Comments on: Berkeley, California http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/cities/berkeley-california/ A blog about residential solar power, brought to you by CalFinder. Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:36:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Oaktown Willie http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/cities/berkeley-california/comment-page-1/#comment-34769 Oaktown Willie Sat, 20 Mar 2010 07:23:37 +0000 http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/?p=3807#comment-34769 The East Bay Express is a bogus publication that juggles "facts" to support it's pre-determined conclusion, and the author a dis-credited advocacy journalist with the now-defunct Berkeley Daily Planet. Scientific American called the PACE model, conceived in Berkeley, one of the 20 most important ideas of our time. The Express'"Goes Dark" story is a second rate hatchetjob that trivializes one of the critical issues of our time. It is fraught with willful misrepresentation and cheap shots directed toward the Berkeley pilot program. Mayor Tom Bates wrote and excellent response to the "Goes Dark" story in the March 18 edition of the Express: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/letters/Content?category=1064093 The East Bay Express is a bogus publication that juggles “facts” to support it’s pre-determined conclusion, and the author a dis-credited advocacy journalist with the now-defunct Berkeley Daily Planet. Scientific American called the PACE model, conceived in Berkeley, one of the 20 most important ideas of our time. The Express’”Goes Dark” story is a second rate hatchetjob that trivializes one of the critical issues of our time. It is fraught with willful misrepresentation and cheap shots directed toward the Berkeley pilot program.
Mayor Tom Bates wrote and excellent response to the “Goes Dark” story in the March 18 edition of the Express:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/letters/Content?category=1064093

]]> By: Jayson http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/cities/berkeley-california/comment-page-1/#comment-34746 Jayson Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:22:20 +0000 http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/?p=3807#comment-34746 Unfortunately, there has been some fall out in Berkeley as residents have found out that participating in a PACE requires a lien against their home, interest rates between 7-8%, and high quarterly payments. As much as many in Berkeley and the Bay Area (and beyond) appreciate efforts to remove the upfront capital cost, there are private sector options that are fairing much better. For solar companies, PACE creates cash flow issues as the companies pay for all the equipment and labor and then have to wait sometimes months to get issued a check from the municipality. Here is a link to an in-depth article on the Berkeley program: Berkeley Solar Plan Goes Dark http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/berkeleys-solar-plan-goes-dark/Content?oid=1623527 Unfortunately, there has been some fall out in Berkeley as residents have found out that participating in a PACE requires a lien against their home, interest rates between 7-8%, and high quarterly payments.

As much as many in Berkeley and the Bay Area (and beyond) appreciate efforts to remove the upfront capital cost, there are private sector options that are fairing much better.

For solar companies, PACE creates cash flow issues as the companies pay for all the equipment and labor and then have to wait sometimes months to get issued a check from the municipality.

Here is a link to an in-depth article on the Berkeley program: Berkeley Solar Plan Goes Dark

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/berkeleys-solar-plan-goes-dark/Content?oid=1623527

]]> By: Tim http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/cities/berkeley-california/comment-page-1/#comment-34725 Tim Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:50:59 +0000 http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/?p=3807#comment-34725 You mentioned FIRST, linked directly to it, but got the acronym wrong: Financing Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology. Thanks for raising awareness of the program, nonetheless, I hadn't heard of it before. You mentioned FIRST, linked directly to it, but got the acronym wrong: Financing Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology.
Thanks for raising awareness of the program, nonetheless, I hadn’t heard of it before.

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