The California Public Utilities Commission

As reported in the L.A. Times last week by Tiffany Hsu, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved a much needed $350 million energy rebate program. Designed for homeowners and businesses that install solar thermal water heaters, which use the sun’s rays to heat water for the bathroom, kitchen and laundry room, the average residential rebate will start around $1,500. With your typical home solar water system costing anywhere from $5,000 to $7,000, this incredibly important program could reduce this cost by roughly 15 to 25 percent. And with the federal government currently offering their own 30 percent tax credit for solar energy systems, there’s never been a better time to purchase a solar thermal water heater.