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PermaCity Corporation is one of the leading solar energy companies in the nation. Solar power is rapidly becoming the solution for many businesses and homeowners who want to control the escalating cost of electricity. Global warming and generous rebates and tax incentives have ushered in the next wave of alternative energy. PermaCity has been an innovator from the start, offering specialized end-to-end solutions for both commercial and residential projects. We deliver competitive installation pricing including bulk-rate aggregation pricing from the world's largest and highest quality equipment suppliers. In the new world of solar, a PermaCity project is know for system longevity, architectural aesthetics and highest performance. Download the Flash Player for your Browser avbove to explore our full website!

PermaCity Solar Los Angeles - 5570 W. Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016 Phone: 323-692-9264 or 1-866-9-SOLAR-9 solar@permacity.com
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Solar Power Los Angeles
Become your own electric company.
Powered by the sun, you can protect yourself from the unstable energy market. PermaCity can efficiently transform your home into an independent electric company. Increase your property value, reduce your monthly utility costs, and do your part to reduce global warming.
The benefits of solar power are irrefutable. The cost of going solar is reduced by rebates from your local utility company and federal tax credits. Additional savings will be gained from 100% financing with tax-deductible interest payments. Solar power is nearly maintenance free and PermaCity’s solar panels come with a twenty year manufacturer's performance warranty.
Live better and make the choice to use clean, renewable energy, while eliminating those high electric bills. Join the Solar Evolution!

RESIDENTIAL – Financial Benefits
Cost Certainty
Solar homes are free from the pain of rising utility rates.
Residential Rebates
15% to 40% of a system’s cost is discounted by utility incentives.
Once locked in, the rebate is secure up to 3 years for new construction.
Rebates are rate-payer funds, not subject to state budget cuts.
Residential Tax Incentives
A one-time 30% Federal Tax credit is available to all homeowners.
A tax-credit is the most beneficial type of tax incentive.
Electric Bill Reduction
Solar power is most abundant when utility company power is most expensive.
“Peak-Shave” A solar power system which knocks out 50% of usage, can reduce an electric bill by 65%.

Solar power systems are a great way to reduce your energy costs dramatically, while adding a great deal of value to your property. Solar power has come a long way over the last decade. Solar panels are more efficient, incentives and rebates from the Federal, State, local governments and utilities have progressed dramatically, and there are several types of new financing products for solar power systems available.
These factors, along with a growing number of companies and professionals offering solar power installations and an increase in the number of solar panels being manufactured, this has lead to a drop in cost making solar power systems a viable alternative to conventional power sources and the standard utility grid. Coupled with the fact that solar power provides 100% clean and renewable energy which is great for the environment and battling climate change, there’s no reason not to investigate solar power as option for your home or business.
How Solar Power Systems Work
Solar power works by taking energy from the sun, and using solar panels, usually mounted on your roof, to convert that sun energy into usable electricity. An inverter, which is a component that comes with the solar power system, converts the electricity from your panels into AC (alternating current) electricity, which can then be used passed directly to the electric grid. In most areas, you’ll use a net meter in place of your standard electric meter. The net meter keeps track of the solar power that you produce and how much electricity you use. You get charged by your utility company only for the difference in your consumption versus production, and if you get a properly sized system, the difference in many cases is zero. In some cases you can earn credits for producing more than you consume. Solar power systems can actually make your meter spin backwards!

Solar Panels
Support Solar Schools Support Solar Schools
Solar panels (arrays of photvoltaic cells) make use of renewable energy from the sun, and are a clean and environmentally sound means of collecting solar energy. Here at solar panel information, we've amassed a wealth of information relating to solar panels and the field of photovoltaic technology. You can learn how solar panels work, how they are manufactured, where to buy them, and how to set them up. If you are looking for information on solar panels and don't know where to start, check out our solar panels section to learn more about how these photovoltaic cells are derived from silicon and what solar energy means to you.

Solar Panels For Your Home
Are you considering installing solar panels for your Beverly Hills home or business? Solar panels can be a great investment that not only saves you money and increases the value of your property, but also helps the environment while it's helping your wallet and bank account.
Solar power is fast becoming price competitive with conventional energy sources, and in Beverly Hills, states like California, New Jersey, Arizona, Colorado, and more, there are great rebates and incentives in place to compensate you for the power you produce and help offset your initial investment cost. There are also an expanding number of solar financing options and in many cases you can get solar panels installed on your home and be cash flow positive on your investment within the first year!
As the solar industry has grown and matured over the last decade, the cost to put solar panels on your home have decreased significantly, dropping over 40% in just the last few years. There's never been a better time to make the move to solar for renewable clean energy for your home or business. The section below describes what you need to consider as to determine whether solar is the right choice for you.

Energy Efficiency of Your Home
Have you made the low cost, easy to implement changes that can reduce your energy bill before you replace your utility company with a clean, renewable solar panel system? Taking simple steps like switching to CFL light bulbs, energy star appliances, using smart power strips that turn off electronics when not in use, and making sure your windows, door, and insulation are keeping your energy inside can make a huge difference in your energy usage. It's called Demand Management. If you haven't made these changes yet, there are professionals who conduct energy audits on your home, and can show you how to cut down your costs.

Your Home's Roof
Does your Beverly Hills home have unobstructed south facing roof space? That's the ideal setting for solar panels, but often times an east-west roof with good exposure, or even a ground mounted system if you have an unobstructed area can work just as well. You'll just want to make sure there isn't any shading at any point of the day on the surface you intend to install solar panels on, because it can reduce the effectiveness of your system.

Solar Cost
Do you know how much installing solar panels for your home is likely to cost and what rebates and incentives are available? You can use the solar calculator on the right to find out what a system specific to your needs would cost you. Free Home Solar Consultation 1-866-9-SOLAR-9

Renewable Solar Panels and Photovoltaic Cells
Forms of Renewable Energy
What does it mean for a resource or energy source to be renewable? What diffentiates a renewable source of electricity, such as solar panels and solar cells which covert electricity from sunlight, from nuclear reactors, combustion engines, or coal power plants? This guide will explain the difference between renewable energy, such as that generated by solar panels, to other non-renewable sources of energy.

Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy is a term that refers to energy sources that are renewable in nature, meaning that more and more is continuously generated, and for all practical purposes, that are virtually limitless in supply. Energy from our sun is one such example. Technically, the sunlight will fade in about 5 billion years, but for all practical purposes and human timescales, we will consider this a continuous and infinite resource. The sun isn't going to burn out any time soon.
Solar panels have arrays of solar cells with harvest sunlight and convert it into electricity. You can learn more about solar cell and solar panels in our primary solar panel information section.
Other renewable energy sources include wind and geothermal power. Wind power is generated by placing large windmills in windy areas, usually at high altitude to be maximally effective. Wind power, like solar power, is clean, but is also plagued by cost of setup and cost per kilowatt. Wind power may be unreliable in certain areas where the wind isn't strong year-round.
Geothermal energy, a form of energy generated from the tectonic pressures and movements that heat the earth's crust, is used to boil steam and generate electricity. Non-Renewable Energy
Non-renewable energy is energy that is generated from non-renewable material reserves. These non-renewable resources are limited in supply, that is to say that to be non-renewable a resource has to have a reasonably finite amount available for economically feasible extraction. We usually consider a resource non-renewable if it will non regenerate rapidly enough to meet our needs. Oil and coal are examples of non-renewable energy. Like all other fossil fuels, these non-renewable energy sources are created deep within the Earth, and cannot be replaced rapidly enough to meet the needs of any advanced civilization. Effectively, once we run out, we run out. We'll see miniscule amounts of oil and coal deposits build up, but it won't be for millions of years, eons of time, before our reserves are replaced. Nonrenewable sources of energy are used once, and afterwards are gone forever.
In Southern California, we have one of the most generous rebate programs in the country. In addition, there is a Federal Solar Tax Credit for 30% of your out-of-pocket costs.
For example, in Los Angeles, over 60% of the cost of a solar electric system is paid for by rebates and tax credits. For commercial installations, the tax benefits are even 10 to 20% higher.
As the rebate funds are used up, the rebate amounts automatically reduce, giving advantage to customers who install sooner rather than later. Already this year, there has been a 6% reduction in LA rebates. There is no better time to invest in Solar Energy than NOW!

Federal, State and Utility Rebates
Beverly Hills Solar energy systems represent a smart investment opportunity for Beverly Hills homeowners and businesses alike, delivering inexpensive power for decades. Federal, state, and local programs offset up to 50% of system through a variety of tax credits and rebates. Rebates and incentives vary from one city to another, and therefore can sometimes be confusing to identify and understand. Filing the appropriate documents to receive rebates can also be complex. PermaCity Solar Los Angeles makes this process easy! We will provide you with the complete list of rebates and incentives to which you are entitled.
Federal Solar Tax Credit
The Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 includes the best Federal Solar Tax incentives in the history of solar power. Customers can now achieve a payback on their solar investment in as little as six years with a combination of 30% Federal Tax Credits and available state rebates.
Federal Business Solar Energy Incentives
The incentives below may be available for businesses that invest in or purchase qualified solar energy equipment. They also apply to qualified home offices.
•30% Investment Tax Credit
•5-year Accelerated Capital Depreciation
California Solar Power Rebates (effective Jan 1, 2007)
This is a rebate based on the wattage output of your system, and the amount that has been previously paid out in rebate from the California Energy Commission (CEC). Rebates decline in graduated amounts, based on total megawatt installed milestones. Funding has been increased and extended with the California Solar Initiative until 2017. There are different programs based on the size of the solar power system,100 kW.
California Solar Initiative
The goal of this initiative is to make California the nation’s leader in solar energy. It expands California’s solar rebate program to include customers of large municipal-owned utilities such as SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) and LADWP (Los Angeles District of Water and Power) and makes your initial investment in solar power cost-effective because you will receive credits on your utility bills for the excess electricity that your solar power system produces. City Rebates Many cities offer solar energy rebates on a per-watt basis. For example, the city of San Francisco offers solar energy rebates of $2000 to $4000 off per residential installation for systems that meet specific criteria. California Property Tax Exemption for Solar Systems Active solar energy systems (including photovoltaic systems) are not subject to property taxes, even though they immediately add value to your home!
Know Your Rights: California Solar Rights Act
On January 1, 2005, the latest amendment to the California Solar Rights Act became effective, prohibiting local governments from creating barriers to solar energy installations or using aesthetic considerations or unreasonable health and safety issues to prevent solar power system installations.

California Civil Code 714
DIVISION 2. PROPERTY
PART 1. PROPERTY IN GENERAL
TITLE 2. OWNERSHIP CHAPTER 2. MODIFICATIONS OF OWNERSHIP
ARTICLE 2. CONDITIONS OF OWNERSHIP
714. (a) Any covenant, restriction, or condition contained in any deed, contract, security instrument, or other instrument affecting the transfer or sale of, or any interest in, real property that effectively prohibits or restricts the installation or use of a solar energy system is void and unenforceable.
(b) This section does not apply to provisions that impose reasonable restrictions on solar energy systems. However, it is the policy of the state to promote and encourage the use of solar energy systems and to remove obstacles thereto. Accordingly, reasonable restrictions on a solar energy system are those restrictions that do not significantly increase the cost of the system or significantly decrease its efficiency or specified performance, or that allow for an alternative system of comparable cost, efficiency, and energy conservation benefits.
(c) (1) A solar energy system shall meet applicable health and safety standards and requirements imposed by state and local permitting authorities.
(2) A solar energy system for heating water shall be certified by the Solar Rating Certification Corporation (SRCC) or other nationally recognized certification agencies. SRCC is a nonprofit third party supported by the United States Department of Energy. The certification shall be for the entire solar energy system and installation.
(3) A solar energy system for producing electricity shall also meet all applicable safety and performance standards established by the National Electrical Code, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories and, where applicable, rules of the Public Utilities Commission regarding safety and reliability.
(d) For the purposes of this section:
(1) (A) For solar domestic water heating systems or solar swimming pool heating systems that comply with state and federal law, “significantly” means an amount exceeding 20 percent of the cost of the system or decreasing the efficiency of the solar energy system by an amount exceeding 20 percent, as originally specified and proposed.
(B) For photovoltaic systems that comply with state and federal law, “significantly” means an amount not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000) over the system cost as originally specified and proposed, or a decrease in system efficiency of an amount exceeding 20 percent as originally specified and proposed.
(2) “Solar energy system” has the same meaning as defined in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 801.5. (e) Whenever approval is required for the installation or use of a solar energy system, the application for approval shall be processed and approved by the appropriate approving entity in the same manner as an application for approval of an architectural modification to the property, and shall not be willfully avoided or delayed. (f) Any entity, other than a public entity, that willfully violates this section shall be liable to the applicant or other party for actual damages occasioned thereby, and shall pay a civil penalty to the applicant or other party in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). (g) In any action to enforce compliance with this section, the prevailing party shall be awarded reasonable attorney’s fees. (h) (1) A public entity that fails to comply with this section may not receive funds from a state-sponsored grant or loan program for solar energy. A public entity shall certify its compliance with the requirements of this section when applying for funds from a state-sponsored grant or loan program. (2) A local public entity may not exempt residents in its jurisdiction from the requirements of this section. 714.1. Notwithstanding Section 714, any association, as defined in Section 1351, may impose reasonable provisions which: (a) Restrict the installation of solar energy systems installed in common areas, as defined in Section 1351, to those systems approved by the association. (b) Require the owner of a separate interest, as defined in Section 1351, to obtain the approval of the association for the installation of a solar energy system in a separate interest owned by another. (c) Provide for the maintenance, repair, or replacement of roofs or other building components. (d) Require installers of solar energy systems to indemnify or reimburse the association or its members for loss or damage caused by the installation, maintenance, or use of the solar energy system. .
California Health & Safety Code 17959.1.
(a) A city or county shall administratively approve applications to install solar energy systems though the issuance of a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit. However, if the building official of the city or county has a good faith belief that the solar energy system could have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety, the city or county may require the applicant to apply for a use permit. (b) A city or county may not deny an application for a use permit to install a solar energy system unless it makes written findings based upon substantial evidence in the record that the proposed installation would have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety, and there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact. This finding shall include the basis for the rejection of potential feasible alternatives of preventing the adverse impact. (c) Any conditions imposed on an application to install a solar energy system must be designed to mitigate the specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety at the lowest cost possible. (d) (1) A solar energy system shall meet applicable health and safety standards and requirements imposed by state and local permitting authorities. (2) A solar energy system for heating water shall be certified by the Solar Rating Certification Corporation (SRCC) or other nationally recognized certification agency. SRCC is a nonprofit third party supported by the United States Department of Energy. The certification shall be for the entire solar energy system and installation. (3) A solar energy system for producing electricity shall meet all applicable safety and performance standards established by the National Electrical Code, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories and, where applicable, rules of the Public Utilities Commission regarding safety and reliability. (e) The following definitions apply to this section: (1) “A feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact” includes, but is not limited to, any cost effective method, condition, or mitigation imposed by a city or county on another similarly situated application in a prior successful application for a permit. A city or county shall use its best efforts to ensure that the selected method, condition, or mitigation meets the conditions of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 714 of the Civil Code. (2) “Solar energy system” has the meaning set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 801.5 of the Civil Code. (3) A “specific, adverse impact” means a significant, quantifiable, direct, and unavoidable impact, based on objective, identified, and written public health or safety standards, policies, or conditions as they existed on the date the application was deemed complete. .

CCalifornia Government Code 65850.5
TITLE 7. PLANNING AND LAND USE
DIVISION 1. PLANNING AND ZONING
CHAPTER 4. ZONING REGULATIONS ARTICLE 2. ADOPTION OF REGULATIONS
§ 65850.5. Local agencies not to adopt ordinances creating barriers to solar energy systems; Building permits
(a) The implementation of consistent statewide standards to achieve the timely and cost-effective installation of solar energy systems is not a municipal affair, as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution, but is instead a matter of statewide concern. It is the intent of the Legislature that local agencies not adopt ordinances that create unreasonable barriers to the installation of solar energy systems, including, but not limited to, design review for aesthetic purposes, and not unreasonably restrict the ability of homeowners and agricultural and business concerns to install solar energy systems. It is the policy of the state to promote and encourage the use of solar energy systems and to limit obstacles to their use. It is the intent of the Legislature that local agencies comply not only with the language of this section, but also the legislative intent to encourage the installation of solar energy systems by removing obstacles to, and minimizing costs of, permitting for such systems. (b) A city or county shall administratively approve applications to install solar energy systems through the issuance of a building permit or similar nondiscretionary permit. Review of the application to install a solar energy system shall be limited to the building official’s review of whether it meets all health and safety requirements of local, state, and federal law. The requirements of local law shall be limited to those standards and regulations necessary to ensure that the solar energy system will not have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety. However, if the building official of the city or county has a good faith belief that the solar energy system could have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety, the city or county may require the applicant to apply for a use permit. (c) A city or county may not deny an application for a use permit to install a solar energy system unless it makes written findings based upon substantial evidence in the record that the proposed installation would have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety, and there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact. The findings shall include the basis for the rejection of potential feasible alternatives of preventing the adverse impact. (d) The decision of the building official pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) may be appealed to the planning commission of the city or county. (e) Any conditions imposed on an application to install a solar energy system shall be designed to mitigate the specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety at the lowest cost possible. (f)(1) A solar energy system shall meet applicable health and safety standards and requirements imposed by state and local permitting authorities. (2) A solar energy system for heating water shall be certified by the Solar Rating Certification Corporation (SRCC) or other nationally recognized certification agency. SRCC is a nonprofit third party supported by the United States Department of Energy. The certification shall be for the entire solar energy system and installation. (3) A solar energy system for producing electricity shall meet all applicable safety and performance standards established by the National Electrical Code, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories and, where applicable, rules of the Public Utilities Commission regarding safety and reliability. (g) The following definitions apply to this section: (1) “A feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact” includes, but is not limited to, any cost-effective method, condition, or mitigation imposed by a city or county on another similarly situated application in a prior successful application for a permit. A city or county shall use its best efforts to ensure that the selected method, condition, or mitigation meets the conditions of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 714 of the Civil Code. (2) “Solar energy system” has the same meaning set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 801.5 of the Civil Code. (3) A “specific, adverse impact” means a significant, quantifiable, direct, and unavoidable impact, based on objective, identified, and written public health or safety standards, policies, or conditions as they existed on the date the application was deemed complete
•For a complete and up-to-date list of state and local programs, please go to DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy

PermaCity Solar Los Angeles - 5570 W. Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016 Phone: 323-692-9264 or 1-866-9-SOLAR-9 solar@permacity.com
Home    Residential Solar Installations    Commercial Solar Installations    Government and Schools    Financial Benefits of Solar Powered Homes    Contact Us
DigiHart Designs