Judith Wilson Shadzi
RE+ — the largest and most comprehensive event in North America for the clean energy industry — was held this month at the Anaheim Convention Center. This year’s festivities included nearly 50,000 attendees and 1,300 exhibitors. It was an incredibly inspiring and encouraging event which prominently displayed new technology surfacing in the solar energy sector. This annual event showcases the business of solar, energy storage, micro grids and electric vehicles. Here are a few themes that stood out:
1. Inclusion of all diverse groups into the solar family.
2. The presentation of safe new products and solutions from all sectors within the clean energy industry. Solar roofs, solar panels, battery storage systems, home energy automation, EV chargers, and bi-directional charging batteries were on display.
3. Training and developing a new set of highly qualified field service professionals to not only install but service assets for the long term; to ensure systems peak efficiency for their 20+ year lifespan.
4. Trusted solar service partners for home and business owners.
California solar companies needed this encouragement after The California Public Utilities Commission approved Net Metering 3.0 (Net Billing Tariff), which devastated the local rooftop solar industry. After years of being the leaders of the industry, late 2023 and early 2024 saw local business owners and homeowners lose confidence that solar could even be any longer financially advantageous. Many companies went out of business; all companies had significant layoffs. But like a phoenix from the ashes, the California solar industry is rising up and adapting to the new circumstances presented by the Newsome administration’s decision to destroy the solar industry in California.
For years, homeowners have been asking for storage batteries in order to be more independent of the utilities. Now is the time. The Tesla Powerwall 3.0 is a compact, beautiful battery that stores homeowner’s solar production during the day so it can be used in the evening and especially during the peak hours when electricity rates are substantially higher. If the sizing of the system is right, very little solar energy will be returned to the utility grid. It is a rechargeable lithium-iron battery that stores electricity for solar self-consumption, time of use load shifting and whole home backup during black outs. The Tesla Powerwall 3, with its built-in 11.5 kW inverter, is at the top of the market because it provides reliable back up for an entire house, and the solar panels will keep the battery charged at all times in case of an emergency or a grid failure. This is something that was not available a short time ago and the simplistic design of Tesla’s new battery reduces the amount of equipment needed for an installation and greatly reduces the amount of labor, leading to lower projects installation costs for homeowners. An optional Tesla Backup Switch can be installed to avoid lengthy wait times, having to upgrade a main service panel with SDGE, and allows for faster installation and commissioning.
The Franklin aPowerX Lithium-Iron Phosphate battery (sometimes referred to as “LFP”) came on the market in 2022. LFP chemistry has low flammability and is safe for residential and commercial use. The FranklinWH system helps save money during times of the day when electricity rates are at their highest, and also provides power after sundown and provides back-up power in the event of grid outage. The FranklinWH team prominently displayed their impressive battery system at RE+ this year and new features, such as a more powerful battery with a new meter collar to feed power straight behind the utility meter, as well as increased warranties.
These are two examples of the many batteries that are out on the market today, and it appears next year we can look forward to many new products that will provide homeowners more options and lower prices.
Even though the Recent changes in Net Energy Metering by the CPUC has raised questions about the feasibility of installing solar, going solar has never made more sense. Bahram Shadzi, President of Cosmic Solar gives us some of the main reasons:
1. The costs of electricity continue to go up by double digits each and every year. There is no end in sight.
2. The cost of a typical solar system has been reduced dramatically during the past several years.
3. The quality, efficiency and warranties of solar panels have all improved significantly.
4. Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries are now vastly available. They are higher quality with even more capacity.
5. In order to maximize savings, you can now add a battery to store excess electricity generated (instead of feeding it to the grid for little credit) and is then used during peak hours when electricity rates are the highest.
6. Federal Tax Credit pays you 30% on the entire cost of the system plus generous cash rebates on batteries are still available, keeping your payback roughly the same as before.
7. Many zero-down, lease and fixed financing options provide lower monthly payment compared to the utility bill. Savings go up every year as costs of electricity increase.
8. And finally, instead of being at the mercy of the electric company solar and storage can now be purchased or leased in order to own a clean and reliable solar system for true energy independence.
At Cosmic Solar and Roofing, we are committed to providing you with your best and most cost-effective options and will answer all of your questions. Again, minimizing your electric bills and gaining true energy independence has never made more sense and has never been easier. For further information go to www.cosmicsolar.com or call 760-749-1111.
