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Adobe Solar Blog

With another rate increase hitting your bill in the coming weeks, and more to follow in the months/years ahead, a solar electric system for your home or office may finally make financial sense.

 Xcel energy estimates that more than 60% of its 1.1 million residential customers in Colorado will fall under their new higher tiered rates which will allow Xcel to charge customers more if they use more that 500 kilowatt-hour (kWh) per month.  To put this in perspective the average Colorado Xcel customer's home uses 687 kWh per month during the summer. 

Last summer, Xcel’s residential electric customers were paying roughly 9.3 cents per kWh of electricity used, but this year these same customers whose electrical usage falls below 500 kWh per month are expected to pay a rate of 9.9 cents per kWh, and those who use more than 500 kWh per month can expect to pay 14.3 cents per kWh.  Those Colorado residents who are in the unfortunate 60% majority of Xcel’s Colorado residential customers can expect an increase in their June bill of more than 54%.   

Well, Colorado resident electric rates aren't the only thing Xcel has decided to double in recent months.   Xcel CEO Richard Kelly's compensation from Xcel from more than doubled from 2008 to 2009, going from a modest $5.1 million to $11.3 million.  Last fall Xcel also decided to increase an annual equity grant for its Board of Directors from $80,000 to $120,000.  Of course these grants are in addition to other compensation.  Recent rate hikes and falling coal prices have helped Xcel to boost its profit margins and Xcel has a positive outlook for 2010 expecting to earn between $1.55 and $1.65 per share for the year. 

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Adobe Solar was recentlry awarded the Gold Star from the Denver/Boulder Better Business Bureau.  This award is only provided to those compaies who have held a complaint free period of at least 3 years.  We are pround to have been given this award and will do our best to go another 3+ years without customer complaint. 

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In celebration of Earth Day, Adobe Solar is offering $750 off of any installed solar electric system of more than 4kW (DC) thru May 15, 2010.  Mention this blog post before May 15, and Adobe Solar will discount the quoted price of your solar by $750.00

Celebrate Earth Day by going solar while the savings are good!

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On April 19th 2010 Colorado's Governors Energy Office (GEO) will issue a statewide cash rebate for Colorado businesses and homeowners wishing to become energy independent and hedge rising energy costs. The new program will provide up to $1500 per kilowatt (DC) installed, with a maximum rebate of $4,500 for homeowners and $15,000 for business owners. These rebates will be available on a first come first serve basis until GEO funding is for the program has been exhausted. This opens up the idea of solar to many homeowners around the state how may have not been eligible for local utility rebates, most notably the Xcel Solar Rewards Program. This new rebate should provide several hundred home and business owners with new solar electric systems to power homes and buildings and help Colorado become more energy independent. For more information on this program visit the Colorado GEO: http://www.colorado.gov/energy/index.php?/resources/category/rebates/

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Adobe Solar has agreed to assist the Community College of Aurora in developing and teaching a “Solar PV Systems Technician” certificate program designed to educate solar installers in Colorado. The first 10-week Solar PV Installation course will begin on April 12, and will meet twice a week. This course will provide students hands on experience with local industry professionals. The training lab will allow students to design and install actual solar systems during class, and provide students with the skills they need to enter Colorado’s blossoming green job market. For more information on this program visit the Community College of Aurora website at http://www.ccaurora.edu/programs-classes/express-ed/solar-energy

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Colorado Rep Levy is proposing a "solar gardens," bill (HB1342) which if passed as currently written, will harm if not destroy Colorado's local solar industry, cause thousands of green workers to lose their jobs, and make it extremely difficult for Xcel Energy customers in Colorado to put solar on their homes and businesses. Rep Levy is working hard to pass this bill with the support of Xcel Energy. If passed as written this bill would take a large portion of the monies Xcel currently collects (2% RESA) for on-site distributed solar energy, and reallocate it to help Xcel pay and possibly own enormous industrial scale solar farms. This money was intended to help home and business owners to take advantage of Colorado’s abundant solar resource. The 2% RESA carve-out for on-site solar which was the result of 2004 Amendment 37 , and subsequently Xcel’s solar rewards rebate program is largely the reason Colorado has a local solar industry today! These monies have already benefited thousands of homeowners in Colorado and successfully created thousands of green jobs in Colorado. The problem is that in these difficult economic times Xcel has already disrupted Colorado’s Solar industry by slashing its solar PV rebates for Colorado rate payers by more than 20% in the last 7 months, with plans to reduce these rebates further in the weeks/months ahead. Xcel has explained to the solar industry that it was forced to suddenly slash its solar PV rebates meant for homes and small businesses because they are not collecting sufficient money to continue paying rebates at current levels. Xcel's current solar rebate reductions have already been painful for Colorado's Solar Industry, but if this bill passes and allows Xcel to use these monies to own/ control massive solar farms outside the city, Colorado's local solar industry is likely headed for disaster! In her meeting in Boulder on this Monday, Rep Levy made it clear that she thinks this bill will pass due to Xcel's backing, and the "sweeteners" she provided them. The irony is that a working solar garden will be unveiled in Westminster today (http://finance.denverpost.com/mng-denver.denverpost/?Page=MediaViewer&GUID=12111685), proving that the solar gardens concept can work without taking away from the pool of monies needed for Colorado rooftops and to help sustain Colorado's solar industry in these difficult times. Rep Levy's bill is great for Colorado's largest polluter, but may lead to the destruction for Colorado's local solar industry. Please contact your local Colorado representative and tell to vote "NO" on the Community Solar Gardens Bill (HB1342)

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Xcel Energy is quickly approaching its 5th solar rebate reduction in the last 7 months. The next reduction is likely to occur in the next few weeks and when it occurs it will reduce the solar rebate for customer owned solar electric systems by an additional 5%. As spring begins we expect that these rebates will continue to fall. Xcel Energy customers will probably never see this level of solar rebate again from Xcel and with the recent price drops in solar panels and other solar equipment now may be the best time to go solar for Colorado’s home and business owners. For more information about the Xcel Energy’s Solar Rewards rebate please visit Xcel Energy’s website: Xcel Energy Solar Rewards Rebate

At Adobe Solar we provide turn-key solar electric systems from start to finish. We provide free solar electric system site assessments so that you will know what the total system costs and benefits before making any decisions. After you decide to move forward we will have one of our certified solar systems engineers, design a PV system which fits your needs and budget. Additionally, we provide all services needed to apply for, process, and collect your Xcel Solar Rewards rebate monies for eligible Colorado customers. These services will reduce your out-of-pocket costs by up to 50% and provide you with a solar electric system which you can count on to provide you with safe, clean, quiet, renewable energy for the next 30+ years.

Please call an Adobe Solar representative to take advantage of solar rebates while there here and begin saving today!

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Beginning March 31, 2010, the Governor's Energy Office (GEO) has said that it will begin providing a new round of solar electric system rebates to Colorado residents. Although the details have not yet been released, it has been said that this rebate will be available to home and business owners outside of Xcel Energy’s Electrical service area. The GEO rebate is estimated to provide up to $3.00/watt (DC) for solar electric systems of up to 3,000 watts (DC) in size, providing a maximum up-front cash rebate of as much as $9,000.00. This rebate will only be available while funding is available, so we suggest applying as soon as possible if you are interested! For more information please contact Adobe Solar at 303-339-0308.

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Give Colorado's best Valentines Day gift ever! 30+ years of Clean, Solar Power! Although beautiful and fragrant, roses often last only weeks and soon after are forgotten. This Valentines Day be different and give a gift that will be remembered for generations, a new solar powered system. Adobe Solar can provide all of the clean solar energy you need to power up to 120% of your home’s needs. With lower prices and increased solar rebates in Colorado, now is a better time than even to buy the one you love a thoughtful gift which will be remembered. Just incase you still need flowers this February 14th, if you purchase a solar PV system from Adobe Solar before Valentines Day the roses are on us!

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Governor Bill Ritter is actively promoting a bill that would raise the renewable energy standard for publicly owned utilities in Colorado from 20% to 30% by 2020

In 2004 Colorado passed an amendment that established a 10% Renewable Energy Standard (RES) for the state which was to be accomplish by 2015. Soon after being elected in 2007, Ritter saw that the 10% target far ahead of schedule and subsequently raised this standard to 20% by the year 2020.

“It’s time to once again push the envelope and keep Colorado out front as a national leader,” he said in testimony before the House Transportation and Energy Committee on behalf of House Bill 10-1001. Later is his testimony Ritter explained that this higher RES will create thousands of new green jobs and 100,000 more solar rooftops across the state this decade. For more information on this bill CLICK HERE

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