California law has set a big target for 33% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable energy. This means that 33% of all electricity in the state will come from solar farms and wind turbines. This goal was set to be met by 2020. California reached this goal two years early and hit 34% by the end of 2018. Because of this, the state’s greenhouse gas emissions are down by 14% from the peak they hit in 2004. In 2020 the state celebrated reaching 1 million solar rooftops. That was a goal set by former Governor Schwarzenegger in 2006, that he had used tax credit and other incentives to inspire people towards reaching that goal.
By 2020 6.6% of houses in California had solar modules on their roof. The California solar mandate makes sure that solar modules are required on all family residences that are up to three stories high. That makes it compulsory for apartment buildings under four stories to have solar roof tiles. All of this is put in place to ensure that people keep going solar in San Francisco Bay Area.
Solar Module cost in Bay Area
As of September 2021, the average cost of solar panels in San Francisco is $3/W. If it is a system of 5 kilowatts, the average installation will range from $12,750 to $17,250 in cost, making the average gross price for solar modules in San Francisco $15,000.
Bay solar solutions and Incentives
The Go Solar SF incentive program for San Francisco residents, businesses, and nonprofits states that residents can get up to $2000, businesses up to $10,000, and non-profits up to $120,000. There’s also federal tax credit that gives homeowners credit that’s valued at 30% of the net cost. This was put in service on December 31, 2019. All of these give residents more reason to go solar. It can also be seen that the largest solar farm in San Francisco might start being constructed in mid-2022 and operations could begin mid-2023. The solar farm will house 300,000 solar panels and power up to 25,000 homes and reduce 188,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Overall, all of the above mentioned shows that the Bay area is on its way to having a solar system on every roof sooner than expected. Considering the ambitious goals that have been set in hopes of increasing solar roofs across the State, the time is now, with your help.