Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of solar panels do you recommend? We use high quality, high efficiency solar panels from various manufactures depending on availability, customer preference, cost and technical considerations. Most of the brands we offer are made in America but we have modules available from Japan, Norway and China as well offering a full compliment products to choose from.Aren't "they" working on some new solar panels that will be way better than what is available today? Research and development is ongoing in the solar industry as with any other industry. You hear about these things on the news and in magazines or on the web but they always leave out how much it costs and when it will be available. This is because it will be very hard to beat the current technology for grid tied systems and many of these technologies will never hit the market. Haven't "they" been working on robots for 20 years. I still don't have one bringing me my coffee in the morning but my coffee maker has a time built in. Chances are we will see the same steady incremental improvements on solar panels we have seen in other industries.
Do I need to put a bunch of batteries in my garage? In a word No. Today's grid tied systems are extremely low maintenance and require no batteries. Your energy is not stored rather it is sold to the grid earning you credits that you can use later in the day, or later in the year.
What happens when the power goes out? Will I still have electricity if the sun is shining? With a typical grid tied system your power will go down with the grid. If you wish to have backup power you will need a different inverter and a bank of batteries. Your system will function like a grid tied system until the power goes out at which time the batteries will kick in and provide you with backup. The solar panels can charge the batteries and the system will essentially behave much like an off grid system. These systems add significant complexity and up front cost and most homeowners would rather buy a generator or live without power during the outage. But for those who like the idea the battery back up systems are available.
What is Net Metering? Net Metering is a metering arrangement where you are able to have an approved energy production technology on your property that can feed back onto the grid. You will purchase and sell power to the grid and your bill will reflect your Net Consumption.
Can I install more solar panels than I need and Get a Check at the end of the year? As of 2009 this is still not available in Edison or DWP territories. Currently you may only offset up to the full amount of your usage and extra energy that you generate during a calendar year is your gift to the utility. Interest groups are working on legislation to change this and only time will tell if they will be successful.
What are the rebates and tax credits that are available? As of November 2009 the rebate in SCE territory is $1.90 per installed watt. The wattage rating of a system is based on the CEC rating of the panels and exactly how the rebate is calculated is a bit complicated to explain in short form. Usually it works out to about 25% of the system cost. The tax credit is 30% of the out of pocket expense after the rebate. So you wind up getting about half of the system paid for in incentives!
How much money will solar save me? How much will it cost? This depends on your usage and rate structure. Use our online solar estimator or call us for a free estimate. Not only will we tell you what it will cost, all estimates include a financial payback analysis and monthly production estimates for the solar and the monthly savings on your bill. All of the information you need to make an informed decision.
Which way do my solar panels need to face? Will my roof work? Ideally they will face roughly south or southwest and be tilted up between 15-30 degrees. However, they can be installed anywhere from due east to due west and tilted from flat to 90 degrees. Most homes and businesses have a location that will suite these parameters. If they are flat or due west you may lose up to 10% to 15% of you annual production but you can make up for this simply by installing 10% to 15% more solar panels.
Should I worry about shadows? Any small shadow on the solar panels can make a large impact. Tall trees or objects to the south of the solar panels will cause significant winter shading and trees to the east and west will cause morning and afternoon shading respectively. If you have shading issues we have equipment to measure your "Solar Access" to determine how much energy will be lost due to shading and determine if trimming trees or changing the array configuration can help.
I have heard that solar energy is not the solution to our energy needs because there is no good way to store the energy... is that true? The goal of commercial and residential grid tied solar is not to satisfy all of our energy needs, rather, it is to help balance the load on generating facilities. In the summer when the sun is shining in the middle of the afternoon is also when we need the most energy and it happens to be when these grid tied solar systems will be generating at or near their full capacity. Our energy future will be best served by many technologies all working in concert. Grid tied solar will be a key component to this by helping reduce the enormous peaks in electricity demand in the afternoon. With new smart grid technology operators will be able to rout power more efficiently when and where its needed taking advantage of technologies such as grid tied solar further increasing their effectiveness.
