Paying for Solar Installation

There’s no question that solar installation is a major investment for your home or commercial facility. The price tag for installation is costly, leading you to believe it isn’t affordable. If you are interested in installing solar panels for the benefits and energy savings they provide, don’t let the upfront installation costs stand in your way. There are financing options available which allow you to reduce the upfront costs of solar installation, such as solar leases and power purchase agreements (PPA).

Solar leases for your solar installation

Solar leases eliminate the high installation costs for your solar panels and other equipment. Instead, you’ll pay a fixed amount each month to cover the solar installation and use the energy produced. Your panels will be owned by the lease provider, and they will maintain them as well. Solar leases provide a way for you to lock in low rates for electric solar power for years, a benefit you won’t receive from your current electric utility provider.

Power purchase agreements for your solar installation

A power purchase agreement (PPA) allows you to pay only for the electricity generated and used. Your PPA provider owns the solar panels and other equipment, and will cover the solar installation for your home or business. They’ll maintain the equipment for a specified length of time, so you won’t have to worry about maintenance or repairs. You pay no installation costs, just a fixed rate for the electricity produced.

The right option for your solar installation

When considering solar leases or a PPA for your solar installation, which programs available to you are determined by your location. Each offer similar benefits which can make solar power affordable for your home or business use.

Benefits of financing your solar installation

When you choose a solar lease of PPA in lieu of paying for your solar installation upfront, there are additional benefits you’ll receive besides saving money in the beginning. With these financing options, a third party owns and maintains your equipment, which can save you thousands over the lifetime of your system. Depending on where you live, permits and inspection fees increase the price of installation, which is avoided with these solar installation financing options.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can take advantage of solar power for your home or business with no upfront costs, contact Smith Sustainable Design. We’ll assist you with financing options which can make solar installation fit your budget.

Electric Solar Energy Monitoring

When using electrical power or natural gas provided by a utility company, many people monitor their use to understand their consumption and how their power is being used. For many home and business owners, the goal of installing electric solar energy systems is to reduce consumption of these utilities, but monitoring usage doesn’t have to stop once the switch is made to solar power. Monitoring systems can be used in conjunction with electric solar energy systems, and they continue to provide valuable data about energy use, as well as alerts if the system is not performing properly.

When your electric solar energy system is installed, you’ll have the option to include monitoring. The monitoring system collects usage information from your commercial building or residence, and displays it in an easy-to-understand, typically web-based format. Depending on the monitoring program you choose, you can access this data remotely from any computer and other web-enabled devices. Use this information to make smart decisions about your energy use and track your system’s performance.

Monitoring tools for your electric solar energy systems allow for the measurement of energy production, as well as energy use. It can also provide live weather information for your area, providing information such as panel temperatures, solar irradiance, wind speed, and more factors which affect energy production. Monitoring tools make it easy to look back over periods of time to see production and usage data to identify trends and plan for the future. These tools can also alert you if your electric solar energy system isn’t performing as it should, allowing you to troubleshoot and solve issues affecting system performance.

Many monitoring tools provide information regarding the positive environmental impact your system has. For some, technical data isn’t always the best way to communicate; your monitoring system can translate the electric solar energy your system produces into real-life equivalencies, such as gallons of gasoline saved, or hours to power the average home. Seeing this data in relatable values can provide a better understanding of just how much your electric solar energy system is benefitting your family, your business, and the world around you.

Take your electric solar energy system installation one step further with monitoring tools; measure consumption and production, system performance and efficiency, and see the direct benefits your system has on the environment. Contact Smith Sustainable Design today to discuss monitoring solutions for your commercial or residential electric solar energy system.

Solar Panels for Homes

When installing solar panels for homes, we find that many homeowners have questions about how they’ll be situated and how big they will be. A number of factors contribute to the design of your solar panel installation, including the space available, orientation of your home, and the pitch of your roof. We’ll explain why these factors are important, and how they help determine the design of your solar panel installation.

One of the most important factors when installing solar panels for homes is the orientation of the house. Your solar panels should face south in order to maximize the collection of the sun’s energy. If your roof doesn’t have southern exposure, or if there are obstructions to a southern exposure like trees or other homes, we may consider land mounted solar panels rather than roof mounted panels.

While facing south is an important factor, the angle of the panels is related. The pitch of your roof refers to how steep it is. When installing solar panels for homes, its ideal to install them at an inclination of 40 degrees plus or minus 15%, facing south. If your roof is steeper, solar panels may be land mounted in order to receive maximum sun exposure. If your roof isn’t quite as steep, solar panel mounts can be configured to achieve the proper sun exposure.

When sizing solar panels for homes, the construction of your roof and its effective areas are determining factors. The space available for ideal solar panel installation and the load ratings for your roof must be taken into account in order to safely and effectively install your solar panels. Roof mount solar panels have a size range from 3 to 10 kilowatts of installed capacity, while land mounted solar panels are usually  larger, up to 20 kilowatts. Your desired installed capacity will be taken into account to determine if your roof is ideal for installation, or if solar panels should be installed on land.

The experts at Smith Sustainable Design will develop an effective plan for your solar panel installation. We carefully evaluate your home and its surroundings to determine the best course of action to complete your solar power system. Call us today to schedule your site evaluation and begin designing your system.

Are you solar ready?

In addition to your site assessment, there are other factors you need to consider when preparing to install solar panels for your home. The Environmental Protection Agency has set certain specifications to help you out when it comes to preparing a new home for solar installation, or adding solar power to your existing home. These are just a few modifications which may need done to your home to ease the installation of your solar panels.

Install Solar Panels: Structure & Safety

Find the load ratings for your home’s roof; you’ll need to know the maximum live load and dead load ratings to make sure your roof can support the weight of the solar panels. Also, the pitch of your roof (how steep it is) may indicate the need for a permanent roof anchor safety system, which will protect against falls.

Install Solar Panels: Prep Your Home

You’ll need an area to mount your solar system’s inverter and other components. Designate a 4’x4’ plywood area specifically for this equipment. You’ll also need a 1-inch metal conduit ran from where the array of solar panels will be installed to the area you’ve designated for your inverter. Your solar panel system will need a properly sized dual-pole circuit breaker, which can be added to your home’s electrical panel.

It’s a good idea to know the additional components of the solar panel system so you can prep your home ahead of time. If you’re building a new home and intend to install solar panels, these items may be addressed during the construction process. Retrofitting solar panels for existing homes can be done with some modifications, depending on the structure. If you’d like to know more about preparing your home to install solar panels, call Smith Sustainable Design. Our trained solar experts can assess your home and help you plan for solar panel installation.