The Big Picture

Renewable energy is "the natural choice." Harnessing the earth's own inexhaustible energy - whether from the sun, wind, geothermal, or other renewable sources - can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and provide clean, affordable electricity.

California has made a bold decision... to place 3,000 megawatts of new, solar produced electricity systems on rooftops by 2017. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's goal is to put solar systems on a million California roofs.

But that's only part of the "big picture." Almost 11 percent of the electricity we use comes from renewable sources - biomass, geothermal, small hydroelectric, solar, and wind (see graph below).

California's Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) was established by Senate Bill 1078 (Sher, Chapter 516, Statutes of 2002). It required the state's retail sellers of electricity - investor-owned utilities (IOUs), electric service providers (ESPs), and community choice aggregators (CCAs) - to procure 20 percent of their retail electricity sales with eligible sources of renewable energy by 2017. California's energy agencies subsequently volunteered to achieving the 20 percent target by 2010; seven years earlier than the target.

This 20 percent target was then mandated by the enactment of Senate Bill 107 (Simitian and Perata, Chapter 464, Statutes of 2006). The California Energy Commission's 2004 Energy Policy Report Update calls for increasing that goal to 33 percent by 2020.

The Governor's goal for a million solar roofs is an important part of that "bigger picture."

Source: California Energy Commission, 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report

The California Solar Initiative

As part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's $3.3 billion, Million Solar Roofs Program is moving the state toward a cleaner energy future and helping lower the cost of solar systems for consumers. It has two parts:

• The California Public Utilities Commission, through its California Solar Initiative, provides incentives over the next decade for existing residential homes and existing and new commercial, industrial, and agricultural properties.


• The California Energy Commission manages a 10-year, $400 million program to encourage solar in new home construction through its New Solar Homes Partnership.

The overall goal is to help build a self-sustaining photovoltaic, solar electricity market. The current program does not fund solar hot water systems, but a pilot program in the San Diego area is being done to set the ground work for a rebate program for solar hot water.

Benefits of Renewable Energy

Choosing renewable power provides many benefits:

• Making use of secure, indigenous, and sustainable natural resources.


• Helping to keep our air clean.


• Potential to reduce the production of carbon dioxide - a leading contributor to global climate change.


• Helping to create jobs for California and American workers.


• Establishing the United States as a world leader and exporter of renewable power technologies.


• Nationwide, reducing dependence on imported oil.

By purchasing electricity generated from renewable resources or installing a renewable energy system on your home, you can demonstrate your commitment to a healthy environment and a healthy economy.

Today, thousands of Californians have already made the switch to renewable energy, producing clean, "green energy" for themselves.

Why Solar?

Those who are putting solar on their homes, businessess or other buildings are making a difference. The highest level of electricity usage in California is during our hot, dry summers.

Air-conditioners are one of the largest usages of energy. So, powering our air-conditioners and other electrical needs with our abundant sunshine makes sense.

Photovoltaic (PV) power systems convert sunlight directly into electricity. A residential PV power system enables a homeowner to generate some or all of their daily electrical energy demand on their own roof, exchanging daytime excess power for future energy needs (i.e. nighttime usage). The house remains connected to the electric utility at all times, so any power needed above what the solar system can produce is simply drawn from the utility.

So, why go solar?

1. A PV system reduces, or can completely eliminate, the amount of electricity you have to purchase from your utility or electric service provider.


2. A PV system can save you money on your electricity bill and act as a hedge against future price increases.


3. The electricity generated by your PV system is clean, renewable and reliable.


4. You help your community by reducing the electricity demand and provide additional electricity for the grid when you generate more than you use during the day, when this demand is highest.

"GO SOLAR, CALIFORNIA!"