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Northern California Solar Energy Association
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Bay Area Solar Now Has Highest Per Capita Solar Systems Installed
Produces Enough Electricity for 61,725 Homes
The NorCal Solar Energy Association, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, presented the first annual City Solar Awards© last month at the Berkeley City Club. The City Solar Awards recognize cities in the ten Bay Area counties for the amount of solar electric technology installed. Awards are given for the number of systems, amount of energy being produced, and watts per capita.
“NorCal Solar has calculated how much solar electric power the cities have installed under the California Solar Initiative in relation to their neighbor cities. We awarded the outstanding cities for their efforts” said Claudia Wentworth, NorCal President. “We are encouraging these cities to set specific long-term goals and we know this is one piece of the puzzle to meet our environmentally-friendly long-term energy needs.”
NorCal Solar Energy Association has analyzed the solar incentive data for all PV (solar panel) systems installed as of 12/31/06. The ten county region hosts more than 8,403 solar electric systems, which produce more than 82 megawatts of electricity – or enough electricity to power 61,725 average homes, making the Bay Area has the more solar installations per capita than anywhere in the U.S.
A typical residential sized solar electric system costs $15,000 after a financial incentive of $2.20 per watt based on the production of the system, and a federal tax credit of $2,000. Thanks to these incentives and support from environmentally-concerned homeowners, the Bay area now has the highest per capita installation rate of solar electricity systems in the United States.
The City Solar Awards© recognize cities in a specific region for their advanced status and progress in installing Photovoltaic systems. The City Solar Awards project was created to:
1. Provide a baseline measurement of solar installations for the 106 cities in the ten Bay area counties, thus allowing them to set goals and measure progress for new systems.
2. Develop cooperation and friendly competition to help the environment and our energy needs among the cities and its residents.
3. Educate the public about solar technology and the many financial incentives that have made solar more affordable for homeowners and businesses as a source of clean, green energy in the Bay Area.
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
| Small cities - Watts per Capita |
| Ranking |
Cityname |
Watts/Capita |
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1
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Saint Helena |
210
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2
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Sebastopol |
188
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3
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Sonoma |
182
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| Medium cities - Watts per Capita |
| Ranking |
Cityname |
Watts/Capita |
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1
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Healdsburg |
136
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2
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American Canyon |
63
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3
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Mill Valley |
37
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| Large cities - Watts per Capita |
| Ranking |
Cityname |
Watts/Capita |
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1
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Napa |
43
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2
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Pleasanton |
36
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3
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Mountain View |
34
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| Small cities - Most Watts installed |
| Ranking |
Cityname |
Total Watts |
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1
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Sonoma |
1,803,253
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2
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Sebastopol |
1,421,423
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3
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Saint Helena |
1,240,631
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| Medium cities - Most Watts installed |
| Ranking |
Cityname |
Total Watts |
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1
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Rohnert Park |
1,797,420
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2
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Healdsburg |
1,489,160
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3
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Dublin |
1,206,615
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| Large cities - Most Watts installed |
| Ranking |
Cityname |
Total Watts |
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1
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Oakland |
5,989,931
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2
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San Francisco |
4,549,299
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3
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Santa Rosa |
4,255,095
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| Small cities - # of systems |
| Ranking |
Cityname |
Total # Systems |
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1
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Sebastopol |
326
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2
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Sonoma |
93
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3
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Los Altos Hills |
78
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| Medium cities - # of systems |
| Ranking |
Cityname |
Total Projects |
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1
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Watsonville |
355
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2
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Los Gatos |
149
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3
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Los Altos |
137
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| Large Cities - # of systems |
| Ranking |
Cityname |
Total # Systems |
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1
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San Jose |
491
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2
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San Francisco |
483
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3
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Berkeley |
364
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The City Solar Awards are supported by the Bay Area’s leading solar businesses, including Sun Light and Power, AEE Solar and NorCal Solar’s many member companies.
About the NorCal Solar Energy Association
Founded in 1975, the NorCal Solar Energy Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the use of solar technology through the exchange of information. The organization produces several consumer education programs and services. More information about the organization is available at: www.norcalsolar.org.
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