Spring is here, and many Northern California residents are starting projects around their homes. For some, this may just be deep cleaning and organizing or minimizing their possessions, while others are getting busy building outdoor patios or tackling their landscaping. If you’re looking for an update that will have both immediate and long-term impact for you, your family, and your home, then it’s time to go solar. Why Should I Install a Solar PV System?…

The U.S. solar market is set to grow at a rapid 119 percent this year says GTM Research in its latest U.S. Solar Market Insight Report. “Led by the utility-scale segment, GTM Research forecasts 16 gigawatts (GW) of solar will be installed in the U.S. in 2016, more than doubling the record-breaking 7.3 GW installed in 2015. While utility-scale installations will represent 74 percent of the installations for the year, the residential and commercial markets…

At West Coast Solar, our team works together to make your community better through solar solutions for homes and businesses. Today we would like to introduce you to Brad Coats, our system designer. Brad joined us three years ago and he spends his days designing solar systems in AutoCAD before sending his designs off to our engineers for development. After reviewing photos from site surveys, he uses his understanding of solar electricity to design the…

Do you have questions about going solar? With rapid advancements in solar technology, it can be difficult to sort out fact from fiction. Today we’ll look at the top five myths about solar energy so that you can start soaking up the sun. Myth 1 – Solar power is too expensive When solar power first entered the scene a few decades ago, this was a true statement. Over time with solar technology advances, the cost…

With PG&E rates on the rise, California customers can expect higher monthly gas and electricity costs in the coming months. The first big increase in residential natural gas rates kicked in on August 1, and higher gas bills rolled out to customers throughout the month. Prior to the initial rate increase, the average monthly bill for a residential customer totaled $145.36. Once all of the proposed rate increases are approved and in effect, monthly bills…

The team at West Coast Solar is committed to making solar simple, and our staff support helps us meet our goals. Today we would like to introduce you to Robin Murray, our install administrator. Robin joined us in early 2016 and her typical day includes scheduling system installations in Brentwood and Sacramento and uploading documents and photos of each installation. Her favorite aspect of the job is mapping out a digital layout of each customer’s…

If you are considering solar for your home, you’ll want to maximize the rate of return on your investment with the best solar savings in the state. California’s Net Energy Metering (NEM) solar incentive program allows solar customers to sell their excess clean energy into the grid in exchange for credits. Under NEM, the customer’s electric meter tracks the amount of energy consumed by the customer and the amount of excess energy sent back into…

We are proud to have some of the best staff in Northern California working with us at West Coast Solar to make solar simple. Today we would like to introduce you to our lead site technician, Patrick Loosi. Patrick has worked with us for two years and primarily surveys houses and commercial properties. His typical work day includes visiting client sites to take photos, measurements, and sun readings before sending his findings off to our…

The benefits of installing solar on your property are wide ranging, from lowering/eliminating energy bills and increasing property values to helping improve the environment. Lower your electric bills and lock in energy costs When you begin to generate your own solar power, your monthly electricity bill can drop significantly. When you switch to solar power, you lock in low, predictable electricity costs for years to come. As utility rates continue to rise, your savings will…

While the science to convert sunlight directly into electricity has been around for decades, in recent years both the technology and economics have improved and systems are becoming mainstream. Solar is now cost competitive with conventional energy — without contributing to pollution or global warming. How does Solar work? Solar panels are made up of solar cells that convert sunlight to electricity. When particles of sunlight known as photons hit a roof’s solar panels, the…