A state bill is working its way through the Legislature that would charge customers (not just solar customers) with a $10/month fee to make up for revenue losses utility companies have experienced due to the rising popularity of solar panels.

We at Solar Forward think this another blunder by the utility industry.  Solar saves everyone money and reduces the need for power plants and transmission lines.   Solar energy is generated where it is consumed, saving 10% on normal loss in wires and transformers.

This fee would apply to customers within Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric territories.

Consumer groups produced the video below, prompting Southern California Edison to issue a cease and desist letter.

Now customers are making their voices heard by rallying outside Edison’s offices in Rosemead and expressing their outrage at utility companies creating even more roadblocks for clean, renewable energy.

At Solar Forward, we will do everything in our power to make sure the bill does not become law so California residents can continue to choose solar energy for their homes and businesses.

Andrew and Mark at Antelope Valley

Deserts may look barren to the untrained eye, yet as California’s Antelope Valley proves, they’re a fertile breeding ground for solar.

Last Friday, Mark and Andrew took a trip out to what will be the world’s largest solar power plant. Known as the Antelope Valley Solar Projects, the development consists of two solar installations side by side in Kern and Los Angeles counties.

The Antelope Valley Solar Projects are creating 650 jobs and injecting more than $500 million into the regional economy

Through a partnership with Sunpower and MidAmerican Solar, construction on the 579 megawatt project is anticipated to be done by 2015. Not only will this project provide enough clean, renewable energy to power 400,000 homes, but jobs are already being created for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the project.

The panels used for the project exhibit the quality and cutting edge technology you’ve come to expect from SunPower. SunPower panels, which already provide the most energy in the least amount of space, will be mounted on Sunpower T0 Trackers, allowing the panels to track the sun throughout the day, resulting in a 25% increase in energy capture.

Check out more photos below from the kickoff celebration that took place Friday April 26th.

At approximately 11:17am this morning, Santa Monica residents in the Sunset Park neighborhood lost power.  At the same moment, Solar Forward’s Outback Power battery back-up system kicked into gear.  The result: seamless transition to back-up power.

No crashed computers.  No waiting around.  No delays to business.

Southern California Edison has yet to determine the cause of the outage.  The number of affected homes is growing, and ETA to restore power is unknown.

How can you make your home immune to the ins and outs of the grid?

Charged by solar, this battery back-up system keeps the Solar Forward office running when the grid goes down.

Solar Forward’s Outback Power battery back-up system

Go solar with battery back-up.

While solar without a back-up system is a great way to save money on your Edison electric bill, and reduce the amount of carbon being spewed into the atmosphere, it won’t keep you running during routine outages or emergencies.

Safety precautions require that when the grid goes down, your solar goes down.  That is – unless have a battery back-up system.

Solar Forward has installed a number of these systems in Santa Monica, leaving signs of activity and light, while the rest of the city sits stalled.

To inquire about solar and/or battery back-up systems, give Solar Forward a call at 310.433.3770.

Watch our battery back-up video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAcbTzQDJLg.