credits customers with home solar systems more money per kilowatt hour for surplus electricity. The bill must still pass the state’s senate.

What About Other States?

Almost every state has programs in place that garner extra income for PV system owners. In many areas of California, for example, net metering savings can be augmented by taking advantage of tiered and time-of-use (TOU) rates. Tiered rates are those that rise as the customer uses more energy. TOU rates increase during peak-demand periods. Home PV systems typically generate enough electricity to keep customers in the lower, base rates.

Other states like New Jersey award home solar system owners a Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) for each megawatt-hour of electricity that their systems produce. New Jersey SRECs are currently selling for $675 each.

Cutting installation costs through rebate and incentive programs is only the beginning of solar savings. Programs like net metering not only offer ongoing savings for homeowners, but decrease the payback period for their systems. Once that period is over, those savings become sheer profit.

For more assistance paying for a home solar system, check out solar lending programs, offered in Vermont and across other states as well.

This house is beyond cool. Those in Southern California should swing by the California Science Center in downtown Los Angeles to tour a solar home nonpareil.

Known as the CHIP house, for “Compact, Hyper-Insulated Prototype Solar House,” the home was designed and built by students of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

The project won first prize in the Energy Balance division of the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition held in Washington, D.C..

On approach, the CHIP house looks as if it’s been turned inside-out. CHIP wears the heart of its green technology on its sleeve. Most of the home’s exterior is wrapped in insulation, a flexible, quilted vinyl membrane.

It’s this exterior insulation, combined with solar technology, that creates the high R-values necessary for a net-zero dwelling. The home looks a bit like a giant pillow topped with a solar panel hat.

For solar pricing on a project in your area, click here.

CHIP is equipped with 45 solar panels, enough to provide three times the amount of energy the house consumes. The intention was not only to power the home, but to keep two electric cars up and running as well. As the primary sponsor for the CHIP project, Hanwha SolarOne, from their North American headquarters in nearby Costa Mesa, provided the panels.

It’s not the solar panels that make this 750-square-foot home so distinctive, but the way that the panels, and the entire home’s green technology, are operated. The CHIP home interface uses Apple iPad apps and an Xbox Kinect system as a master command center.

Residents not only can operate the home’s lights and electronic devices, but monitor the home’s energy systems by using natural gestures like pointing and waving their arms. The home is equipped with 3-D cameras, too, that signal light to turn on and off as residents move through the space.

The interior of the home features a single, open space, with living areas defined by a series of platforms, terraces that climb upwards and inwards into the home. Private areas occupy the highest platforms. The open floor plan is arranged around the natural flow of daily activities.

It took more than 100 students, two years and $1 million in funding to build CHIP, although the project team estimates that replicating the home elsewhere would cost about $262,000. You can take a look at the CHIP home, inside and out, at the California Science Center, through May 31, 2012. Free tours are available every weekday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

When it comes to sheer number of solar installations, Arizona comes in third among states, following California and New Jersey.

Until last December, Arizona’s incentive programs were among the best in the nation, with public utilities offering generous per-watt rebates in addition to a state rebate.

Solar Rebates are Fading Fast

In December, however, the Arizona Corporation Commission, the state’s regulatory board, agreed to allow utilities to decrease rebate amounts.

Public utilities are mandated by law to invest in renewable energy, and since 2006, electric utilities in Arizona have been partially meeting that mandate by offering customers who install residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems rebates, based on the system’s size.

Some rebate programs were as high at $3 per watt. Those rebates, when combined with the federal tax credit incentive program and the state’s $1,000 rebate program, made going solar in Arizona highly affordable.

To check current pricing on solar in your area, click here.

Beginning in 2010, however, utilities began to pressure the Commission to approve reductions in rebates for residential and commercial installations. Utilities like the Tucson Electric Power Company, who recently received financing for the construction of a 6.1-megawatt solar energy plant, are seeking to meet renewable energy mandates through large-scale solar farms.

In December of 2011, the Commission responded by agreeing to allow utilities to decrease rebates and to continue to decrease them as more residential solar systems are installed. California’s utilities operate their solar rebate programs under a similar tiered system. The Commission also reduced overall funding for the rebate programs.

Is Solar Still Worth it? Answer: Yes

The good news for residents of the Grand Canyon State is that Arizona is still one of the most affordable places to go solar. In sunny Arizona, an average size for a home solar system would be about 3 kilowatts and cost about $25,000, before rebates. The federal incentive program would cut up to 30 percent of that cost. The state rebate would shave off another $1,000, leaving a total of $16,500.

Most of the Arizona utilities are currently paying $.75 per-watt rebates, reducing the cost further to $14,250.

Residents could expect to recover the installation costs in around six to nine years through savings on their monthly energy bills. After that payback period, homeowners with home solar systems can enjoy years and years of free electricity, knowing that each kilowatt hour generated by their systems helps reduce the nation’s reliance on gas-emitting fossil fuel generation.

To take full advantage of the existing incentive programs, however, Arizona residents need to act soon. The new tiered system for the utility rebates allows the per-watt rebate to be reduced to $.10 per watt.

In addition, funds are limited for the current year, and it is likely that cuts will continue to the program next year. There are still substantial solar savings available in sunny Arizona, and there may never be a better time to go solar than now.

Click here to get cost information on solar panels in your area.

Referred to by one website as “an industry thought leader,” Carl Seville is known for making some important (though perhaps controversial) remarks. In a recent blog, Seville suggested that advertising for green products should be banned.

“These products — solar modules, geothermal equipment, spray foam insulation, high-performance windows, bamboo floors — can all be effective parts of a green building,” wrote Seville, “but none of them will add much to the project if not integrated properly. Maybe it’s time to ban advertising for green building products — they did it with cigarettes, didn’t they?”

Carl Seville, a former contractor, makes his living through speaking engagements, writing articles and by performing certification inspections for green building organizations, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

And now, a recent article that he wrote for Fox News states that “fancy solar panels decorating your roof” do less to conserve energy than other green building strategies. To be sure, Seville is correct that “process over products” makes the difference in a home’s performance. And many of Seville’s suggestions are good ones, such as unplugging electronic devices and turning off lights.

Just Build another House?

Unfortunately, Seville’s primary suggestion is not one that many Americans can follow. He suggests building a smaller house. Small homes are easier to make energy-efficient, he argues, and by constructing a new home, people can easily orient the house toward the sun to cut energy costs.

The argument that new construction is greener than green home improvements to an existing home is hard to fathom. New home construction not only entails a substantial amount of energy expenditure, but adversely affects the environment.

According to the EPA, “building-related construction and demolition debris totals approximately 160 million tons per year, accounting for nearly 26 percent of total non-industrial waste generation in the U.S.”

Seville: Forget Those “Fancy Solar Panels”

Seville’s main argument that homeowners can save more money by unplugging electronics, opening windows and adding insulation than they would with “fancy solar panels” is insupportable, which may explain why he doesn’t attempt to back up any of his claims with data.

Residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems typically reduce conventional energy usage by about 45 percent or more. After installation costs are recovered through monthly savings on energy bills, home solar systems provide years of free, green electricity.

Seville does not address the environmental benefits of solar energy. He seems unconcerned about the negative consequences of continuing the nation’s reliance on gas-emitting fossil fuels, a strange stance for an advocate of green building to assume.

In interview after interview with solar system owners, they point out how going solar has made them more aware of other energy-saving strategies. Solar panel owners often revel in home improvements that make their system run even more efficiently. It spurs them on, fueling their interest to make their homes even greener than they already are.

These homeowners have learned something critical: that when combined with common-sense energy-saving home improvements, a residential solar power system not only saves homeowners the most money, but helps conserve the planet’s precious resources as well.

What Do You Think?

Start the conversation in the comments below.

Photos via EUObserver and Elephant Journal

There’s never been a better time to go solar, and solar has never been more affordable, either. Here are 10 cost-cutting ways to join the movement to make the world run on clean, green, renewable energy.

1. Get a Home Assessment

The first step is getting your home assessed for solar potential. The only way to know for certain if solar is right for you–if it will indeed save you money–is to have it inspected by a licensed solar contractor.

For free solar estimates, pricing and contractor info, click here.

Another good tip is to get an energy audit. Energy audits save homeowners money by identifying how an individual home is using, and perhaps wasting, energy. Some states offer rebates for energy audits. In fact, Californians may be eligible for a $500 rebate from the California Energy Commission.

2. Start Small

Solar panels are modular. Extra panels can be added over time. In areas with tiered electrical rates, even a small residential solar photovoltaic (PV) system can save you money. Tiered rates include a low base rate that covers the primary amount of electricity homes use. The addition of a small PV system can lower usage enough to keep you paying that low base rate.

3. Low-Income Programs

Some states offer special solar grant programs for low-income homeowners, paying for all or some of the upfront costs. The household’s income is compared with median incomes in the area to determine eligibility. Funding for these programs, however, is limited.

4. Solar Leasing

Homeowners can lease home solar power systems for little or no money down. The solar company purchases, installs, maintains and insures the system. The homeowner usually pays the company for the electricity that the system produces, typically less than they were paying before for traditional electricity.

5. Home Financing

Some solar contractors, financial institutions and banks offer solar financing, energy-efficiency home equity loans, or mortgages at discounted rates.

6. Group Buying

Companies like 1BOG organize group buying opportunities for homeowners by collecting names of interested residences in a neighborhood online. The company then negotiates for a discounted group rate, typically around 20 percent lower than most solar installations.

7. Incentive Programs

Homeowners can save up to 50 percent or more by taking advantage of solar rebate and incentive programs available in their areas. The federal tax credit program alone covers up to 30 percent of installation costs.

8. Solar Renewable Energy Credit

About 39 states give homeowners Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SREC) for each megawatt-hour of electricity their residential solar power systems generate. The SRECs operate as a financial instrument, sold to either utilities or solar energy markets. Depending on the state, prices range from around $200 to $700. They can drastically offset your electric costs.

9. Net Metering

Net metering allows you to send surplus electricity that a home solar system generates back to the electric grid. A few states will pay you directly for the excess electricity, while some credit your electrical bill.

10. Time-of-Use Metering

Many utilities use Time-of-use metering that allows them to charge customers more for conventional electricity used during peak-demand periods. Peak demands periods usually occur during the afternoon, when home solar systems are operating at the most efficient levels, allowing homeowners to avoid using high-rate conventional electricity.