How did we calculate our estimates?
On this page we explain how we calculated the estimate cost for you. Feel free to check things out for yourself!
Market Rate: The average cost of solar in California is $8/DC watt. We determine the average by crunching this data published by the California Solar Initiative (CSI).
1BOG Group Discount: This is the discount that we negotiate from the installers for everyone in the group.
State Rebate: In PG&E territory, the state would pay for $1.55 of that (at the moment) which equates to about 20% of your solar system. CSI is the rebate for solar in California – you can check out the California Solar Initiative trigger page to see where the rebates are at.
Federal Rebate: The federal government has a 30% tax credit for solar. This is 30% of your out of pocket expense. (note, we are not tax professionals and please consult your tax professional before acting on any of this).
So more or less, you’re looking at your government paying for half of your system costs, and it won’t cause a reappraisal of your home or increase property taxes.
SCEIP Monthly Payment: The Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (SCEIP) allows you to pay for solar through your property tax at a 7% interest rate. You can get solar without paying the upfront cost and then you pay back the cost through your property taxes over 5-20 years. $112.41 is the estimated monthly payment at a 7% interest rate for the example system. Click here for more info on SCEIP
