Morgan Hill City Councilman Gordon Siebert is a proponent of renewable causes and local business, not just on the dais but at his own home as well.
Siebert hired Affordable Roofing, a Morgan Hill company, to install the system on his roof in the Jackson Oaks area last month.
And before that, over the last year, Siebert has joined the unanimous Council in agreeing to invest millions of dollars to equip the city’s Centennial Recreation Center, police station, and Aquatics Center with solar power panels which are projected to save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars on energy costs over the coming years.
“We look for opportunities (to use renewable energy) and we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is,” Siebert said. “And on a personal level, (a solar power system at home) made ecological sense, and hopefully over the long run, it will make economic sense.”
Siebert installed a 4-kilowatt system at his home. That should be enough to provide at least 75 percent of the home’s electricity needs each year, he said.
He admits the potential financial savings won’t be staggering since he doesn’t use a lot of electricity to begin with. His average monthly electricity bill is about $130. But on principle he said it makes sense to use the sun as a “constant resource” of energy – as long it shines.
And while Siebert doesn’t want to be seen as a shill for any particular company, he said it was extensive research and empirical evidence that swayed him toward Affordable Roofing.
“Their appraisal was competitive, they were local, and they had done my roof recently,” he said. “And they were well qualified and conscientious.”
Plus, they used SunPower panels which are designed in the U.S. – another advantage to the local company’s work.
Affordable Roofing has made an effort to delve more into the solar power market in recent years, according to CEO Pamela Garcia. They currently install about one residential solar power system per month in the Morgan Hill and Gilroy areas. “We’re looking to triple that by the end of the summer,” Garcia said.
Furthermore, GAF, the manufacturer of the new “woodland” composite shingles he used for his roof, plans to use photos of Siebert’s solar-equipped home in their marketing brochures, Garcia said.
She added that the SunPower panels they used on Siebert’s roof are the “most state-of-the-art panels so far.”
Siebert’s system, like those installed and under construction at city facilities and like most residential systems in the Bay Area, are tied into PG&E’s electricity grid. When his system produces more electricity than Siebert uses, that excess power goes back into the grid for general consumption by other customers.
In return, he gets credit for free electricity on cloudy days, during winter or at night when his system can’t produce enough power.
