PG&E Struggles to Keep Up With California Solar Demand
At one time, home solar power installations may have been few and far between, but now they are popping up all over Northern California, and even creating a strain on the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) utility.
Homeowners are currently reporting a delay of three to four weeks just to get their new solar installations connected to the main utility company’s power meters. Usually, this routine service takes no more than 10 days—and that’s on the slower end.
Quite simply, the utility wasn’t prepared for the influx of homeowner interest in sustainable energy, and they haven’t had the manpower to keep up with rising demand. PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles says they are now working to get things running more smoothly.
So what was the reason behind the boom in the first place? One theory is that the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program that helped property owners finance solar energy systems through a property tax assessment (known as the PACE program) was all the incentive homeowners needed to move forward with their green energy projects. In fact, even after the government pushed for stricter regulations and all but killed PACE programs across the country, 790 projects were financed.
Whatever the reason, it seems like this is one trend that won’t be slowing anytime soon. And that means that changes need to be made—and fast.
Photo Creidt: Oregon DOT via Flickr CC
Posted on November 23rd in Solar Contractors by Kayla.
November 24th, 2010 at 10:31 am
How is it that every 3 months for the past 3 years PGE has taken as much credit as then can for the rapid growth in solar, i.e. look how great we are doing, and now they are saying that they are not keeping up with interconnections because the growth was a surprise all of sudden?
How can it take a solar company 3 days to install a system and the utility 4 weeks to change a meter?
Something doesn’t add up!
November 27th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
I am glad to hear that because I work for slor company named Millennium Solar Electric in South Suburban Chicago, Park Forest IL. We do more educational classes than install because there is’nt realy a solar market hear. Visit us if you would like to network.
November 28th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
@jason
all these solar companies made such promises.
but don’t actually do anything for it.
they can not deploy the system in 3 days .
well
i want a sys that could produce 15KWH .. with a back up of 12 hours.
How much solar pannel requirement do i have for making such a system,