California is leading the transition to a sustainable energy future, outpacing every state in the nation with the amount of solar power installed annually. California is home to two out of five customer-owned solar systems in the United States, with the city of San Diego at the forefront of the solar energy revolution in the state.
Recent research from the San Diego-based Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) and Eco Watch examined the solar energy "hot spots" in California and found that San Diego County is the most solar intensive region in the state and home to 21 of the top 50 zip codes in California. CSE estimates that San Diego County had 76,239 solar homes as of April 2016.
Sullivan Solar Power has been leading the solar energy revolution in this region and has supported the creation of solar "hot spots" such as Scripps Ranch, which is the most solar-saturated zip code in the state. According to CSE, over 26 percent of the Scripps Ranch region has gone solar, making the community a leader in the transition towards a more secure energy future.
In particular, the residents of Pinecastle Street in Scripps Ranch are on track to create their own solar community. Sullivan Solar Power has installed over 60 kilowatts of solar power across 11 homes in the community.
“I think it would be fantastic to have every house on the street go solar,” said solar advocate and Pinecastle resident Mr. Lutgendorf. “This is a great street to live on and a great community to be in.”
The widespread movement towards clean and sustainable energy is not only saving residents on their energy costs, but also contributing to improving the appeal of homes which are listed for sale on the real estate market. As the number of solar homes increases, more solar homes are entering the real estate market, according to one local real estate agent.
“We've seen a pretty substantial increase in solar homes sales over the past few years,” said J. Daniel Geddis of One Mission Realty in San Diego.