Solarco
Electricity from the Sun!
Electricity from the Sun!
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Education & Links
What is a residential/ light commercial solar electric system?
Solar electric systems are code compliant systems that allow you to generate your own electricity at home or at your business. Designed to interconnect with your existing utility service, they feature solar modules, plug & play wiring, power electronics and a mounting system, whether roof or ground mount.
How does a residential/ light commercial solar electric system work?
Solar cells in the modules mounted on your roof or ground convert sunlight directly into DC power. A component called an inverter converts this DC electricity to AC current that can be used in your home or business. The system is interconnected to the utility. During the day, if your solar system will provide more electricity than your home or business is using, the utility credits your account through a process called net metering for the power that is sent back to the grid. The utility would provide power as usual at night and during the day when your electricity demand exceeds that produced by your system. Systems are also available with battery back-up. Part of the power produced by your solar system during the day is used to charge the batteries, which provide power for your critical loads in the event of a power outage.
What happens during a power outage?
We offer two types of solar systems. One type powers your home/business during daylight hours, but does not provide power in an outage, because the inverter disconnects the system preventing injury to utility workers, even on a sunny day. Another type system provides power during daylight hours, but also has a battery backup designed to provide power to critical loads during an outage, day or night.
Can I generate heat for my home/business with a solar electric system?
Yes & No! Our solar systems are designed to run your lights, appliances and other electric devices. Although we can devise a system to run your entire home/ business, at this time it would be very expensive. In the future, we expect the prices of solar hardware to come down and utility rates to rise, making it more feasible to run everything in your home/business.
What do the terms on-grid, grid connected, grid-tied and off-grid mean?
On-grid, grid connected or grid-tied means connected to the utility electrical grid. Our solar electric systems are designed as on-grid systems, meaning that they interconnect with your existing utility service. Off-grid refers to systems that are not connected to the utilities electrical grid.
How do I know if a solar electric system would work on my home/business?
Solar electric systems work for most homes/businesses. Our systems are engineered to work with most roofing materials, in most locations where direct sunlight is available. The system requires full sun, either on your roof for a roof mount system, or on the ground near your structure of about 120 square feet for a smaller system and up to 1000 square feet for a large system. Shading from trees or other obstructions can reduce the practicality of a specific installation. A south facing roof/ground area is optimal, but the solar panels can be mounted on west or east facing roofs and still produce better than 80 percent of the power of a true south mounting.
Why is shade a problem?
Because of the wiring design of a solar module, all of the individual solar cells on the module must receive full sunlight for the modules to work properly.
How many solar panels do I need to produce enough electricity to run my home/business?
The system size you need depends on your average electrical usage, climate, roof angle, shading problems and many other factors. To approximate the array size you need, multiply your average daily electrical demand in kilowatt-hours by .25. The result is the approximate size of the solar array, in kilowatts,
needed to meet 100% of your electrical demand.
Will a system produce enough energy to cover all my electrical needs?
It is important to understand that a solar electric system does not need to provide all of the electricity you need to be a great value. A small system that displaces an average of one-quarter to one half of your average demand reduces your electric bill significantly. With battery back-up, it can deliver uninterrupted power to critical loads during utility outages for days or weeks. We are happy to supply you with a system that supplies 100% of your energy needs, but cutting your electricity by 40 to 50 percent is typically the most cost- effective approach for home or business solar power.
What other options do I have if the system cannot be mounted on my roof?
If a roof mount system proves impractical, a ground mount, trellis, pergola, carport or parking lot tree application may be an option. As a General Contractor, we can do all of the above.
What is net metering?
Net metering measures the difference between the electricity you buy from your utility and the electricity you produce with your solar electric system. Under net metering, any excess electricity produced by your solar energy system is delivered back into the utility grid, effectively spinning your meter backwards. Your meter spins forward when your solar system is not producing all of the electricity you are currently using. Your electric meter keeps track of this net difference as you generate electricity and take electricity from the utility grid. Some countries have what is called feed-in tariffs which means that the utility pays you two to three time more for your electricity that you pay for the utility's electricity and we hope that this process will come to North Carolina sometime soon. Currently in NC Legislation!
Are government incentives available to reduce the price?
Yes, State agencies and municipal utilities offer rebate and incentives programs for homeowners & businesses to promote the installations of renewable energy equipment such as ours. Incentives can cut the cost of the system in half, saving you thousands of dollars. Currently, the Federal Government offers a 30% Tax Credit or Grant...for residential-credit only and commercial-grant or credit, or a 25% USDA Grant (REAP) for rural clients along with the State of NC offers a 35% tax credit with a $10,500.00 cap for homeowners and a cap of $2.5M for businesses. Other incentives include net metering, NC Green Power and Solar Renewable Energy Certificates, (SREC) that buy your electricity at very favorable prices...possibly creating a revenue-stream! These incentives can reduce your costs 75% and more!
What is the ROI for the typical Solar Electric System?
ROI can be between 5.5% and 16% depending on the type of incentives you select. Call or email us to discuss your options.
What maintenance does the system require?
You should go years without experiencing any problems. If you have batteries with your system they may need replacement every five to ten years. We recommend that the system be checked every other year or so just to make sure everything is performing as it should. If it is convenient, you can hose-off the modules two or three times a year.
Do I need a building permit and permission from the local utility to connect my solar system to the grid?
Yes & Yes. Another service that Solarco provides is to obtain all permits required for the installation and the local utility has rules and procedures that must be followed to connect any generator to the grid safely and legally.
Will the solar system increase my property value?
Yes, substantially for two reasons. Just the system itself will add value, but more importantly, annual savings in the buildings power bill translates into an increase in the buildings value, since the building costs less to operate. There's a commonly quoted study by ICF Consulting that puts some numbers to this. The study explains that saving $1 a year on energy costs adds $20 to your home's value. In other words, saving $1,000 per year increases your home's value by $20,000.
Solar electric systems are code compliant systems that allow you to generate your own electricity at home or at your business. Designed to interconnect with your existing utility service, they feature solar modules, plug & play wiring, power electronics and a mounting system, whether roof or ground mount.
How does a residential/ light commercial solar electric system work?
Solar cells in the modules mounted on your roof or ground convert sunlight directly into DC power. A component called an inverter converts this DC electricity to AC current that can be used in your home or business. The system is interconnected to the utility. During the day, if your solar system will provide more electricity than your home or business is using, the utility credits your account through a process called net metering for the power that is sent back to the grid. The utility would provide power as usual at night and during the day when your electricity demand exceeds that produced by your system. Systems are also available with battery back-up. Part of the power produced by your solar system during the day is used to charge the batteries, which provide power for your critical loads in the event of a power outage.
What happens during a power outage?
We offer two types of solar systems. One type powers your home/business during daylight hours, but does not provide power in an outage, because the inverter disconnects the system preventing injury to utility workers, even on a sunny day. Another type system provides power during daylight hours, but also has a battery backup designed to provide power to critical loads during an outage, day or night.
Can I generate heat for my home/business with a solar electric system?
Yes & No! Our solar systems are designed to run your lights, appliances and other electric devices. Although we can devise a system to run your entire home/ business, at this time it would be very expensive. In the future, we expect the prices of solar hardware to come down and utility rates to rise, making it more feasible to run everything in your home/business.
What do the terms on-grid, grid connected, grid-tied and off-grid mean?
On-grid, grid connected or grid-tied means connected to the utility electrical grid. Our solar electric systems are designed as on-grid systems, meaning that they interconnect with your existing utility service. Off-grid refers to systems that are not connected to the utilities electrical grid.
How do I know if a solar electric system would work on my home/business?
Solar electric systems work for most homes/businesses. Our systems are engineered to work with most roofing materials, in most locations where direct sunlight is available. The system requires full sun, either on your roof for a roof mount system, or on the ground near your structure of about 120 square feet for a smaller system and up to 1000 square feet for a large system. Shading from trees or other obstructions can reduce the practicality of a specific installation. A south facing roof/ground area is optimal, but the solar panels can be mounted on west or east facing roofs and still produce better than 80 percent of the power of a true south mounting.
Why is shade a problem?
Because of the wiring design of a solar module, all of the individual solar cells on the module must receive full sunlight for the modules to work properly.
How many solar panels do I need to produce enough electricity to run my home/business?
The system size you need depends on your average electrical usage, climate, roof angle, shading problems and many other factors. To approximate the array size you need, multiply your average daily electrical demand in kilowatt-hours by .25. The result is the approximate size of the solar array, in kilowatts,
needed to meet 100% of your electrical demand.
Will a system produce enough energy to cover all my electrical needs?
It is important to understand that a solar electric system does not need to provide all of the electricity you need to be a great value. A small system that displaces an average of one-quarter to one half of your average demand reduces your electric bill significantly. With battery back-up, it can deliver uninterrupted power to critical loads during utility outages for days or weeks. We are happy to supply you with a system that supplies 100% of your energy needs, but cutting your electricity by 40 to 50 percent is typically the most cost- effective approach for home or business solar power.
What other options do I have if the system cannot be mounted on my roof?
If a roof mount system proves impractical, a ground mount, trellis, pergola, carport or parking lot tree application may be an option. As a General Contractor, we can do all of the above.
What is net metering?
Net metering measures the difference between the electricity you buy from your utility and the electricity you produce with your solar electric system. Under net metering, any excess electricity produced by your solar energy system is delivered back into the utility grid, effectively spinning your meter backwards. Your meter spins forward when your solar system is not producing all of the electricity you are currently using. Your electric meter keeps track of this net difference as you generate electricity and take electricity from the utility grid. Some countries have what is called feed-in tariffs which means that the utility pays you two to three time more for your electricity that you pay for the utility's electricity and we hope that this process will come to North Carolina sometime soon. Currently in NC Legislation!
Are government incentives available to reduce the price?
Yes, State agencies and municipal utilities offer rebate and incentives programs for homeowners & businesses to promote the installations of renewable energy equipment such as ours. Incentives can cut the cost of the system in half, saving you thousands of dollars. Currently, the Federal Government offers a 30% Tax Credit or Grant...for residential-credit only and commercial-grant or credit, or a 25% USDA Grant (REAP) for rural clients along with the State of NC offers a 35% tax credit with a $10,500.00 cap for homeowners and a cap of $2.5M for businesses. Other incentives include net metering, NC Green Power and Solar Renewable Energy Certificates, (SREC) that buy your electricity at very favorable prices...possibly creating a revenue-stream! These incentives can reduce your costs 75% and more!
What is the ROI for the typical Solar Electric System?
ROI can be between 5.5% and 16% depending on the type of incentives you select. Call or email us to discuss your options.
What maintenance does the system require?
You should go years without experiencing any problems. If you have batteries with your system they may need replacement every five to ten years. We recommend that the system be checked every other year or so just to make sure everything is performing as it should. If it is convenient, you can hose-off the modules two or three times a year.
Do I need a building permit and permission from the local utility to connect my solar system to the grid?
Yes & Yes. Another service that Solarco provides is to obtain all permits required for the installation and the local utility has rules and procedures that must be followed to connect any generator to the grid safely and legally.
Will the solar system increase my property value?
Yes, substantially for two reasons. Just the system itself will add value, but more importantly, annual savings in the buildings power bill translates into an increase in the buildings value, since the building costs less to operate. There's a commonly quoted study by ICF Consulting that puts some numbers to this. The study explains that saving $1 a year on energy costs adds $20 to your home's value. In other words, saving $1,000 per year increases your home's value by $20,000.
Links:
North Carolina Solar Center: www.ncsc.ncsu.edu
NC Sustainable Energy Association: http://www.energync.org
American Solar Energy Society: http://www.ases.org
Solar Energy International: http://www.solarenergy.org
Energy Efficiency Consultants: http://www.goefficientnc.com
Quick Electrical Contracting: http://www.quickelectrical.com
Natural Homes: http://www.naturalhomesdesignbuild.com
Progress Energy: http://www.progress-energy/solar.com
Duke Energy: http://www.duke-energy.com/environment/solar.asp
Save the Watts: www.savetherwatts.com
Solar Depot: www.solardepot.com
Sessions Solar: www.sessionssolar.com
Andalay: www.andalaysolar.com
AEE Solar: www.aeesolar.com
PACE: www.pacenow.org
NC GreenPower: www.ncgreepower.org.
SRECTrade: www.srectrade.com
Utility Grid connected
Panels come in all shapes and sizes!
