Going Solar, Introduction

Welcome to a special blog series written by the principal of One World Architecture, Ken Parel-Sewell. Installing solar panels on a home can be a daunting process. In real time, Ken will be sharing his personal experience of going solar with his home in Southern California. He’ll be writing from the perspective of a homeowner, as well an architect. If you are interested in going solar, Ken will share many interesting and informative details about this complex process.

Have your electricity bills been rising? Globally, the cost of electricity has been steadily increasing, and all trends indicate that it will continue to rise significantly. Some areas, like my home state of California, face even greater utility increases. In addition to higher costs of living, California has stricter environmental regulations and efforts to phase out coal-fired power plants.

When we relocated to San Diego a few years ago, we bought a house built in the late 1960s with its original wood shake roof. We knew we would need to replace it. Not only because it’s a fire hazard, it’s also covered with a toxic fire retardant, and it’s more expensive to insure.

In a climate that’s sunny or partly sunny about 70% of the time, and yields over 3000 hours of sunshine per year, switching to solar energy is a logical solution. While solar power can work well in many climates, it’s generally more accessible and affordable here, with many reliable companies competing for business.

After lengthy research and interviews with many solar and roofing contractors, we finalized our plans a few months ago. I want to share our journey to help demystify the process. I’ll cover topics such as:

• Is solar energy a good option for you?
• What’s the process of going solar?
• What are the benefits?
• What costs are involved? What tax incentives are available?
• What are the components of a solar system?
• What happens after you install a solar system?

I’m looking forward to reducing my electrical costs and carbon footprint. Check back for updates, or better yet, in the gray area at the bottom of this page, you can subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll be notified when new posts are published.