cosmicsolar

Learning How to Take Advantage of Solar Tax Credits in 2026!

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:08:50 GMT

Solar is still an attractive investment for homeowners

How Homeowners Can Still Benefit from the Federal Solar Tax Credit!

The federal solar tax credit has been one of the most powerful incentives helping millions of Americans go solar. But starting in 2026, the residential solar tax credit (Section 25D) —which allowed homeowners to claim 30% of their solar installation cost —has officially expired for systems installed after December 31, 2025 .

For homeowners considering solar in the coming years, this raises an important question:

Is it still possible to benefit from federal incentives for solar?

The short answer is yes—but the path is changing . New financing models, including Energy Service Agreements (ESAs) and other third-party ownership structures, allow homeowners to indirectly benefit from the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) even after the expiration of the residential credit.

Here’s what homeowners need to know.

What Changed with the Federal Solar Tax Credit?

For years, homeowners who purchased solar systems with cash or a loan could claim the Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) . This incentive covered 30% of the cost of installing solar panels, batteries, and other clean energy equipment .

However, legislation passed in 2025 accelerated the expiration of this credit.

Key changes:

The 30% homeowner solar tax credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025 .
Systems installed after 2025 no longer qualify when the homeowner owns the system.
The commercial Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is still available for certain projects and third-party owners through at least 2027 .

This creates a shift in how residential solar projects are financed.

Instead of homeowners claiming the tax credit directly, third-party owners can still claim it and pass the savings on to homeowners through new financing structures.

The Opportunity: Energy Service Agreements (ESAs)

One of the most promising models emerging in the post-25D landscape is the Energy Service Agreement (ESA) .

An ESA allows homeowners to install solar with little or no upfront cost , while a third-party provider owns and operates the system.

HOW ESAs WORK:

A solar provider installs and owns the solar system on your home.
The provider claims the commercial federal ITC available to system owners.
The homeowner agrees to purchase the electricity produced by the system or pay a fixed monthly service fee.
The savings from the tax credit and other incentives help lower the homeowner’s energy costs.

Because the system owner—not the homeowner—claims the tax credit , the incentive can still support residential solar installations.

This model is similar to solar leases or power purchase agreements (PPAs) , which also allow third-party owners to claim the federal ITC.

Why ESAs Are Becoming More Popular

As the residential tax credit expires, ESAs are becoming a powerful tool for maintaining access to solar.

Key benefits include:

No Large Upfront Investment

Many homeowners can go solar with little or no upfront cost , making solar accessible even without a personal tax credit.

Lower Energy Bills

Because the system owner can claim federal incentives, those savings are often reflected in lower electricity rates or service payments .

Professional System Management

The provider typically handles:

installation
monitoring
maintenance
performance guarantees

This reduces long-term risk for homeowners.

Flexibility Over Time

Many agreements include buyout options , allowing homeowners to purchase the system later once it has produced years of savings.

Solar Still Makes Financial Sense

Even without the homeowner tax credit, solar continues to deliver strong value.

Homeowners can still benefit from:

Lower monthly electricity bills
Protection against rising utility rates
State and local solar incentives
Energy independence and resilience
New financing models like ESAs simply shift how incentives are captured , rather than eliminating the financial benefits of solar.

The Solar Landscape Is Changing—But Opportunity Remains

The expiration of the residential 25D tax credit marks a major shift in the solar industry. But it does not mean the end of affordable solar for homeowners .

Instead, the market is evolving toward new ownership and financing structures that allow homeowners to benefit from federal incentives indirectly.

Energy Service Agreements are emerging as one of the most effective ways to bridge this gap—helping homeowners install solar with minimal upfront cost while still capturing the value of federal incentives.

✅ Interested in learning whether an Energy Service Agreement could work for your home?

The team at Cosmic Solar can help you explore your options and determine the best solar solution for your energy goals. Contact our expert solar consultants today for more info!

https://www.cosmicsolar.com/free-evaluation

office: 760-749-1111

SunPower files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, plans to sell off assets. What does this mean for me?

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 17:46:41 GMT

As you have probably now heard, the rooftop solar installer and manufacturer of solar panels, SunPower Corporation, founded in 1985, has filed for bankruptcy. SunPower had a long reputation for producing the best solar panels in the industry, though had been struggling for months in the face of high interest rates and other industry concerns.

What does the SunPower bankruptcy news mean to me?

For most clients who have SunPower systems, we don’t expect any immediate changes. Solar systems largely produce solar power independent of any manufacturer’s status in the market or their financial strength. When the sun comes out and shines on the solar panels, they generate power and send that power to your home, storage batteries and the grid, regardless of solar company industry headwinds.

Frequently asked questions:

Q: Will we need to find a new solar company to make our monthly payment?

A: If you have an actively serviced lease system, power purchase agreement or loan with SunPower, SunPower will likely need to find another financier to take over the servicing of your lease, loan or PPA. According to SunPower, they are actively working on this and will have more information about this in the near future.

Q: Which company is now my solar panel provider now that SunPower filed for Chapter 11?

A: Most systems come with workmanship warranties from the solar installer and manufacturer warranties for equipment from the manufacturer. For questions on warranties and who could help in the event something happened, we recommend contacting your solar installer. Here at Cosmic Solar and Roofing, you can always email service@cosmicsolar.com with any warranty questions. In September 2024, SunPower announced they would be selling their leased systems to another solar provider who would help facilitate the transition in order to service these leases and solar systems in the field. If you have a leased system through SunPower, you should receive an email or letter in the mail with steps

Q: Will the power our solar panels produce continue to provide electricity to our home or will there be a disruption in service?

A: SunPower’s bankruptcy should not have any immediate effects on your solar system operation. Solar panels will continue to produce power as the sun comes out every day and, even though SunPower often sent firmware updates to its system components, we expect the solar systems in the field to continue to produce power as they have since they were installed.

Q: Who do I contact if my panels need to be serviced or repaired?

A: As always, Cosmic Solar and Roofing is here to help with any solar related servicing and repair. We have a full scale service department, led by Service Manager, Khiry Fitzgerald, and he may be reached at service@cosmicsolar.com or phone/text at (442) 217-9990.

Q: Long term, if SunPower is not around, who will service my product warranty?

A: It’s a very good question and we are working as best we can with SunPower to answer these and others. The good news is SunPower solar panels were made with the best technology we’ve found and here at Cosmic Solar and Roofing, the failure rate with SunPower solar panels is virtually zero, meaning we have installed many tens of thousands of solar panels without a single failure. Other products like monitoring components, inverters, etc. we’re still learning more about. We’ll strive to learn more but you’re always free to call us here at (760) 749-1111 with any questions or concerns you may have about SunPower or your installed solar system.

The silver lining, as we see it, is that although SunPower had irreconcilable headwinds as a company and had a troubled 2024, the California solar industry’s health is still reasonably strong and companies like Cosmic Solar and Roofing will be here to help guide you through with questions with new industry events occur. We’re here for you! If you need us, please feel free to contact us at (760) 749-1111 or at cosmicsolar.com. We’re here to help!

In September 2024, Maxeon Solar Technologies stated they will be providing a warranty for SunPower's solar panels and Enphase Energy declared they would cover warranties for all SunPower solar panels equipped with Enphase microinverters. These are positive warranty advancements and manufacturers involved in the production of SunPower solar panels have begun to offer warranties that will help SunPower clients -- and Cosmic Solar and Roofing's Service Department is here to help facilitate this process for Cosmic Solar clients.

Q: Will my SunPower monitoring system still work now that SunPower declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy?

On September 20th, 2024, SunPower sent out an email to SunPower customers saying it would not provide support for its monitoring platform any longer, which is unfortunate, but most of the monitoring systems continue to work and show solar production data. If you are a Cosmic Solar and Roofing customer and have an issue with your monitoring system at your home, please give us our Service Department a call/text at 442-217-9990 or send an email to service@cosmicsolar.com and we'll be happy to work with you to find another solution or monitoring platform to help show your solar system is still active and producing power. As of now, all SunPower systems we have monitored, though, continue to work without issue.

Range Anxiety and Electric Vehicles. How far do they go?

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Wed, 15 May 2024 00:21:01 GMT

exploring the range of electric vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising solution to reduce emissions and dependency on fossil fuels. One of the key considerations for potential buyers is the driving range of EVs. In this blog post, we delve into the factors that influence the range of EVs and explore how far they can go on a single charge.

Understanding EV Range

The range of an EV refers to the distance it can travel on a single charge before needing to be recharged. Several factors influence the range of an electric vehicle, including:

1. Battery Capacity: The capacity of the vehicle's battery pack is a primary determinant of its range. Generally, EVs with larger battery packs can travel farther on a single charge compared to those with smaller packs. A Tesla Cybertruck can travel further on a charge than a Nissan Leaf, for example.

2. Driving Habits: How you drive significantly impacts the range of your EV. Aggressive acceleration, high speeds, and frequent braking can reduce efficiency and shorten the distance you can travel on a charge.

3. Weather Conditions: Extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, can affect battery performance. Cold weather, in particular, can decrease range due to increased energy consumption for heating the cabin and battery.

4. Terrain: Driving uphill or on rough terrain requires more energy, which can reduce the overall range of the vehicle.

5. Vehicle Efficiency: The efficiency of the electric drivetrain and other components, such as aerodynamics, tires, and regenerative braking systems, also play a role in determining the range of an EV.

Range Variability Among EVs

The range of electric vehicles varies widely depending on the make, model, and battery size. As of 2024, EVs are continuously improving in terms of range as battery technology advances.

- Short-Range EVs: Some compact EVs are designed for urban commuting and offer ranges of around 100 to 150 miles on a single charge. These vehicles are ideal for daily commuting and short trips.

- Mid-Range EVs: Many mainstream EVs offer ranges between 200 to 300 miles, making them suitable for longer trips and providing more flexibility for drivers.

- Long-Range EVs: Premium electric vehicles and some newer models boast ranges exceeding 300 miles on a single charge and some beyond 500 miles. These vehicles are ideal for drivers who frequently travel long distances and require fewer charging stops.

Overcoming Range Anxiety

Range anxiety, the fear of running out of charge before reaching your destination, is a common concern among EV owners and potential buyers. However, advancements in charging infrastructure and battery technology are alleviating these concerns.

- Charging Infrastructure: The growing network of public charging stations, including fast chargers, enables EV drivers to recharge their vehicles conveniently during long trips. Additionally, advancements in charging technology are reducing charging times, making it more convenient to top up the battery.

- Battery Technology: Ongoing research and development in battery technology are leading to improvements in energy density, charging speed, and overall battery performance. As battery technology continues to evolve, future EVs are expected to offer even greater range and efficiency.

- Solar panel technology at home or work: For many homeowners in places like California (with a solar system on Net Energy Metering 3.0), feeding your excess solar energy to the grid in 2024 produces a negligible amount of credit on a homeowner's bill. Instead of sending this excess solar power to the grid, charging the car during the daylight hours when the EV is parked in the garage may make a lot of sense for the average homeowner.

Conclusion

The range of electric vehicles continues to improve, offering drivers greater flexibility and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Factors such as battery capacity, driving habits, weather conditions, terrain, and vehicle efficiency all influence the range of an EV. With advancements in charging infrastructure and battery technology, range anxiety is becoming less of a concern, making EVs a viable option for an increasing number of drivers. As the automotive industry transitions towards electrification, we can expect to see even greater advancements in EV range and performance in the years to come. If you have any questions about EVs, their batteries, how to charge them and the range of how far they can go, feel free to contact the experts here at Cosmic Solar and Roofing at (760) 749-1111. We're here to help!

What's the reason we need storage batteries in our homes?

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 20:15:00 GMT

Installing Solar + Storage in California in 2024 and Beyond

Seems like today "batteries" is a huge buzz word and everyone is talking about in California. What do they do and why do we need them? It's a great question.

Batteries store energy that our solar panels produce during the daytime, effectively turning sunlight power into stored energy. This is vital in California because utility companies charge customers on what they call "Time of Use" plans, which adds significant cost to a client without solar or storage during the 4:00pm to 9:00pm evening "peak hours." This is why storing solar energy in batteries on site and discharging the batteries at night to help mitigate the peak hour rates, is vital.

"Solar load shifting," also known as "solar shifting" or "peak shaving," refers to the practice of adjusting the usage of electricity generated by solar panels to align with peak demand times or specific needs. It involves storing excess solar energy produced during daylight hours in batteries or other storage systems to be used later during times when solar energy production is lower or when energy demand is higher, typically during evenings or periods of increased consumption. This approach helps optimize the use of solar energy and reduces reliance on the grid during peak demand periods.

How can batteries help?

Batteries play a crucial role in assisting with time-of-use by storing excess energy generated during periods of low demand (such as daytime when solar energy production is high) and supplying it during periods of high demand or when solar energy production is lower (like evenings or cloudy days).

During times when electricity rates are higher due to increased demand, batteries can discharge the stored energy, allowing consumers to rely less on grid-supplied electricity and thereby avoid higher utility costs. This capability enables users to maximize their use of stored solar power and manage their energy consumption more efficiently according to peak demand periods and pricing structures.

Want to learn more?

If you have questions about installing solar batteries and load shifting, the experts here at Cosmic Solar and Roofing are here to help! Please contact us at 760-749-1111 or visit us at cosmicsolar.com for more information.

Harnessing Solar Power in New Home Construction: A Guide for Southern California

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 21:36:56 GMT

The Rise of Solar Energy in Southern California

There's no shortage of sunshine in Southern California, making it an ideal region for integrating solar energy into new home construction. As the demand for sustainable living grows, more homeowners are seeking eco-friendly solutions that not only reduce their environmental impact but also contribute to long-term cost savings. In this blog post, we’ll explore the integration of solar power in new home construction across Southern California.

The state has been a pioneer in promoting renewable energy, with California setting ambitious goals to achieve 100% clean energy by 2045. In line with this vision, the use of solar panels has become increasingly prevalent in residential construction. Southern California, in particular, benefits from an average of 284 sunny days a year, making it an ideal location for harnessing solar power.

Advantages of Solar-Powered Homes

• Cost Savings: With the abundance of sunshine, homeowners can significantly reduce their electricity bills by generating their own renewable energy.
• Environmentally Friendly: Solar energy is clean and renewable, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering carbon footprints.
• Increased Home Value: Properties equipped with solar panels often have higher resale values and appeal to eco-conscious buyers.

Integration of Solar Technology in New Home Construction

Builders and developers in Southern California are increasingly incorporating solar technology into their new constructions. From utilizing solar-ready designs to installing high-efficiency solar panels, the integration of solar energy starts at the planning stage. Builders work closely with solar companies to ensure seamless integration, efficient placement, and optimal orientation of solar panels to maximize energy production.

Government Incentives and Programs

California offers various incentives and rebate programs to encourage homeowners to adopt solar technology. The California Solar Initiative (CSI) and the federal solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) are among the incentives that make transitioning to solar more affordable for homeowners. Additionally, net metering programs enable homeowners to sell excess energy back to the grid, further offsetting costs.

The Future of Solar-Powered Homes in Southern California

As technology advances and costs continue to decrease, the future of solar-powered homes in Southern California appears promising. Innovations in energy storage solutions, improved panel efficiency, and smart home integration are expected to drive further adoption. With a commitment to sustainability and a proactive approach to harnessing renewable energy, Southern California is at the forefront of the solar revolution in new home construction.

In conclusion, integrating solar energy into new home construction in Southern California offers a multitude of benefits. From reducing utility bills to contributing to a greener environment, the shift towards solar power aligns with the region’s commitment to sustainability. As more homeowners embrace this eco-friendly solution, the landscape of residential construction continues to evolve towards a brighter, more sustainable future.

Unveiling the Future: Exploring the Tesla Solar Roof

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 21:30:00 GMT

The Roofing and Solar Revolution!

In recent years, the global shift towards sustainable energy solutions has accelerated, leading to innovative advancements in renewable energy technologies. Among these innovations stands the Tesla Solar Roof—an ingenious and aesthetically pleasing solution merging solar power with roofing materials. In this blog post, we delve into the groundbreaking features, benefits, and potential of the Tesla Solar Roof.

Revolutionizing Solar Energy

The Tesla Solar Roof represents a paradigm shift in the way we perceive solar power. Unlike traditional solar panels mounted on top of existing roofs, the Solar Roof integrates solar cells directly into the roofing material itself. These solar cells are designed to mimic the appearance of conventional roofing materials like tiles, shingles, or slates, providing an elegant and seamless aesthetic for homes.

Blend of Form and Function

One of the most significant advantages of the Tesla Solar Roof lies in its design versatility. It offers various styles and designs to match diverse architectural preferences, seamlessly blending into the overall look and feel of the home. The Solar Roof comes in different textures and finishes, ensuring a visually appealing roof while harnessing the sun’s energy.

Durability and Efficiency

Tesla’s Solar Roof boasts high durability, as the tempered glass tiles used in its construction are remarkably tough and resistant to extreme weather conditions, including hail, high winds, and heavy rain. Moreover, these tiles are designed to efficiently capture sunlight, generating electricity for the household while maintaining the appearance and functionality of a traditional roof.

Cost-Effectiveness and Long-Term Savings

While the upfront cost of a Tesla Solar Roof installation might be higher compared to a standard roof, it offers long-term financial benefits. The Solar Roof generates electricity, potentially reducing or eliminating monthly electricity bills. Additionally, it may qualify for tax incentives or rebates, contributing to cost savings over time.

Environmental Impact

By utilizing solar energy, the Tesla Solar Roof significantly reduces reliance on non-renewable energy sources, thereby reducing carbon footprints and mitigating environmental impact. It aligns with Tesla’s vision of promoting sustainable energy solutions and contributing to a greener future.

Considerations for Installation

When considering a Tesla Solar Roof installation, homeowners should evaluate factors such as their home’s energy needs, the condition of their existing roof, location, and local regulations. Consulting with a certified installer or a Tesla representative can provide valuable insights and guidance tailored to individual requirements.

In conclusion, the Tesla Solar Roof represents a forward-thinking approach to sustainable energy integration in residential properties. It combines aesthetics, durability, efficiency, and environmental consciousness, offering homeowners a compelling option to embrace renewable energy while enhancing the visual appeal and value of their homes.

For those seeking an innovative and eco-friendly roofing solution, the Tesla Solar Roof stands as a beacon of modernity and sustainability, paving the way for a brighter, cleaner future.

Powering the Future: The Essential Role of Batteries in Home Solar Systems

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 19:00:01 GMT

Adopting home solar systems has been a game-changer in the quest for a greener, more sustainable future. However, as we move forward, a crucial component is emerging as the linchpin in this renewable energy revolution: batteries. With the advent of Net Metering 3.0, the importance of incorporating batteries into home solar systems has never been more pronounced.

The Changing Landscape of Solar Energy

Solar panels have been instrumental in harnessing the sun's power, but their effectiveness is inherently limited to when the sun shines. This is where batteries come into play. Batteries ensure a steady electricity supply by storing excess energy generated during sunny periods, even when the sun isn't shining.

Net Metering 3.0: A Catalyst for Battery Adoption

Net Metering 3.0, the latest policy iteration in the renewable energy sector, has significantly changed how solar energy is managed and compensated. Unlike its predecessors, Net Metering 3.0 may offer less favorable terms for the excess solar energy fed back into the grid. This shift makes it more economically advantageous for homeowners to store and use their solar energy onsite rather than selling it back to the utility.

Why Batteries Are Now More Important Than Ever

Maximizing Solar Investment: With Net Metering 3.0, the financial benefits of sending power back to the grid are potentially reduced. Batteries enable homeowners to maximize their use of solar energy, leading to more significant savings and a quicker return on investment.
Energy Independence: Batteries provide a buffer against power outages and energy uncertainties. In an era of increasing energy demands and grid instability, having a reliable power source at home is invaluable.
Enhanced Grid Stability: Widespread battery use can help stabilize the grid. By reducing the need to export excess energy, batteries can alleviate the stress on the grid during peak production times, contributing to overall energy resilience.
Support for Time-of-Use Rates: Many regions are adopting time-of-use (TOU) billing, where electricity costs more during peak demand hours. Batteries allow homeowners to use stored solar energy during these expensive periods, avoiding higher charges.

The Road Ahead

Integrating batteries into home solar systems is more than a technological advancement; it's a step towards a self-sufficient, renewable energy-powered future. As policies like Net Metering 3.0 evolve, they inadvertently push the market towards more innovative and efficient energy solutions. The era of batteries in home solar systems is not just coming; it's already here and powering our future in ways we've only just begun to explore.

The Power of Energy Storage

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:19:14 GMT

Enhancing Solar Energy Systems in San Diego

As the "sun-drenched" city of San Diego continues to embrace sustainable energy solutions, the integration of solar power has become increasingly prevalent. However, harnessing the sun’s energy isn’t a constant affair -- it’s subject to daily and seasonal fluctuations. This is where batteries step in as a crucial component to maximize the benefits of solar energy systems. In this blog post, we explore the role of batteries in enhancing solar power setups for San Diego residents and businesses.

Meeting Energy Demands Beyond Daylight Hours

Solar panels are highly efficient during daylight hours, but our home's energy consumption doesn’t cease when the sun sets. To bridge this gap, energy storage solutions like batteries come into play. These batteries accumulate surplus energy generated during peak sunlight hours, storing it for later use. This stored energy can power homes or businesses during evenings, cloudy days, or even in the event of a grid outage, ensuring a consistent power supply.

Optimizing Self-Sufficiency and Reducing Reliance on the Grid

San Diego’s commitment to sustainability often aligns with the desire for energy independence. By coupling solar panels with battery storage systems, homeowners and businesses gain greater autonomy from the conventional power grid. This not only provides a reliable backup during grid failures but also contributes to reduced utility costs by minimizing reliance on grid-supplied electricity.

Enhanced Efficiency and Long-term Cost Savings

Batteries play a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency of solar power systems. They allow for the optimization of energy usage by storing excess power generated during peak periods and distributing it during times of high demand or low solar input. This maximizes the utilization of renewable energy and contributes to long-term cost savings by reducing reliance on expensive peak-hour electricity from the grid.

Environmental Impact and Sustainable Practices

San Diego’s inclination towards sustainability aligns perfectly with the environmental benefits of battery-integrated solar systems. By relying more on stored solar energy, individuals and businesses contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, fostering a cleaner and greener environment for current and future generations.

Choosing the Right Battery System

Selecting the right battery system for a solar setup is crucial. Factors like capacity, efficiency, lifespan, and compatibility with existing solar panels and warranties need consideration. Consulting with reputable solar energy companies in San Diego like Cosmic Solar and Roofing can help determine the optimal battery solution tailored to specific energy needs.

B atteries play a pivotal role in maximizing the potential of solar energy systems where we live. They offer resilience, independence from the grid, cost savings, and contribute significantly to a sustainable future. As the city continues its journey towards renewable energy, integrating batteries with solar installations emerges as a cornerstone for a more efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly energy ecosystem.

For tailored advice and solutions on incorporating batteries into your solar energy system in San Diego, contact Cosmic Solar and Roofing to explore the possibilities of a more sustainable and empowered energy future!

cosmicsolar.com

office: 760-749-1111

Utilities Net Metering 3.0 Impact on California Solar

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 18:34:44 GMT

In the past we have talked about how some states have tried to prevent the average citizen from getting solar on their homes, but not California. Think again. This fall, the utilities presented a formidable proposal to the California Public Utilities Commission. The solar industry fought hard with demonstrations, phone calls and emails to PCUC and Governor Newsom. Thankfully, the utilities didn’t get everything they were asking for, but the CPUC passed a proposal that could put many solar companies out of business. 2023 is going to be a rough year for solar companies, and even strong ones might need to lay off many of their employees.

With California’s goals of being energy independent, this is going to slow down the solar progress of the state. CPUC, along with the utilities, is making it more difficult for the average citizen to benefit from having solar energy. Of course, there are going to be solar farms going up, but using all the empty roofs would be much easier on the environment. Also, the solar is being produced where it is being utilized. With solar farms, the energy will have to be transported on electric lines from distant places. Then charge the extra expense to those low-income users they seem so worried about. So, what are we dealing with and what will be the solar companies’ next move?

Solar owners produce more kWh during the day than they can use. They are currently hooked up to the utilities with Net Metering 2.0 (NEM 2.0), and the extra energy they produce goes back to the utility grid. The solar system shuts down at dusk and then they use energy from the grid. The utilities credit the home or business owners the same amount that they are charged, around $.30/kWh. Those under NEM 1.0 and NEM 2.0 are grandfathered in for 20 years from the date of purchase.

On December 15, 2022, the CPUC voted to change that. With NEM 3.0, instead of being credited with $.30/kWh, they will be credited with only $.08/kWh when they use it back. This results in a lower financial gain for the solar customer. The only way to offset this loss is to install storage batteries, so no extra solar goes on the utilities grid, but rather stores in the batteries. That way when the sun goes down and the solar shuts off, the home or business can run off of the battery. This will add to the price of the solar system, but here at Cosmic Solar we have daily requests for battery storage because it also gives you protection during power failures. Unfortunately, it will lengthen the payback years for the purchase of the system, but it will mitigate the financial loss with NEM 3.0.

Solar.com estimates a monthly bill of $250 will be reduced to $18 per month with solar under Net Metering 2.0. Under NEM 3.0 that will increase to $95, which is still a saving of $155, and batteries would take it back down to $18. A lifetime saving of $110,000 would become around $75,000. It is still saving but less than before.

The good news is that NEM 3.0 does not go into effect until April 13th, so if Californians get their solar applications submitted as soon as possible it will grandfather them into Net Metering 2.0 for twenty years. For those Californians who want to do solar, better sooner than later. The utilities are offering an incentive for battery storage by allowing customers to add batteries later without being bumped up to NEM 3.0. Whether battery storage is done up front or later, it increases the value of pairing battery storage with solar.

Our Cosmic Solar & Roofing staff is on hand to submit interconnection paperwork immediately after the sale to ensure we can grandfather as many people as possible in to NEM 2.0 before April. If you want to install a solar system, call Cosmic Solar & Roofing right away!

Renewable energy tax credit to continue, helping offset new solar panel costs

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 22:36:02 GMT

Congress renews 26% rate with extended energy tax credit

Making an investment in a solar system can be a big decision. There are several motivating factors that can contribute to such a decision like saving on your electricity bill, less dependence on foreign energy sources, and the reduction of our carbon footprint. Going solar in California continues to gain popularity . Sunny California is a leader in rooftop solar energy production and will continue to be, that’s why it’s no surprise that tax credits offered by the Federal Government will continue to be a lifeline option for homeowners looking to save money while installing solar panels.

Recently, the federal relief available in the form of a tax credit was extended, helping homeowners and businesses pay for what could be a big investment!

During the latest round of federal Investment Tax Credits, the step down of credits was delayed. Instead of expiring at the end of 2020, t he 26% solar tax credit will renew in 2021 and remain in place through 2022 . After 2022, the tax credit will then drop to 22% in 2023.

Essentially, when you purchase a solar energy system for your home, you can deduct 26% of the cost of your new system off this year’s federal taxes. Installation must begin prior to December 31, 2021, to get the full 26% rebate this year.

Since the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) was enacted, solar growth has grown by 52% annually. The number of people supported by jobs through solar energy has skyrocketed. Thanks to the ITC, the U.S. solar industry has grown by more than 10,000%, - creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and investing billions of dollars in the U.S. economy in the process.

The U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics says as the need for solar power expands there will be a growing need for more construction workers to build power plants, solar photovoltaic installers to install solar panels, and so on.

The SEIA (Solar Energies Industries Association) has advocated for multiple extensions of this critical tax credit, including the most recent delay of the credit phase down in December 2020.

For more information about the step-down of this deduction click here.

If you are interested in learning more about installing solar panels and creating the best financing plan for your budget, contact Cosmic Solar and Roofing today. We are experts in our field and provide excellence in customer service while installing solar systems.

Call us at 760-239-0969 or request a free evaluation .

Cosmic Solar and Roofing donates solar equipment for Warrior Village Project!

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 15:52:20 GMT

Cosmic Solar and Roofing donates Solar Equipment for Warrior Village Project!

The Warrior Village Project is a collaboration of building industry associations, nonprofits serving veterans, high schools and colleges, business and private donors, and private citizens working together to provide affordable, permanent housing for homeless veterans while training the next generation of homebuilders. Each of the organizations involved in the Project is providing expertise and resources consistent with its unique capabilities and the mission of its organization. Students will build 400 square foot cottages in two modules in building and construction classes on their campuses. The modules will be transported to sites in San Diego County and joined together as permanent residences on permanent foundations. Through the Warrior Village Project, students will learn skills that will prepare them for careers in the building industry or higher education in STEM disciplines, and veterans will receive permanent, affordable housing.

The Vision is to build Pocket Neighborhoo d communities o f 12 of the cottages and a community center throughout San Diego County with the needs of homeless veterans in mind: permanent, truly affordable housing in a supportive community environment. To work toward this vision, the first cottages will be installed as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs, or ‘Granny Flats’). Installing our cottages as ADUs will enable:

taking advantage of the incentives, including building fee waivers, offered by local jurisdictions to encourage the development of ADUs. While these incentives are in place, installing cottages as ADUs is the most cost effective way to increase the affordable housing stock in San Diego County.
postponement of investment in land and infrastructure and building fees for our first village until we have enough schools enrolled in the Project to build 12 cottages at the same time.

San Marcos High School (San Marcos, CA) will build our first two cottages during the 2019 – 2020 academic year. Warrior Village Project is working to provide the resources for North County Trade Tech (Vista, CA) to build a cottage during the 2020 – 2021 academic year. The goal is to expand the Warrior Village Project to other schools throughout San Diego County over the next five years.

https://warriorvillageproject.com/cosmic-solar-roofing-donates-solar-equipment-for-bita-solar-curriculum/

Solar for the people

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 17:20:55 GMT

Solar For the People!

In California, we have been relatively lucky in many regards. As home or business owners, we have been free to buy our own solar panels, install them on our roofs or back yards, connect them to our public utility through a system called “Net Energy Metering,” and produce our own clean power with the help of our ever-reliant and reliable sun. The purchase of solar has reached grid parity, which essentially means it is cheaper to make payments on a loan for a solar system than it is to pay your monthly electric bill. Californians are excited to buy their own solar systems.

Letting people have their own "power plant" on their roof or in their yard has forced the utilities to make some major changes in their system. At one time they only had a one way transmission from their source of electrical generation. Now they have developed equipment that sends and receives energy from all the solar generation sites on homes and businesses. It has become a two-way system coming and going on the electrical grid.

The electrical grid is a complex system that provides electricity from the source of generation to the consumers. It consists of three parts: electricity generation, transmission and distribution. The source of generation could be a nuclear power plant, natural gas facility, a wind or solar farm many miles away providing for millions of people, versus solar panels on your roof providing for your own home or business. Electricity is transmitted through power lines and can flow long distances but loses energy by electrical resistance when traveling through lines. The distribution of electricity is a very complicated process. It begins with substations that “step up” which raise the voltage, and “step down” substations which lower voltage to safer and more usable levels. More substations and smaller transformers help divide the electricity among subdivisions. We see the small green transformer boxes along the street corners that perform this work.

This is an incredibly simplistic view of how the utility grids work, but even after hearing how complicated it is to bring energy from far away generating facilities we can appreciate how efficient it is to have your generating source on site, on your roof or in your back yard. At times when you generate extra energy that extra power is used by your neighbors in your local substation.

There are some states that have tried to block homeowners and businesses from buying and installing their own solar systems. Back in 2016 there were 10 sunny states blocking distributed solar. In 2019 it looked as though things were moving forward but the solar industry and home and business owners must stay vigilant. The story of how utilities are trying to take away our energy freedom is being told in a movie or a documentary called “Power Trip” produced by Jonathan Scott from HGTV’s Property Brothers. He ended up traveling around the country talking to everyday people and their struggle to install their own solar systems and hook up to the utilities grid. People are fighting back against a powerful monopoly system trying to block their right to own their own solar.

Sunny California has long been the leader in rooftop solar with Net Energy Metering from local utilities. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the solar incentive program designed by California Solar Energy Initiative Association, CALSEIA. First they had state rebates for a number of years and a Federal Tax Credit of 30%. The utilities first charged $5 and then raised it to $10 a month for the hookup or connection to the grid. The Net Metering is designed to provide you an equal credit for every kWh that your solar system produces. If your system overproduces and you wish to sell your extra energy back to the grid, they will purchase it for around $0.04/kWh, even though they charge customers as much as ten times more per kWh. That extra energy can stay on your account as a credit and they will roll it over to your next year's balance. The utilities monitor their solar customers closely. A customer’s solar system size is dependent on their last year’s total energy usage and if the homeowner wants to install a a larger system that produces extra energy, they must fill out a justification form explaining why. Requests are generally never denied, except by some of the smaller town’s private utilities that have said "no" to the customer when asking to install even a slightly larger solar system. The utilities have tried to raise the grid hook up fee many times in the past but the California Energy Commission has refused them because of all the resistance brought to bear by the people and organizations like CalSSA and The Solar Rights Alliance.

There is also a latest new development which has the solar industry concerned. California mandated as of 2021, that every newly constructed home must have solar panels, but the utilities are already creating obstacles and loopholes that would let developers avoid installing rooftop solar systems on new homes. Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has started a new program called SMUD’s neighborhood Solar Shares. It is a supposed virtual solar system that you share with utilities. Instead of getting a solar system installed on the roof of your new home you get solar energy produced from a solar farm. You are charged a flat fee of about $60 a month for operation and maintenance of the solar panels at the solar farm that provide your power. In return you get a small discount on your monthly electric bill depending on the time of year and their report of the production of the solar farms panels. It could be as small as $10. The Home Builder is allowed to make this decision and he may choose the cheaper, easier way and sign his homes up for SMUD’s Solar Shares. But according to The Solar Rights Alliance, if you carefully read the terms and conditions, it is a 20 year contract which makes it nearly impossible for the homeowner to add solar and batteries to their rooftop for 20 years because you are not allowed to hook up to the grid yourself. This could be a problem if you ever decide to purchase an electric car or if your household energy consumption increases. So the new home buyer, instead of having their own rooftop solar system and saving thousands of dollars because they are zeroing out their electric bill, they end up paying a $60 monthly charge in return for a small discount on their electric bill. The Solar Rights Alliance is a consumer organization. They announced that the California Energy Commission voted in February, 2020 to approve SMUD’s proposal. The expected outcome is that new homes in Sacramento will not have solar or batteries on their new homes for 20 years. Their fear now is that utilities may seek the same deal with homebuilders all over California.

In conclusion, we know that the state of California has an ambitious goal of becoming a 100% green energy state by year 2050. The utilities are jumping on the bandwagon and transitioning to solar and encouraging the technology. They have all kinds of classes educating the public and helping them understand how solar works and how they can find a reputable solar installer, etc. The problem is that it is becoming obvious they would rather build solar farms and and produce all of the required energy to make all the profits themselves rather than to encourage rooftop solar. This would prevent homeowners and residential solar installers from reaping any rewards of this industry. We must consider how much land will be covered by these solar farms. It may not be as invasive and detrimental as fracking, for example, but it does adversely affect the ecology and the environment. We know we are going to need solar farms to reach our ambitious goal for higher energy efficiency, but wouldn’t it be better to place solar on all the roofs first? The roofs are already there with lots of free space for solar panels and the infrastructure is paid for by homeowners.

Utilizing rooftops for solar would save the utilities from the cost of building as many solar farms and the home, since business owners are paying for their own systems. The solar energy will be produced at the site of usage and doesn’t have to travel long distances, there is minimal energy losses due to transmission, and any solar overproduction will be shared with neighbors.

The solar industry has been on a very productive path, providing one of the largest job opportunities in America. This is not the time to change the system and put all the small solar companies out of business, and deny homeowners the chance to have their own small solar business on their roof or in their back yard. Our legislators will soon be voting on this. This development needs to be very closely monitored and we need to let our legislators know that we want California to be a state with “Solar for the People.”

This article is written by Judith Shadzi, Consumer Economist, and Vice President of Cosmic Solar and Roofing. Any questions you may have about solar go to Cosmic Solar's website www.cosmicsolar.com or email Judith directly at judith@cosmicsolar.com.

"I Kick Myself Everyday"

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 20:23:39 GMT

"I Kick Myself Everyday"

Every week at Cosmic Solar we get at least one call from someone -- especially homeowners -- saying, “I kick myself everyday for going with the solar company I chose, can you come and help me?” They missed the warning signs and made a wrong decision with the company they chose. Now they are having problems with their system and either the company does not have the expertise, is not willing to correct it, or may not even respond to their requests for help because they may no longer be in business. Whether our potential customers chose us or not, our hope for them is that they get a good solar system installed, with good quality materials, at a reasonable price, and with a company that will be there for them for the duration of warranty. What are some of the characteristics of a solar company, or any company for that matter, that people should look for when they are making a major purchase that requires a long term relationship with that company?

1. The most important evidence of a company’s performance is their own customer reviews. What are their past customers saying about their experience with that company? There are a few websites on the internet that give you the history of that company’s past performance. The most important source for solar companies is SolarReviews.com . They have a value up to 5, and they give the number of reviews. So if they have a value of 4.98, and 300+ reviews, that is excellent. The best companies of SolarReviews.com are pre-screened for you. Other websites are Google reviews, Yelp!, Angie’s List, and the Better Business Bureau. Check them all out and see what people have to say about their experiences with the company. These are valuable resources for consumers.

2. Many people do not think to check where the company has its home office or residence. It is important to look at where the company is located because the closer they are to you, the easier it will be to get them to come when you need any kind of service. If the company is out of your county or state, it may be passing through or may not have an adequate service center in your area. It is always safer to use a company close by that has a good Customer Service reputation. If the company is local you will know where to find them. Is the company involved in the community you live in? Do they give back to the community. Every town has many organizations that improve the quality of life for its citizens. Is the company you hire participating or donating to any of the local organizations? The most important thing about Buy Local is that the money recirculates in your own community. When you buy from other places the money goes out of your community for good.

3. Is the company specialized in what they do? Especially with solar, you will see home remodeling trucks with solar at the bottom of the list. Many roofing companies have started installing solar. Some home improvement companies think installing a solar system is easy, but a good solar system designed right, and specifically for your home or business provides a more efficient system with better production. Do they have an engineer designing their systems or at least overseeing the designs? If it is sized right it will cover your electric bill with extra to cover future growth in electrical usage. A good company should have most services in house. If they have sub-contractors it is too easy for them to play the blame game if something goes wrong.

4. How much money are they asking for up front? A financially healthy company should be able to keep many projects going at the same time. All companies will ask for some down payment in ernest but they should never ask for all the money up front. Some companies will ask for a payment when the equipment is delivered, but never pay for services that are not yet rendered. Only give them their last payment when you see your electric meter spinning backwards.

5. Does the company have a solar license? The best solar company should have a C-46 Solar license. You can check on each company’s license at http://www.cslb.ca.gov/ and use “check a License” tool.

6. A good solar company will custom design your solar system, get your permits from the city or county, procure HOA approvals, install the system, apply for utility interconnection and install a monitoring system. It should provide you with a full 25 year workmanship warranty on the entire installation, including all parts and labor. You should pick a solar company that will do everything for you from start to finish.

The author is Judith Shadzi, Vice President of Cosmic Solar. Cosmic Solar has been Business of the Year twice in Valley Center, their home, and received the 2019 Heros of Vista award where their office and warehouse is located. They are #1 for customer service in California on SolarReviews.com , and have received the prestigious award of the top 500 national solar companies by Solar Power International 5 years in a row.

Cosmic Solar and Roofing Donates Solar System to Alta Vista Gardens!

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 17:15:04 GMT

Cosmic Solar and Roofing Donates Solar System to Alta Vista Botannical Gardens!

2020 being the "Year of COVID-19," this has undoubtedly been time for many businesses. Like most construction businesses, the first part of the year was slow for Cosmic Solar and Roofing. We realized the upside was that we could get caught up on projects that previously we hadn’t had time for. Earlier this year, Cosmic Solar and Roofing hired a roofing manager, Tom Bowyer, and five experienced roofers, also starting our own Roofing Division. This was a perfect match to complement the Solar Division because it's a natural pairing of two common businesses -- at least in the relative scope and areas of service.

Cosmic Solar and Roofing now has a C-39 roofing license and is capable of handling all roofing projects and needs, from repairs to large commercial installations. With all the rain last year, the last three months have been very busy repairing and replacing roofs, as well as installing solar systems. Here at Cosmic Solar and Roofing, we also started a Service Department. We hired longtime solar professional, Tom Bowyer, who is very experienced in solar technology to head up our Service Department. Many of the solar systems we have installed over the years for our clients have passed the full service warranty and need to be inspected and cleaned. We also receive many calls from homeowners or businesses with solar who say their solar company is no longer in business and they need their systems repaired or serviced. They can now purchase a service warranty from Cosmic Solar and Roofing.

One thing our company was so busy to accomplish, which we were able to tackle in early 2020, was installing a solar system for the Alta Vista Botanical Gardens. Judith and Bahram Shadzi, owners of Cosmic Solar and Roofing have been members of Alta Vista Botanical Gardens for four years. They were at the Gardens 2018 Earth Day Festival and Solar Consultant, Ken Davami, met Sivana Gur and she was opening a gift shop for the gardens. Sivana asked if Cosmic Solar could donate 10 solar panels to generate electricity for air conditioning in the shop. The Shadzis have been so impressed with the beautiful botanical gardens that are cared for totally by volunteers, so Judith promised Sivana they would donate the solar system -- and this July they installed 10 high efficiency solar panels for the Gardens. The solar is now approved, up and generating!

Also of noteworthy content, Cosmic Solar and Roofing was awarded one of the top 100 Rooftop Solar Companies in the nation for the seventh year in a row. In 2018 we were selected as one of Vista’s Hero businesses. We are very active with the Vista Chamber of Commerce and the local community. Whether it be roofing, solar systems or service, Cosmic Solar and Roofing is there and ready to help! Check out all the fun and educational videos on our Cosmic Solar and Roofing Facebook page and call 760-749-1111 -- or visit www.cosmicsolar.com -- to get all your questions answered about solar technology.

Do I need to Clean my Solar Panels?

pey@cosmicsolar.com (Pey Shadzi) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 22:51:46 GMT

Do I Really need to Clean my Solar Panels?

Do I really need to clean my solar panels to keep max efficiency?

It's a question that our Service Department here at Cosmic Solar receives every single day. Do really need to keep my solar panels clean? And what's the net effect of not cleaning them versus keeping them squeaky clean? And how should I approach cleaning? All great questions.

For starters, we don't necessarily recommend frequently cleanings (more than once a year or every other year) for most roof mounted solar panels. Reason being is they are up off the ground, typically have a decent roof pitch to keep dust and dirt off of them and don't accumulate so much dirt or dust that it would be a huge detriment to solar energy production over time. You probably have more important things to do with your time -- like spending time with your family, learning a hobby and cleaning out the garage. Most houses fall into the category where they could get by with a thorough solar panel cleaning every few years and everything is fine. Occasional rain may be enough for most Southern California homes to keep their solar system efficiency relatively close to peak without frequent washings.

However there are some situations, like lower sloped or flat roofs, ground mounted systems, houses that have horses or goats that run around frequently, kicking up dirt, or other situations where there are a lot of trees around that can drop sticky leaves. We've even seen bird nesting grounds where bird droppings frequently make it on the panels and effective cause "shading" of the solar cells, reducing solar panel energy production. Most systems with these types of situations can see a 10-30% drop in production if things get REALLY bad, but even then, the efficiency of a solar panel to collect light and produce energy is still quite impressive.

If you have a situation at your home or business where the solar panels are prone to getting dirtier than a typical home for various reasons, you may want to consider having them cleaned once a year or more frequently depending on your individual situation. There are many ways to clean your solar panels, some ranging from just sprinkling water on them to setting up a comprehensive cleaning system with deionized water. No one way of cleaning your solar panels is wrong, though, in our opinion, some methods don't get the panels clean enough to move the needle and others simply cost too much, take too much time or provide only a marginal benefit to their methods.

To keep things simple, yet very effective, we recommend treating your solar panels in a similar fashion to how you would wash your car. Use water from the hose, soap, a very soft, non-abrasive brush to get more than just surface dirt off -- and a squeegee on a telescoping pole, if necessary, to remove excess water. We have a quick example of how you can keep your system clean here: How to keep your solar panels clean!

With that said, if you have a roof that is difficult to access, a roof surface such as fragile tile or aluminum, are afraid of heights or otherwise just do not have the skills or know how to walk on a roof, we recommend hiring a company to come out to clean your solar panels. Here at Cosmic Solar, our Service Department is standing ready to provide a quote for your individual home and situation. If you would like to speak to someone about cleaning your solar panels and you live within our service area, we're happy to help! Simply contact our Service Department at 760-749-1111.

If you're the adventurous type with the knowledge and abilities to clean your own solar panels, more power to you. Literally. Stay safe out there on your roof and happy cleaning!

Can I get solar roofing installed during the coronavirus pandemic?

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 22:31:33 GMT

How Cosmic Solar is meeting your roofing needs during Covid-19

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has left many residents and business owners to question what is or isn't essential during this time. Currently, the state of California does consider construction an essential business, based on an executive order issued by Governor Newsom on March 22, 2020.

So, the answer is yes. You can get solar or roofing installed during the coronavirus pandemic, and now is a great time to protect your roof or increase your energy savings. Also, since the US government will pay you a tax credit to install solar panels, it's worth it to get a free evaluation.

Here at Cosmic Solar, we've designed and installed over 3,000 solar systems in the last 11 years. Now, with the creation of our roofing division, we have extended our services to include roof repair and roof replacement. With the continued support of the community, we will keep working hard to ensure your roof is in good condition, and your transition to solar is easy.

We are deeply committed to the safety, health, and well-being of our clients, employees, and the communities we work within. That is why we keep our team well-informed and educated on proper sanitation and safety procedures. We enforce these policies throughout our offices, warehouses, vehicles, and with our equipment to ensure our compliance with governing laws and providing you with the best experience possible.

If you need your roof repaired or would like an evaluation for replacing your roof, call Cosmic Solar and Roofing at (760) 749-1111. We look forward to meeting your roofing and solar energy needs. Follow us on Facebook for updates to the grand opening of our new warehouse. Unfortunately, we had to postpone our April 8th event, but stay tuned for more details.

Does the Sun Revolve around You in SoCal?

Fri, 15 Feb 2019 22:19:31 GMT

Have you ever been in a friendship or relationship where the other party just felt like the sun revolved solely around them? Like everyone else just got caught up in their gravitational pull? If so, you wouldn't be alone! All of the planets in our solar system are constantly orbiting around our sun, the heaviest object in our solar system. Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn... imagine how they feel!

All joking aside though, the setup of our solar system gives us here in Southern California a huge opportunity because the rotation of the planets around the sun and the orbit of our earth allow for a serious amount of light and heat to reach our planet. The heat keeps us warm, allowing us to thrive in most places around the world and the light, as it turns out, when collected can help us to power our world as well. This was first discovered in 1839 by Alexandre Edmond Becquerel, when he figured out that energy from the sun could create electricity.

The amount of light varies around the globe, but here at Cosmic Solar, we're partial to Southern California because of the generous amount of light and heat the sun provides to our region throughout the year. San Diego, as well as other parts of the southwestern United States, receives ample sunlight year round to make solar electricity a very competitive and viable type of energy. Because of the combination of high electric rates and competitive energy costs from solar electricity, solar is a very attractive investment and many people are opting to install solar in San Diego because of these reasons. With the average solar panel system at an all time low in terms of cost and an all time high in terms of aesthetics and efficiency, there has never been a better time to "go solar!" It's now become easier and more realistic for most Southern Californians to go solar.

I know what you're thinking... " But there are so many solar contractors out there, how do you know which one to choose? "

It's a great question and one that we field all the time here at Cosmic Solar. We know there are so many solar contractors out there that the choice of which one to trust with your solar investment can be somewhat daunting. Some quick tips on how to choose a great contractor are:

1. Look for a solar contractor who specializes in solar energy exclusively, who is licensed and bonded.
2. Go for one who has a great track record with lots of positive reviews on online websites like solarreviews.com, Google and Yelp.
3. Choose a local solar contractor who has been in business for at least five years or more and one which has a great reputation within your community (ask your neighbors!).
4. Choose a contractor who promotes a very high quality solar panel and inverters with h versus cheaper options.
5. Look for a solar consultant who takes pride in the high quality materials they are offering and does not shy away from telling you the brand name.

Ask around! Typically your neighbors who have gone solar have received multiple bids and can speak from their experience which company they felt met their needs and treated them right. We're happy to help as well, so please feel free to let the expert Solar Consultants here at Cosmic Solar guide you. They can help determine what size solar system you will need and provide options that you can compare with bids from other solar companies as well.

Here at Cosmic Solar, we certainly appreciate the opportunity the sun gives us to power our homes, businesses and cities with clean, efficiency solar energy and we look forward to continuing to assist homeowners and business owners here in San Diego with their solar needs. Here's to another year of the Earth orbiting around the sun and no-electric bills in 2019!

Cosmic Solar makes 2018 Top Solar Contractor's List

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 20:50:21 GMT

Cosmic Solar once again among the top solar contractors in America six years running

PRESS RELEASE -- IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- 27July2018

Cosmic Solar, Inc. Recognized as a 2018 Top Solar Contractor in Southern California

The Solar Power World Top Solar Contractors list includes Vista-based solar firm

Vista, CA - More than 10,600 megawatts of solar power were installed last year in the United States, and local installer Cosmic Solar, Inc. has been recognized by Solar Power World magazine for its contributions to the industry. Cosmic Solar, Inc. achieved a rank of 251 of the top solar companies on the magazine's 2018 Top Solar Contractors list nationally and a rank of 45 Top Rooftop Contractors in California by volume.

The Top Solar Contractors list is developed by Solar Power World to recognize the work completed by solar contractors across the United States. Produced annually, the Top Solar Contractors list celebrates the achievements of U.S. solar developers, subcontractors and installers within the utility, commercial and residential markets, and ranks contractors by kilowatts installed in the previous year. The 2018 list was released on July 24.

" Solar Power World is very excited about the 2018 class of Top Solar Contractors," said Kelly Pickerel, editor in chief of Solar Power World . "Our 2017 list showed impressive installation numbers after 2016's huge rush to meet ITC requirements, and many companies were hesitant to show unavoidable installation dips after last year's high. We're happy to feature a strong group of thriving U.S. solar installers on the 2018 Top Solar Contractors list. These companies truly are at the top of their markets."

The U.S. solar market had its biggest year ever in 2016, installing more than 15,000 MW. Although installations in 2017 dropped to 10,608 MW, the total still represents 40% growth over 2015 numbers. The year-over-year downturn can be attributed to the large influx of 2016 projects rushing to meet the anticipated expiration of a 30% federal tax credit that was eventually renewed. Last year also saw uncertainty surrounding potential Section 201 tariffs on imported solar panels, which may have led to delayed or canceled projects. Cosmic Solar, Inc. has grown its customer base every year over the last 10 years and 2017 was no exception. The company continued to grow its customer base faithfully while providing top-flight customer service and the highest quality installations for a strong value.

A major highlight of 2017 was the non-residential market growing 28% year-over-year, the fourth straight year of annual growth for commercial, industrial and community solar. Cosmic Solar, Inc. added hundreds of new customers in 2017, in addition to the thousands of others who have become energy independent by going solar over the years. In 2017, 30% of all new electric generating capacity brought online in the United States came from solar, second only to new natural gas capacity.

The first quarter of 2018 showed a 13% growth over the first quarter of 2017, and Cosmic Solar, Inc. will continue to contribute to the wave of increasing solar generation. By 2023, more than 15,000 MW of solar is expected to be installed annually.

Cosmic Solar, Inc. employs 17 workers who installed 1687.5 KW of solar power in 2017. Since its founding in 2007, the company has installed 17,000 MW of solar. The company is fully dedicated to the promotion of clean solar energy as an attractive and logical alternative. Their mission is to provide the best value for their customers while offering the highest quality products and services and their unconditional guarantee for complete customer satisfaction.

About Solar Power World

Solar Power World is the leading online and print resource for news and information regarding solar installation, development and technology. Since 2011, SPW has helped U.S. solar contractors—including installers, developers and EPCs in all markets—grow their businesses and do their jobs better.

Media Contacts

Cosmic Solar, Inc.

Judith Shadzi, Vice President

760-443-6742

Judith@cosmicsolar.com

Solar Power World

Kelly Pickerel, editor in chief

216-860-5259

kpickerel@wtwhmedia.com

Cosmic Solar and the Community

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 16:05:05 GMT

2018 spring events

Memorial Day Weekend was a time to honor our Veterans, and Valley Center also celebrates Western Days in a big way. It started out Saturday morning with a parade in which Cosmic Solar has had award-winning floats for 8 years. This year's theme was the Cosmic Solar Hippie Van and Tara sang "Let it be" by the Beatles. The Cosmic Solar staff and their families rode on the float. The highlight of the parade was loving all the friendly faces along the road with so many customers waving hello. After the parade there was a Festival and Rodeo at Star Park. On the bucking bronco shute you would have seen a large Cosmic Solar banner. The Cosmic Solar Team enjoyed visiting with everyone that stopped by their booth at the Western Days Festival. It was a fun day for everyone. Check out the parade pictures on Westerndays.org.

Then Sunday Cosmic Solar was off to the Vista Strawberry Festival. Cosmic Solar made their presence for energy efficiency at a booth on Main Street. The Vista Strawberry Festival has over 200,000 attendees. There was live entertainment on multiple stages, bands and local craft beer, carnival rides, and over 400 booths. Vista was once the strawberry "Capitol" of the world, and every year this festival gets bigger and better. Vistastrawberryfest.com presents all the activities in Vista every year on Memorial Day weekend .

Now on to the 4th of July at Alta Vista Botanical Gardens! Cosmic Solar's main office and warehouse is a proud residence of Vista at 943 Poinsettia, Unit 401. Cosmic Solar is a member of the Vista Chamber of Commerce. Hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July.

Cosmic Solar at Valley Center Western Days

judith@cosmicsolar.com (Judith Shadzi) — Tue, 08 May 2018 16:06:16 GMT

Cosmic Solar Float in 2018 Valley Center Western Days Parade

Every year Cosmic Solar has designed an award-winning float in the Valley Center Western Days Parade. It is a fun event and all the employees and the Shadzi family get involved. The Parade is on Saturday, May 26th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Following the parade there is a Festival with booths, food and a rodeo at Star Park on Valley Center Road. For more information go to www.westerndays.org . We hope you all can make it to Western Days and be sure to stop by and say "hello" to us at the Cosmic Solar booth.

Electric Vehicles: Does it Make Financial Sense to have Solar Power?

judith@cosmicsolar.com (Judith Shadzi) — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Believe it or not, electric vehicles (EV) have been around for many years. In the 1820s, electric vehicles were developed to power tiny cars and, in 1900, nearly 30% of cars on the road were electric cars. It’s even been widely reported that even President Woodrow Wilson toured Washington DC in his “Milburn Electrics” EVs in the early 20th century! By the early 20th century, however, gasoline technology had more or less eclipsed EV technology altogether as an alternative source for powering vehicles for economical reasons.

Fast forward to the current year 2017 and electric vehicle technology is making a huge comeback. There’s been such a resurgence, in fact, that many leading car manufacturers such as Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan and others have gravitated towards EV technology to gain a foothold on the growing market. Even relatively new small companies, such as the Fremont, California based Tesla, have made an incredible push into the EV market in a remarkably short amount of time because of the enthusiastic support from proponents of EV technology. Tesla, as a company, is now remarkably worth more than most car manufacturers despite only a promise that future earnings and profits will follow.

Today in California, a place where more than a quarter of power is supplied with renewable sources of energy (such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectric), many consumers are not only interested in driving the newest technology, but knowing that the daily miles they log in their EVs are coming from a sustainable form of technology, such as wind and solar.

So, it does beg the question: Does it make sense for me to pair solar with my electric vehicle? …I’ll give you a hint — the answer is “yes!”

Companies, such as Chevy and Tesla have been releasing EVs with admirable ranges, sometimes cars that can exceed 220 total miles per charge or more. This is a great advancement which helps alleviate the much hated condition of “range anxiety,” a condition in which individuals are afraid to drive electric cars because of their worry of running out of a charge on the side of the road.

With this advancement of range, it comes with a greater propensity to use electric cars as a primary form of transportation. In other words, if you can drive your Tesla Model 3 further, you’re going to need to charge it — most likely with power from your home — to keep it up-and-running on the road.

Enter: solar systems. Many utilities charge very high rates for grid electricity. For example, San Diego Gas and Electric (SDGE) charges tiered customers up to $0.40 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for electricity. And if your Tesla Model S has a 100 kWh battery, that means it’ll cost $40 to “fill up your tank.” Depending on the gas station and the time of the year, it may be more cost effective to drive an efficient gasoline powered engine car than an EV…unless you have solar.

The majority of customers (who we affectionately refer to as Cosmic Solar alumni), pay an adjusted rate of less than $0.11 per kWh with solar systems. This could be for a system that’s purchased upfront with cash or a loan or also a leased system. Since all of our systems installed provide our customers with a substantially better rate of delivered electricity than the local utilities, it definitely makes sense to pair an electric car with solar in order to take advantage of the cost savings of powering your EV from the sun. There is a lot of money to be saved in that arena.

So, if you’re in the market to drive an amazingly powerful and swift EV and you’d like to save more than 65% on the cost of moving that vehicle around on the road, it definitely makes financial sense to consider installing a solar system to produce power to offset your EV charging. Or your whole house’s electrical use for that matter — why pay an electric bill at all?

Whatever your needs are, EV or otherwise, our solar consultants at Cosmic Solar are always excited and willing to speak to you regarding installing solar to power your home.

It's the Little Things that Count

judith@cosmicsolar.com (Judith Shadzi) — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Chances are if you’ve watched a romantic comedy, heard R&B music or listened to one of Dr. Ruth’s famous radio shows , you’ve likely familiar with the phrase “It’s the little things that count.”

The reality is this phrase is as true when it comes to relationships as it is when evaluating solar companies. Here at Cosmic Solar, we greatly value our relationship to our customers and understand how important it is to provide great quality products at a competitive price while maintaining strong relationships with the individuals who place their trust in us. But even more than that, we continually strive to ask ourselves “If this were my home, how would I approach this project?”. By remembering “it’s the little things that count,” we do our very best to install our customer’s solar systems to a higher standard without ever cutting corners, the same way we would if we were installing our own systems. Here are some examples:

At a recent ground mounted project we recently completed for the Burman family in Valley Center, our electrical inspector noticed how every one of the concrete footings we poured had vertical steel pole placed directly in the center of each footing. Though it’s not a code violation necessarily to have the pole at the side of the footing, we feel it just looks better to center it and make the ground rack more aesthetically pleasing.

Likewise, we strive to ensure every pole we install is incredibly squared and straight in relation to the others, to make sure the rack is level, straight and nice to look at. It might take our installers a little more time to measure everything twice before pouring concrete, but we don’t mind because it’s the right thing to do. Again, not necessarily a code violation, but if you’re going to install the system, why not do it right?

We train our solar installers to think about the fact that another solar professional a few months from now might be passing by one of our systems and happen to critique the installation. We would want this individual to see electrical boxes that are installed straight, stickers that align themselves with the conduits, conduit painted, end caps installed to hide the ends of the rails, wires tucked away and incredibly clean job site conditions post installation. It’s what our customers deserve.

Plus, the most exciting thing to hear when an inspector or another solar professional examines your work is those beautiful words, “wow, you did a really nice job on this one.” And it’s not possible to hear that phrase if you’re not focusing on the “little things.”

Aesthetic considerations aside, there are practical reasons to for a cleaner installation as well. Water drips off more efficiently from wires with a “service loop,” which prevents water from entering conduits and other electrical equipment. Ground rods that are installed inside footings prevent customer trip hazards and concrete pull boxes installed level with the ground make it safer for young children and elderly people to walk around the property. In addition to aesthetic reasons, there can be practical reasons for choosing to focus on the “little things” that matter as well.

If you’re considering solar and shopping companies, doing your best to make an educated move forward, we know it’s hard. So please make sure to use your critical eye to determine what separates one solar company apart from the many others.

And remember… “It’s the little things that count!”

The Sun will Soon Shine at Night…

judith@cosmicsolar.com (Judith Shadzi) — Fri, 05 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Last week, The California Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee approved a bill that would require the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to establish an Energy Storage Initiative that would provide rebates and incentives for the installation of energy storage systems.

S.B. 700 , which was authored by Democratic Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco, would mandate that California utilities create an Energy Storage Initiative by December 2018 and submit a budget for approval by the legislator.

This bill would be very similar to the California Solar Initiative, CSI , which over a decade ago helped transform the solar PV market and helped California to be the leader in renewable energy and propelled the solar industry in California to where it is today.

Under this legislation, utilities would collect a specified amount of funding from 2018 through the end of 2017 to fund the rebates for customer-sited energy storage systems. Additionally, S.B. 700 would dedicate up to 25% of the funds collected to low-income communities and for job training.

The California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA), which supports this bill says the legislation would create a huge marketplace for local energy storage which will further bring down prices and will ensure access to energy storage for schools, businesses, and all consumers across the state.

In other words: “This bill will allow the sun to start shining at night” , by encouraging Californians to produce their own solar power during the day and use their storage system to deploy the stored solar energy during the night when they would otherwise had to draw that power from the grid.
The storage technology is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to bringing California into a net zero carbon future.

This bill will also encourage more private investments in our road to a 100% renewable energy future.

The S.B. 700 now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

We are obviously very excited about this news and will keep you posted as things develop.

What’s the Maximum Power Production of my Solar System on a Sunny Day?

judith@cosmicsolar.com (Judith Shadzi) — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

What’s the Maximum Power Production of my Solar System on a Sunny Day?

One question we often receive from our customers here at Cosmic Solar relates to solar system size and what the maximum wattage, or production, of a particular solar system on any given day. Of course, the answer to this question can vary widely for every customer based on a whole basket of factors, such as orientation of the solar panels, time of year, shading, temperature, wire lengths, solar panel soiling, inverter type and other factors, we can typically get a fairly good handle on how much power a solar system can produce during its maximum production, at least approximately… Which leads us into our question for today:

What’s the most my solar system can produce on a sunny day?

For starters, just so we’re using an “apples to apples” comparison when talking about solar system size metrics and production metrics — the total system size of a solar electrical system is referred to in direct current, or DC power. You can figure out what size your system is by multiplying the DC wattage of each panel by the number of solar panels you have on your roof or ground mount. So, for example, if you have 20 solar panels and each panel wattage is 300 watts, then your total system size is 6,000 watts or 6.0 kilowatts DC (20 panels x 300 watts). Most solar professionals refer to a system size in DC because it provides a basis for comparison and helps make an apples to apples comparison.

Now let’s talk about solar production from the sun.

When solar panels are exposed to sunlight, they produce a type of energy called “DC;” however, in most residential and commercial cases, in order to use this type of energy, we need to convert it to another type of energy called alternating current, or AC power. Unfortunately, when this process occurs, a portion of the energy that was produced is lost for various reasons. This typically referred to as “efficiency losses” and is the point at which some of the confusion comes into play since most solar systems are quoted in DC wattage but actually show AC wattage when viewing the production figures on a sunny day.

For example, if you have 20 solar panels on your roof that are each 300 watts a piece DC, you have a 6.0 kilowatt system on your roof; however, in most cases if you look at your solar monitoring system or look at your inverter to see how much energy you’re producing, you typically won’t see your solar production ever break the 5.2 kilowatt mark. So what gives? Is there something wrong with my system?

Of course not, but we always need to remember that the AC production leaving your inverter — after efficiency losses, taken into account when converting DC to AC — will almost always be lower than the total DC output of your system. There are many reasons for this (shoot, we could write a whole book about why this happens that would help put to you sleep every night), but, for simplicity’s sake, let’s just say that the process of converting DC to AC is roughly about 88% effective, which accounts for the differences in your total system size in DC and the maximum power your inverter can produce in AC. Make sense?

Ultimately, the most important thing to remember is that here at Cosmic Solar, we’re designing your system to produce a maximum number of kilowatt hours on an annual scale and don’t stress so much about what your system will produce on a nice sunny day in the fall or summer. But hey, we get it — you likely made a significant investment in your solar system and want to ensure that it’s producing the maximum amount of power to reduce your electric bill.

For all intents and purposes, the only time we really use DC figures to talk about our solar system is when we’re referring to system size and, since inverters track AC power production and not DC, we use AC values when we’re referring to how much electricity is produced at any given moment (also known as power) and over time (also known as energy).

So the next time your 6.0 kilowatt DC system isn’t producing 6.0 kilowatts of power on the inverter screen, make sure to remember that the figures you’re seeing are being reported after efficiency losses associated with the conversion of DC to AC and that it’s a perfectly normal thing to see lower production because of these reasons.

We sure hope this helped! The actual science behind this production phenomenon can be quite complex, so if you still have questions or would like to know more about your solar system production, please feel free to contact the experts here at Cosmic Solar and we’d be happy to help.

Here’s to more sunny days!

What are Demand Charges?

judith@cosmicsolar.com (Judith Shadzi) — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Demand charges are additional fees that utilities charge non-residential or commercial customers for maintaining constant supply of electricity. These fees usually amount to a substantial sum of money that businesses must pay on monthly electric bills. They can be as much as 50% of the total electric bill or more. In some instances, demand charges can actually be higher than the energy portion of the electric bill itself. So the price that a business is charged each month for electricity depends not only on how much electricity was used during the month, but also on the rate at which consumption of electricity occurred. Demand can be defined as:

The maximum amount of energy a business uses at any given point in a billing cycle.

To illustrate this point (see the graph below), let’s assume that we have two five gallon buckets. We fill each bucket full of water. Bucket number one was filled at one gallon per minute while bucket number two at five gallons per minute. Even though we used the same exact amount of water to fill each bucket, the time it took to fill bucket number one was five times that of bucket number two. So, in essence, demand for bucket number two was also five times higher than the demand for bucket number one. This is an analogy for how demand and demand charges work in electricity consumption. Think of it as gallons per minute per unit of time. Or kilowatt hours (kW-hrs) per unit of time.

Electricity consumption is measured in kW-hrs. The electric company monitors your power consumption at fixed time intervals every 15 minutes. Every time a measurement is made for how much electricity is being consumed and at what rate, it’s in kWs. Therefore, the Demand is measured in kWs as well. The electric company charges its commercial customers a specific amount of money for each kW of Demand which occurred in that month. Demand in a given month is the highest point of consumption for that month. So, for example, if a utility charges $24 per kW demand charge and the demand for the month was 100 kW, there will be a demand charge of $2,400 that will appear on the electric bill for that month.

As you can see, the calculation of demand charges is complicated. Not to mention, there are different types of demand charges with different rates as well. These are:

On peak demand,
semi-peak demand, and
off-peak demand

If it wasn’t confusing enough, there is also a “non-coincidental” demand charge that is defined as the highest demand for the month, regardless of when it occurred.
In order to lower demand charges, a business entity must be able to “manage” their demand for electricity. This can be done by identifying the periods when highest demand occurs and trying to “soften” the load by shifting demand for electricity to other times of the day. Solar electric power generation is an effective method for achieving this goal. Demand for electric consumption can be “shifted” to daytime when solar power is being generated which lowers usage of electricity from the grid, thereby reducing demand charges.

This is obviously a very involved and important topic of discussion which we will attempt to expand upon in our future blog posts here at Cosmic Solar.

In the next blog, we’ll examine how solar can be effective in reducing demand charges. We will also attempt to analyze a real world example and highlight some difficulties and challenges of reducing demand charges using real world solar energy solutions that we offer at Cosmic Solar.

Note from the President’s Desk

judith@cosmicsolar.com (Judith Shadzi) — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Energy Storage & Battery Backup Systems:

It is inevitable that the energy storage will be a huge market in the near future. Currently, there are many companies involved in the research, development, and innovation of storage and battery backup systems – pretty much all over the globe. Storage systems will be an integral part of any solar system in a not so distant future.

It is easy to envision how batteries will ultimately transform the grid as we know it today. Everyone wants to produce clean energy at their place of residence or business, and store the excess power to use during power outages or blackout periods. Or simply, have the desire to be independent of their power company and go off grid altogether. But the market has not yet come to full fruition, and it’s fair to say that most predictions have been overly optimistic as to exactly when it will take off and become a mainstream phenomenon. So, a few things must happen before storage systems really become mainstream and affordable. First and foremost, the storage systems must scale up and become more economically feasible and readily available for an average household to be able to justify the extra expense.

Today’s storage market is still in it’s infancy. The entire storage and battery backup systems are still in their development and innovation stage but things are changing and progressing quite rapidly. In this phase of the development, there are always early pioneers who are eager to try out the new systems, and of course that is a good thing, because it creates field experience and knowledge and identifies things that can be improved upon. But the general public usually tends to take a wait and see approach to see when these things become more reliable and economically feasible before they decide to take the plunge. Customers will enter the market in droves when it will finally make financial sense. So, to date, a tiny minority of solar system owners have made the decision to install battery storage. The use of storage systems at the present time makes more economic sense for commercial systems as opposed to the residential solar installations. In the commercial case, there are often demand charges set by the utilities that can substantially increase the cost of electric power. These demand charges are set by the utilities and vary depending on the time of day when consumption occurred. By installing a storage system, the commercial entity can reduce their KW demand charges by “injecting” their own stored power back into their facilities during the peak times when demand charges are the highest. For residential customers, the storage system will start to make more and more economic sense when the utilities switch to Time of Use (TOU). This is starting to happen and the California utilities are all planning to switch to TOU in the next couple of years.

So in conclusion, our recommendation to our customers is to be a little more patient as this exciting storage market evolves and becomes more mainstream each and every day. Cosmic Solar has already installed several storage systems at our various customer sites and we are eagerly monitoring and following the progress of this truly exciting technology.

Cosmic Solar Begins Installing Enphase’s AC Batteries in San Diego

judith@cosmicsolar.com (Judith Shadzi) — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Earlier this month, Petaluma-based inverter and clean energy company, Enphase Energy, released its long awaited AC Battery here in San Diego. A number of distributors around town have begun stacking up walls of the Enphase AC Battery in hopes customers will find it the next “must have” item, paired with their solar installation, to boost sales and help customers achieve energy independence.

Here at Cosmic Solar, we were able to get our hands on four of the batteries a few weeks ago as soon as they came out and installed them at our test site in Escondido. Upon first impression, it’s remarkably easy to install these batteries and wiring them alongside an existing or new solar system is simple. Within an hour, our team had the four batteries and wiring completed — and that was with the installation guide and instructions in hand. In terms of ease of installation, it doesn’t get much easier than these batteries.

Each battery stores 1.2 kWhs of AC power but can be “stacked” together to add as much capacity as required. Enphase’s smart-metered Envoy-S management system seamlessly integrates production, consumption, battery charge and discharge into its existing Enlighten software at enphase.com, making things really simple for its users. All in all, the batteries are beautifully simplistic and are easy to integrate into the existing main service panel of your home.

Other benefits include being able to draw power from the grid during off peak hours and discharging this energy to your home during times when electricity is more expensive (peak hours). When paired with a solar system in your home, the Enphase AC Battery can help lower distribution costs when electric rates are high and helping to lower distribution costs for businesses that have high distribution rates, like churches, retail businesses and manufacturing plants.

One notable downside of the AC Battery is that it cannot function during grid blackouts or when the utility grid is down. Ironically, most of our clients who want battery backup systems want to have it in order to power their house during an outage and, unfortunately, the Enphase AC Battery won’t assist in those conditions.

However, with that said, there’s still great utility in pairing this system with a solar installation or adding these batteries to an existing system, in order to take control of when your home backfeeds and draws power from the grid. For “technies,” who thrive on pouring through data and having more information about production and consumption, this new offering from Enphase is a must-have.

Cosmic Solar is now contacting many of our past customers, offering to integrate these batteries into existing systems. We’re also looking forward to more battery offerings from Tesla and others who will allow our customers to effectively go “off grid” for days at a time or completely.

2017 will bring new and exciting storage products to the fast-growing renewable energy market and create new options for customers looking to take control and become energy independent.