My name is Michael Amico, I am a residential solar consultant who has helped over 300 families go solar all over the country.

I am a graduate of Arizona State Universities Executive Masters in sustainability a leadership where I met Thomas Williams who asked me to come speak with you today.

You probably expect me to tell you about your home and solar, however since this is a room full of Community Leaders I would like to start with a challenge facing our industy, and then shift gears and focus on residential solar.
---------------------------------
Earlier we saw a video of an Olympic cyclist working as hard as he could to generate enough energy to produce a piece of toast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4O5voOCqAQ

This video made me think of how I take my electricity for granted. Each time we flick this switch we do so with 110% confidence that the lights will come on.

But I have no idea how that actually happens....

So I did what any person seeking information would do, I googled it.

I was surprised to find that our electricity isn't produced by 10 million Olympic cyclists peddling off in the hills somewhere.

The process has remained consistent for the past 150 years and it goes something like this...

First we dig a bunch of black stuff out of the ground (coal)

We then throw it into a train and ship it out to one central location

This location is typically in the middle of nowhere so we don't have to see it.

We then burn that coal, toss in a bunch of water to create steam this turns a turbine which creates electricty

That electricity is then distributed to every home, business and light switch in our cities....

Now you might think I am critial of this system but the truth is I love it.

We have become so efficient at creating this energy....

...That you and I can afford to take an afternoon nap under the covers in the middle of August in the desert.

This is the lifestyle we have become used to. And we aren't willing to sacrifice it!

We are not going to turn off our AC, or accept a world where our light switch works less than 100% of the time.

...But we all know the process that gave of that lifestyle for the past 150 cannot be repeated over the next 150 years.....

....Perhaps this is why so many of us have said the following.

By a show of hands who in her has had the thought:

"They should put solar on every rooftop in Arizona!"

(80% of hands go up)

.....Let me ask you a question....

Who are "THEY"?
---------------------------
They could be the government, the utilities or ourselves.

Currently the Government is providing a 30% Federal Income Tax Credit. So effectively they are taking us a third of the way there.

So the question we must ask ourselif is....do we want to be part of the shift to a more renewable future?

If we remain passive in this movement, THEY will put solar on every roof top and the disruptive force of distributed energy will be destroyed.

They will provide clean, renewable energy at a price that THEY control.

...And control is what the fight over rooftop solar is all about.

Having a solar system on your home severely limits the control THEY have over your future.

Earlier in the day representatives from our states biggest utility gave a presentation about their biggest "innovation". They call it "MPower".

Their solution is to put a credit card machine in your home, make you swipe your card and prepay for your energy throughout the month.

Their studies show that this leads to a 14% reduction of usage.

This is great, until they raise your rates 14%, so you are paying the same for less.

This is the future THEY envision for us and are actively pursuing.

On December 8th 2014 this utility company put a $50 monthly fee on any new homeowners who wanted to go solar.

Applications for solar fell from 3000 a month to 2.

So as leaders and homeowners in this community I ask you to ponder what impact you want solar to have and do you want your citizens to be part of our shift to a more sustainable future?

I promised I would leave some time to answer some questions about residential solar. I'll give you a quick strategy for saving money while not breaking the bank.

Please understand that each persons situation is unique and this is just my recommendation for the average homeowner.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Many homeowners are on a time of use plan.
If you are on this plan then you probably avoid doing laundry, dishes and running the AC between the hours of Noon and 7pm.

This time is known as On-Peak.

It is when electricity costs us homeowners 19 to 25 cents per kilowatt hour.

Every time we use a kilowatt hour during this time in the summer we are taking a quarter and throwing it out the window.

Before Noon and After 7pm the price falls to just 6 cents.

This is why we dont turn on the dish washer, AC etc. until we hit the "Off Peak Time".

The beauty of solar, is that the sun is in the sky between the hours of Noon and 7pm.

Therefore people with solar are avoiding those high price hours!
--------------------------------------
My recommended strategy is to focus on just this high price energy.

A system that produces 40% of your total usage should protect you from On Peak price, and allow you to buy energy in the off peak times.

Your are investing far less, and will see a much faster return on that investment.

Many homeowners want to eliminate their bill entirely. This strategy kills your return and requires a big investment.

And since I am speaking to a room full of community leaders I want to point out a interesting trend.

When you go solar, your neighbors are 5 times more likely to go solar as well

They are waiting for that first person to take the bold step and actually go solar.

You will become that leader and you will change your neighborhood.

Thank you for your time and for what you are doing in our community as leaders. Please feel free to reach out to me with more questions!