For years people have been trying to tell the world that we need to change our ways. National Geographic has put out many articles about what is and can happen to our environment. Climates have changed, storm systems have change, our atmosphere has changed, and our rivers, oceans and lakes have changed. Yet many don’t listen. In fact, a recent poll indicated people are more worried about their day to day economic standing than they are about what their environment has in-store for them.

“Often there are trade-offs or sacrifices people must make in deciding what is important to them. Generally speaking, when a trade-off has to be made, which is more important to you: stimulating the economy or protecting the environment?”

Stimulating the economy Protecting the environment Both (vol.) Unsure
% % % %
12/4 – 08/2009 61 29 8 2
1/11 – 15/2009 58 33 8 1
4/20 – 24/2007 36 52 8 4

*CBS News/New York Times Poll. Dec. 4-8, 2009. N=1,031 adults nationwide. (MoE ± 3).

Today we are faced with one of the worst disasters to hit the world. It wasn’t caused by global warming; it wasn’t caused by anything natural; it was caused by greed. At this time, almost 1,000,000 gallons of crude oil is being pumped into the Gulf of Mexico per day; a man-made disaster that has the potential to wipe out an entire eco-system. The only positive thing in this fiasco is the fact that the fuel prices are falling. For those of you concerned about the economy, this is a good thing. It seems that we’re not worried about protecting the environment, or worried about finding alternative fuels, or worried about the what if’s, if something did happen that is irreversible. It took a disaster of this magnitude to bring people’s attention to the environment, but I ask how long will the attention be now towards the environment? We still are in an economic downfall, hanging by a thread for financial stability.

How do we bring both the environment and the economy together? How do we provide a green future for our children if we are struggling to stay in business or even keep our jobs? This disaster can and will open our views to new areas of business and jobs; that many of you have already tapped into or are making the transition in to green industries like: solar power generation, thermal water heating, grey water recycling, LEED building, electric cars, hydrogen fuel cells, and even recycling. We are on the verge of a new economy, a green economy. Yes, it will take some time to be as strong as it was before; but hopefully this catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico has open the eyes of those 61% to realize that the age of fossil fuels as our power generation source is coming to an end.

Our power companies and government have begun to make these items more accessible to the public, with incentives and rebates, but many of you still find it costly and un-tangible. The green movement isn’t just a fad like it was in the 80’s; we are beginning to realize that everything we do will stay with us for many generations to come. Power plants and cars produce too much carbon, cities in the desert like Tucson Arizona have little ground water to sustain its current rate of use, and oil companies are becoming greedier by the day.

I regret to say that it takes a disaster like the gulf oil spill for our governments, corporations, and our society to realize that fossil fuels propose a threat to our environment at every level of existence. Hopefully, it’s not too late for us to act and change how we use energy. Many countries around the world have begun to do their part, but now we need to push forward and act now.

Casey Musselman – Vice President/Co-Owner
Sonora Solar Solutions

The Arizona solar projects would go up in the greater Tucson area and, if all goes according to plan, could begin providing power to the grid in 2011 or 2012.

Under Arizona’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES), utilities are to meet 15 percent of their customer’s electricity demands with renewable energy by 2025. Tucson Electric Power’s solar projects would help meet that goal.

“These agreements are the next step in our development of local utility-scale renewable power projects that will help us achieve our renewable energy goals,” said Paul Bonavia, Chairman, President and CEO of TEP and its parent company, UniSource Energy Corporation (NYSE: UNS). “We’re looking forward to including these resources in TEP’s growing green power portfolio.”

Welcome to share…

I will make the assumption that everyone is aware that Tucson Electric Power is regulated by Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). ACC requires TEP to maintain 25% of their portfolio for Renewable Energy Resource. In order for TEP to fulfill these requirements by the ACC, ACC established the Renewable Energy Standard Tariff (REST) which is a fee we all pay through our TEP bill.

Good news is that TEP offers generous financial incentives to customers who install renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, solar water heaters, and wind turbines in their homes or businesses because of the REST. And because of these generous financial incentives for customers, TEP has seen a dramatic increase in solar energy products being installed in residential homes.

Bad news is since there is an influx of new installations it is depleting the funds at a rate that was not anticipated and funds for solar energy products could be comprised (this year anyway) by a lesser incentive or no incentive or until they can find away to come up with the funds. TEP can change their incentives anytime without warning. Because of this new situation, Sonora Solar Solutions has to modify their policy for funding any solar projects when utilizing the incentive as partial payment to us.

In order for our customers to sign the incentive over to us under TEP’s agreement as part of the cost of purchasing the system, we (the customer and us) must receive a reservation letter back from TEP to insure that your system will be eligible for TEP funds. Currently, TEP’s incentive is at $3.00 watt up to a 20kW system.

We encourage those who are interested installing a system to submit their applications soon. We will help you with the paperwork and the process so give us a call at 520-628-2967 and ask for Gwen or Casey.

Even though the local utility company’s incentive programs can make a system very affordable, it will not cover the total cost. A 5000 watt or 5kW system can cost an average of $6.20 a watt installed.

For example, Tucson Electric Power rebate system will pay you $3.00 a watt on a system that is 5000 watts or greater, up to 60% of the total cost of the system and 85% combined with State and Federal credits.

Cost of the system:
5000 watt
X 7
35,000 total cost of the system

Rebate from local utility company:
5000 watt
X 3
15,000 TEP rebate (it will take about 45-60 days to receive the rebate after you met all the requirements.)

Out of pocket costs:
35,000
15,000
20,000 of your own funds.

2. Can I finance the system? Yes. There are several options for financing a solar system. One of them is to utilize the equity in your home. You can refinance your home through a local lender and include the cost of the solar system in the loan.

Another option is to finance a portion of it through a non-secured loan, like GE Financing. However, we encourage our customers to research all financing options available to find the option that is best suited for their needs.

3. Where can I install the panels? You can install them on the ground, on the roof, or on the carport. When our site technician does an evaluation, he will recommend the most appropriate installation option.

• When making a recommendation, our technician will consider the surface area, condition of the roof, and if it can support the size of the system you desire. He/She will also verify with your Home Owners Association and/or local jurisdiction for any restrictions. If a roof installation is recommended and desired, we suggest that you contact a roofing company to check the condition. Most roof companies will give you an estimate at no cost.

4. How much does it cost for a site evaluation? We do not charge for site evaluations.

Sonora Solar Solutions goal is to provide a turn key solution to your solar needs Please contact us at 520-628-2967.

Several pages of cost analysis provide a compelling case for both home owners and business owners to convert to solar. Users can even enter their own utility expenses into the handy calculator to determine how much each can save in a move to solar. The site also contains extensive lists of web resources to allow consumers to explore solar energy in greater depth.

Sonora Solar Solutions invites anyone curious about solar energy to use the web site to contact us for a free site assessment to determine how solar energy products can incorporate solar into their energy solutions.

Mark Kirkman

Kevin L. Bapst