2018 Price Of Solar Panels In San Francisco

All across the land, solar panels are becoming more affordable than ever.  There have been significant price declines over the last decade, and that with government incentive programs has made the option of going solar a brilliant and cheap process.  However, for the sake of this article, let's assume you have been living in a cave and have not heard of the amazing deals surrounding you.  We will focus specifically on the pricing and purchasing of solar panels in the city by the bay, San Francisco.  

Solar panel costs are limited by the capacity of the system, which generally ranges from 3 kilowatts to 12 kilowatts for domestic systems. The average residential home, we will assume, has a 5-kilowatt system. In San Francisco, solar prices $3.63 per watt. At this rate, a 5-kilowatt system requires about $18,000. Don't let this amount scare you, and San Francisco as a city that promotes solar can really bring you some savings.

San Francisco's Solar Panel Pricing

The city by the bay, San Francisco has bountiful incentives for solar. The GoSolarSF program offers money back per kilowatt of power. For 2018, this rebate commences at $300 per kilowatt but provides $300 additional per kilowatt for a company or non-profit uses and a large sum of $2000 extra per kilowatt for low-income residences. This shows San Francisco's dedication to supporting participation in the solar energy revolution.

The federal government jumps in and assists with the Solar Investment Tax Credit. The solar ITC offers a 30 percent tax credit which solar owners claim when filing their federal taxes. It is available for residential homes through 2021, but will decrease each year after 2019 by 4 percent and will be eliminated after 2021. For business properties, it will stay at a fixed 10 percent after 2021. To maximize your savings, it is in your soundest interest to switch to solar as soon as possible. Don't walk, sprint to your nearest solar dealer.  

San Francisco Actual Cost

The prices of solar panels range, of course, based on the size of a system, use of incentives, and a multitude of other variables.  Yet, the more extensive the system you have, the more you will save. The payback time stays consistent approximately 6.5 years.

Notwithstanding of the allure of saving more money, it is typically not economical to get a more extensive and bigger solar panel system than your home requires because Whilst you are paid full retail rate, less non-bypassable charges of about 2.5 cents per kWh for transported energy if at the end of the year your credits for shipped power is more than your usage you are only paid approximately 3 cents per kWh for your surplus energy produced.  These are all considerations we all need to make when applying our information toward the actual purchase of solar panels.  

Another awesome savings program you can enroll in is known as the CleanPowerSF. It is administered by San Francisco Water Power and Sewer (same as the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission). This plan offers you the ability to purchase 100% renewable power when you buy in control from the grid through more significant than the usual PG&E power mix which as at 2018 is around 33% renewable energy and 66% energy sourced from fossil fuel burning power. Under guidelines and rules you might follow under this incentive, you get billed by PG&E but your rates are higher when you buy electricity.

We hope that this article provides you with information that helps you purchase solar panels, whether in San Francisco or perhaps anywhere as a meter of your pricing.  

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