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Cashing in on rays off to good start with Solar rebate program: regional energy office processing 46 new applications.

Article Excerpt
Considering the California Solar Initiative's lofty goal to "put solar on a million roofs in the state" over a 10-year period that began in January, the business of cashing in on the rays is getting off to a decent start, at least in San Diego.

The San Diego Regional Energy Office, in charge of administering the rebate incentive program for San Diego Gas & Electric Co., is processing 46 applications for solar installations. SDG&E's aim is to have 180 megawatts of additional electrical capacity from solar photovoltaic systems.

The expectation is that one-third of that amount would come from residential properties and two-thirds from nonresidential, said Tom Geldner, director of marketing for the San Diego Regional Energy Office.

A typical 1 kilowatt residential photovoltaic system produces 1,550 kilowatt hours per month in San Diego. However, the amount of electricity a typical household uses in a year is 6,500 kilowatt hours, so residential installations are...