Business appears to be lagging in solar power use. (Energy).

When it comes to installing solar power, San Diego County seems upside-down in one respect.

Of three categories of electric consumers -- business, government and residential -- business generally takes the lead in installing photovoltaic systems, said Scott Anders, program manager for the San Diego Regional Energy Office.

"Generally" is the operative word, because that statement doesn't hold true in San Diego County.

In fact, it's just the opposite. Government and residential sectors have installed solar power systems at a faster clip than the business sector, Anders said.

And until businesses sign on to photovoltaics, the technology won't realize its full potential here in sunny SoCal.

Perhaps the biggest stumbling block for businesses looking at solar systems: the economy.

Regulatory and legislative uncertainty concern commercial customers, Anders said.

Businesses also have very high standards for return on investments, and pricey solar systems can take years to repay initial costs.

Before rebates, the average cost is about $8.50 per watt. The per-watt cost decreases as the size of the project increases.

Commercial-scale systems in our region run between 10 kilowatts to 100 kilowatts, Anders said.

A number of financial incentives are available. The state's SELFGEN rebate program refunds up to 50 percent of the system's cost.

There are tax credits -- 10 percent federal and 15 percent state. State and federal accelerated depreciation exists, and the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002 provides an additional 30 percent federal depreciation in the first year.