SLO County Family-Friendly Workplaces Program Recognizes Second Quarter 2026 Award Recipients
Blue Diamond – Change Makers
• A1-Glass
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of San Luis Obispo
• Friends of Camp Natoma, Inc.
• Kirk & Simas, PLC
• McPrice Myers Wines
• Morris & Garritano Insurance
• Solarponics
• Visit SLO CAL
Long weekend, longer sunlight — and it turns out this has been a landmark year for solar in the United States. As we fire up the grill and enjoy the extra day off, it felt like the right moment to step back and look at just how far solar has come, and where it’s headed next.
Earlier this year, the U.S. officially surpassed 6 million solar installations nationwide — and 97% of those are sitting on residential rooftops just like the ones we install every week. What’s remarkable isn’t just the number, it’s the pace: the country went from 5 million to 6 million installations in only two years. For context, it took decades to hit that first million.
Right now, about 9% of U.S. homes have solar. By 2030, that’s expected to climb to 11%, with total installations projected to top 8 million. Solar isn’t a niche choice anymore — it’s becoming a mainstream part of how American homeowners power their lives.
Zoom out to the utility scale, and the growth is even more striking. Cumulative utility-scale solar capacity has more than tripled since 2020 — from 48 gigawatts to 161 gigawatts by early this year. Just a decade ago, solar supplied less than 1% of U.S. electricity. Today, solar and battery storage together accounted for 91% of all new electricity-generating capacity added in the first quarter of 2026 alone, with solar on its own making up 60%.
That means more often than not, when the country adds new power to the grid, it’s coming from the sun.
We’ll be straight with you: 2026 hasn’t been a straight line up for residential solar. The federal residential tax credit (Section 25D) expired at the start of the year, and it caused a rush of installations at the end of 2025 as homeowners raced to lock it in — followed by a quieter stretch since. Industry-wide, residential installations are expected to dip this year before returning to growth in 2027.
Here’s the thing: the fundamentals that make solar worth it haven’t changed. Utility rates keep climbing, equipment keeps getting more efficient, and financing options — including third-party ownership and prepaid plans — are evolving to fill the gap left by the expired credit. If anything, a quieter market often means more attention, faster scheduling, and more room for us to walk you through what still makes sense for your home and budget.
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer — peak sunlight, peak energy bills, and for a lot of homeowners, the moment they finally get around to that home project they’ve been putting off. If going solar has been on your mind, there’s no better time to get a straight answer on what it would look like for your roof, your usage, and your budget.
Enjoy the long weekend. And if you’re curious what solar could do for your home, we’re happy to run the numbers with you.
Sources: Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Wood Mackenzie U.S. Solar Market Insight Report Q2 2026, American Clean Power Association Market Pulse Summer 2026.
Receiving a solar true-up bill can be surprising, especially if you assumed your solar system covered all of your electricity needs. Your annual true-up bill simply compares how much energy your solar panels produced with how much electricity your home used over the past year.
Many homeowners mistakenly believe that installing solar means unlimited free electricity. In reality, increased energy use—such as running the air conditioner more often, charging an electric vehicle, or adding new appliances—can result in a higher true-up bill if your home’s consumption exceeds your system’s production.
The best way to avoid unexpected costs is to regularly monitor your solar energy system. Reviewing your system’s performance and tracking your home’s energy usage throughout the year helps ensure your solar panels are operating properly and allows you to spot changes before they affect your annual true-up bill.
A higher true-up bill doesn’t always mean your solar system has a problem. More often, it’s a reminder that your energy usage and your solar production should stay in balance. By monitoring both, you’ll maximize your savings and get the most from your solar investment.
The home with the solar energy system must be located in San Luis Obispo County. PG&E account number and phone number are required. Data is not shared or sold. Other restrictions may apply. No cost to homeonwer. Report is provided via email.
If you’re planning a new home build or a whole-house remodel, you’re already making dozens of decisions about layout, finishes, and fixtures. One decision that’s easy to overlook — but that shapes how your home actually feels every single day — is how you heat and cool it.
Most homes still rely on forced-air furnaces and air conditioners: a system of ducts blowing heated or cooled air around the house. It works, but it’s not the only option, and for many homeowners it’s not the best one. Radiant heating and cooling, which moves warmth (or coolness) through tubing embedded in the floor rather than blasting air through vents, is worth serious consideration. Here’s why.
Anyone who has stepped onto a heated tile floor after a shower knows the appeal instantly. But the comfort of radiant systems goes deeper than a cozy floor.
Forced-air systems heat by circulating warm air, which tends to rise and collect near the ceiling, leaving your feet cold while your head roasts. Radiant systems work the opposite way. As Solarponics explains, radiant heat from the floor is directly absorbed by your body and your home’s walls, rather than getting trapped at the ceiling the way forced-air heat does. That’s why it’s often compared to the feeling of sunlight streaming through a window or standing near a fireplace on a cold day — a gentle, even warmth rather than gusts of hot or cold air.
There’s also the noise factor. A radiant system doesn’t rely on noisy fans pushing air through the house; it simply warms the floor, which radiates heat upward into the room. No blower kicking on and off, no whooshing through vents — just quiet, consistent comfort throughout the day.
Forced-air HVAC systems depend on ductwork, and ductwork is essentially a long, hidden tunnel for dust, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens to accumulate — and then get redistributed through your home every time the system runs. Radiant systems sidestep this problem entirely. Because heat radiates from the floor rather than being blown through a network of vents, there’s no ductwork to collect dust and require cleaning.
For households with allergy sufferers, asthma, or simply a desire for cleaner indoor air, this is a meaningful advantage. Less circulating dust also tends to mean less dusting and cleaning around vents and registers — a small daily convenience that adds up.
Radiant systems are also simply more efficient. Because the energy goes directly to where it’s needed most instead of heating a large volume of air that drifts to the ceiling, homeowners typically see lower heating and cooling bills. You’re not paying to warm air that ends up hovering uselessly above your head.
Efficiency isn’t the only financial upside. Radiant systems also tend to be low-maintenance investments over the long haul. According to Solarponics, a radiant heating and cooling system is virtually maintenance-free, and the tubing used is tough, flexible, corrosion-resistant, and built to handle temperatures ranging from below freezing to above boiling. That kind of durability means fewer service calls and a longer functional lifespan compared to conventional ductwork and equipment, which often need repairs or replacement well before a radiant system does.
The best time to consider radiant heating and cooling is before the concrete is poured or the subfloor is closed up — which is exactly why it’s such a natural fit for new construction and major remodels. As one Solarponics customer, Randy M. of Atascadero, CA, put it:
“Radiant heating and cooling is a must to consider for any new construction project.”
That’s not to say retrofits are impossible, but working radiant tubing into your plans during initial construction or a full remodel makes installation far simpler and more cost-effective than trying to add it after the fact.
Radiant systems are a specialized trade, and not every HVAC contractor has deep experience with them. This is where working with a company that’s been doing it a long time makes a real difference. Solarponics, based on California’s Central Coast, has been in the radiant business since the beginning of the technology’s popularity in the region — the company began installing radiant heat and cooling in 1979, making it the most experienced radiant heat and cooling installer on the Central Coast. That experience translates into smarter system design, better long-term durability, and more competitive pricing than newer entrants to the field can typically offer.
Whether you’re breaking ground on a brand-new home or gutting an existing one down to the studs, radiant heating and cooling is worth a serious look. It offers a fundamentally different — and for many people, far more comfortable — way to heat and cool a home, paired with cleaner indoor air and lower energy bills. And because it performs best when planned into a home from the start, now is exactly the right time to explore it.
If you’re in the Central Coast area and want to talk through whether radiant heating and cooling makes sense for your project, Solarponics (www.solarponics.com/radiant-heating-cooling/) offers free consultations and has over four decades of hands-on experience designing and installing these systems.
America’s Hydropower Is Fading
As rivers shrink and reservoirs hit historic lows, hydropower is quietly losing strength. The massive dams that once anchored grid stability now produce less electricity. Demand keeps rising — driven by heat waves and a rapidly electrifying economy. But decline isn’t the whole story. Sunlight is stepping in to fill the gap left by water. How the U.S. adapts will shape the grid’s future and the resilience of entire regions.
Drought Is Hitting Hydropower Hard
Prolonged drought, reduced snowpack, and shifting precipitation are dealing a direct blow to hydroelectric generation. Hydropower needs consistent water flow and adequate reservoir levels. When rivers run low or reservoirs drop below operational thresholds, output falls. Major systems across the West already face reduced capacity. Utilities scramble to lean on fossil fuels or other renewables to compensate.
The Numbers Tell a Stark Story
Power generation at Glen Canyon at Lake Powell fell by 17% on average from 2000 to 2023, compared with pre-drought years from 1988 to 1999. The basin has experienced its driest 22-year period in a 1,200-year record. In 2022, Lake Powell had dropped to historic lows, and power production was at its lowest since 1964, when production started.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects 2024 hydropower generation will fall roughly 13% below the 10-year average. Drought across the Pacific Northwest is the primary driver. A 2024 study in Nature Communications found capacity factors declined at approximately 80% of U.S. hydropower plants since 1980. That contributed to a cumulative generation drop of about 23%. The financial toll is equally stark. Research from the University of Alabama estimates drought-related losses between 2003 and 2020 cost utilities roughly $28 billion.
Variability Is the Deeper Problem
Reduced output is serious, but variability may be worse. Hydropower has long excelled at ramping up or down quickly to balance the grid. Unpredictable water availability destroys that reliability. This matters most during extreme heat events, when electricity demand peaks and the grid can least afford instability.
Solar Steps In Where Water Falls Short
Solar power doesn’t just offset declining hydropower — it complements it in ways few other sources can. Drought conditions that reduce river flow often coincide with clear skies and intense sunlight. This creates a natural substitution effect. When Southwest reservoirs are low and hydro output drops, solar production frequently peaks. Solar also excels at covering the afternoon demand surge — exactly the window hydropower has traditionally managed. By meeting daytime load, solar reduces the need to draw down scarce water reserves.
Storage Lets Solar Play Hydro’s Flexibility Role
Paired with battery storage, solar can replicate hydropower’s flexibility. Solar-plus-storage systems capture excess midday generation and release it after sunset. This mirrors the load-balancing function water-powered plants have historically provided. Without solar, hydropower shortfalls typically get filled by natural gas or coal — worsening the very climate conditions driving the water crisis.
The Science Backs It Up
Research increasingly confirms what grid operators already experience. A study in ScienceDirect found that integrating solar with existing hydropower boosted overall capacity by 25% while reducing reliance on hydro during low-water periods. A 2023 study in PNAS found that under extreme drought, fossil fuel plants may increase generation by up to 65% to compensate for lost hydropower. In heavily hydro-dependent states, drought-induced emissions could reach 40% of total electricity-sector emissions. Solar expansion directly counters that outcome.
Hydro and Solar Can Amplify Each Other
Research from Argonne National Laboratory points to an even tighter integration. Pumped-storage hydropower facilities — which accounted for 96% of U.S. utility-scale energy storage in 2022 — can absorb excess solar generation during low-demand periods. They store it as potential energy in elevated reservoirs, then release it when demand rises. In this model, solar and hydro don’t just coexist — they amplify each other. Studies show solar is especially well-suited to compensate for hydropower shortfalls during dry-season low-flow periods — precisely the conditions becoming more common across the American West.
Solar Scales Where Hydro Cannot
Solar projects build faster and across far more locations than large hydroelectric facilities. Dams are locked to specific geographies and dependent on water that’s increasingly scarce. That scalability makes solar one of the most practical near-term tools available as hydropower becomes less predictable.
A Bridge Over Drying Rivers
Solar won’t replace hydropower one-for-one. But it generates power when water is scarce, absorbs peak daytime demand, and pairs with storage to provide evening flexibility. Solar is uniquely positioned to stabilize the grid — and to bridge the widening gap left by America’s drying rivers.
By Frank Scotti, Sustainable Energy Advocate – Jun 16, 2026
