Solar Electricity Goes to Camp; Camp Donor Reduces Non-Profit’s Electric Bills and Generates Huge Tax Advantages with Solar Power

Ojai, CA, May 04, 2006 --(PR.com)-- Within the beautiful hills of Ojai, CA rests Camp Ramah, a non-profit Jewish camp for children. This camp features wonderful family activities on a year-round basis with special attention to summer fun and children’s events. And now there’s a new attraction in the camp … a solar electrical system that will reduce the camp’s electric bill by $4,000.00 per month. This new project, designed and installed by Solar Electrical Systems of Westlake Village, CA, keeps alive the characteristics Camp Ramah tries to instill in its campers: self-sufficiency, self-reliability and environmental awareness.

While the heart of Camp Ramah is the camp experience, the fact remains that Camp Ramah is also a business, with economic and social responsibilities. Thus, when a major constituent approached the Camp earlier this year with a six-figure capital donation, the donor and camp directors targeted the funds for a solar electrical system. A solar electrical system would not only reduce camp electrical expenditures, but also generate huge depreciation and tax advantages for the donor down the line.

Immediately, Camp Ramah contracted with Solar Electrical Systems of Westlake Village, CA to design and install three different commercial solar power projects. The first project, already completed, consists of approximately 264 solar panels installed on the camp’s three-sided cafeteria building. An additional 32 solar panels with a non-penetrating mount system were installed on the adjacent bakery. Each module is 330W commercial grade fire proof. The collective solar panels make up a 90 kW commercial system that was retrofitted for the building. The second project is planned for this fall.

According to Greg Johanson, President of Solar Electrical Systems, "It has been a pleasure working with Camp Ramah’s staff. SES has learned first-hand how we can transfer a non-profit’s depreciation and tax advantages into a useful tax benefit for gift donors, making it a win-win situation. Actually, the Camp Ramah experience may generate federal legislation through Senator Leonard E. Burman to modify existing tax law to help other non-profits manage their depreciation and tax credits. I can't think of anything better than bringing the new age of commercial solar power to other non-profits, as well as to the youth and strong community of this great organization. I think it should be a micro-economic example for the world to follow.”

The camp’s electric bill has now been offset by 30% through a detailed cost analysis and innovative tax advantages. Further, the depreciation of the buildings involved has been maximized with the addition of the solar panels. Solar Electrical Systems was referred to Camp Ramah by Wally Marks of Helms Bakery in Culver City, CA. Marks had previously received a 150kW system from Solar Electrical Systems.

So how does solar power work? Commercial solar power is produced when silicon wafers laminated under non-reflective glass collect photons from the sun, which are converted into DC electrical power. This power then flows to an inverter which converts and transforms it into usable voltage and AC electrical power. In some cases, solar electrical systems have the power to spin electric meters backward, which result in credits from a primary electric provider.

Solar Electrical Systems (General & Electrical B1, C10, License Number 575211) has been working with general contractors, builders, architects and owners to design and install solar electrical systems for commercial, non-profit, residential, and home-based business properties in California and the Los Angeles area since 1978. Solar Electrical Systems was rated by the California Energy Commission as the “2001 Best Photovoltaic Installer” and rated the “2005 Highest Percentage Performance of Commercially Installed Systems in Southern California” by a local utility from their base in Los Angeles. With 25 years of experience, five times more than any competitor in the industry, Solar Electrical Systems is the world's oldest licensed, full-service, 100% photovoltaic contractor with over 500 residential and 100 commercial photovoltaic installations. For more information on tax advantages with solar power or to answer the question, “How does solar power work?” visit www.SolarElectricalSystems.com or call (866) 74-SOLAR.

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