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January 05, 2009

Cooler Planet - Solar energy thriving in California

California's Million Solar Roofs program is reportedly paying off handsomely for the state, with record levels of clean power now being generated.

California Solar Initiative director Molly Tirpak Sterkel told the San Jose Mercury News this week that in 2008, the amount of installed solar energy had been nearly double that of 2007. "That's a magnificent story," she was quoted as saying.

The newspaper observes that federal tax credits and state rebates have played a key role in helping many California residents acquire solar panels, with total purchases reaching an estimated 150 megawatts in 2008, up from 81 in 2007. The state is also reportedly responsible for more than half the solar power in the U.S., and would rank fourth in the world if its solar output was measured against other countries.

This momentum is especially positive because a recent downturn in oil prices has raised concern about whether public interest in renewable energy would suffer. So far, this does not appear to be the case.

Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Times noted that California residents had set a record by applying for 1,215 solar subsidies in the past month alone, with a total of 18,000 having filed applications in the two-year history of the state program.

The Times cited one couple from Long Beach who had purchased about $32,000 worth of photovoltaic panels - and saw their costs fall to only about $17,000 thanks to a combination of state and federal incentives.

Keep The Money For Yourself

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