Who's Ready in Berkeley for a Possible 8 Days Without Electricity

Just recently PG&E created a website to help educate the public on what to do for natural disasters and the possibility of a “public safety power shutoff event” in the Berkeley area. Berkeley councilwoman Susan Wengraf is not satisfied with PG&E’s explanations of the intricacies of shutting off the power. She said, “I don’t think they’ve really explained to anybody how it’s going to work — and maybe they don’t know how it’s going to work. The impacts of their turning off power are so enormous.” Wengraf also noted that power could be shut off in Berkeley even if there’s issues in other parts of the state. “That is a possibility, but we don’t know. It all depends on the fire conditions,” said Darin Cline, manager of Public Affairs & Governmental Relations for PG&E in the Bay Area. Due to the deadly fires from last year the state has given PG&E and other utilities the power to shut off electricity in certain areas of the state at will. So the question still remains, are you prepared for this? Here at Ally Electric and Solar we offer the best bang for your buck solar system, can bundle home storage batteries, electric vehicle chargers, and high quality electrical services depending on each clients unique needs.

Solar Delivering Far More Than Renewable Energy

Usually when analyzing the cost/benefit of a solar project we just look at the cost of the project and how much money it will save us over time. However, this analysis does not really cover the holistic value of a solar project. A new study from America Environment Research lays out many benefits of a solar project which mostly fall into two categories, benefits to the grid and benefits to society as a whole. For example, the more power that is being produced on the grid by solar panels means the less fossil fuels that need to be burnt at the power plant. This is especially valuable in the summer when air conditioning is being used a lot more and at the same time solar systems are getting a lot more sun. A Carnegie Mellon study found that distributed solar resources saved California utilities over $650 million from 2013 to 2015 by reducing demand on the grid at peak hours. Rooftop solar can also improve grid reliability and resilience, which is especially important in the face of natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes.

In terms of societal impact each time a homeowner puts a solar system on their roof there is a decrease in global warming emissions. The carbon emissions of our current energy system cost the U.S. billions of dollars in economic and social damages each year, so emission-free solar energy presents a huge savings opportunity. Solar energy also reduces emissions of dangerous air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, mercury, and particulate matter that harm public health. All in all it’s a no brainer that homeowners and utility companies need to switch to solar and other renewable energies asap it’s just a large long term investment that some have cold feet getting into due to not fully understanding the upside.

The Best Year to Go Solar

With the second half of 2019 coming into full swing, homeowners have just another four months to take advantage of the cheapest year to go solar. With the federal 30% tax credit expiring in 2019, the opportunity to save thousands on a solar system is ticking. Next year, the federal tax credit will go down to 26% percent, why wait and spend hundreds more on your system? There’s no guarantee that after 2021, when the federal tax credit ends, there will be any kind of incentive to go solar. It’s time to start saving with solar, and 2019 is the time to save the smartest.