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.

Types of Solar Power Systems

While solar panels are easily recognizable and are the component most people think of when discussing solar energy, they aren't necessarily the only component of the solar power system. Inverters, batteries, and charge controllers may be utilized, which makes up an electric solar energy system. The need for this equipment is dependent on the type of system you have.

When it comes to electric solar energy systems, one size doesn't fit all. There are a few different types of system designs, which we will discuss in this post. The type of system best for your home is dependent on different needs, conditions, and other factors.

Photovoltaic Direct Systems

Photovoltaic direct systems require the fewest components. They don't use batteries, and aren't hooked up to an outside electric power source. Because of this, a photovoltaic direct system only provides electricity when the sun is out. This type of system isn't really appropriate for powering your home, but may be useful if power is only needed for a few certain applications.

Off-Grid Systems

If you've been investigating solar energy, you've likely heard the phrase “off the grid.” An off-grid system operates independently, and doesn't use existing electrical utility power (the grid). This capability makes off-grid systems a suitable option for remote locations, but you can use them anywhere. They do use a battery to store the energy created for use later on. A number of other components are used to protect the battery, prevent overcharge, and more.

Grid-Tied Systems

A grid-tied system without a battery backup is one of the most common solar energy systems. They convert solar energy for home use, and also sends the energy it produces to the utility grid to offset home energy use. Homes using this type of system may still use some electricity from utility companies, while producing its own solar energy for use. These systems require equipment like solar panels and inverters to make and use the electricity, as well as electrical safety components.

Without a battery, the system doesn't store the additional energy it converts. So, when you experience a utility power outage, your solar energy system won't provide relief. Some grid-tied systems do have a battery backup. They operate the same way as a grid-tied system, except they do store additional energy produced.

As we plan for your solar panel installation, we'll discuss which systems could be used. If you have any questions, we'll be happy to provide the information you need in order to evaluate your options. Contact Smith Sustainable Design today to begin planning for your electric solar energy system.

How do photovoltaic solar panels work?

Solar photovoltaic panels are an efficient way to produce your very own electricity to power your home. Solar energy is cheaper than electricity produced by utility companies, and is environmentally friendly to make and use. If you're considering installing a solar panel system for your home, you may be wondering exactly how they work. Let’s take a look at how a solar photovoltaic panel provides electricity for your use.

The solar panel is made up of photovoltaic cells, which are used to create electricity from sunlight. These photovoltaic cells are made up of a semiconductor material which allows electrical energy to pass through. Silicon is commonly used and phosphorous along with boron are added, which work to create conductivity and starts the electrons flowing.

The solar panel collects the energy through the photovoltaic effect. When sunlight hits the photovoltaic cells, photons, which are particles of sunlight, are absorbed. This releases an electron. The electrons create an electric current, and they move across the photovoltaic cells when activated by the sun's energy.

The solar photovoltaic panels work by collecting sunlight and converting it into DC electricity. In order to turn the direct current power to alternating current, or AC, your solar photovoltaic panels send the direct current energy to an inverter. The inverter converts DC electricity to the AC electricity you'll need to power devices within your home.

So you see, the solar panels themselves are responsible for creating electrical power by converting energy from the sun. They are only one component of your home's solar power system. However, they are sometimes the most visible, and the most easily recognized component of a solar power system.

Because they only use sunlight to make electricity, when you install solar panels, you must place them in an area which receives adequate sunlight. When deciding on placement, consider pane orientation, the pitch of your roof and the panels, and the area’s shade. Smith Sustainable Design plans your installation so your solar panels will receive the proper amount of sunlight.

Hopefully we've demystified the complicated science behind producing electricity via solar panels. If you're the type who is interested in the science behind things, we'd be happy to discuss it in more detail with you.

Solar panels for the home

Before you install solar panels, before you begin collecting solar energy to power your home, you'll need to ensure your home site can collect the necessary solar energy to provide power for your needs. A solar site survey should be an important step as you plan for solar power energy.

When evaluating your site for the installation of solar photovoltaic panels, there are two key areas you must consider. One, does your site receive enough sunlight? Two, are there any obstacles you'll need to clear or work around in order to collect the necessary solar energy? Let’s address each of these questions to clue you in as to what you should be looking for.

Does my site receive enough sunlight?

Answering this question will require consideration of your location's weather. The occasional cloudy day isn't a big deal, but regular periods of gloomy weather can pose a challenge. Luckily, most locations in the United States receive the necessary sunlight to use solar energy. Some are better than others, so investigate your location further to get a better idea of your solar resources. An almanac or other weather resource is a good starting point.

Do I have obstacles to work around?

This second question is one you may have to work a little harder to assess. When planning to install solar panels, it's very important to choose an idea location for their placement. Trees, buildings, and other structures can stand in the way of your solar panels collecting the necessary amount of energy.

There are a few ways you can go about identifying possible obstacles. First, you'll need to know the path of the sun across the sky. Remember, the sun’s path changes throughout the year, so keep the paths of different seasons in mind when looking for obstacles. You can use a sun chart for your location, which can make the process easier.

Another option for identifying potential obstacles in your home's path may be to build a model of your home and its surroundings. Whether you decide to build a three dimensional diorama, or just sketch a map of your area, you'll have a useful tool for finding structures, natural or otherwise, which can stand in your way when collecting solar energy for home use.

Smith Sustainable Design is experienced in performing solar site surveys to aide in installation decisions. We perform a thorough analysis of your space to determine the ideal location for your solar system panels.