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San Rafael residents band together to go solar by Jennifer Upshaw Marin Independent Journal September 8, 2007 San Rafael resident Lisa Max says let there be light - for everyone. The former Seattle area resident is rounding up groups of interested homeowners, hoping to score a group discount on solar equipment. "Nobody's going to do it if I don't do it and if I do it others will do it," she said. "It's a payoff for me now to get solar that I can afford." Inspired by the sunny Greenbrae home she and her husband rented when they first moved to Marin three years ago, the southern and eastern exposure got Max thinking in bulk. Successful group projects on the Peninsula, in which more than 200 homes participated, propelled the effort, she said. Since purchasing her San Rafael Hill home, Max has been putting the call out to homeowners' associations, hoping to approach solar companies and negotiate a group rate. So far, between 25 and 40 households have bitten, she said. Depending on how many homeowners see it through, the discount could be as high as 30 percent off current rates for individual installations, she said. As for the solar providers, "I've already gotten their attention," she said, explaining that she's contacted a handful, all of whom expressed interest in offering some type of group discount. "It seems like she's really invested a lot of time and energy to come up with some potential solar contractors," said Steve Patterson, head of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods. "It's pretty pricey stuff. When you start looking into it I think it offers some real opportunities if people are interested." In San Rafael, city officials have made it a little easier to go solar, said Community Development Director Bob Brown. "We've reduced the cost for permits," he said, explaining that fees were lowered from about $650 to around $140 to make the city more solar-friendly to homeowners. Of Max's plan to rally groups of homeowners, he said, "I think that would be great." DETAILS
Big plug for more solar systems Editorial - September 13, 2007 LISA MAX wants to get a break on the price of giving the Earth a break. The San Rafael homeowner is looking for other residents who are interested in putting solar systems on their homes. She is after a group discount. Talk about a bright idea. Solar panels are a terrific form of renewable energy. They also are expensive, which is why many homeowners haven't made the investment. Most Marin governments, including cities and the county, have taken steps to encourage people to install solar systems by lowering fees - San Rafael's dropped from about $650 to $140 - and reducing the amount of papework needed to get a permit. Those were welcome moves, but the cost of a permit is small compared to the cost of a solar system. Max figures there is strength - and leverage - in numbers. She was inspired by successful group solar projects involving more than 200 homes in the Bay Area. She started contacting local homeowners associations and solar installers. She has had positive response on both fronts, with about 40 homeowners expressing interest. Solar firms have indicated they would be willing to provide a group discount. We hope Max succeeds. At the very least, she is generating more interest in solar systems. Any homeowner thinking about going solar should spend some time exploring the Web site of the Marin County Community Development Agency's Sustainability Team. An impressive amount of solar information and help is available at the site, including how to find a contractor and how to arrange financing. You can find out about available incentives, rebates (including the county's) and tax credits and how to apply for them. Solar staff even will perform a free preliminary analysis of your solar potential. The county, with its Sustainability Team in the forefront, should be proud of its aggressive promotion of energy conservation and green building practices. If the county threw its weight and expertise behind a program to coordinate group discounts for solar systems, it would make a big difference. The county's participation would give solar firms the confidence to move forward and commit to the discounts needed to encourage homeowners to sign on the dotted line. Solar power is a clean form of energy that needs to be encouraged. The residential systems reduce energy consumption and fight global warming. We commend Lisa Max for expending the energy needed to get the ball rolling. And going green is even easier when the price is right. SOLAR INFORMATION A wide array of information about solar systems is available at the county Sustainability Team's Web site: http://199.88.77.35/depts/CD/main/comdev/advance/Sustainability/Energy/solar/solar_index.cfm
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