Californians Installs 78 MW Of Solar Panels In Q1 2009: CPUC Reports

Published: 24-Apr-2009

By: Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer

California has installed 78 megawatts (MW) of solar panels in the first quarter of 2009, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said. CPUC data shows that as solar-panel prices have dropped by 25% or more, on average, because of global fall in demand, rooftop solar panels remain in high demand in California. California is spending $3.3 billion to install 3,000 MW of solar panels over 10 years.

The strength of California's solar market is because of generous state incentives, joined with federal tax credits that greatly decrease the cost of installation. California has among the highest utility rates in the country, making self-generated solar power competitive with conventional utility power, especially for large users.

CPUC specified a recent change in the federal tax code that permits homeowners a larger tax credit for solar installations as a factor driving strength in that market.

Solar rebate applications filed with the CPUC in the first quarter of 2009 hit a new quarterly record for capacity, at 52 MW, from the program started in January 2007, while the number of applications deceased compared to the fourth quarter of 2008, the CPUC said.

Till date, customers of utilities owned by PG&E Corp., Edison International and Sempra Energy have installed 211 MW of new rooftop solar generation from 2007, the CPUC said. Statewide, California produces more than 500 MW of power from solar panels, CPUC said.