By Alan Brawer, of Solar Wholesale Group
As a community, we are mostly green-thinking people, and when I say green-thinking, I mean most of us like to do our part environmentally. We also, when possible, like to save money. Car manufacturers, our City, Southern California Edison (SCE), the State, and the Federal Government are all getting in on the act, making clean and green decisions easier and more affordable than ever.
Starting with our own City, a free level 2 electric vehicle charger is available at no cost to residents who own or lease an electric vehicle. Residents pay for permit fees and installation. Installation must be done by a qualified electrical contractor. Some local contractors offer free charger installation with a home solar installation -- Electric Vehicle Charger Giveaway.
At the State level, the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) promotes clean vehicle adoption in California by offering rebates of up to $7,000 for the purchase or lease of new, eligible zero-emission vehicles, including electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and fuel cell vehicles.
At the Federal level, the 26% solar and back up battery tax credit that was due to expire on 12/31/2020 has been extended to 12/31/2022. Tax implications should be discussed with a tax advisor.
Through the State’s “Self-Generation Incentive Program” (SGIP), rebates are available for home and business back up batteries.
SCE is getting more involved in clean and green technology and issuing rebates ranging from $450 - $1,500 depending on vehicle and customer circumstances.
For those of you who like to double, triple or quadruple dip, why not? When you add a solar panel installation at your home or business, you can use the sun to charge your electric vehicle, recharge your home back up battery to cover a power outage should it last 10 minutes or 10 years (let’s hope not), significantly reduce your electric bill, and protect yourself from utility rate increases.
These forward-thinking options may just be the shot in the arm you are looking for financially, environmentally or both.
