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Welcome to Summer Everybody!
With our pagan holiday, better known as Summer Solstice, and the 4th of July now behind us we are truly in summertime. 'Tis the season of the sun, so this month's letter is a look to the future ~ a potential solar future, that is. The global solar market grew by 26 percent last year, with 99 gigawatts of grid-connected photo-voltaic (PV) capacity installed. 2018 will be the first-ever triple-digit year for the global solar market, with an anticipated 106 gigawatts of PV coming online. The California Energy Commission recently voted 5-0 to add some new provisions to the state’s building code. Among them is the requirement that as of 2020, all new house and multi-family residences of three stories or fewer, along with all major renovations, must be built with solar panels. Energy wonks and practitioners have offered a range of arguments for, and against the mandate; let’s have a look at the pros and cons. Please read on for more thoughts on home solar, and definitely have a look at the cool Guitar of the Month at the bottom of the letter!
Nearly all buyers start their search online, and a really great place to begin is RealMontecito.com's property search ~ our property search engine is the best! Alright, scroll away and enjoy the rest of this month's letter ~ see you next month!
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Having argued with our regional electricity provider several times over significant billing discrepancies, yours truly investigated the options and was sold on the concept, economics and the overall vision of a specific solar provider. In relatively short order, we had a complete photo-voltaic (PV, or solar panels) system installed on our Santa Barbara home a little over a year ago. We opted for the lease program, which meant no money out of pocket for an all-inclusive system. To be clear, the motivations for going solar were based on many variables, and not to be the champion of a cause. Regardless of my motivations, Mother Nature likes my family...
So let's have a look at some numbers. The U.S. had 10.4 gigawatts of residential solar power at the end of last year, up more than sixfold from five years earlier. The industry started slowing in 2017 amid policy changes and efforts by some companies to shift their strategies.
Solar roofs can definitely be aesthetically pleasing.
The Golden State became the first in the U.S. to require solar panels on almost all new homes. Most new units built after Jan. 1, 2020, will be required to include solar systems as part of the standards adopted by the California Energy Commission. While that’s a boost for the solar industry, critics warned that it will also drive up the cost of buying a house by almost $10,000. Solar shares surged on the decision. Homebuilders fell.
The move underscores how rooftop solar, once a luxury reserved for wealthy, green-leaning homeowners, is becoming a mainstream energy source, with California - the nation’s largest solar market - paving the way. The state has long been at the vanguard of progressive energy policies, from setting energy-efficiency standards for appliances to instituting an economy-wide program to curb greenhouse gases. In effect, California just sent the clearest signal yet that rooftop power is moving beyond a niche market and becoming the norm.
All of this said, yours truly can blame our enthusiasm on the belief in Elon Musk's vision. As the brainchild behind Tesla, SpaceX and more, Musk recently described issues with the automotive side, ‘Tesla is currently stuck in “production hell” with Model 3 delays.’ But Winston Churchill had a great quote about facing what seems like insurmountable adversity: “If you’re going through hell, keep going”. This is certainly a maxim that Musk and Tesla will need to live by in order to realize the company’s longstanding mission, which is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
As solar gets cheaper, smaller and more aesthetically pleasing, it will become a more routine part of the products and practices of the building trades, integrated into roofs and windows by default. Storage will be integrated into garages and basements by default. Homes will be built with energy management systems to economize the storage and use of self-generated power, by default.
We love to win the game just as much as wanting success for our clients, so the bottom line; to win the day one must put the best foot forward and have the right experience behind them to get it done. In this case a call to yours truly would be prudent. Please call or email us for a free consultation!
Featured Property Listings
Outstanding American Riviera ~ Santa Barbara, Ca.
E. Micheltorena St, ~ Santa Barbara, Ca. MLS #18-1103
Truly one of Santa Barbara's most unique and rare offerings! This great estate offers expansive ocean, island, and city views with multiple detached dwelling units on-site! Included in this offering is a 6 bedroom, 6 full bathroom main residence, a detached guest house with 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, and a one-car garage, plus an attached 1 bedroom, 1 full bathroom guest quarters with separate entrance, an indoor pool cabana, and a very special detached studio with ocean views, full bath, kitchen, private patio and vaulted ceilings! Resting on roughly 1.1 usable acres, this remarkable estate offers one of the largest residential lots within close proximity to the downtown area.
Beautiful 17th Century English Mill House
Hunsdon Pound, Stanstead Abbotts, Ware, Hertfordshire
Listed Grade II being of architectural and historic importance, Hunsdon Mill House was constructed in the 17th Century and extended and refaced in brick in the mid-19th Century. The house is now finished in an attractive whitewashed brick under a clay tile roof. There is evidence of older, moulded timbers dating from the 16th Century being used in the original construction. Internally the Mill House combines light and spacious reception rooms with comfortable bedroom accommodation on the first floor. Of particular note is the kitchen, beautifully finished with painted timber units under granite work surfaces and opening onto a conservatory area and paved terrace beyond. The house has undergone extensive alterations, including a very successful conversion of the old stables to provide a family sitting room and a substantial games room, combining traditional with contemporary styles. The master bedroom is beautifully appointed with charming views over the mill pond and a substantial en suite bathroom. The gardens and grounds are a particular feature of the Mill House, the focal point being the Mill race and pond lying to the front of the house with the River Stort beyond.
RECENTLY SOLD LISTINGS OF OURS!
Park Lane - Montecito, Ca. Dorking Place - Santa Barbara Del Playa - Isla Vist, Ca. Sabado Tarde - Isla Vista, Ca
Buying and/or selling homes - and why David Hekhouse and Jesse Benenati should be your first thought. While we make no claims to be above the other first-rate professionals in this industry, nobody performs better than us. We have a stellar track record of successful closings to uphold, and our pledge is to continually represent the state of excellence in the Santa Barbara Real Estate industry. Please call, email, text or Facebook message us at anytime for a free consultation.
Also, please visit us on Facebook (and 'like' us while you're there)
Quote of the month: "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."
Guitar of the month: 1962 Gretsch model 6122 Country Gentleman (walnut finish) gold hardware, Neo-Classic inlays, dial-up mutes, Gretsch Bigsby vibrato, two Filter'Tron pickups: In May George Harrison upgraded to this more deluxe Gretsch he found at Sound City London, and after removing the mutes -- and later the bass-side screw-up knob -- used it extensively for touring and recording (first on "She Loves You" and then With The Beatles). It's also seen in the famous Royal Command performance. When this guitar went into the shop for repair, Sound City gave him another one (below), but while in the shop this first Gent was stolen. It was later recovered, and Harrison, preferring his second Gent, relegated this one to backup duty. (Both Gents are photographed together at a November '63 gig.) This Gent met its fate on a roadway. On 2 December 65 the Beatles' limo, bound for Glasgow for the first stop of the band's last British tour, hit a bump at Berwick on Tweed. This first Gent had been lashed to the trunk and came untied, and it wound up on the road. When Ringo Starr noticed a trucker flashing his lights, he notified the driver, Alf Bicknell, who pulled over. "You've just lost a banjo back down the road," the trucker told Alf. Alf broke the news to Lennon, who told him that if he found the banjo, the driver would get a bonus - he could keep his job. Alf doubled back and found it, in pieces, but kept his job anyway. As the band was in a hurry, they left the pieces in the road and kept going...
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