PG&E, or Pacific Gas & Electric Company, is a public utility company that provides electricity and natural gas to millions of customers in California. They has been a topic of controversy for many years due to its poor service to customers, lack of infrastructure upkeep, ever-increasing prices of electricity, and monopolistic tendencies. In this blog post, we will be taking a closer look at the total compensation of PG&E's CEO Patricia K. Poppe and questioning whether it is truly justified. According to recent reports, Patricia K. Poppe received a total compensation of $51.2 milli ..read more

The cost-saving benefits of solar energy have been well-known for years. From reducing your carbon footprint to cutting down on monthly energy bills, solar power is becoming an increasingly popular choice for homeowners. However, with the introduction of the Net Billing Tariff (NBT) program, many homeowners are now looking towards batteries to maximize their savings on solar energy. In this blog post, we’ll explore the ins and outs of the NBT program and how adding a battery to your solar system can help you save even more. Under the NBT program, Pacific Gas and Electric (PGE) pays homeowners ..read more

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) just approved a rate increase of 12.8% for residential customers. This increase was approved on 11-16-23 and is set to start January 1, 2024. If you are wondering how this affects you and what you can do about it, please give us a call at 833-321-SUNN (7866). This12.8% increase is in addition to rate increases totaling about 35% since early 2021. You read that correctly, rates are up 48% in three years. If your average monthly bill was $400 in 2021, expect it to be about $592 in January of 2024. This is the link to the press release from the C ..read more

What Is A Main Panel Upgrade? WHAT - A main panel upgrade (MPU) is a new main service panel (MSP). The MSP is the meter panel located on the side of your home where all of your individual branch circuits are located. It is also the point of interconnection with your utility company. Remember when the bathroom lights flickered and turned off because the hair dryer and straightener were on at the same time? The MSP is where you went to reset the breaker. WHY - When going solar, main panels are upgraded for numerous reasons often boiling down to the size of the solar and battery system. Most MSP ..read more

Are you tired of skyrocketing PG&E bills and looking for an alternative source of energy that is cost-effective and eco-friendly? Solar power is the perfect solution to your problems. By harnessing the power of the sun, you not only help the environment but also save thousands of dollars per year. In California, going solar is easier and more beneficial than ever before. In this blog post, we will highlight the many advantages of solar power in California. Solar is a drastically cheaper than the utility company: It’s no secret that electricity bills can be a major expense in the average Ca ..read more

Today marks an important milestone for Enphase Energy as it celebrates the opening of a new factory in West Columbia, South Carolina through a contract partnership with Flex. With this expansion comes the ability to produce products locally and more affordably than ever before. The event is set to take place on July 6, with President Joe Biden and other national and state government officials in attendance. Enphase has earned a reputation for providing reliable and cost-effective solutions to their customers all over the world. By having production based out of the United States, they are abl ..read more

Five things we do that other companies don’t. They may do some of them, but we are the only company that does them all. We offer a performance guarantee, guaranteeing the amount of electricity production. This is critical to your return on investment. After all, it is the electricity that you want, not panels, or aesthetics or anything else. It is electricity that gives you a return on your investment. Our panel recommendation is based on the financial strength of the manufacturer, nobody else does that. Financial strength of the manufacturer is paramount because everyone provides a 25-year ..read more

Reading the headlines, one would think PG&E rates went up anywhere for 1.5% to 3.4% in January. But if you take a close look at your bill, you will see that rates went up a whole lot more than that for most residential customers. Most residences are on PG&E’s E-1 rate. In the chart below you will see the rate you paid on January 1, 2019 and what you are now paying as of January 1, 2020. So why do the headlines say different? The answer is that PG&E averages their rate increases over the entirety of their customer base including businesses, industrial users and others. Those averag ..read more

Northern California recently experienced it's hottest period in recorded history. Sacramento shattered its previous record and reached a searing 116 degrees Fahrenheit on September 6th. PG&E customers and electricity users statewide were asked to conserve energy or risk the chance of rolling blackouts. Furthermore, utility companies asked electric vehicle (EV) owners to reduce the numbers of miles driven or not charge their cars during this period. You might be wondering, why did these blackouts not occur? The answer is simple - the worlds largest distributed battery. According to CALSSA ..read more

Introduction Probably the most common question we hear is “How much does solar cost?” Luckily the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) publishes an annual study answering just this question. The study is entitled “Tracking the Sun, Pricing and Design Trends for Distributed Photovoltaic Systems in the United States”. https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/tracking-sun-pricing-and-design This is by far the best study and analysis of the data. It is both rigorous and comprehensive. This study was published most recently in November 2019 and studied prices in the 2nd half of 2018 and the 1st ha ..read more