Edison offers free solar workshops

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Thinking about reducing your energy costs by tapping into solar power at your home? Southern California Edison says that you can make the task a lot easier and more efficient if you come to them first.

You can get some of the basics at the utility company’s free solar energy sessions thatare held on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings at various locations. SCE spokeswoman Vanessa McGrady says that the 90-minute information seminars are delivered without a lot of technical jargon and include information on solar energy basics and benefits, on financial incentives available through the California Solar Initiative and on tax credits that can help reduce costs.

There are a lot of good steps for homeowners to take to ensure that they get the best and most efficient solar system for their homes, says Bob Botkin, manager of the California Solar Initiative for Southern California Edison.

Among them: Getfree, in home, online or through-the-mail energy audit information about your household’s electrical consumption. That will help you figure out just how much energy you use -- in kilowatt hours.

The same audit will help you eliminate what the utility calls phantom or vampire usage. Every phone or Bluetooth charger that you leave plugged in, every printer or computer or computer monitor or digital recorder that is sitting on standby when you are not using it, is still burning energy. Botkin says it is important to eliminate those things first before ordering more solar panels than you might really need.

There’s also no need to try to do it all at once. The systems are modular, Botkin says, making it easy to shoot for an initial goal of reducing energy costs by 25%, then adding more solar panels later.

Botkin suggests seeking out three bids from licensed contractors. A list of some of those contractors is available on the Southern California Edison website. Those customers who attend the 90-minute sessions also can get a list of contractors who have installed solar systems in their residential areas.

For more information, you can check out the following websites:
www.sce.com/csi and www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov

The 90-minute sessions are free but require registration because space is limited. To register, visit www.sce.com/csi or call (866) 970-9221. Times and locations include the following:

May 6 -- Lancaster
SCE’s Antelope Valley Service Center
Assembly Room
42060 10th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93539

May 13 -- Fullerton
SCE’s Fullerton Service Center
Assembly Room
1851 W. Valencia Dr.
Fullerton, CA 92833

May 20 -- Redlands
Redlands Community Senior Center
All-Purpose Room
111 W. Lugonia Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374

May 27 -- Valencia
SCE’s Valencia Service Center
Main Conference Room
25625 W. Rye Canyon Road
Valencia, CA 91355

May 30 -- Santa Monica
Santa Monica Public Library
Multi-Purpose Room -- 2nd floor
601 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(This session is co-hosted by the City of Santa Monica)

June 4 -- Palm Springs
City ofPalm Springs Council Chambers
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(This session is co-hosted by the City of Palm Springs and the Desert Cities Energy Partnership)

June 18 -- Victorville
SCE’s Victorville Service Center
Assembly Room
12353 Hesperia Rd.
Victorville, CA 92392

June 20 -- Wildomar
SCE’s Wildomar Service Center
Assembly Rooms East and West
24487 Prielipp Road
Wildomar, CA 92595

June 25 -- Torrance
SCE’s South Bay Service Center
Assembly Room
505 Maple Ave.
Torrance, CA 90503

June 30 -- Ventura
SCE’s Ventura Service Center
Large Assembly Room
10060 Telegraph Rd. – Building B
Ventura, CA 93004

-- Ron White