City Wastewater Manager Louis Sun is quick to sing the praises of a $5.4 million solar energy project at Bakersfield's wastewater treatment plant #3.
Combined with other green methods of producing energy, he says a vast array of solar panels, which have been operational since September of this year, have cut the plant's electric bill by about $100,000 a month over the past two months.
"We're seeing a huge reduction, about a 70% reduction in our electric bill in the last two months," said Sun. "It's a lot of electrical cost that we are saving."
The panels use a GPS system to track the sun and then tilt based on its position. It's a high-tech and expensive process, but one that Sun says will pay for itself and then some.
"The city is really getting a great deal paying for nothing," said Sun.
Though officials believe the project will eventually pay for itself in savings, Sun says the project will be paid for through federal grants and rebates from PG&E, rather than exclusively falling on the shoulders of state and local taxpayers.
But, you don't have to be a large, government-run operation to benefit from going green.
Just ask Christopher Parker of southwest Bakersfield, who recently installed 18 panels on the roof of his home.
"My bill was around $700 to 800 a month, and now the bill is going to be down to under $200 a month," said Parker.
Parker says his panels were installed by a company called SunRun. The company buys the solar panels and owns them so they are responsible for maintenance and replacing broken panels. It also means individuals such as Parker don't have to pay thousands of dollars to buy the panels in the first place - a major aversion for many people looking to switch to solar.
SunRun charges a flat monthly rate to customers for the electricity generated by the panels. That rate is calculated based on average past monthly usage.
A representative at SunRun told 17 News this is often referred to as a "power purchase agreement."
Parker says the extra savings really helps, especially this time of year.
"We have a lot of Christmas lights," he said. "Not as many as some people, but we have the music and everything."
Parker says he still pays a small amount of money to his main utility, PG&E, each month for a fixed amount of electricity. The electricity he needs after that small, fixed amount is exceeded is produced by his solar panels and covered by the flat, monthly rate Parker pays to SunRun.
