The Extraordinary Ordinary: Estela Gatto

[Originally published July 1, 2015]

We use the Davis' downtown United States Post Office a lot.  And Estela Gatto, the woman behind the front desk...the woman who keeps everything moving along harmoniously... the woman who gives each person her full attention and care...always makes our day.

It doesn't matter who needs what, Estela is unwaveringly patient and kind. Students come in with flumpily wrapped packages to mail overseas (with all the labels in the wrong places) and Estela helps them sort it all out.

Today, an "experienced person," who has probably circled the Sun at the astounding speed of 67,000 miles per hour eighty-plus times now, didn't understand how to swipe her credit card and Estela very quietly and patiently explained. One of the people in line stepped to the front to help the woman, too. The potentially drab post office was shining with positive vibes.

Estela sets the tone of kindness. Sometimes the line gets long, but she never acts pressured or irritated. She jokes with everyone and makes sure that the people waiting all are reaping the benefits of the air conditioning. 

"Don't stand out there to wait. It's too hot," Estela says, "Come in here and just remember your place in line." 

I went to the Post Office today for the express purpose of seeing Estela about this blog post. I waited in line and looked around me. There were four or five in line behind me, but no one looked grumpy. When it was my turn, I told Estela why I had come.

"Estela, Repower decided to highlight people who are making a difference in our community, and you're our very first person to be featured in our Extraordinary Ordinary Wednesday post! You always make our day and I know that you brighten many others' days, too."

"It comes naturally to me because I just treat others the way that I would like to be treated," she said. 

Then something else extraordinary happened. Everyone in the line chimed in and shared their appreciation of Estela. They were excited about the idea of our Extraordinary Ordinary Wednesday post and asked where they could read about their beloved Estela. Yes, we had a bit of a celebration in the middle of the tiny Downtown Davis Post Office!

When I shot Estela's photo, she joked, "I hope I didn't break your camera." Not a chance. Estela Gatto, you are beautiful...a ray of sunshine who brightens all our lives. Thank you for being so extraordinary. 

When you go solar with Repower, we donate $500.00 to the charity of your choice.

The Extraordinary Ordinary...Every Wednesday

[Originally published July 1, 2015]

The Repower team deeply appreciates the people in Yolo County who let their light shine, give their all, and consistently go the extra mile without any fanfare.  They are brilliant stars in what some would call "ordinary jobs." But these people, these bright lights, transform the ordinary into the extraordinary...every day. 

We wanted to celebrate these people. So, we decided to say, "Thank you," every month to these folks for their sunny dispositions and generous hearts.

When you go solar with Repower, we donate $500.00 to the charity of your choice.

Rest at Night, à l'Emily Dickinson

[Originally published June 26, 2015]

Happy Friday! Welcome to Repower's Friday Solar Poetry Corner. After all, in addition to being an extraordinary source of clean, affordable energy, there is a certain poetic element to solar. The Sun, so powerful and constant, well, Emily Dickinson pegged it in Rest at Night. Enjoy!

Rest at Night
The Sun from shining,
Nature—and some Men—
Rest at Noon—some Men—
While Nature
And the Sun—go on— 

We Can Lead by Example, Right Here and Right Now, in Yolo

[Originally published June 25, 2015]

All right. Pope Francis's call for swift action on climate change got me to thinking about leadership toward sustainability. Other world leaders, too, are stepping up to the plate. But it occurred to me that there is a lot that each one of us can do to lead on the very real and mighty micro-levels of our families, neighborhoods, and communities. In other words, I realized that we don't need to be world leaders to benefit the world. But we do need to be leaders and we need to lead by our example ... right here in Yolo County.

 

The Most Popular Guy at the Party

I then remembered  an article I read a while back about the most popular person at a party. The writer asked, "Who do you think the most popular guy at the party is? The one telling tons of jokes? The handsomest? The richest?" No. The most popular guy at the party is the one who listens well to what others are saying...who shows a genuine interest in others. So doesn't it play out that to lead by example requires us also to be genuinely interested in others? 

 

The Invitation

Humans are insatiably curious about and aware of one another. They are interested in other humans. Large hotel chains experimented with signs that asked their guests to reuse their towels to help reduce water usage and wastewater output. One type of sign provided facts about water usage and towels, assuming that the facts alone were enough to compel people to change their behaviors and reuse their towels. The other type of messaging invited the guests to join all the other people who are already helping to save the environment by reusing their towels. Which type of messaging was most effective? The invitation to join the others at the party! 

 

Primary Reasons People Go Solar

For most, economics are the primary motivating force behind the decision to go solar. Freedom from PG&E rate hikes. Greatly reduced or Net Zero energy usage.  The fact that solar is clean and green is a great "added benefit." While the economic rationale of going solar is important, there is something more serious at stake here than mere dollars. 

 

What We Do and Don't Do

It's interesting that, when people see their friends and neighbors going solar, they become interested in going solar, too. What we do and don't do influences the people around us. Not doing whatever we can to mitigate climate change runs counter to the environmental and economic intelligence we need to exercise to get out of this Climate Change Pickle. 

 

The Biggest Yes

Yes, going solar usually a sound economic decision. And, yes, it increases the value of your home. And, yes, it frees you from PG&E's ambiguity and rate hikes. But it's bigger than all this. The biggest "yes" is that going solar feels so good because we're taking action to mitigate the damage we've done to the environment, so that Earth can begin to heal. And, by doing so, you invite others to the party. What we do has a big impact. Can you feel the (re)power?

Yolo County’s Universe Travelers

[Originally published June 19, 2015]

Just think. We are circling the Sun at the astounding speed of 67,000 miles per hour. We're not getting older, we're becoming more well-traveled. We are Universe Travelers. Great news, right?  

And then, to top that, the magnificent Sun that we're orbiting is traveling 70,000 kilometers per hour and pulling us and the entire solar system with it. It really doesn't get better than this! Everything is in motion and it is...beautiful. 

The science and poetry of Solar Energy are wondrous, as are its economics and environmental sustainability. If you're curious about going solar...about the money you can save on electricity generated by the Sun...or about the great financing options out there, call us or fill out your information and we'll get right back to you. 

Meanwhile, enjoy this short video on our Sun System, aka homesweethome.

 

Summer Sun, à la Robert Louis Stevenson

[Originally published June 19, 2015]

 

Welcome to Repower's Solar Poetry Corner! Since time began, the Sun has aroused humankind's curiosity, as we are completely dependent upon it. The Sun has also inspired many a poem. {The painting above is "Alien Sun" by Gretzky.) Here is Robert Louis Stevenson's "Summer Sun," perfect for Yolo County. 

Summer Sun

Great is the sun, and wide he goes
Through empty heaven with repose; 
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays. 

Though closer still the blinds we pull
To keep the shady parlour cool, 
Yet he will find a chink or two
To slip his golden fingers through. 

The dusty attic spider-clad
He, through the keyhole, maketh glad; 
And through the broken edge of tiles
Into the laddered hay-loft smiles. 

Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground, 
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the ivy's inmost nook. 

Above the hills, along the blue, 
Round the bright air with footing true, 
To please the child, to paint the rose, 
The gardener of the World, he goes. 

Robert Louis Stevenson

Sustainable energy is here.

[Originally published June 12, 2015}

In the June 8, 2015 issue of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly, Gregory M. Lamb interviewed Lester Brown, the environmental analyst and founder of the Earth Policy Institute, who sees a bright future for sun and wind power. Here are a few tasty tidbits from the article. 

"For a lot of our lifetimes, we've been getting energy [oil] from halfway around the world. Now suddenly we have rooftop panels and we're getting energy from 10 feet over our heads."

—Lester Brown

Founder of the Earth Policy Institute

 

"There's a whole list of billionaires just piling money into this [sun and wind]. What that does for investment is it says, This is where the smart money is going."

—Lester Brown

Named "...one of the world's most influential thinkers"

 

"Almost all the big homebuilders in this country either offer or automatically put solar panels on new rooftops...because buying a house with no electric bill is kind of neat." 

—Lester Brown

Called "the guru of the environmental movement"

READ ENTIRE INTERVIEW WITH LESTER BROWN

We’ve Repowered Our Visual Brand

[Originally published June 11, 2015]

We’re excited to announce that our new logo is ALIVE! James Goodchap of Goodchap Brand Identity developed our visual brand after a lot of careful listening and strategic thought. Fun was definitely something we wanted to convey. Local. Fresh. Community-based. And, of course, solar.

“The Repower team and I have a longstanding and rich history of working together, so there was already a high level of trust and an understanding of the caliber of thinkers with whom I was working. The brand visual identity had to be distinct, memorable. We were looking for something that had a level of energy and excitement and that reflected the sustainable technology at this pivotal time in our world, when we all must look after the planet. This project resonated with me. As a long-term bicycle commuter, I was thrilled to put my oar in the water and partner with Repower.”

—James Goodchap

Thank you, James!

Sunlight Feeds Yolo’s Hungry

[Originally published May 27, 2015]

In 2014, Repower had the pleasure of supporting more than 25 Yolo County nonprofits. Every time a Yolo County homeowner goes solar with us, we donate money to a local organization. You repower your home with sunlight and we help repower our community. What's not to love?

One of our favorite nonprofits is Yolo Food Bank. Yolo Food Bank feeds 17,000 households each month. This year, when you go solar with Repower, we will donate $500 to Yolo Food Bank in your name. That’s one meal a day for a year: Feed 1,500!

Here’s how we do it:

  1. We perform a no-cost solar analysis to review your PG&E bills and evaluate available roof space to help you determine if solar is a good investment for your home.

  2. We evaluate and explain multiple financing options, including programs with no up-front cash outlay, to help you choose the one that’s best for you.

  3. We manage the entire solar process—design, permitting, installation, and financing—for you.

RepowerYolo leverages the power of group purchasing. Combined with Yolo Food Bank's  buying power - through bulk and wholesale purchasing - Repower saves you $3,000-10,000 on your solar installation and the Food Bank stretches each dollar donated to equal $5.50 in food value. That means that your solar system will give Yolo Food Bank $2,750 worth of food to help wipe out hunger in our community. 

Understanding Net Energy Metering and Solar's Relationship with Public Utilities

[Originally published May 12, 2015]

We launched Repower--a community-focused, group purchase program to help our friends and neighbors in Yolo County go solar--18 months ago. After more than 40 residential solar installations, here are a some  observations from PG&E country:

Net Energy Metering (NEM). Net metering helps solar customers, especially when their usage is low in the spring and fall (less air conditioning and heating). In those months, customers bank their surplus energy production and use it to offset summer and winter usage.

ROR. Repower's 40+ installations generate an average of approximatley 6.5 kw--a bit higher than the state average--and customers get their money back in about 6 years, for a rate of return in the 12% range. I characterize solar as a bond investment, i.e., very low risk and steady returns for long periods of time.

Greater Personal Power. Our homeowners value and enjoy the feelings of independence and control that generating their own clean power gives them. Yes, they are tied to their utitlities through Net Energy Metering (NEM), but they are no longer subject to its rate hikes and complicated fee structures. 

Community Choice Aggregation Districts. The Investor Owned Utility's (IOU) general reluctance to change their business models to support locally-generated power is forcing many communities to consider setting up their own Community Choice Aggregation Districts, another poke-in-the-eye to IOUs.

One IOU's Approach. The Modesto Irrigation District, which serves a relatively large customer base in the Central Valley, generates its own power. Because its Net Energy Metering program has already reached capacity, it's no longer available. Instead, solar customers qualify for a new rate structure that lowers their rates across the board. Installing a solar system instantly reduces the total bill by more than 25%, without taking into account the value of the solar generated electricity. While better than nothing, Modesto Irrigation District's fix still falls short of the ROR that homeowners should be getting for the surplus electricity they generate.But, it's a start. 

A Big Game Changer ... Down the Line. On April 30, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the new Tesla Energy battery for businesses and utility companies. Tesla's relatively inexpensive battery solutions for storing solar-generated electricity will be a game changer, but the extent of the transformation depends in part on the utilities developing favorable rate structures. The other major factor rests with battery development. Tesla's announced battery is intended for backup power supply, not for leveling usage. While Tesla's innovation is exciting, it will take years before it becomes pragmatic and adoptable for IOUs. 
 

Solar Selfie of a Happy Repower Homeowner

[Originally published May 8, 2015]

When Jeff Tweddale moved from redwood country to sunny Davis, he went solar. Motivated by his general philosophy of energy conservation, Jeff said, "I never doubted it. There are so many options for how we go solar. Anybody who lives in a places that generates so much sunlight is stupid not to go solar." 

The thing that caused him to act so quickly was the hungry sound of his swimming pool pumps guzzling non-renewable electricity. It was wasteful. 

Jeff checked out a few companies, Sunpower and Solar City included. Why did he choose to go solar with Repower? Local owners and the local ownership model. He wanted to invest his money in the long-term of solar to own. With Repower, the solar energy system will stay with the house, if and when he sells it.  The economics of Repower's plan, plus his own personal commitment to energy conservation, sealed the deal.

And, now that he's generating his own electricity, he feels great. In Jeff's own words, going solar makes him feel:

"Excellent. Confident. Appropriate. Empowered."

The installation went "perfectly well and took only six weeks, from beginning to end. Repower gave excellent presale support, and Chris and John were very thorough." 

A Solar Story that Began with Love

[Originally published April 23, 2015]

Richard Kaiser fell in love. Then he moved to Davis to be with his darling and her children. They lived in her home and decided to remodel the inside. In the throes of renovation, Richard bumped into his friend and Repower homeowner, John Mott-Smith, who suggested they go solar with Repower.

"I never talked with anyone else. I'd trust John with my life. And I know that he never wastes money. I don't have a bone to pick with PG&E, but I liked the idea of making our own electricity and saving money. The economics seem to work out.

"Repower's solar energy system installation process was a lot quicker than I expected. It was painless, quick, sooner-than-later."

Repower is community-focused. Richard's story illustrates just how powerful friends and neighbors can be. And this is exactly what energizes our Repower team. 

Solar: No Longer Just for Idealists

[Originally published April 14, 2015]

The Idealist and the Pragmatist; two sides of the same behavioral coin. For idealists, repowering a home with solar creates a playground for exploration, discovery, bragging rights, and the “cool factor.” The idealists can afford to do the “right” thing. Pragmatists, while also excited about doing new things, are a bit more cautious. Decision-making is driven by doing the “smart” thing.

What does it take for solar to become commonplace? To shift from the “cool” thing to do, to the “smart” thing to do?

With any emerging, high-growth market, potential customers can be segmented into Idealists and Pragmatists, and few markets better exemplify this dichotomy than solar power. The idealists are the likes of James Tennant Baldwin, who in 1977, 138 years after the discovery of the photovoltaic effect, built the world’s first building to be completely powered by wind and solar energy. Idealists are visionaries like President Jimmy Carter, who installed solar panels on the white house in 1977 and created the first federal incentives for solar energy systems.

The answer to my question above, is time. For technologies to become ready for the mass market, it takes time. And that time, that shift, is now. When President Carter repowered the White House with solar, the systems cost in the area of $20/watt. Alternative energy sources used to be too cost prohibitive for the average homeowner, and were limited to wealthy environmentalists and early adopters, the “I’m cool, but I’m not mainstream” group; a fairly small demographic. The high cost was worth the “cool factor.”

Fast forward to today. In 2013, more solar was installed in California than the prior 30 years... Combined. And, in 2013, the average cost of residential solar systems in Yolo County was $4.90 per watt. Today, homeowners who take advantage of the RepowerYolo group discount are enjoying even more significant savings, purchasing solar for $3.30-$4.00/watt. Instead of paying PG&E every month, Yolo County homeowners are profiting from the sun, earning a 10-18% annual investment return while increasing the value of their homes.

What does this mean? It means that solar energy is no longer reserved for the idealists. Repowering a home is now affordable, feasible, and profitable for the average homeowner. And the best part about solar energy? It is now the smart thing to do, while remaining the right and cool thing to do. Solar power reduces or even eliminates your electric bill, it helps the environment, and it’s easy.

The key to successfully repowering your home is to understand and leverage opportunities. Community-centered programs like RepowerYolo help eliminate the guesswork, and assure the best possible price. When a community leverages its purchasing power, homeowners can secure an even greater price reduction than before.

So what is the breakdown? This is the year to repower your home. Solar is easy and affordable, it’s the right thing to do, it is the cool thing to do, and now, it is the smart thing to do.

Repower Homeowner Reaches Net Zero and Projects Surplus

[Originally published April 9, 2015]

We recently received this email from Repower homeowner, Fred Lee:

"Today is an important milestone in our solar cell operation in that the PGE smart meter today reads the same as the day we officially started operation of the solar cells on July 15, 2014.  This means that the solar cells have generated as much electricity as we have used since July 15, 2014. From now till next October we will be generating more electricity than we use and will be able to sell the excess to PGE next July on the one year anniversary of the solar cell operation. We expect to generate at least 50 kW/day over the summer and early fall. In a couple of months we will generate sufficient electricity to pay off the monthly cost of the loan that we took to pay for the solar cells."  

And there you have it, directly from one of our homeowners. Great news! We'd love to help you repower with solar. Just give us a call or submit your contact information.