The electric companies don’t want you to know the truth.

They spread misinformation to keep you hooked on their overpriced services and stop you from exploring alternative energy sources. But it’s time for you to take back the power. Written by solar contractors with 20+ years experience, this guide to residential alternative energy in Southern California will help you understand your options and make a smart investment in energy independence.

Why alternative energy?

It couldn’t be any more clear than the sunlight shining down upon us:

The electric companies are big corporations who are doing everything they can to empty your wallet.

The average Southern California homeowner is paying nearly $2,000 a year to the electric company. The cost of a kilowatt hour of electricity has increased almost 10% per year since 2015. There’s no reason to expect anything to change.

If this pattern holds, by 2026 your electric bill will double — assuming your use of electricity stays the same.

But of course, there’s more to the story. Not only is electricity getting more expensive, but our days are getting hotter, too. You’ll need to run your air conditioning more often just to stay cool.

More air conditioning and more electricity? Your utility bill will grow even faster.

You’re not the only one relying on the utility company. When under heavy strain, our power grid is subject to outages, often at the most inopportune and inconvenient times. Can you really trust the electric company to provide the electricity needed for years to come?

There’s absolutely no telling what might happen if you continue to rely on the utility company.

Every homeowner in Southern California should begin evaluating alternative energy options to find the best possible solution for their needs.

Solar panels

Solar panels are the obvious answer for Southern California homeowners interested in residential alternative energy and energy independence. Unlike other forms of residential alternative energy, solar panels are a mature technology. The kinks have been worked out and you’ll be investing in a proven technology that really works.

Mistake to avoid: DO NOT lease your solar panels. When you lease solar panels, all the benefits get passed on to the owners of the panels — not you. When you purchase your solar panels, you have all the power and all of the savings. Read more about why buying solar panels is a smart investment.

Why solar panels?

  • Highly efficient in our sunny climate
  • Can essentially eliminate your reliance on the utility company
  • Easy to install on any home
  • Low maintenance and highly durable
  • Add value to your home.

Wind power

In California, wind power currently provides enough energy to meet the needs of more than 2 million households. Wind power is currently most abundant in:

  • Kern County
  • Solano County
  • Altamont Pass
  • Riverside County

After solar power, wind is used to generate the second-most electricity of any form of residential alternative energy in California. This power is generated at scale and fed into the grid.

Unfortunately, wind energy is not a great choice for individual homeowners. The turbines required for residential wind power are BIG. They’re an eyesore in your yard, they’re noisy, they’re a danger to protected wildlife, and they just aren’t as efficient as solar panels. Think about it: It’s sunny more than 200 days a year here in SoCal. The wind just isn’t strong enough or consistent enough to keep up.

Geothermal energy

If you listen to the hype and believe the headlines, you’d think geothermal energy was HUGE in California. Yes, California does generate more geothermal energy than anyplace else in the world. But dig deeper and you’ll discover it’s only true because very few places generate geothermal energy at all.

Geothermal energy uses heat within the earth, usually steam or hot water resulting from seismic or volcanic activity. In California, geothermal energy is not even possible everywhere. The majority of power is generated from natural geysers in Sonoma and Lake Counties.

But let’s get real. Geothermal residential power isn’t realistic for homeowners in Southern California.

Tidal Power

While we’re on the topic of science fiction, we should mention tidal power. In theory, tidal power seems like a no-brainer alternative power source in California:

  • Ocean tides are relentless and an essentially limitless source of energy
  • The flow of ocean tides is conceptually similar to wind power, which has been successfully harnessed
    Many of California’s population centers are near the ocean, reducing the need to transfer power over long distances

Sounds great, right? So why won’t it work? The technology isn’t there yet. Salt water is highly corrosive and producing corrosion-proof turbines is extremely expensive. Additionally, the ocean is full of stuff — weeds, silt, animals, etc. — that make maintaining and operating turbines even more challenging.

Tidal power may very well be the wave of the future. Unlike solar power, however, tidal power is nowhere near ready to be implemented in anything beyond small test cases.

Interested in true energy independence?

Really, there’s no power like solar power. When you invest in a custom solar panel system from Inter Faith Electric & Solar Installation, you get:

  • Valuable rebates and tax credits
  • Expert installation of your custom solar panel system — get up and running in 2 weeks or less.
  • 0% financing with $0 down for qualified buyers. Bad credit is no problem.

Best of all, you’ll stop paying the utility company and you’ll become the utility company.

Call today (661) 245-3224. Get your free and no-obligation quote on your residential solar power system.