SCE Power Outage Alert: 755 Homes Affected in Santa Monica

Word on the street is the power is out, but here at the Solar Forward office, we had no clue.

At approximately 11:17am this morning, Santa Monica residents in the Sunset Park neighborhood lost power.  At the same moment, Solar Forward’s Outback Power battery back-up system kicked into gear.  The result: seamless transition to back-up power. 

No crashed computers.  No waiting around.  No delays to business.

Southern California Edison has yet to determine the cause of the outage.  The number of affected homes is growing, and ETA to restore power is unknown.

How can you make your home immune to the ins and outs of the grid?

Solar Forward's Outback Power battery back-up system

Go solar with battery back-up.

While solar without a back-up system is a great way to save money on your Edison electric bill, and reduce the amount of carbon being spewed into the atmosphere, it won’t keep you running during routine outages or emergencies. 

Safety precautions require that when the grid goes down, your solar goes down.  That is – unless have a battery back-up system. 

Solar Forward has installed a number of these systems in Santa Monica, leaving signs of activity and light, while the rest of the city sits stalled.

To inquire about solar and/or battery back-up systems, give Solar Forward a call at 310.433.3770. 

Watch our battery back-up video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAcbTzQDJLg.

LADWP Slows Solar in Hottest Summer on Record

The act that granted the right to interconnect solar systems with the power grid is called PURPA.  It was passed by Congress in 1978.

Solar Forward installed its first grid-tied solar system in Los Angeles in 2005.

Solar is not new.  So why now, in 2012, do utility companies still struggle with its implementation?

The issue is not demand.  Californians thirst for more solar.  In July alone, over 600 solar rebate applications were submitted to LADWP.

During a summer which may be the hottest ever on record, installation of solar panels must be a priority.  President Obama gets it.

At Solar Forward, much of our summer has been spent speaking with new clients who are exasperated that their homes are still powered by coal.  "We're really sorry, LADWP has not processed your rebate application."  "We're really sorry, we don't know when LADWP will be out to inspect your system."

It seems no amount of anger or frustration penetrates the antiquated walls of LADWP.

Out in Northridge where the daily temperature this month will average around 97 degrees, one of our clients has been waiting for a LADWP inspection for 6 weeks.  And counting.

In Tarzana, another client has waited months to install his 18 kW solar system.  He rightly wonders why systems like his, which would take a much needed burden off the grid, are not rushed through LADWP's solar program.

In a world where most people who fail at their jobs are fired, LADWP gets a pass.  Los Angeles homeowners are left with high electricity bills, and polluted skies.

Where is the Sun?

The sun is not in the ground. It may not be obvious, but Solar energy requires no invasive surgery on our planet. Every day we look below the Earth's surface for energy. Why are we drilling and fracking when we know there are huge environmental costs?

BP has spent over $10 Billion on Deep Water Horizon and the checks are still being written.

These are long term liabilities that cause us more then just financial harm. Pollution is preventable disease.

The adolescent failures of the solar industry have zero environmental impact. When Solyndra imploded it didn't leave a pile of goo and almost kill off an entire ecosystem.

The sun is a clean billion year energy source. Unlike companies, the sun is not susceptible to failure. Solar companies may come and go, but they will not prevent the sun from shining or create an environmental tragedy.

Look up, the sun is shining in the sky.

Edison / LADWP and the stealing of the Sun

Edison is stealing from all new solar customers. If you install a new solar system and you generate power - Edison is not giving you credit for three months. Some or our customers are loosing over $1000. This is unfair and will backfire for Edison. So far the response from Edison has been " NEM legislation (is) becoming more complex" and "each NEM Package is now reviewed by our Field Engineers (P.E.), which added to the review time." These excuses all add up to $ in Edison's pocket. Edison Field Engineers have no business being involved in a solar installation under 10 Kw. Period. They are not qualified, do not have the staff and have no incentive to do anything in a timely manner. All solar installations pass building and safety inspections. A utility can not justify the need for two inspections. Modern inverters are safe and smarter then the grid - they turn off when the grid goes too high or too low. Anyone who suggests a solar inverter is unsafe is living in the 1970's - period. LADWP is in a simular boat with different problems. They are having staffing issues and have no ability to approve and inspect systems over 10 Kw with a staff of four inspectors who do not carry a cell phone or return emails. The Solar industry is growing. The power companies are unable to keep pace and are doing, what appears to be their best efforts, to slow down the solar industry. What will it take to teach a utility how to play nice? Send suggestions and concerns to 411@solarfoward.com

Solar and the SO CAL utilities, Edison and LADWP

Edison is stealing from all new solar customers. If you install a new solar system and you generate power - Edison is not giving you credit for three months. Some or our customers are loosing over $1000.

This is unfair and will backfire for Edison. So far the response from Edison has been " NEM legislation (is) becoming more complex" and "each NEM Package is now reviewed by our Field Engineers (P.E.), which added to the review time."

These excuses all add up to $ in Edison's pocket. Edison Field Engineers have no business being involved in a solar installation under 10 Kw. Period. They are not qualified, do not have the staff and have no incentive to do anything in a timely manner. All solar installations pass building and safety inspections. A utility can not justify the need for two inspections. Modern inverters are safe and smarter then the grid - they turn off when the grid goes too high or too low. Anyone who suggests a solar inverter is unsafe is living in the 1970's - period.

LADWP is in a simular boat with different problems. They are having staffing issues and have no ability to approve and inspect systems over 10 Kw with a staff of four inspectors who do not carry a cell phone or return emails.

The Solar industry is growing. The power companies are unable to keep pace and are doing, what appears to be their best efforts, to slow down the solar industry.

What will it take to teach a utility how to play nice?

Send suggestions and concerns to 411@solarfoward.com

Edison Interconnection problems

Why has Edison allowed their interconnection department to be an obstacle for Solar contractors and clients for over five years? There is obviously no incentive for Edison to allow customers to receive credit for the energy they produce. Why? Money!

It would cost Edison money to improve the interconnection process and cost them money once they fix it and make our mutual clients happy.

Over the past four months Solar Forward has gathered enough information to begin the process of pushing this issue. We have letters and factual data from over ten clients that show huge inconsistencies and lack of customer service for new solar clients.

On average it is taking two to three months for a new solar client to get a meter that goes backwards and for their bill reflect the energy they produce. On average Solar Forward receives twenty emails or phone calls from each Edison client expressing frustration over the interconnection process.

Getting solar energy connected to the grid should be a fun and rewarding process. Instead clients are feeling insulted and ripped off. One client has suggested taking Edison to small claims court. This would be a great first step.

Our clients are happy people!

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Edison's "toaster test"

Why is Edison wanting to "test" inverters and "inspect" solar systems as if we are in the 1950's and the electron is to be feared?

The test is like someone coming to your home and turning on your toaster and waiting for it to pop! When was the last time a brand new toaster didn't pop? Do you think a solar installer is qualified to know if a toaster (inverter) is working properly?

This is a money grab by Edison and forces clients to wait for a month for the inspector to show up before they get credit for their solar system.