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Follow the money. Never take "science" at its word until you look into who makes money from the process, and who is threatened by a specific business sector's success. Knowing your business history is important to our very civilization's direction.

Are you ready to do your own research? At this point, I don't believe anybody! And no, I'm not really paranoid, I just have run into crooks, aggressive business strategists too often to believe that anyone has the public good at heart. "Eternal vigilence..." it still applies.

The California Solar Initiative Solar Thermal Program launched January 20th, 2010,

The climate-change fighting, energy efficiency California Statewide solar water heating rebate program, called "CSI-Thermal" seeks to place @200,000 solar water heaters in California in its single family and multi-family program that runs through 2017.

Applications will be accepted April 1, 2010.

The CSI - Thermal program is being developed and is expected to run from April 2010 through 2017. A 30 percent federal tax credit is also available on the installed cost of the system less the rebate.

The goals of the CSI Thermal Program are to:

· Significantly increase the size of the solar water heating market in California by increasing the adoption rate of solar water heating technologies, including achieving:

o Installation of natural gas-displacing systems that displace 585 million therms, equivalent to placing a solar water heater on 200,000 single-family homes;

o Installation of electric-displacing solar water heating systems that displace 275.7 million kilowatt-hours per year of electricity by the end of 2017; and

o Expansion of the market for other solar thermal technologies that displace natural gas and electricity use, in addition to solar water heating.

· Support reductions in the cost of solar water heating systems of at least 16 percent through a program that increases market size and encourages cost reductions through market efficiency and innovation.

· Engage in market facilitation activities to reduce market barriers to solar water heating adoption, such as high permitting costs, lack of access to information, and lack of trained installers.

Eligible Customers for the CSI-Thermal Incentive Program

Eligible customers are gas or electric water heating customers of SDG&E, PG&E and SoCalGas & SoCal Edison. The program will run for 8 years, until December 31, 2017, or until the program funds are exhausted, whichever occurs first.

This rebate program is a four-step declining incentive structure over the life of the program and the rebate is calculated based on the expected energy savings of your solar water heating system. Incentive amounts depend upon your current water heating fuel source (natural gas or electricity).

Residents who heat their water with natural gas may receive a maximum incentive of $1,875.

Residents who heat their water with electricity may receive a maximum incentive of $1,250.

Commercial or multifamily buildings who heat their water with natural gas may receive a maximum incentive of $200,000, while commercial or multifamily buildings who heat their water with electricity may receive a maximum incentive of $100,000.

Eligible SWH Equipment for the CSI-Thermal Program

Solar water heating ( SWH) equipment must be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation ( SRCC). SRCC OG-300 certified equipment must be installed on single-family homes and SRCC OG-100 certified collectors must be installed on multifamily and commercial buildings. At the start of the program, only solar water heating technology will be eligible for the rebate. Other Solar Thermal technologies such as space heating, radiant floor heating, space cooling, etc will not be eligible. We expect that those technologies may be introduced into the rebate program at a later date.

Administration: PG&E, SoCalGas, Edison and California Center for Sustainable Energy

The CSI Thermal Program will be administered by PG&E, Edison, SoCalGas, and by the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) in the SDG&E territory.

PG&E and SDG&E, in coordination CCSE, will disburse incentives to both electric and natural gas ratepayers who install eligible solar water heating systems in their territories.

Edison will disburse incentives through the CSI Thermal Program to customers who install electric displacing solar water heating systems. SoCalGas will disburse incentives to customers in its territory who install natural gas displacing solar water heating systems.

Incentives are as follows:

Natural Gas Displacing Incentives:

Step	Incentive for Average Residential Solar Water Heating System	Incentive per Therm Displaced
1	$1,500	$12.82
2	$1,200	$10.26
3	$900	$7.69
4	$550	$4.70

· Incentives are paid up-front based on estimated first year therms displaced.

· Incentives decline in four steps based on program participation.

· Forty percent of the incentive budget is reserved for single-family residential systems; 60 percent for commercial and multifamily systems.

Electric Displacing Incentives:

Step Level	Electric Displacing Incentive ($/kWh)	Incentive for Average Residential System
1	0.37	$1,010
2	0.30	$820
3	0.22	$600
4	0.14	$380

· Incentives paid up-front based on estimated first year kWh displacement.

Contactor Participation Requirements

The requirements for contractor participation are currently being developed. We expect that contractors will need to attend a training workshop to learn about the application process, program guidelines and SWH installation techniques. We may also ask for verification of liability insurance, workman's compensation and auto insurance coverage. This requirement will be determined by March 1, 2010.

Contractors Submit Paperwork

Contractors will be responsible for submitting the rebate applications. The Program Administrators (PG&E, SoCal Edison, SoCalGas and the California Center for Sustainable Energy) are currently developing the application process and creating an appropriate online application database.

Installation Team Training

Some great technical resources posted in our "Contractors Corner." We recommend you become very familiar with the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation installation guidelines (www.solar-rating.org). It is also strongly encouraged for you to seek training from SWH equipment manufacturers.

The California Public Utilities Commission

CPUC will be holding public workshops in the first quarter of 2010 to discuss the following: system sizing requirements, development of an online incentive calculation tool that estimates energy savings, development of energy-efficiency requirements and metering requirements. Your input is welcome and encouraged! Refer to the CPUC website for postings on workshop details.

CSI Program Calendar

Do I have to wait until April 1, 2010, to sell and install SWH systems in order to receive the incentive? No. The CSI-Thermal Program will provide a rebate to projects that meet the program requirements and were installed after July 15, 2009. You will have to wait until April 1, 2010, to apply for the rebate for single-family projects and May 1, 2010, for multifamily and commercial projects.

San Diego Solar Water Heating Pilot Program

As part of the California Solar Initiative, the Solar Water Heating Pilot Program (SWHPP) provides incentives to business and customers who install qualifying solar water heating systems. The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) is administering the program.  CCSE is authorized to provide $1.5 million in rate payer funds as incentives for the Solar Water Heating Pilot Program. These incentives will go to qualified, licensed contractors to promote the installation of clean, renewable solar water heating systems.

How can I learn more about the CSI Program?

If you are a SDG&E electric customer seeking to retrofit your current water heating system, contact the California Center for Sustainable Energy for an informational packet and list of registered installers. You may contact them directly for additional details: swh@energycenter.org

Green power partners generate electricity on-site from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower

For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership recognized 20 partners from across the nation for generating the most green electricity on site.  Eight of the organizations are located in California, listed below.

•           Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, Whittier, CA -  54 percent green power

•           City of San Diego, CA - 27 percent green power

•           San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant - 56 percent green power

•           City of San Francisco, CA - Percentage of Green Power 3 percent green power

•           Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. / California and Texas Facilities -8 percent green power

•           Macy's Inc. / California and Hawaii Stores - 3 percent green power

•           Safeway Inc., Pleasanton, CA - 3 percent green power

•           Alameda County, CA / GSA Facilities - 11 percent green power

Combined, the top 20 partners are generating and consuming more than 736 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of on-site green power annually.  This is equivalent to the electricity needed to power more than 61,000 American homes annually. 

The partners' contributions are helping to expand America's renewable energy portfolio, improve the nation's energy security, and reduce their organizations' greenhouse gas emissions.

Clean Energy Economy

     "These companies are leading a nationwide move to the clean energy economy, one that can create million of jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and protect against global climate change," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.  "Our Green Power Partnership leaders are setting the standard for our clean energy future."

     Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. On-site green power is deployed directly at energy users' facilities rather than at central power plants. Green power electricity generates less pollution than conventional power and produces no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

EPA's Green Power Partnership

     EPA's Green Power Partnership works with more than 1,100 partner organizations to voluntarily purchase green power to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use.  Overall, the partners are buying more than 16 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from electricity use of more than 1.6 million American homes.

More about some of California's green power partners:

     The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts provide environmentally sound, cost-effective wastewater and solid waste management for over half the population of Los Angeles County.  A key part of the Districts' mission is to turn waste into energy, reclaimed water, and recyclables.  The Districts are committed to converting every feasible biogas resource into energy, both to use on site and to export into the local power grid.  Since 1983, the Districts have been generating renewable energy from biogas, which allows it to conserve resources, provides it facilities with power independent of the local grid, maintains utility price certainty, and keeps user fees low. Currently the Districts meet a significant portion of their electricity needs with on-site biomass.

     The City of San Diego, California, a 2003 Green Power Leadership Award winner, is pursuing energy independence and becoming a model city by using renewable energy resources and energy conservation.  The City has a commitment to produce 50 MW of renewable energy in San Diego within the next decade.  In meeting this commitment, the City operates a gas utilization facility located in the Point Loma Waste Water Treatment Plant (PLWWTP).  This cogeneration facility is powered by methane gas and generates 4.57 MW of electricity.  In addition, PLWWTP employs a hydroelectric facility producing another 1.35 MW of power generated by the 100-foot drop of treated sewage flow exiting the plant into the ocean.  The plant recently added a 1.2-MW generator peaking unit that runs on 80 percent digester gas and 20 percent diesel fuel.  This is the first time any existing diesel generator has been converted into a peaking unit utilizing digester gas.

     The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is a department within the City and County of San Francisco that provides retail drinking water, wastewater services, and hydroelectric power to the City and County of San Francisco.  The SFPUC undertakes energy efficiency and renewable energy projects through its Power Enterprise Group.  These projects support the City's environmental goals, as stated in the Mayor's Executive Directives for Municipal Solar, Green Buildings, Energy Conservation, and in the Electricity Resource and Climate Action Plans.  The SFPUC currently operates over 2MW of photovoltaic projects located throughout the City and County of San Francisco.  The first project was installed in 2003 at the Moscone Convention Center and the most recent 492 kWp project was installed at the San Francisco International Airport.

     Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 50 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America.  The company operates 1764 stores in the United States and Canada under the banners of Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick's, Carrs, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Pak 'n Save, and Genuardi's.  In 2008 Safeway committed to purchase enough renewable energy credits to offset 100 percent of the electricity usage at its retail gasoline stations in the US, the corporate campus facilities, as well as all supermarkets located in San Francisco, CA and Boulder, CO.

     Alameda County, California, a two time Green Power Leadership Award winner, is a national leader in onsite solar installations for local governments, with 3.1 megawatts (MW) of onsite solar generation capacity at nine County-owned facilities. Alameda County's efforts reflect a continuing dedication to developing local, renewable energy sources and raising public awareness of green power. Thanks to its renewable energy initiatives, Alameda County is meeting a significant share of its electrical needs in County facilities with clean, reliable green power.

More information on top 20 on-site users of green power: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/top20onsite.htm

More information on EPA's Green Power Partnership: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower