|
|
Solar Energy Information | ||
|
Many houses and commercial buildings are fine sites to generate electricity from the sunlight they receive. The electricity generation systems are called "photovoltaic" systems, and if you've got a good location we'd love to help you get one. Photovoltaic systems are the only solar energy systems we design and install, so if you're interested in solar energy for hot water or space heating we'll refer you to someone else.
The questions below are the ones we get the most. If you have other questions please contact us. Do I have a good roof for solar energy? You need either a slanted roof facing approximately south or a flat roof, with minimal shade due to trees, buildings, or other objects. You’ll also need a few feet of wall space somewhere. We‘ll do a detailed evaluation before going forward. How does it work? Solar panels on your roof convert sunlight to DC electricity. Then an “inverter” mounted on an outdoor or indoor wall converts the DC electricity to the AC electricity your house or business uses. Add a few wall-mounted switches and meters, and you’re running on sunlight. How much of my electricity will I generate? This depends on the size of your system, and how much electricity you use. At times, you will probably generate more than you’re using. You can sell this extra back to the power company for credit against the electricity you use at night or when you need more than you’re generating. Most houses with good roofs have enough space to generate a total of about ¼ to ½ of their yearly electricity use. How do sales for credit work? It’s very simple. Every month the power company measures how much they sold to you and how much you sold to them, and charges you for the difference. Some power companies require you to have two meters, one for each direction, while other power companies use a single meter that measures both directions. Either way, when you are selling them your extra electricity, they are paying you at the same rate that they charge you when you’re buying from them. To make matters better, some generation suppliers will pay you at a higher rate for your solar electricity than you pay them for their normal electricity. A new law in New Jersey, and a forthcoming one in Pennsylvania, will soon require all generation suppliers to buy some solar-generated electricity. How big a system can I get? Systems come in many shapes and sizes. The table below shows the sizes of a few of our favorites, but there are other choices as well. Some of these systems only work for some roofs, and some roofs require a little more space than shown. Very few homes have space for more than about 3 kilowatts. But if you have space for more, we can always put in multiples of the systems below.
How about maintenance? The systems are intended to run for years without maintenance. However, the best equipment has only been on the market for a few years, if that, and no one knows how long it’s really going to last. Panels come with 20 or 25 year manufacturer’s warranties, and inverters come with 5 year manufacturer’s warranties, but even the manufacturers really don’t know how long their products will last. Remember you’re a leading pioneer down the path to a better world. We need people like you to stake out the trail for people who will follow. What happens in a blackout? Blackouts can occur any time, day or night, during rain or snow storms, but fortunately they’re pretty rare in most parts of this area. On average, most people lose electricity only a few hours a year, if that. But if your electric service is unreliable, or if you have special needs, you may want a system with batteries to keep power going to critical appliances during a blackout, whenever it occurs. For longer blackouts you can also have an emergency generator. But for most people, batteries and generators aren’t worth the extra cost. The most popular systems safely shut down in a blackout, and then automatically turn themselves back on a few minutes after the blackout ends. How much does it cost? Sunlight is free (just say thanks in your prayers), but equipment and labor cost money. The labor costs can vary quite widely depending on the complexity of the installation. Grants paying part of the cost are available in the PECO service territory in Pennsylvania and throughout New Jersey. Typically such a grant pays between ¼ and ½ the cost of a system. Depending on the location, the systems above after the grant will probably cost you between $8000 and $12,000 for the smallest system to between $15,000 and $25,000 for the largest. If you can combine the solar energy installation with other work on your house or business, you may get substantial savings on the labor. We will be glad to work with your architect, builder, roofer, or electrical contractor to combine the solar energy installation with other work they are doing, leaving you with a lot of savings. What do I do next? Check out your roof. If it faces approximately south or is flat, and has few sources of shadows, see if you can find a position for one of the systems above. Be sure to leave a few feet around the edges for work space. If you have enough space but none of the systems fits quite right, there are other options we can work out. If you have a good spot, give us a call to come for a solar audit. The cost of the audit depends on where your house or building is located. We’ll go over various options, and which ones are best for your house. Then we’ll take it from there. Click here for more information on: Back To Home Page | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||