| How do I know if I’m a good candidate for CCE’s solar energy services?
How do I know if my facilities are appropriate for a CCE installation? How do I know if my location receives enough sunlight to make electricity? What size solar power system do I need? Who will own the system? How does it work? How will I know how much energy the system is producing? What is a Power Purchase Agreement or PPA? Will I still be connected to the grid? Will the system produce more solar electricity than my facility will use? How are CCE’s solar energy services different from other solar offers? How much does it cost to implement CCE’s solar solutions? What are the product and service warranties? What if natural gas charges comprise the majority of my utility bill? How do I get my historical electricity usage from my utility? What’s the best weather to produce the most solar electricity? How do I know if I’m a good candidate for CCE’s solar energy services? If you are experiencing high energy costs, are using a lot of on-peak energy, or you want to reduce your fossil fuel usage, you are probably a great candidate for our solar energy services. How do I know if my facilities are appropriate for a CCE installation? CCE offers roof-mounted systems, parking canopy systems and fixed ground-mount systems. Our proposal will include an assessment of all involved facility variables, including energy usage history, roof type, age and condition, surface area available, orientation and shading, and appropriateness for a solar power system. How do I know if my location receives enough sunlight to make electricity? We will conduct a complete site examination, including shade analysis, to determine whether solar is a viable solution for your location. The best roofs (or space for a ground mount) get several hours of sun a day, face south or south west and don’t have too much shade coverage. This depends on your energy usage and how big a system you want. When you request a proposal, CCE will use satellite imagery and on-site evaluation to assess your roof and determine how many panels it can appropriately accommodate. A good rule of thumb is 100 sq. ft. per every kilowatt of electricity the system produces. Thus a 5kW system will require 500 square feet of un-shaded roof space. Mounting the solar system on the ground is also a possibility. What size solar power system do I need? The size you need depends on how much electricity you use, and in some cases the available space on your roof or ground to mount the system for the best solar production. A CCE representative will work with you to size your system to give the lowest possible energy rates available. Who will own the system? How does it work? CCE installs, owns, operates and maintains the solar power system. Once the system is up and generating energy for your facility, you pay CCE on a monthly basis only for the amount of electricity the system generates. After the sixth year you can have the opportunity to purchase the system from CCE at a significant discount to its initial cost. Or, you can elect to continue to pay just for the solar energy you use and let CCE retain ownership and operations. It’s up to you. How will I know how much energy the system is producing? Keeping track of system performance is easy. Every system we install comes with a real-time on-line tracking system that graphically shows how much energy the system is producing, and dirty grid-power you are avoiding. What is a Power Purchase Agreement or PPA? A solar PPA is a contractual agreement between you and CCE that stipulates the terms and conditions under which we agree to generate solar energy and your facility agrees to purchase that energy at a predetermined rate. A solar PPA is an alternative to purchasing or financing your own solar power system. It provides the opportunity to utilize clean solar energy without any upfront costs or system operation and maintenance costs. The agreement spans 10 or more years, during which time the customer benefits from pre-set electricity prices. Included in the PPA is the option to purchase the system at significant discount beginning after the 6th year of the agreement. Will I still be connected to the grid? Yes. The solar energy system we install will reduce the amount of energy you draw from the electrical grid, but not replace it completely. The solar system, your facility, and the grid are all inter-connected by “net metering,” which allows the solar system to put energy into the grid if it is not being consumed at the moment by the host-facility, thus creating an energy credit that the facility draws against when the system is not working (during the night). Will the system produce more solar electricity than my facility will use? The system we install may produce more energy than your facility uses on any given day, but solar electric systems are typically designed to reduce, not completely replace, the electricity you draw from the grid. Your facility’s system will likely cover 60-90% of your current electrical use. How are CCE’s solar energy services different from other solar offers? We offer solar energy services; we do not sell equipment. Because we finance, develop, install, operate and maintain the solar power plants, you benefit from predictable energy prices without any capital outlay and without hassles. How much does it cost to implement CCE’s solar solutions? Nothing. You have zero cost to initiate a solar project. Our business model offers solar energy services, and you pay only for the electricity we generate. After evaluating your solar options, you’ll discover that the simplest and most affordable way to go solar is with CCE. What are the product and service warranties? California Clean Energy owns all of the solar power system equipment and will be responsible for any repair or replacement necessary to guarantee its normal operation. The warranties for major system components, including photovoltaic modules and inverters, are provided by the manufacturers and are transferable to the customer should the customer decide on purchasing the system as provided by the PPA. Photovoltaic modules come with a 25 year warranty from the manufacturer; inverters come with a ten year warranty from the manufacturer. The replacement of the inverters is expected during the course of the PPA contract and this expense is covered by CCE. The installation of the equipment is covered by a 10 year workmanship warranty, which is also transferable to the customer should the customer purchase the system. How long will a home solar power system last? Solar power systems are designed to last over 25-40 years. What if natural gas charges comprise the majority of my utility bill? Solar electric systems offset only the electricity part of your utility bill – it won’t help reduce your natural gas bill. If you’re paying over $100 or $150 per month for electricity only, then solar makes a lot of economic sense for you. How do I get my historical electricity usage from my utility? If you haven’t saved your old utility bills to review, your historical usage is available over the internet. If you need help, we can help you access this information. How much weight will a solar power system put on my roof? Solar power systems are unusually light, usually adding less than four pounds per square foot. CCE guarantees that your solar installation will not cause any roof damage or leaking at both the time of installation and for the duration of the Power Purchase Agreement. It doesn’t have to be sunny for your solar panels to produce electricity. In thick fog or on an especially cloudy day, your solar system will still produce approximately 25% of what it will produce on a sunny day. |
Renewable Energy Service Provider
About CCE
At California Clean Energy (CCE), we help customers overcome the financial obstacles to using clean and renewable solar power.
As a Renewable Energy Service Provider, we provide cost-free solar power systems through the best local installers, charging customers only for the energy produced.
At California Clean Energy (CCE), we help customers overcome the financial obstacles to using clean and renewable solar power.
As a Renewable Energy Service Provider, we provide cost-free solar power systems through the best local installers, charging customers only for the energy produced.
Contact Us: 510-230-2366
Email: info @ calcleanenergy.com
Mail: 2625 Alcatraz Ave. #422
Berkeley, CA 94705