CEC Rebate for Contractors [RE-wrenches]

[Dean T. Newberry]

Hi Joel, 

What a complete and thoughtful reply to the owner builder problem.
I subcontract all my work, and really like to involve new contractors.
When a contractor wants to install on his property I work with him and
take my ordinary markup. He gets a better job because I do the design,
permits and supervision. I benefit from his innovation, he benefits from
my experience. I really like to be in full compliance with the law and
the NEC, what we do is very public. There is some handshaking between
state agencies around this issue, but think the average quality of
installations is better for the rule. Note: we had a big thunder shower
last week, and I didn't worry about leaks or lightning, I have about 35
installations out there, it was very nice.

Cul deant 


-----Original Message-----
From: Joel Davidson [mailto:joeldavidson at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2003 10:26 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: CEC Rebate for Contractors [RE-wrenches]

Dean,

Thanks for the feedback. Selling the PV system to the wife seems to be
the
only work-around for a licensed contractor to put PV on his own house
without getting dinged by the discriminatory 15% rebate reduction for
self-installed systems per rebate Guideline Appendix 5,B.

I was told that this rule was made to encourage homeowners to hire
licensed
contractors which would, in turn, result in better, safer PV systems,
create
more jobs and expand the industry. Instead, this rule has discouraged
do-it-yourselfers from going solar. It also has done little to improve
PV
system quality because we still hear the same old stories about unsafe
and
poorly designed systems. Ironically, this rule has turned around to bite
contractors who want PV on their own homes and businesses but are not
married or are uncomfortable with the work-around. The original
classless
rebate rules were fair. Discriminatory rules that create different
classes
of citizens are just plain bad.

(From my December 9, 2002 letter to the CEC recommending that the
Guidelines
do not include a 15% "discount" rebate for owner installed systems.)

A lesser incentive for owner or self-installed PV systems is
discriminatory,
fails to meet the needs of this emerging technology during the very
early-adoptor market stage and is tantamount to a subsidy for
contractors to
charge more for some PV systems that could otherwise be installed by
owners
at a lower price.

First, a lesser incentive discriminates against home and business owners
with the skills, experience and desire to install their own PV systems.
Many
PV early adoptors are engineers, technicians and individuals who have
the
skills and experience to do their own work. Many owners prefer to do
their
own work because they have had bad experiences with contractors. Owners
who
install their own PV systems have to comply with the same program rules
and
code requirements as contractors, but often invest more for their
systems
because their labor costs are not subsidized by the incentive.

Second, PV is like other not-yet-fully-developed or emerging
technologies
that require active participation by the end-user which sometimes
includes
system design and installation. PV is similar to other component-based
systems like entertainment systems and computers. Early adoptors often
had
to build their own systems because they had more expertise than
contractors.
Had these skilled "do-it-yourself" stereo and computer owners been
discouraged and discriminated against, many user-friendly innovations
would
not have evolved. Likewise, equal incentives for self-installed PV
systems
will encourage diversity in design so necessary for a technology to
become
more user-friendly and have broader appeal.

Third, a lower incentive to owner-installers is a self-serving
contractor
subsidy. Contractors actively discourage the "do-it-yourselfer" because
they
lose that business. Yet, contractors can and should compete with
owner-installers in a free marketplace. Contractors should not be given
a
subsidy advantage over owner-installers. This subsidy advantage will not
drive down prices and some contractors will even use the subsidy
differential to charge customers as much as the market will bear. Giving
contractors a higher subsidy will not help to achieve the ERP goal "to
reduce the net cost of on-site renewable energy systems to end use
consumers."

Finally, a lesser incentive to owners who install their own PV systems
discriminates against people exercising their fundamental right to build
and
improve their own property and practice the self-reliance that attracted
them to PV in the first place.

Best regards,
Joel Davidson


"Dean T. Newberry" wrote:

> Ho y'all, I believe your electrician is right I sold my wife a system
> last year, but they have since changed the rule.
>
> Cul deant
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: joeldavidson at earthlink.net [mailto:joeldavidson at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 11:16 AM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: CEC Rebate for Contractors [RE-wrenches]
>
> Has any California wrench installed his own PV system and received the
> full
> rebate?
>
> I just got a call from a C10 licensed electrician who was told this
> morning
> by the CEC that he must hire another electrician to install a PV
system
> on
> his home/office or he will not get the full rebate. He referred the
CEC
> person to the Emerging Renewables Program Guidebook, Appendix 5
Atypical
> Incentive Applications, Section B. Systems Installed by Sellers or
> Contractors for Their Own Personal or Business Use (next to last page)
> that
> allows contractors to get the full rebate but to no avail.

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