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| Michael Lucia - STAFF Dave Springer of the Davis Energy Group points to the Gas and Electricity meter on the outside of a PowerSave Plus home in San Ramon. At times the meter will run backwards, sending electricity back into the power grid. |
A LONG with conversations about granite countertops and hardwood floors, some Bay Area new home builders are starting to give potential buyers something new to consider -- solar energy systems.
With large homes having the potential to generate more than $400 in monthly electric costs, Jeff Jacobs, a project manager with home builder Centex Homes, believes that more people should take advantage of solar options.
"This is a vision for the future," Jacobs said. "Really, it's a no-brainer if you tell them that this system will allow them to save money the moment they begin living in their homes."
By putting electricity generating solar panels on top of the house and energy efficient features -- such as tankless water heaters and fluorescent lights -- inside, it is not uncommon for homes equipped with the systems to use far less than they generate.
When more electricity is generated than used, the excess energy is "sold" back to a utility company to be distributed back into the electric grid.
For the extra electricity, the homeowner isn't given money, but instead is credited with electricity for future use. Similar to rollover minutes for cell phone users, the excess electricity credit can be used in months when the usage is higher.
Centex charges between $4,000 and $20,000 for the solar systems, depending on the size of a home and the system's features.
"It's a very efficient way for residents to reduce their energy costs," said Paul Moreno, a spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. "In some cases, this system actually allows residents to spin their meters backwards."
Mo Mahajerin and Terry Lagiss of Livermore have lived in a 3,070-square-foot home equipped with the solar energy systems for more than two years. Each month they pay the same amount for electricity. Nothing.
"The sun we have here is free, so why not take advantage of the ability to generate energy from it," Mahajerin said. "The system is great."
Although the majority of new homes being built in California are not equipped with the solar energy systems, there has been an increase in their popularity.
Homeowners who want to equip their existing homes with solar energy systems can do so for several thousand dollars, a PG&E spokesman said.
Currently, PG&E estimates that about 5,000 of its California residential customers have solar energy systems.
That number is expected to go up if large home building companies such as Centex and Premier Homes continue to incorporate the solar energy systems into the new homes being built in the Bay Area.
"Right now, we are just testing it in a few of our communities. But if the demand for it goes up, we will definitely incorporate it into more of our homes," said Centex's Jacobs.
"Just as you can't buy a car without a seat belt, hopefully in the next few years you won't be able to buy a house without this system," said Mahajerin. "If more people used solar energy systems, then maybe we wouldn't have those energy crises we've had in the past."
David Morrill can be reached at (925) 416-4805 and dmorrill@angnewspapers.com .
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