Delta Solar Electric of San Diego completed 2011 with a record 18 commercial and residential solar installations, totaling 83kW or about 400 solar panels installed. This represents Delta Solar Electric installation growth of over 30% vs. solar installation 2010, primarily in San Diego. The solar installations were as far South as Imperial Beach and as far North as the city of Santa Clarita in North LA County. The largest solar installation was atop the 5-story Comfort Inn Gaslamp.
The types of solar installations include additions to existing systems as well as in large 12kW system on a copper roof in La Jolla as well as the completion of another ground mounted system in Rancho Santa Fe, offsetting an $800 monthly SDG&E bill. The solar panels used were primarily SunPower, REC, and Siliken.
The outlook for 2012 looks excellent with a world-wide silicon surplus keeping product prices low while the San Diego Metropolitan Credit Union is offering fixed-rate solar loans at 5.99%. The rate hike proposed by SDG&E in October ensures continued 10%+ first year returns for most solar installations. Additionally, the California Public Utilities Commission rejected SDG&E new monthly fee for solar customers based on CA legislation that protects solar customers from these types of fees.
With the low cost of solar products combined with low interest rate loans and SDG&E assault on the general rate payers, solar installations will continue to see record growth in San Diego, which was again named the #1 solar city in the US with 4,507 solar installations vs. 4,018 for second place Los Angeles.