Bushman

Photos by Juan Carlo / Star staff Kahn Solar is installing 24 10-foot-by-10-foot solar panels at the Thousand Oaks home of Robert Bushman. The panels are moved by a tracking device to follow the sun.

Kahn

Kahn Solar installer Jose Linares works on wiring the solar panels at Robert Bushman's home. Bushman estimates he'll break even on the cost of the system in eight years.

A number of large, square objects on poles adjacent to Kanan Road in the North Ranch area of Thousand Oaks have been catching the attention of passing motorists.

What they're seeing is possibly the largest residential installation of solar panels in the state, according to homeowner Robert Bushman.

After buying a sprawling home in Thousand Oaks last year, Bushman, 52, decided to practice what he preaches — he is a consultant for the solar industry.

He previously owned Silicon Recycling Services in Camarillo. The company cleans leftover silicon from semiconductor companies so it can be reused in the solar industry. In 2006, Bushman sold his company to German solar manufacturer ersol, but he still serves as a company consultant.

Bushman said the monthly electric bill for his 6,500-square-foot home runs about $2,000, mostly for running the air conditioning, electronic devices and swimming pool.

The solar panels being installed are expected to provide sufficient electricity to meet his needs, and they also might generate some income if he can sell surplus power back to the grid.

Kahn Solar, a West Hills company owned and operated by Michael Kahn, is installing 24 10-foot-by-10-foot panels, which are normally used in commercial projects. Each panel is moved by a tracking device to follow the sun, much like a sunflower.

"There's a sensor on top that looks for the sun and keeps them turned to the sun," said Kahn. "So in the wintertime when the sun is low on the horizon, they'll be tilted up, and in the summertime when the sun goes right over the top they'll flatten out."

Bushman's system cost $375,000. He'll receive a $2,000 instant federal tax credit, a sort of bonus to encourage use of alternative energy. With similar rebates from the state of California and selling power back to the grid, Bushman estimates that he'll break even in about eight years.

Bushman has signed up for the state's Performance-Based Incentive program, which would pay him for all the energy he produces for the next five years.

"You get a rebate for every kilowatt hour you produce and you get a check for that monthly, plus you're no longer paying for electricity, either," said Kahn.

An alternative to the PBI program is the state's Expected Performance Based Buydown, or EPBB, which provides residential customers a lump sum payment for installing a solar power system.

The California Solar Rights Act enables anyone to get planning approval for a solar power system, says Kahn.

"They can make you spend 10 percent more than the normal price to make it more attractive or screen it from view, but they can't stop you," said Kahn.

His company has 10 employees who work on four to six residential installations a month. Kahn also has commercial customers, including JPL, Universal Studios and Sony Studios.

While Bushman's project is unusual for a residential property, Kahn said smaller solar systems can be financially appealing to homeowners when considering the rebates and low interest loans available.

Solar panels need direct sunlight for at least six hours a day, preferably from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They can be mounted on a roof or fixed on the ground.

Kahn estimates that for the average homeowner of a 1,500-square-foot home, a $60,000 system will cover all their electricity requirements. With $15,000 of rebates from the state of California and the $2,000 tax credit, he thinks it's a good investment.

"The cost of electricity is going to continue to go up and putting in a system like this makes you immune to that," Kahn said. "You can finance it with low interest, 25-year fixed rates through the manufacturer and the payment is considerably less than the amount that you save."

He described running a solar power business as easy because it's always good news for the customer.

"If your thing is helping the environment, then you are," he said, "and if your thing is just pay back, then you get that because it pays for itself. And if it's alleviating dependence on foreign oil, then it's that, too. There's no downside."