Dear friends-

There really has been an explosion of interest in solar energy the last few years as prices have declined and incentives have increased.

What that also means is that solar rebates levels across the state are decreasing at a faster pace than ever.  The way that solar rebates work is that utilities most often set target installation levels in Megwatts (MW’s) with a corresponding rebate incentive associated with that level. As customers receive rebate reservations, install solar systems, and the target level is achieved, the rebate incentives drop to a lower, slightly less generous level. When the next target installation level is reached, again, the rebate incentive drops again to the next lower level. This continues, usually for 10 steps, until the rebate money is completely used up.

What most people don’t know is that you can apply for a solar rebate with any state utility and receive a rebate reservation, but in most instances, you have between 6 and 12 months to actually install the system. If you happen to know that you will install solar sometime in the next year, let us apply for your rebate! If for some reason the timing is not right for you in the next year, the reservation will simply expire. Apply as soon as possible and lock in your free month. For an average 5kw solar system, when a rebate incentive drops to the next lower level it means as much as a few thousand dollar in lost “free” money.

Really, this money is free, so don’t delay if solar is already in your plans! We’d be glad to guide you through the process if the timing is right for you.

Thanks for reading!

Brought to you by Mimeos Sustainability Consultants- Solar Energy System Installers for Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay area, California.

Dear friends:

Dear friends-

Leading more sustainable lives means keeping a look out for products and services that provide us smarter, healthier, lower impact options in our daily lives. We recently finished our first 3 spots on local green businesses.

Watch the video spots here:http://mimeos.net/lifestyle/

These are people and companies that we met and were inspired by their personal missions to provide better alternatives. They saw a need, took risks, and most importantly, have created healthier, cleaner, and more effective options than those currently available.

The Green Station, Ecosmart Solutions in Yard Maintenance: The Green Station has been on a mission to not only eliminate the harmful, polluting gas and oil emissions of traditional yard maintenance practices, but have created a certification program to teach gardeners to become their own stewards of the earth. The Green Station uses all electric emission-free tools, completely charged using solar energy. They implement composting and water efficient landscaping techniques to create a comprehensive sustainable maintenance solution. http://mimeos.net/lifestyle/

Naturally Green Carpet, Rug, Upholstery, and Duct Cleaning: Founder Bryan Angstman spent years developing a completely natural, citrus-based solvent that is one of the effective on the market. Keep in mind, “non-toxic” as many companies refer to their solvents, does not mean free of harsh chemicals that are best kept away from our families and pets. But green carpet cleaning is not just about the solvent, but also using less water, less electricity, and creating a much healthier home and office environment for each customer.http://mimeos.net/lifestyle/

Hollywood Electrics: LA’s first all-electric motorbike shop gives us new ways to travel while elevating speed, style, and performance. Best of all, these low maintenance bikes, scooters, and motorcycles need no gas, have zero emissions, and need just a standard electrical outlet to charge up. These bikes can change the game when it comes to commuting, and you’d never believe how you can tackle the hills with a bit of electricity powering your ride. These bikes are best for those with solar systems, but make sure you ask us about portable solar designs that will keep these bikes net-zero.http://mimeos.net/lifestyle/

We’ve tried these services ourselves at our own homes and were impressed with the results. Super clean carpets, meticulous landscaping, and probably the fastest acceleration we’ve ever felt! We’re fans of these better alternatives. We hope that you will give them a try yourselves. Please tell them that Mimeos referred you!

Thanks for reading!

Happy New Year! It has been a while since we last wrote. The end of 2009 turned out to be very busy, and looking forward we continue to be very excited about the increased activity, attention, and interest toward lowering our consumption, increasing efficiency, and reducing our impact. The last year saw a monumental shift in the focus on renewable energy, and our President has even been trying to rebrand efficiency as sexy. What a difference a year makes!  Added into the equation was the big drop in the cost of solar, increased tax credits, and still strong rebates to help offset the cost, making 2009 a great year for solar. You can now make your investment back in as little as 7 years. (and dropping) But let’s not forget: its clean energy!

I shake my head each day as I listen to the debate about global warming and climate change and how both sides argue about its existence. It shouldn’t matter! Cheap, ubiquitous fossil fuels like oil and coal built this country. That’s a great thing. Unfortunately they are filthy, and they poison our environment and wreak havoc on our health and well-being. Quite simply, we are overdue for a shift to cleaner fuel sources, and solar is one of the answers.

Want to make 10-12% on your money, with a strong chance that the interest you earn will increase by 7% more each year? That is what is happening right now when you eliminate your bill with solar and protect yourself against further rate increases. Over the next few decades. It sure beats the 0%  bank account rates and 2% CD rates. If the timing is right for you we would love to be your guide throughout the process!

It’s hard to believe that it’s the year 2010. It seems like just yesterday that we feared the world was going to collapse because of our computers inability to handle the change in 000’s as we entered the unfathomable year 2000.  I do think there will be much more change in this decade than the last. The City of LA intends to be “coal-free” by 2020. Most states will require that 20% or more of their energy come from clean fuels, and new technology will certainly emerge as the demand for cleantech and efficiency solutions grows. But I am especially excited knowing that my friends, neighbors, and community are all making steps in their own lives and identifying what solutions work for them. Together we are making a huge impact and helping to push the movement closer to the tipping point!  With all of our efforts, this could be quite an exciting ride.

Since this newsletter is already on the lengthy side, I will make this issue’s sustainability tip a brief as I can. I arrived home one day last month, checked the mail, and was blown away by the amount of junk mail I continue to receive each day. Did I ever order anything from Crate and Barrel? How did I get on the Eastbay Athletics mailing list? One thing I do know is that I do not qualify for AARP membership yet! We did the research a few years ago about junk mail and the facts aren’t pretty. Over 90 million trees are cut down each year for junk mail printing alone. 44% of that junk mail goes right into the garbage, unopened and unread, and NOT recycled. Trying to remove yourself from the dizzying array of list brokers, direct marketers, and national mailing lists can be a truly exhausting process, only to be added again once you buy something or send in your warranty registration.

Catalog Choice (http://www.catalogchoice.org/) is a free service that allows you to manage your receipt of close to 1300 retailer catalogs. It’s a simple process where you can remove yourself from some or all of the catalogs completely, switch to paperless email editions, or find somewhere comfortable in between. It’s a win for all involved. We are able to reduce the clutter and unnecessary waste, retailers save on distribution costs and better target their market, and the reduction of waste, emissions, and felled trees makes an undeniably positive impact on our environment.

For a small fee of $9.00, the Privacy Council (http://privacycouncil.org/about/) will remove you from all of the necessary lists to virtually eliminate your junk mail. They do the legwork that can be painful if you do it yourself. Most of the companies require you to write letters to be removed, and many of them. This might be the option for you!

Please be advised that we do not advocate or endorse either of these solutions. We just found them to be helpful resources that seem to work well.

Finally, the Los Angeles Department of Public Works has a useful junk mail site that is very informative and can guide you through some of the steps if you’d like to take the matter into your own hands. http://ladpw.org/EPD/junkmail/index.cfm

Thanks so much for reading, and again, Happy New Year!

-Matt

Dear friends-

1) First, a big thanks to solar customer Dave McArthur for being the first to update us on monumental legislation signed into law last week by the Guv’na! This may be a sign that the stranglehold that our powerful utilities have had on the system may be weakening, if only slightly. Last Tuesday evening Bill AB 920 was signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger. This legislation requires utilities in the state to compensate customers that generate excess electricity each calendar year, and should be sorted out by January 1/2011. Just in time for you to go solar and have a big surplus! Yes, that means that according to the legislation, you will be entitled to receive an actual check for any extra energy you have produced from your solar system. It is also looking like the rate of compensation, set by the PUC, will be quite favorable. Wow! Up until this time, if you happened to produce more electricity than you used, state utilities kept a credit for you up to one year, but if that surplus was not used they would simply take it and sell it for their own profit. What a move in the right direction. Our state legislators also approved a bill that would increase the commercial rate of compensation for solar energy, further incentivizing businesses toward building solar energy capabilities.

2) Thanks to everyone who let us know that they signed up for a 55 gallon rain barrel. The response was fantastic, so we hope you all receive one. If you do in fact get scheduled for installation, can you please let us know? We’d love to film the easy installation to show more people how its done. Rainwater collection is so easy and really makes a measurable contribution to saving water and reducing runoff.

3) The Federal Appliance Rebate Program is coming soon. It looks like it will be launched by November 1 or so. Allocations for the program are based on state population, so California will receive about $35 million to allocate for $50-$200 cash rebates for Energy Efficient Appliances. This is on top of the rebates already available by LADWP, SoCal Gas, and SoCal Watersmart program. This is huge! That $900 front loader washer could actually cost you just $370 after the federal rebate is applied. A front loading washer uses as much as 85% less water and energy than a top loader. BUT, it is important that you wait until the program starts. We’ve noticed that when rebate programs are funded, they most often require that the appliance be purchased after the program has launched. (probably to measure the very temporary stimulus the programs are creating) A purchase even the day before does not qualify. We’ll keep you posted as to the exact launch of the federal program.

Thanks for reading!

Matt

Dear friends-

There are still 170 spots available in the LA Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Program, which includes a free 55-gallon rain barrel and free setup. The program is designed to conserve potable water and reduce the amount of polluted rainwater that runs untreated into the ocean. By clicking on the link below you can find out if your home will qualify (a broad swath of LA homes do) and complete an on-line application.

Some important facts from the the article:
Though a single 55-gallon rain barrel will only catch about 10% of the 9,600 gallons of water generated in a typical year by an average 1,000-square-foot residential L.A. rooftop, those water savings are substantial. If each of the 800,000 residential parcels in L.A. were to install just a single rain barrel, the city estimates about 800 million gallons of water would be saved, which would in turn reduce the demand for tap water – a resource that’s becoming more precious as L.A. enters into a fourth year of drought.

Sourced from Chicago Rain Barrel, each barrel has already been retrofitted with a wire screen on top to screen debris, a spigot on the bottom to drain it, a connector at the bottom in case homeowners want to connect additional barrels and an overflow valve should the barrel fill up.

If you feel your home and garden could benefit from a rain barrel, have a look! Here and here.

Regards,

Matt

Dear Friends-

One of the things that we at Mimeos try to do is help our friends, neighbors, and customers navigate the vast array of cash rebates from the local utilities and public works organizations, as well as the many federal tax credits on everything from energy efficient appliances, solar installations, to drought tolerate landscape and sprinkler heads.

To give you an example, let’s say you are ready to buy an Energy Star model front loading clothes washing machine. These are great because they use a ton less water and energy than traditional top loading clothes washers.

If we go to the LADWP website, we see that we are eligible for a $300.00 cash rebate through the SoCal Watersmart program. Good news. A great model that I have is the Whirlpool Duet HT 4.0 washing machine. This is on sale right now for $854. That means that the cash rebate covers 35% of the cost of this model while also reducing your water bill. But if we keep searching around, we find that SoCal Gas (or your gas provider) ALSO has a cash rebate for the same washing machine in the amount of $35.00. We’ve applied for a variety of these cash rebates and seem to always receive our checks in a very reasonable timeframe. Sometimes just a few weeks. And coming soon, additional cash rebates of up to $200 from the federal government. That means for some appliances you may get well upwards of 50% of the cost paid for. Whatever you may think of these types of programs or our (runaway) government spending, we might as well take what the government is giving us, especially since we know reducing our energy usage and saving precious resources is of critical importance. These programs are helping.

The article is here.

There is free cash and sizable federal tax credits available for water heaters, insulation, windows and doors, dishwashers, sprinklers, solar installations, etc etc. It is mind-numbing to navigate all of these programs, so if you are thinking of doing anything from building a new addition to simply getting a new water heater, give us a call. We’d be more than happy to guide you through the rewards and the application process. You’ll be surprised at the chunk of money you will get back, and you are making step to lowering your property’s operating costs, sometimes dramatically. And we continue to find incredible programs for businesses that reward efficiency improvements even more. If your business is looking to change out old HVAC or other major systems, there are more advanced programs that pay big dividends, so make sure to call us before you pull the trigger.

It is also important to note that many of these rebate programs are requiring advanced reservation for the rebates as they are becoming extremely popular.

Best Regards,

Matt

Dear friends-

Finally, there was a quite favorable article in the LA TImes this past weekend about solar! Basically, it states the same message that I have been trying to spread as much as possible of late: with the dramatic drop in solar panel prices this year, solar is no longer just a great idea, but financially smart. Interestingly, the article doesn’t mention anything about the LADWP rebate, which is significantly higher than the rest of the state. Take a look at the article here

And for businesses, the incentives are even better. Almost hard to believe.

Community Solar:

Some of you may have heard of a new company called One Block Off the Grid or 1BOG, that is doing a great job aggregating interest in solar in various cities, choosing a single installer, and providing a group discount. More than anything Mimeos is passionate about solar so we love the fact that this company is doing a great job to spread the word and make it happen for more people.
The model that 1BOG is using is exactly like the Community Program Mimeos led last year, albeit much more robust. I really like their technology to get the word out, too. They just require significantly MORE participation than Mimeos did in order to get any discounts. (20x more!)

But don’t be fooled! Although their pricing with large groups is good (they have gotten in the low $6/Watt range) they are a lead generation company that gets paid handsomely for their efforts. But the also have a laundry list of “Add-ons” that increase the price for your system, sometimes dramatically. You also have no say in materials or the installer used. Got a flat roof? That’s an extra $.30/Watt. Wood shake roof? Extra $.30/Watt. Roof pitch greater than 30 degrees? Extra $.30/Watt. Got limited roof space and need high efficiency Sanyo panels? Extra $1.10-$1.45/Watt! You get the picture.

So why choose Mimeos?

Pricing: Our pricing is already in the $6/Watt range WITHOUT group discount (and dropping!) because we pass all of the material cost reductions right along to our customers, and have direct relationships with some of the best panel manufacturers in the world. And the drop in panel prices has been HUGE this year. As we have always said, we want to make solar happen for as many people as possible. We have the pricing flexibility to be able to do that. We found first hand last year that working with the large solar Installers in the state does not translate to better pricing.

Size: We keep a streamlined structure. When we partnered with one of the largest Installers in the state last year for the Griffith Park/Silver Lake/Los Feliz Community Solar Initiative, there were times when 4 people spent a full day trying to fill out a rebate form that takes less than 10 minutes for a single person to complete. That Installer has recently been awarded a 1BOG project up in San Francisco. They have a tremendous amount of overhead to cover, something that does not translate to savings for the customer. If you happen to have a challenging roof, its likely they will not even consider you as a customer. Mimeos, on the other hand, has excelled at finding solutions to make it happen for even the most difficult roof. In spite of our smaller size, no commercial installation we have been involved with has been too big!

Installation Efficiency: Mimeos has local preferred installers that have the highest possible state contractor and energy practitioner licenses. They are as passionate about solar as we are, and rarely, if ever, add on extra fees for slope, roof material, etc. When we receive your rebate reservation, you installation usually starts within a week, and free electricity is on the way. With 1BOG or other larger installers, it may take over 3 months before they can start your project!

Thanks for reading, and please spread the word about solar! And just a reminder, should you refer Mimeos a residential customer for which we complete an installation, $500 is yours. If you refer us a commercial project we commission you based on the size of the project, which is substantial!

We welcome the opportunity to work with you, and look forward to continuing to build a better energy future.

Regards,
Matt