Why You Need to Go Solar Today

Solar Power in California is a good thing. It’s clean, it’s green, and it can potentially save you tons of money on your monthly utility bill. 

Solar power is popular in California because we have so much sunshine all year. Why not utilize what’s already free and make it work for us, right?

Net metering policies that make rooftop solar more affordable (and what we currently use) offer benefits to a wide range of consumers. In fact, working and middle-class neighborhoods make up nearly 50% of today’s rooftop solar market. It’s great for schools, businesses, homes, and virtually every building here in this great state!

But as with lots of issues that crop up in government, when it comes to money and protecting the consumer, the consumer is put on the back burner. The current issue is a pushback from the big utilities to get rid of NEM 2.0 and create NEM 3.0 - a new way of taxing homes and companies with solar power.

Proposals submitted by the big utilities to get rid of net metering would reduce the credit solar consumers receive for the excess energy they produce and add a $65-90 monthly solar penalty fee to their energy bills.

How is this helpful? The whole point of solar is to save money and reduce our carbon footprint. 

So what can you do now so this doesn’t affect you in the future?

You can still take control of your power now and qualify for a 2021 installation that will grandfather you into NEM 2.0 for the next 20 years.

Here’s a little refresher on what NEM 2.0 is.

NEM 2.0 stands for Net Energy Metering 2.0. It refers to the state policy governing how power utilities can buy and sell energy from solar customers. Under NEM 2.0, all solar customers are required to use Time of Use (TOU) electricity rate plans and are credited the retail rate less a 2-3c/ kWh non-bypassable charge.

So as you can see, NEM 3.0 is totally different...it’s just one more way to tax the utility user and bulk up the pocketbooks of the big utilities because they’re losing money from solar power installations.

The benefits of net metering are that it helps to bring costs down and make it possible for more people to access the savings, resilience, and other benefits of solar power while also moving California closer to our clean energy goals. Voters and utility users of all backgrounds want to continue that progress. They know the utilities do not have their best interests in mind. 

And with NEM 3.0, it feels like we’re moving backward… because we are.

By taking advantage of the current NEM 2.0 solar plan now, you won’t have to worry about being penalized with a potential “solar fee” in the future. So, if you’re interested in going solar, now is probably the best time to get it.

Rebates expire at the end of the year, and with NEM 2.0 potentially transferring to NEM 3.0 (one markedly set up for the utility companies and not the consumer) you will have the ability to grandfather your plan into the future without any extra costs.

Keep that credit for yourself! But, time is of the essence!

Call Bright Plant Consulting today to get all of your solar questions answered and any you may have about NEM 3.0. Call Paul at (408) 357-2733 and visit the website for even more information about the amazing benefits of going solar today!