By Beth Miller Curda Davis Enterprise 2002.2.03

The Davis power supply will soon get a burst of solar energy, as the largest
residential panel system in the Sacramento Municipal Utility District's
two-year Davis program was installed this week.

SMUD Solar Specialist Jeff Kosinski said the eight-kilowatt system that was
installed this week on West Davis resident Robert Schulze's roof is the
largest the company has designed for a Davis home during its two-year
affiliation with the city.

Most residential systems, Kosinski said, are one-half to two kilowatts.
Schulze said he knows of two four-kilowatt systems in Davis.

The system was installed through a partnership between the city of
Davis and SMUD that began in May 2000, Kosinski said, adding that
the two-year contract will end this May.

Around 50 Davis residents are on a waiting list, and he said the
company stopped accepting Davis applications in December to ensure
that everyone who has ordered systems receives them by May.

Kosinski, who designed Schulze's system, said its position on the roof
maximizes the ability to harness the solar energy.

"The way it's designed is that there are actually four separate systems
on the house," he said. "And the reason for that is we're using three
different orientations -- south, east and west. As the sun goes across
the sky, you lose something on one side and then gain it on the other
side. So, we're trying to maximize the sun."

Although SMUD employees and contractors designed and installed
Schulze's system, he is a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customer and
will exchange energy with PG&E once the system begins operating.
He explained that his reasons for buying the system went beyond
reducing his bills.

"The point here to make -- that I don't think a lot of people know
about -- is this concept of net metering," he said. "The thing about net
metering is the concept that there's always electricity on the grid and
there's always people using it."

He explained that the residential system generates power during the
day that goes onto the grid and is used, reducing the amount of power
PG&E has to provide. He added that it reduces the amount of peak --
more expensive -- power needed. He said reducing the amount of
peak power needed from PG&E lowers costs for providers and
customers.

"And then you go home at night when the sun's down," he said, "and
the meter goes in the other direction, and you get the power back from
PG&E."

He said the method eliminates the need for a battery, which some solar
systems require. However, his home would not be protected from a
power outage.

Kosinski said the company has contracted about 35 systems in Davis
in the nearly two years since the SMUD/city of Davis partnership
began. According to published reports, the city's roles in the
agreement included advertising the program, pre-screening interested
customers and developing a permitting process; SMUD agreed to
work directly with residents and the installation contractor through the
Davis partnership.

City officials were unavailable for comment on whether a SMUD
partnership beyond May is being considered or if the city is operating
under another plan. Kosinski said SMUD would like to stay involved
in Davis. He also said other cooperatives are looking to help out as
well. He said SMUD is still offering to train people and supply
equipment to the city but the company would need more people to
contact customers, design systems and complete paperwork.

-- Reach Beth Miller Curda at bcurda@davisenterprise.net