Enroll and Education

2015 Solarize Wells Branch and Surrounding Neighborhoods Project

The enrollment has closed for 2015 you can still use the educational videos below to learn about solar.

Here is a summary of the process:

1. Decision Point 1 - enroll here to get on our email list.   There is homework  you can do to determine how much electricity you use in a year and videos to learn more about Solar.
   
   ACTION ********Enroll Here To Get On Email List*******
2. Decision Point 2 - please fill out this form if you are willing to come to a group design meeting with your fellow neighbors.  By doing it as a group, it will provide a good setting to answer questions and you will end up with a price of the basic system.  You need to bring to the workshop your electric bills or know your kWh usage from your bills.  At the end of the night you can make an appointment for a Site Assessment.    If you are going to finance your solar panels there will be a Dividend Solar person at the workshop to do pre-approvals.
   
   ACTION ****** Decision Point 2 Form Questionnaire *******
   
   ACTION ******Email solarizewb@gmail.com to confirm a place in a group design meeting
   
3. Site Assessment - this will be checking roof angle, roof condition,  shading, roof steepness, electric box and other items that play a factor in your production of solar energy.   Installation costs such as updating your electrical box will be added to the basic system cost to give you a full proposal
4. Make your decision to go with solar and choose cash or finance plan.
5. Follow directions to get approval from your HOA or Architecture Review Board.
6. Work through the installation process with the vendor
7. File the paperwork to exempt the Solar Panels from your property taxes.
8. Next year, file the paperwork with your taxes to get 30% Solar Tax Credit

Here are the details of the process:

DECISION POINT 1 - DECIDE TO ENROLL TO LEARN MORE!

Open Enrollment -------------- November, 2014 -- March 15, 2015.   The more people that signup and elect to have PV solar systems installed, the larger the potential group purchase discount.

********Enroll Here*******

Enrollee next steps

• Review and perform the homework exercise described here -  Homework Assignment.  Fill out the HomeWork Form, printing out a copy before you exit.
• This is in the homework assignment, but it is important so it is listed here too.  If you are an Austin Energy customer you must have an Energy Audit done to qualify for an Austin Energy Solar rebate.   See step #2 in the Homework Assignment for details.   Go ahead and arrange to have an audit done so that it does not cause you a delay from moving forward with Solar when you make that decision.  The audit may require you to make some energy efficiency upgrades.  All customers that buy electricity from other Retail Electric Providers  (ONCOR distribution) do not have to do this.  
• Review the participants Decision Points descriptions - see Participant Decision Points
• Review the brief list of Frequently Asked Questions - see Solarize Wells Branch  Project Frequently Asked Questions.
• Make plans to watch the videos in the Information Sections below
• If you live in the ONCOR serving area, consider signing up at Smart Energy Texas to get detailed reports of your energy usage - www.smartmetertexas.com
• ONCOR Incentives information is at http://www.oncor.com/EN/Pages/Incentives.aspx
• Austin Energy Solar Program information is at Austin Energy Solar Program Details and FAQs

Information Session is online with videos below

• In Wells Branch there was a Solar Fair in October, 2014.   Many of you have learned the basics during that fair.    If you want a refresher or are new to thinking about buying a solar PV system, these videos will answer many questions.   They are from the Plano Solarize group and 98% of the information pertains to Wells Branch and neighbors.  Financing will be different since they had a city loan program.  If you watch these videos and have additional questions please send those to srh2pjh@gmail.com via email.   
• The following videos have been borrowed from the Plano Solarize project that has run the last two years very successfully.   They have been gracious with helping us pull together this project.    
• Part 1 Intro video
• Part 2.1  Residential Solar 101 video
• note - in 2014 ONCOR incentives were only for roofs that were 160-200 degrees (with 180 being due south).   In 2015 the ONCOR incentives are now extended to 90-270 degrees.   That means that many roofs that were not eligible for incentives in 2014 can be in 2015.   The video at the 4:25 minute mark reflects the old angle information.
• Part 2.2  Residential Solar 101 video continued
• Part 3 Is the Plano timeline and that video is not applicable.
• Part 4 Q&A sessions
• Section 1 - net metering, utility buyback plans; battery backup; power outages; electric meters for distributed generation; roof vents, turbines, pipes
• Section 2 - adding battery backup later, AC coupled systems; Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC); Retail Electric Providers that currently offer buyback plans; power-to-choose website
• Section 3 - property tax exemptions for renewable energy systems; resale value of homes with solar PV; solar PV system life, return on investment, electricity price hedging; further discussion on system installed costs; future for battery backup systems; equipment costs vs total installed costs
• Section 4 - solar panel quality and warranties; sizing your solar PV system installation; future solarize/group purchase projects and timing of the projects; group purchase pricing tiers; installation site assessments; homeowners insurance
• Section 5 - roof assessment and tradeoffs; solar company selection and RFP Review Team; power outages and solar PV; moving considerations, take your system?; permitting & inspections requirements & process; leasing vs buying; solar panel manufacturers

Solar company selected by participant RFP Review Board - No later than January 30, 2015

Check Project Communications page periodically

• Check the Project Communications webpage to stay current or catch up on past status updates.  See  the Project Communications page.

ENROLEE DECISION POINT 2 - MOVE FORWARD WITH PROPOSAL  (you are still not commited to purchase at this point)

• After doing your homework, listening to videos and sending in any questions you have, you determine that you are a good candidate for a PV solar system.   You then decide to proceed with a home site assessment and obtain a quote from the selected company.

• As described in Participant Decision Points complete the 2014 Decision Point 2 Form Questionnaire to move forward with Decision Point 2 no later than March 15, 2015.   

• The vendor is scheduling group design meetings and along with the Decision Point 2 Form you need to enroll in one of these.   You do that by emailing solarizewb@gmail.com .

• First group design meeting is on Sunday February 8, 2:15 at the Rec Center on Shoreline Drive.

• If you need more information before you can make this decision please contact the Wells Branch Solar Advocates at solarizewb@gmail.com.   Someone will get back with you.

ENROLEE DECISION POINT 3 - SIGN CONTRACT

• You have reviewed the contract provided by the selected company and you sign the contract to proceed with the installation no later than March 31, 2015.

INSTALLATIONS

• To begin in late February of 2015