SANTA CRUZ, CA - While dear to the hearts of many Santa Cruzans, solar technology that coverts sunshine in electricity is expensive, which is why the energy source is out of reach for many residents. At a city-hosted forum Wednesday night, officials proposed a variety of policies and financing programs with the goal of making sure that everyone who wants to convert to solar can do so without money getting in the way.
It was the first in a series of planned public forums that will guide the city's strategy to reduce its carbon footprint. It comes eight months after the city of Santa Cruz agreed to the Climate Action Compact, a commitment to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
"Solar is a good first step because it can be done now, it's cost-effective and helps local businesses," Ross Clark, the city's Climate Action Coordinator, told about 50 residents at the Louden Nelson Community Center. "Tonight is about figuring out how to use our money wisely to get us toward the goal of using solar."
One of the most promising methods put forth follows a model pioneered last year by the city of Berkeley. Under the plan, the city pays the upfront costs for a resident's solar installation and recoups the money over 20 years through additional property taxes on the resident's home.
Cisco DeVries, who came up with the idea as former chief of staff to Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, met with Santa Cruz city leaders Wednesday. He also stuck around for the forum. "The goal is to make going solar as easy as paying your utility bill," DeVries told the crowd.
A number of solar power companies represented at the forum hope to benefit from any city initiatives. Foster City-based SolarCity, for example, leases solar panels with an option to buy, cutting an average homeowner's upfront costs from $25,000 to $2,000.
Other proposals to lower the costs of going solar included:
City-administered loans known as "on-bill financing": The city would pay upfront costs and is paid back via the monthly utility bill. Clark said this plan would work best for financing $5,000 solar hot water systems instead of more expensive rooftop arrays.
A "power-purchase agreement" model: Private companies take on the cost of installing solar panels on customers' roofs. In return, customers pay the solar power company for the panels' output, generally at a lower rate than they would otherwise pay.
"Sky Tags" Fund: A local alternative for people who purchase carbon offsets from a growing number of national nonprofit organizations that mitigate emissions by planting trees or investing in renewable energy projects. The Sky Tags fund would direct carbon offset donations to local solar projects.
Source: SantaCruzSentinel.com