How to link to CALSEIA

All CALSEIA members are required to link to the CALSEIA web site by including the exact HTML code on their main/index page: <A HREF="http://calseia.org" alt="solar energy"><B>California Solar Energy</B></A>

Solar Rights

A variety of laws have been enacted in California to help prevent restrictions that may prevent the installation of solar products in your community. There are also laws that address shade control, which can impact system performance. The laws currently in effect are quoted below. CALIFORNIA CODES CIVIL CODE 714. (a) Any covenant, restriction, or condition contained ...

About Solar

Due to concerns about future energy supplies and environmental concerns, California has made a significant commitment to transforming the energy markets to include significant amounts of solar energy generation. Some examples of the markets for solar include: utility scale generation distributed generation on-site generation Utility Scale Generation. Large projects that use solar thermal or photovoltaic systems that generate electricity which is fed into the State's transmission system Distributed Generation. Medium sized projects that use solar thermal or photovoltaic systems that ...

Gold Members

Solar Electric

Solar Electric Solar electric systems use a chemical reaction to sunlight to generate electricity. The panels that are used to create the electricity are called photovoltaic modules. The installations are commonly called PV systems. PV systems generate electricity during the day only and usually are generating their highest amount of electricity in the afternoon. PV systems do not generate electricity at night, even under a full moon. When it is cloudy, rainy, or if the modules ...

Tax Credits

Tax Credits Federal (IRS) tax credit for eligible solar energy systems. Anyone who has purchased or is contemplating purchase of a solar energy system should consult with an account or the IRS for tax advice. The following information is provided for general information and is not tax advice. For residential solar energy systems  the tax credit is 30 percent of the cost of the system. There is no cap on the tax credit for solar electric ...

About Electricity

In California, meeting demand for electricity must be achieved two ways: enough energy generated to meet the needs of all the utility customers enough electricity generated to meet the needs of all of the utility customers at a given time of day California's total demand for electricity is growing. The chart below comes from a recent forecast by the California Energy Commission: But that only tells part of the story. ...

Solar Water Heating

USING SOLAR ENERGY FOR RESIDENTIAL WATER HEATING Using energy from the sun to heat water is one of the oldest uses of solar energy. Today, several million homes and businesses use solar water heating systems. These systems are providing consumers a cost-effective and reliable choice for hot water. How you heat the water for your home is an important consideration. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that you will spend over $500.00 a year to heat ...

Residential Leases and Power Purchase Agreements

Questions for homeowners to ask if considering a Solar Lease or a Solar Power Purchase Agreement In 2008 new financing options for homeowners wanting solar systems were introduced in California. These options were designed to overcome the biggest obstacle to potential solar users: the first cost to acquire the system. For typical residential solar installations the cost is around $40,000 but after tax credits and state rebates it is usually around $25,000 ...

Local Permits

Permitting In all Cities and Counties in California, the local government requires permits for residential and commercial solar projects (there are more than 550 local jurisdictions). The permit is usually obtained by the licensed contractor doing the work or it can be obtained by the site owner. Fees are based on the reasonable cost of providing the permit and inspection services. A local agency is prohibited from charging building permit and ...