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Torrance condo group relies on solar panels for less grid-dependent lifestyle
Source: Jasmine Lee in
Daily Breeze.com
As the summer heat kicks up a notch — and inevitably the state's energy consumption rises — residents at the New Horizons condominium complex in Torrance can sit back and watch an electric meter run in reverse. The conservation-minded condo association recently installed solar panels with the help of a new state program aimed at promoting self-generation of energy. The system generates electricity that feeds straight into Southern California Edison's grid, crediting the customer for every watt produced. The 1.6-kilowatt system — enough energy for about half of a three-bedroom home — is not intended to power up the entire 600-unit complex. The panels, which sit atop a garage, are hooked into the meter that measures electricity usage in the common areas of the complex. The new system is an example of a non-polluting energy source that will never run out, said longtime resident Bernie Hollander, who came up with the idea to use solar power at New Horizons. “They are as much a demonstration project as a conservation project,” he said. Hollander estimates that the alternative energy will save nearly $800 a year. But conservation comes at a price. The Conservation Club and the Condominium Improvement Club, two
groups within the complex, raised $13,000 and the state kicked in
almost $5,000 for the solar panels. The California Public Utilities
Commission's self-generation incentive program — launched in July
— helps pay for the installation, with the dollar amount determined
by how much power the system produces. The state provides the money,
and the program is administered by the electric companies. California has in the past offered other funding programs for solar panels. Because the current program is so new, the state has not tallied the number of participants yet, said Sherie Inouye, a spokeswoman for the Public Utilities Commission. “There's been a lot of interest . . . but we're still in the process of collecting the data,” Inouye said. Residents of the 37-year-old complex, are used to being on the cutting edge of conservation. They made local headlines in 1979 when they installed their first set of solar panels to warm their previously gas-heated pool. The condo association later added a second set to heat the other pool. The savings on natural gas amounts to about $11,000 a year. Much of the money used to buy energy-saving items are actually raised through conservation — the Conservation Club for decades has been collecting funds by recycling newspapers and aluminum cans. Currently, the 15-watt incandescent light bulbs — about 3,000 of them — are being replaced with five-watt fluorescent lights. While residents are responsible for their own utility bills, the condo association pays for the electricity used in the common areas, such as the clubhouse and the pool areas. That bill has increased by 47 percent over the past year, said Jim Kenny, the board chairman. At Bilt-well roofing, the Los Angeles contractor that installed New Horizons' solar panels, business has been booming with between 150 and 200 systems installed just this month, said Anthony Fleitas, the company's chief executive officer. The roofing company started offering the solar panels about a year ago and the demands for the electricity-generating systems now outnumber the requests for their original service, Fleitas said. Large contractors like Bilt-well can also handle their clients' applications for state funding. And with more and more Californians becoming fed up with higher rates and the ongoing power crunch, solar power is a spark of energy for frustrated consumers. “They're ecstatic,” Fleitas said. “They like the freedom of getting off the grid.” 
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