Where To Send Applications 3/3 --ERP

Lastly, for the wind rebate customers: The California Energy Commission is the agency managing this program and you must submit your applications directly to their headquarters.



Emerging Renewables Rebate Program
California Energy Commission
1516 9th Street, MS-45
Sacramento, CA
95814-5512


Phone number for the CEC: 1800-555-7794

Where to send applications CONTINUED 2/3-- NSHP

For people interested in the New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP) you must still submit your applications to the utility companies but the addresses are slightly different:


Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)
Website: www.pge.com/csi
E-mail Address: solar@pge.com
Solar Customer Contact Center: 1-877-743-4112
Solar Hotline: 415-973-3480
Fax: 415-973-7632

Mailing Address:
PG&E
Solar and Customer Generation (NSHP)
P.O. Box 7433
San Francisco, CA 94120

For Overnight deliveries:
PG&E
Solar and Customer Generation (NSHP)
245 Market Street, Mail Code N4G
San Francisco, CA 94105-1797





San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
Website: www.sdge.com/construction/
E-mail: newsolarhomes@sdge.com
Phone:
Toll-free: 1-866-631-1744
Local: 858-650-4140

Mailing Address:
SDG&E
New Solar Homes Partnership
8335 Century Park Court, CP12G
San Diego, CA 92123





Southern California Edison (SCE)
Website: www.sce.com/NSHP
E-mail: NSHP@sce.com
Phone: 1-866-584-7436
Fax: 626-633-3402

Mailing Address:
SCE
Attn: New Solar Homes Partnership
Program Administrator
6042A North Irwindale Ave.
Irwindale, CA 91702-3207

Where to send your applications --- CSI Program

For People interested in the California Solar Initiative, the following is a list of contacts for the three utility companies involved:


Pacific Gas and Electric PG&E
Website: www.pge.com/csi
E-mail Address: solar@pge.com
Contact Person: Program Manager, California Solar Initiative Program Phone:
Solar Customers Contact Center:
1-887-743-4112
Solar Hotline: 415-973-3480
Fax: 415-973-2510

Mailing Address:
PG&E Solar and Customer Generation (CSI)
P.O. Box 7433
San Francisco, CA 94120

Overnight Deliveries
PG&E Solar and Customer Generation (CSI)
245 Market St., MC N4G
San Francisco, CA 94105-1814





San Diego Area: California Center for Sustainable Energy
Website: www.energycenter.org
E-mail Address: csi@energycenter.org
Contact Person:
John Supp, Program Manager
Phone:
1-858-244-1177 / 1-866-sdenergy
Fax: 858-244-1178

Mailing Address:
California Center for Sustainable Energy
Attn: CSI Program Manager
8690 Balboa Avenue Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92123





Southern California Edison (SCE)
Website: www.sce.com/csi/
E-mail Address: CSIGroup@sce.com
Contact Person: California Solar Initiative Program Adminsitrator
Phone:
866-584-7436 (technical)
800-799-4177 (general)
626-633-3176 (program administration)
Fax: 626-633-3402

Mailing Address:
Southern California Edison
Attn: California Solar Initiative Program Administrator
6042-A Irwindale Avenue
Irwindale, CA 91702-3207



You can find this list and more at www.gosolarcalifornia.org

Official Google Blog: A fresh take on the browser

Google Chrome drops tomorrow. It is a new browser that will try and compete against Mozilla and Microsoft. I wish it luck. Personally, I mostly use Firefox and Camino and rarely if ever Microsoft but I am completely willing to try on Ggoogle Chrome. For more information about this exciting new browser, read Google's official blogspot.

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/fresh-take-on-browser.html

How will this help you in the reservation process? Having a good web browser can mean the difference between a frustrating day and bliss. You should consider trying it out because it may work with the California Energy Commission's web pages better than your

CEC PV Calculator

Questions and Answers

The NSHP/CSI CEC PV Calculator is the tool used to estimate the incentive you would receive in the New Solar Homes partnership rebate program or the California Solar Initiative program.

The calculator can be downloaded here:

http://gosolarcalifornia.com/nshpcalculator/download_calculator.html

On the same page, you must also download the "Updated Modules/Inverters List" after you download the calculator.

There is also a tutorial found at the page-link above.

Helpful hints for a good contract

One of the reasons ERP, NSHP and CSI applications are often put on hold is because inexperienced contractors have trouble writing a sound labor contract with protections for the purchaser. Below are 8 details which, if included on a contract will help keep your incentive process from being stalled.


8 details:

1. Contractor's name, address and license number.

2. Description of the work which specifically menions the panels or turbines involved and their application.

3. Statement about how and where to file complaints.

4. Notice about how and when a customer can cancell.

5. The terms of payment broken down into dollars and cents.

6. Total price (price after incentive and before if contractor plans on collecting the incentive).

7. Approximate start and finish of the project.

8. Other legal notices.

More information about writing a good labor contract can be found here: www.cslb.ca.gov

NSHP-4 Cheat Sheet

Through working with the CEC in the past, we've discovered a lot of tips with the NSHP-4 form. Below is a cheat sheet to help you understand the registration process.

Remember you must use this form for both the NSHP, CSI and ERP programs.

Any questions please post a comment.

Registered Retailers and Installers

Becoming a registered retailer is a lengthy process but for good reason. In the end, the game is about protecting the consumer.

The California Solar Initiative, New Solar Homes Partnership and Emerging Renewable Program all require companies who sell or install the PV panels to register with the California Energy Commission.

This is the process:

1. Download NSHP-4 Retailer Registration form found here.

2. Fax or mail it to the contacts at the bottom of the form.

3. Wait for the 2nd or 16th of the month (when the CEC updates their online directory) to see your listing appear at GoSolarCalifornia.com's retailer search.

From experience, the California Energy Commission will call, email or fax your business if there is any problem with the way you filled out the form. If you don't hear anything it's probably good but be sure and check their retailer search directory before you call.

If you turn in your form and don't see your listing in their directory after the closest update date, your form may not have reached them and you should definitely call.

Their energy hotline is: 1-800-654-4405








As of now, there are 3 types of listings on the GoSolarCalifornia.com website:

"Retail Yes/Install No"

This means you have a Board of Equalization Sales/Use tax permit number and you are eligible to buy PV equipment at wholesale and retail that equipment. It also means you don't have a contractor's license and are not installing PV equipment.

NOTE: If you are a contractor working in fixed-price contracts who buys PV equipment from a distributor and pays the distributor sales-tax then you are NOT considered a retailer for the purposes of the Retailer Registration. In this situation you are considered by the State of California to be the consumer of those products. As long as you don't mark up the equipment in your contract you do not need a Sales/Use tax permit and you are not a retailer.

The retailer would be the distributor you purchased the panels from and on any incentive forms, this business should be listed as the retailer.



"Install Yes/Retail No"

This type of entry means you are strictly a contractor. You must have a contractor's license that is type A, B, C-10 or C-46 to qualify to be included as "Install Yes" on the GoSolarCalifornia.com database.

More information about getting a contractor's license can be found here: www.cslb.ca.gov


"Retail Yes/Install Yes"

This means you have both a Contractor's license of the appropriate type and a Sales/Use tax permit and you can both install PV systems and buy PV equipment at wholesale.

Renewable Incentives In California

There are three main state-wide incentive programs. To be eligible for any of these you must be a customer of either PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, or BVE. This is because the customers of these invester owned utility companies are the ones providing funding for the programs.

In addition, all systems approved for incentives through these programs must be tied to the energy grid.



CSI- (California Solar Initiative) here.

This program from the California Public Utilities Commission and deals with retrofitting Solar PV systems on homes government and businesses.

Two types of incentive structures:

EPBI- (Estimated performance based incentive) A one time payout after completion and grid interconnection. Rudimentarily, the payment comes to a dollar amount times the number of peak watts the system generates.

To estimate the CSI EPBI incentive amount in your area, go here: csi-trigger.com


PBI- Performance based incentives are based on what the system generates in operation.





NSHP- (New Solar Homes Partnership) here.

This program is specifically for residential homes in current construction. The home must meet energy efficiency standards 15% better than the current CA Title 24 requirements. The incentive is EPBI and calculated through the NSHP Calculator.



ERP- (Emerging Renewable Program) here.

This program is only for customers interested in wind or fuel cell renewable systems. The program is administered by the California Energy Commission. The incentive is an EPBI calculated on initial system peak watt rating and adjusted by the inverter specifications.



For more detailed information on these programs. See my other entries.