CA Utility Makes Deal for 1,500 Solar Homes

California has two things guaranteed to make it a leader in solar energy: gobs of sun and its reputation as the rolling blackout capital of America. A deal between the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and home builder Woodside Homes to construct nearly 1,487 new solar homes may be part of a much-needed trend in the state. The California utility will kick in $6000 per SolarSmart home in order to reduce the cost of solar and energy efficiency equipment. Building will begin this year and is expected to finish in 2012.

SMUD says that customers could save up to 60% on annual electric bills. They're betting that all those panels will reduce grid load and save money for their other customers too. SMUD says that the homes will help shave up to 2 megawatts off peak demand.

But the green features don't stop at the shingles. Energy-saving HVAC systems, better insulation, and good ol' compact fluorescents make the sun shacks even more efficient. The homes have a smaller carbon footprint than other houses too, collectively the equivalent retiring 700 cars or planting 1,000 acres of trees.

However, this doesn't seem to be merely a ploy to win a good citizenship award. The plan marks the 10th solar home deal for SMUD since last year and they've racked up agreements for 4,000 SolarSmarts in all.

Impressively, SMUD says that 30 percent of new homes in their territory will be SolarSmart by next year. The utility also points out that the mix of lower electricity bills and a higher green factor should be a big draw in a buyer's market. Sacramento was also recently chosen to receive Dept. of Energy funding as one of their Solar Cities. At this rate, California may well on their way to offsetting Governor Schwarzenegger's hummer emissions.