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"The Dog Days of Summer"
Mid-Summer Greetings,
Whether you're getting the homestead ready for the winter by putting another coat of paint on the house, tending the garden, or canning your favorite jam: summer in Mendocino is a great time to get things done!
Our August E-News is dedicated to all of you who are pushing through these lazy days of summer to--as the saying goes--"make hay while the sun shines."
Sometimes, though, even the most motivated need a little incentive to get things done on these long, sunny "Dog Days of Summer." With that in mind, our E-news this month is all about the many incentives to go solar!
Want to better prepare your household for the winter? Tired of huge heating bills? Considering solar? So, read on... and find out why there has never been a better time to go solar! We're here to answer your questions at 707.937.1701 or online at mendocinosolar.com .
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Why Solar Matters
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Solar energy is getting a lot of attention these days. You've probably heard that there are many environmental and social benefits of using solar energy, including: curbing global warming, reducing the negative health impacts of dirty energy production, enhancing energy independence, creating green jobs, and spurring green technological innovation. For more information and links visit
Sierra Club Green Home or our Mendocino Solar Service Solar 101 page.
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A Two Dollar PGE Bill?
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by Sylvia Gilmour, MSS Customer
Hi to Everyone at Mendocino Solar Service,
I was waiting to get this month's bill to send you this note, as this is the first month since our true up period in January that we have had to pay anything: a whopping $2.73! Make sure you saw the decimal in there!
We had our solar system installed in 2006. The job was very professionally done and you have been great about helping us understand the operation and care of the system. During our first year, there was an electricity outage on our Lane that lasted over a week, but we had battery backup, so had power! PG&E gave us all a $100 rebate because of the length of the outage. Our averaged energy cost was $8.09 per month, so we came out ahead by $2.92 for our first year! Since then, our averaged monthly costs, which are mostly for distribution, have been:
2008—$7.41
2009—$4.48
2010—$4.50
2011—$2.92
2012—$2.54
Yes, it will take a while to cover the initial costs, but we are well on the way to doing that. I figured out that we are generating approximately $560.00 in savings per year. This is one of the best investments we have ever made, not just to save money, but also to benefit the environment by getting our power in a more sustainable way. Thank you for your service to our community and the planet!
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Generate (Green) Power
Our friends at Go Solar California explain: "A net energy meter keeps track of the all the power your solar system produces. Any solar energy that you do not use simultaneous with production will go back into the electrical grid through the meter.
At night or on cloudy days, when your system is not producing more than your building needs, you will consume electricity from the grid as normal. Your utility will bill you for the "net" consumption for any given billing period and provide you with a dollar credit for any excess during a given period. You can carry your bill credit forward for up to a year."
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Summer Is Sweeter!
As we close out our August E-News, we thank MSS customers Jim Ehlers and Susan Larkin for their recent referral of a new customer who also went solar. We were excited to deliver their $250 gift certificate to the local buiness of their choice--Mendo Bistro--as our thank you gift through our Customer Referral Program.
And, remember there's still time to visit Mendocino Solar Service on Facebook and "Like" our page to be entered in to the drawing for a Prize Package. We've been gathering some fun, unique, helpful, and yummy items, to help ease you through these Dog Days of Summer.
Best to you,
Bruce, Maggie & The MSS Team
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