Go Solar

Thinking of installing Solar?

Project Sunroof is a powerful, free tool created by Google that maps and estimates the solar potential for your roof. Simply enter your address, and the tool will estimate the hours of usable sunlight each year, square feet of roof space available for solar, projected net savings and more!

Need unbiased advice?

Marin Solar Program is a free education initiative administered by the County of Marin's Community Development Agency's Sustainability Team and offers a range of excellent resources, including photovoltaic basics, Novato solar potential map, and energy financing..

County sustainability staff offer unbiased advice and can help you decide if solar is a fit for your home. They'll even help review bids from solar contractors!

Ready to go solar, but not sure how to finance your plans?

There are several ways to realize your solar dreams, and take advantage of the many days of free sunshine we enjoy in Novato!

• Purchase: You buy the panels outright and own the system, and any applicable tax credits and incentives belong to you. You are responsible for any maintenance that might be required on the system.
• Loan: You pay for the panels over time, but still own the system. Any applicable tax credits and incentives belong to you. You are responsible for any maintenance that might be required on the system.
• Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): A solar company installs panels on your roof and you buy the electricity generated from the panels at a set per kWh price (usually increasing incrementally over time). You do not own the system and any applicable tax credits and incentives do not belong to you. The PPA company monitors and maintains the system. You are only responsible for purchasing the energy that the system actually produces.
• Lease: A solar company installs panels on your roof and you pay a fixed monthly 'rent' or lease payment (usually increasing incrementally over time). You do not own the system, and any applicable tax credits and incentives do not belong to you. Maintenance responsibility can vary depending on your contract with the leasing firm.

Financing your solar project

Go Green Financing is a one-stop financing shop created by the State of California working with private lenders to increase the availability of special financing for energy efficiency projects.

The Go Green Financing website allows California residents and businesses to browse a continuously updated database of financing solutions and filter the various options down to a more manageable number, making it easy to get in touch with a lender that fits your own unique needs and preferences.

Not Ready to Go Solar? You can still join the Renewable Revolution

MCE Clean Energy

MCE Clean Energy is a public, not-for-profit electricity provider, MCE Clean Energy gives all PG&E electricity customers in Novato the option of having 60% (Light Green) to 100% (Deep Green) of their electricity supplied from clean, renewable sources (such as solar, wind, bioenergy, geothermal, and hydroelectric) at competitive rates. View MCE's residential rates.

MCE customers can also choose Local Sol, a 100% locally produced solar power product generated from the Novato Cooley Quarry solar farm.

PG&E

With PG&E's Solar Choice Program, customers have the option to purchase renewable electricity from a universal solar program generated within California. To calculate the additional monthly cost to participate in Solar Choice, visit the PG&E Solar Choice Rate Calculator.

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader Windows Media Player Word Viewer Excel Viewer PowerPoint Viewer