Every day when Mike Barnes comes home from work, he knocks on a box in the garage. With each knock, the electronic display shows more good news.

First, it’s how many pounds of carbon dioxide he’s saved the atmosphere since his solar electric system was installed. Second, it’s how many kilowatt hours of electricity the system has produced since it was installed. And third, it’s how many kilowatt hours the system has produced that day.

“Honestly, it was economics,” Barnes said, explaining why he chose to go solar. “It’s a short-term investment for a long-term return on energy costs. It may not be the green answer, but it’s the truth.”

This Saturday, Nov. 7, local residents will have the chance to tour Barnes’ home along with six others on Bakersfield’s westside as part of the inaugural Bakersfield Solar Tour. The tour is hosted by the American Solar Energy Society and REC Solar, the San Luis Obispo-based company that installed Barnes’ system.

The idea is for people who are curious about solar to talk to local homeowners about why they had their systems installed, what it cost, what size system they chose, and how it works.

This won’t be the first time the Barneses have opened their home to curious neighbors since their system went online May 13 of this year. Janet Barnes said many people would stop by during the installation to ask about it. So they invited REC Solar area sales manager Kevin Scheidt to meet the neighbors and answer a few questions.

“It turned into a solar party,” Janet Barnes said.

Now Scheidt has organized what he hopes becomes an annual tour featuring homes and businesses with solar power systems installed by many partnering companies. To start, this first tour features seven homes with systems installed by REC. The tour is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and starts at Green Shops, 7737 Meany Ave. B-3, where tour maps will be handed out. The last stop is Lengthwise Brewery, which also has a solar power system.

Visitors to the Barnes’ home will see 22 solar panels covering 376 square feet on the west-facing side of the roof. They will also see the PG&E meter that shows a reverse arrow whenever the system is generating more power than the house is using – that extra electricity is being fed back into the utility’s power grid. And lastly they will see the box in the garage that Mike Barnes taps each day to see how much power they’re generating.

It is not a large operation. The Barnes chose the mid-sized system after Scheidt helped them gauge how much energy they use and the potential power generation of various systems. The family of six already conserved energy in their home, turning off lights and electronics when not in use and converting all light bulbs to CFLs.

“We know we don’t use a lot of energy,” Janet Barnes said. “But the benefit is long term.”

Their electric bills for this summer and last summer show the difference. In July 2008, their bill was $327.42. In July 2009, it was $6.81. They even splurged a little this summer, running the pool pump a little longer and turning their thermostat down two more degrees.

But their savings followed a huge initial investment. At first the sticker shock may dissuade potential solar power users, Janet Barnes said. Their system totaled $32,000. However, after a rebate from PG&E, their payout was $26,707. They will also be able to write off an $8,000 federal tax credit after the end of the year.

Mike Barnes estimates it will take 10 to 12 years before they see a return on their investment. And if they move before then, he hopes the investment will up the resale value of their home. In the meantime, he is happy with his decision.

“I think society’s beginning to see that this is the power of the future. We’ve got so much sun here and so many rooftops, that to not use solar would be missing a great opportunity,” he said.

Bakersfield Solar Tour

When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7

Where: Pick up maps at Green Shops, 7737 Meany Ave. B-3, in Chloe’s Plaza. Tour includes 93312 and 93314 zip codes.

Admission: Free and open to the public

Register: www.bakersfieldsolartour.com

Details: 559-940-0047

Did you know?

Bakersfield has more solar rooftops than Berkeley! In a recent report by Environment California Research & Policy Center, Bakersfield ranks sixth in the state for cities with the most solar rooftops. Here are the top 10:

San Diego, 2,262

Los Angeles, 1,388

San Francisco, 1,350

San Jose, 1,333

Fresno, 1,028

Bakersfield, 751

Clovis, 733

Santa Rosa, 725

Sacramento, 692

Berkeley, 648