A news release was recently issued on California’s 10 leading residential solar cities. The information was released by solar company SunRun, citing data compiled from its PV Solar Report.
The list of top solar cities list is based on the California Solar Initiative’s (CSI) database of residential rebate reservations through August 31, 2011.
If you’re interested in residential solar energy systems, but find that your roof isn’t suitable for a solar array, ground-mounted solar systems are a viable alternative.
In the past, solar energy systems installed on the ground were more expensive than rooftop arrays. The additional mounting equipment spiked installation costs.
Now, however, a solar tracking device is starting to offset that added expense.
California may now hold the record for largest residential solar system in the world. The 150-kilowatt system is about 30 times larger than an average 5-kilowatt residential system.
The estate sits atop a hill in Los Angeles. Instead of installing the 600-panel solar power system on their roof, the owners, who choose to remain anonymous, installed the array on the south-facing downward slope of the hill. This increases the efficiency of the system. Tilted panels typically produce more power than those laid flat.
The owners showed a bit of whimsy in the installation, leaving a gap in the rows and columns of solar panels to accommodate a boulder protruding from the craggy slope.
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