Harness solar power energy anytime with battery backups

Whether your home has a solar power energy system or not, you can have access to backup power anytime by using a battery backup for your home. Power outages are common during summer storms, and can leave your home without power for lights and essential systems if your home uses grid utility power or if you do not have a battery backup to store excess solar power energy produced by your system.

With a battery backup, you can power your home’s devices in the event of an electrical utility outage or lack of solar power energy. With a backup battery system, essential appliances and devices still receive the power they need, even when your primary electrical power supply is interrupted. Backup batteries are perfect for homes with and without solar power energy systems.

• A battery backup can optimize your home’s photovoltaic system by providing a reliable source of power when you need it.
• If your home is not equipped with a solar power energy system, you can benefit from a battery backup system and access the power you need whenever your electrical utility power fails.

Many times, electrical outages don’t last long, but when they do, they pose serious risks to your household. When you are left without power, your family is vulnerable in many ways. A backup battery system for your solar power energy system or your home’s electrical utility power gives your family the ability to communicate and stay safe in the event of an outage.

• Charge your cell phone to stay in communication with family members and emergency services.
• Power essential equipment such as medical devices.
• Keep lights on so your family can move about safely.
• Keep your refrigerator running to prevent food spoilage.

A battery backup is a great resource for any home, with our without a solar power energy system. Smith Sustainable Design provides reliable installation for these systems to homeowners and businesses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. For more information about battery backup systems, please contact us.

Answers to your solar system panel questions

Each day, we receive several questions from homeowners just like you about solar system panels. We have found that many of you have similar questions and concerns, so we have compiled a post to answer the most common questions easily!

1. How long do solar system panels take to install?

For a typical residential system, installation takes about a day. Steep roofs or delicate roofing systems may take a little longer, but no more than 2 or 3 days.

2. Should I replace the roof before installation?

If your roof is in need of replacement, go ahead and have it replaced before having the solar system panels installed. If you replaced your roof recently or still have a lot of life yet, don’t worry about it. In the event you need to have the roof replaced after solar system panels are in place, they can be removed and reinstalled.

3. How are solar system panels priced?

Solar system panels are typically priced by the watt. The average wattage of a solar panel is about 250 watts.

4. How many solar system panels will I need?

Your home’s electricity demand, your current usage, and available roof area help determine how many solar system panels you will need.

5. How much will I save?

If you buy your solar system panels outright, it’s a difficult equation; you’ll have to consider net metering, system life, and how much electricity will rise. If you choose a solar lease or power purchase agreement, you can compare your usage at the price of electricity from your utility company to the price guaranteed by the third-party system owner to see how much you’ll save each month.

Hopefully we’ve provided some answers for many of the questions you have about solar system panels. If you have additional questions or would like to receive a detailed estimate for your home, call Smith Sustainable Design anytime!

Are you considering solar installation?-Part 2

Questions to ask yourself

In Part 1 of this blog series, we discussed considering what you want to spend when deciding whether or not a solar installation is right for you. Today, let’s look at how energy prices compare, which will show you what you’ll be paying with a solar installation versus continuing to buy all your power from your electric utility provider.

2. How do energy prices compare?

To determine your savings when going solar, think in terms of kilowatt hours (kWh). On your electric bill, your usage will be stated by kWh, and you’ll also see how much you are being charged per kWh of electricity use. If you’re interested in a solar lease or power purchase agreement, the provider can tell you how much you’ll be charged for each kWh produced, and you can determine your annual savings when going solar.

If you’re looking to own your solar energy system, you’ll need to determine how much electricity the system will produce and see how it compares to your annual kWh usage. If you require additional kWhs, you’ll pay your utility company for the energy- with a grid-tied system, you may receive a lower rate per your interconnection agreement.

Another factor to consider is your payback period. Once you determine your annual energy usage and savings through your solar energy system, you can figure how long it will take the solar installation to pay for itself through your savings. In New Jersey, the average payback period for solar installation is only 5 years! And in Pennsylvania, the average payback period for solar installation is only 6.5 years! Once the payback period is met, it’s as if you’re using the electricity you generate completely free- you’ll only pay for energy used from your utility company, if it’s even needed.

When deciding if a solar installation is right for you, look beyond upfront costs and see how much you’ll save annually. You’ll find the savings will be a huge benefit no matter which route you go; owning outright or choosing a solar lease or power purchase agreement. For answers to all your solar installation questions, contact Smith Sustainable Design.

Are you considering solar installation? - Part 1

Questions to ask yourself

A solar installation is a big investment for any home or business. Generally, when we are faced with the decision to make or forego a sizeable investment, we do a lot of questioning and perhaps even “soul searching” to determine if we’re making the right call for our families, our businesses, and even ourselves. If you’re thinking about going solar, you should definitely ask yourself this question:

1. How much am I looking to spend?

Years ago, if you wanted to go solar, you bore the burden of solar installation cost completely. Nowadays, that’s not the case. If you want to own your system, there are many programs and incentives available to help you save. Federal tax credits are available which provide a credit accounting for 30% of your solar installation and equipment costs! In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, there are state and local rebates available to cut the cost even further. You many also have the ability to connect with the local utility grid, and you can receive credits for the excess electricity produced by your system.

There are also ways to begin using solar energy without the upfront costs of solar installation. Solar leases and power purchase agreements are increasingly common. With this option, you pay for the electricity generated by the panels, not for the cost of equipment. Solar leases and power purchase agreements require little or no upfront costs to you. These solar installation alternatives are making it possible for more homes and businesses to go solar, especially when upfront expenses would be cost-prohibitive.

For many people, cost is king and will ultimately be the deciding factor when going solar. If the expense of a solar installation is too high, don’t decide against solar- there are other alternatives which allow you to harness solar energy! In Part 2 of this blog series, we’ll discuss another important question you should ask yourself when considering a solar energy system. For answers to all your solar installation questions, contact Smith Sustainable Design.

The pros and cons of electric solar energy

On this blog, we talk a great deal about the advantages of electric solar energy. As a sustainable design provider, we may be partial, but we do what we do because ultimately, we feel the benefits are tremendous. As with anything, there are two sides of the coin, so to speak. Here’s a look at some aspects of electric solar energy which many consider a disadvantage.

Con: Electric solar energy is expensive

While the energy you consume that’s created by your solar panels is cheap, the installation of your system is costly. When many homeowners see the upfront price of 5 figures, many decide against installing these pricey systems.

Pro: Your net cost will actually be much lower! Thanks to federal tax credits, rebates from local utility providers, group discount programs, and power purchase agreements or solar leases, the final cost will be much lower. The federal tax credit alone for installing a residential electric solar energy system is 30% of the system’s cost!

Con: Electric solar energy is confusing

Yes, it’s true that many homeowners don’t know a lot about solar power, and likely don’t have any friends or neighbors who have installed a solar energy system. Terms like grid-tied, off the grid, inverter, and more can cause confusion when all you want to do is figure out if electric solar energy is right for you.

Pro: There are many resources you can look to for help. Every day, we educate homeowners on many aspects of solar energy, including how the system works, how it will affect them, and more. You can also look to many industry and government websites which have accurate information regarding the use of solar energy.

While there appears to be many cons relating to electric solar energy use, most concerns are easily dispelled. If you have questions about perceived disadvantages, call Smith Sustainable Design to address your solar energy concerns today.

Snow and your solar system panels

Though hopefully winter weather is over for now, one question we hear often in winter is “how does the snowfall affect my solar system panels?” Many homeowners who are considering solar installation may also think of this question, given the sometimes heavy snowfall we receive here in New Jersey and Pennsylvania . Don’t worry, even when snow prevents us from doing much outdoors, it really doesn’t hinder your solar system panels from generating electricity for your home.

With roof mounted solar system panels, generally the easiest (and often safest) option is to do nothing. Don’t risk injury or a fall while climbing the roof to clear your solar panels, because it’s really not necessary. Your solar system panels will clear themselves in just a short time. During a light snow, it’s ok to brush off your panels if conditions are safe to access your panels.

Even with a thick layer of snow piled up on top, your solar system panels are still absorbing the sun’s ultraviolet rays. As the panels are collecting solar energy, they naturally heat up, which melts the snow and ice which may be sitting atop them. Solar system panels which are darker in color stay warmer for longer periods of time, continually melting the snow. Usually, the panels will have melted all the snow and ice cover in about a day.

Snowfall doesn’t necessarily hinder your solar system panels from producing energy during the winter months. In fact, the snow surrounding the panels and your home may cause your panels to generate extra energy. Have you ever noticed how bright a sunny day can be with a snowy landscape? The sun’s rays reflected off the snow can direct more energy towards your solar panels for absorption.

While heavy snow may seem like a burden for your solar system panels, your panels can clear the load themselves in most cases. They actually do a very good job at clearing the snow effectively in little time on their own. If you have questions about how the weather can affect your solar system panels, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Smith Sustainable Design; we are here to help with all your solar power needs.

Want to talk about solar installation?

If you’re looking into solar installation for your home, chances are you have some questions. Smith Sustainable Design’s design and installation representatives are available to answer any questions you may have- just give us a call. So we can give you a better idea of specifics for your home’s solar information, it is helpful to have the following information available during your phone call.

Know your roofing information. We’ll need to know your roofing specification in order to assess if your roof can be used for solar installation, or if ground mounted panels would be an option. Let us know the age of your home’s roof, as well as the type of material used. We will need to know if you have asphalt shingles, metal roofing, or other roofing materials.

Check your utility bill. Look on your previous statement or call your utility provider to find the current energy costs. Your utility company may also provide information on your home’s average usage. This is helpful in determining how much solar energy your home will need to provide power for all your needs.

Think about your future. Your new solar installation will be powering your home for years to come, and a lot of changes can occur during this time. It is best to account for these changes during the initial solar installation, rather than altering the system later. Consider these factors:

• Will your family be growing, or a child moving away from home?
• Do you plan to add on to your home in the future?
• Will you purchase electric appliances when it is time to replace current ones?

Being prepared with this information will help our team learn more about your needs so we can present solar installation options that are appropriate for your home. Smith Sustainable Design is here to address your concerns and questions anytime. Contact us today to learn more about solar installation for your home.