Light Show - New Energy Systems Shine In Solar Homes Tour

Ann McDuffie For the North County Times

(NOTE: The first part of article discusses another system and speaks with the owner of that home...click on NCT logo above for full story)

...Kandii and Nino Bautista, owners of another home on the Solar Tour, for years had considered putting a solar water heater in their 13-year-old Oceanside home. Rising power rates and rolling blackouts early this year led them to take the plunge.

"When electricity costs went haywire, I started paying attention to the news and checking into solar systems," Kandii said.

She was concerned, though, about the cost of installation and about unattractive solar panels cluttering her roof.

To solve the expense issue, the Bautistas took advantage of the rebate offered by the Energy Commission to homeowners who install renewable energy systems.

And, after much research, the Bautistas employed Peter Duchon of ASAP POWER! in Oceanside. He proposed solar shingles, which blend neatly into the roof of the two-story frame house. In fact, Duchon said, the system was so unique that the city of Oceanside and SDG&E required a lengthy permit process before granting approval.

"This was kind of a test ---- it was the first time solar shingles had been installed in Oceanside," Duchon said.

Completed in August, the photovoltaic energy system is a state-of-the-art renewable energy source that uses the sun's power to generate electricity for the house.

The system works similarly to the solar panels. The sun's rays flow through the shingles, then along wires in the form of electrons, and are fed into the inverter, Duchon explained. Duchon added batteries for a stored power supply, though. In the event of rolling blackouts, the Bautistas will have backup power, while Nitchals' Vista home will be without electricity if the utility-company grid shuts down. The Bautistas also bought a solar water heating system as well as a solar attic fan.

"The goal of a renewable energy system is to offset 100 percent of electric usage," Duchon said. The Bautistas system produces 60 to 75 percent of their electricity, he added.

The Bautistas have noted a drop in kilowatts used but are still waiting for their first power bill to arrive to get a real sense of the dollars they are saving. Meanwhile, Kandii said, "It's fun to watch the meter spinning backward."

Duchon said solar power is also good for the environment. "You're using energy from a clean source ---- the sky."

Nitchals (owner of the other system in earlier part of article not included here) agreed that solar energy produces clean power with no negative effects to the environment. "If more people did this we wouldn't have an energy crisis, ever. It's good for the environment. It's a win-win all the way around," he said.