There is no doubt solar installation requires a considerable investment at the beginning for your residential or commercial solar energy plan. When getting to know about the capital cost of a solar installation, many people believe that the solar electricity is not affordable for their homes. You must not take into account the upfront installation charges if you are looking for long term benefits of solar power systems by reducing your energy costs. However, there are some financing options you can choose to reduce the uproot costs of solar installation like Power Purchases Agreement (PPA) and solar leases.

Financing Option: Solar Leases

You can reduce the capital cost for the installations of solar panels and other equipment with the help of the solar lease; your plan for upfront cost reduction of a solar power installations. You will cover the charges for a solar installation by paying a fixed amount of installments each month, meanwhile producing energy from the solar panels. Your lease provider will own the solar panels and will also maintain them until you pay the final installment. Solar leases help you get the benefits of solar power system at low rates while eliminating high utility bills.

Financing Option: Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

In the case of a power purchase agreement (PPA), you only pay for the electricity produced and used. You do not own the solar panels system and you have no need to pay for the installing charges Instead your PPA provider owns the solar panels and other equipment and covers the installation cost.  This agreement also sets you free from the worry of maintenance or repairs as your PPA provider maintain your equipment. You will only pay a fixed rate for the electricity produced which would be considerably lower than the electricity rate from the utility companies.

Right Financing Option for Solar Installation

It depends on the location of your home or business as to which installation option is suitable for you. Both a solar leases and PPA options reduce the installation charges making solar power system affordable for your home or office.

Benefits of Financing Installations of your Solar Power System

By choosing a solar lease or PPA for financing your solar power system installation, you will get some more benefits other than saving money. These financing options release you from the strain of repair and maintenance of your system because a third party owns the system and is responsible for maintaining your equipment. When you install the solar system of your own you pay extra fees for inspection, which may vary from place to place, solar installation financing options helps you avoid such additional charges.

Contact Smith Sustainable Design to learn more about different financing options and their benefits and make it possible to use solar power for your home or business without paying a heavy upfront amount. We will help you get a better understanding of financing option that fits in your budget. 

Many people keep a check on the consumption rate, varying prices, and working process of electricity produced by the utility companies. Homeowners tend to switch to the electric solar energy for their homes for the purpose of reducing utilities. Monitoring, however, is something required in the case of electric solar energy systems as well. We can use a monitoring system in combination with electric solar energy system. Monitoring system alerts you in case the system is not working properly. It also provides useful data on energy use.   

You have the option of including monitoring system in electric solar energy system during the installation. Monitoring system are usually the web-based format used to display readings and data. The system collects information about electricity usage from your commercial or residential building, and displays it in an easy to understand method. You can access this data from any web-enabled computer or device. The remote availability of data depends on the type of monitoring program you use. You can effectively use the information provided by your monitoring system for the purpose of better energy use and system’s performance.

For electric solar energy systems, monitoring tools provide you the measurement of two important values, energy consumption and energy production. With the help of monitoring system, you can get information about different factors, which affect energy production. These factors include weather information, panel temperatures, the wind speed, solar irradiance, and more. Monitoring tool helps you plan the future and identify the trend by the analysis of production and usage data for the long past period of time. You can also receive an alert from the monitoring tool if your system is not working properly. Identification of the problem helps you to solve it immediately thus making the performance of your system even better.

Many monitoring tools provide information in terms of positive environmental impact of your solar energy system. Your monitoring system does not always generate a technical data which many of us hardly understand. Some monitoring systems interpret the electric solar energy produced into alternate benefits, like gallons of gasoline saved or hours to power the home. You can get a better idea from the relatable data your monitoring system provides about how the solar power system is saving your tons of money, benefiting your home and business.

Monitoring tools make your solar energy system more effective and organized, giving you valuable information about the consumption and production, performance and efficiency of your system, error in your system if any, and direct benefits of your system on the environment. Expert team at Smith Sustainable Design guides you about the best monitoring solution for your commercial or residential solar power system.

Before the installation of a solar energy system, many homeowners have some questions in their minds about the size of solar panels and their fitting process on the roofs. The design of your solar panel system depends upon a number of factors like available space, slope of your roof, orientation of your home. Let’s discuss how these factors play an important role in determining the design of solar panel installation.

Orientation of your home is an important factor and needs consideration before the installation of solar panels. For the purpose of collecting maximum energy from the sun, install solar panels where they face south direction. It is the possibility that your roof does not have a southern sunlight exposure due to some obstruction like trees or other homes. In this case, we may consider a ground mounted solar panels instead of the roof mounted solar panels.

Plan proper angle of the solar panels if the orientation of your home gives sunlight exposure from the south. The pitch of your roof also helps deciding the installing angle of solar panels. The best angle, to install solar panels, is an inclination of 40 degrees plus or minus 15% in the south direction. Steeper roof is not appropriate to get maximum sunlight, in this case ground mounted solar panels can work. If the roof of your home is not that steep, roof-mounted solar panels can be arranged to receive maximum sun exposure.

The size of solar panels for homes depends on your roof construction and effective areas. Load ratings of your roof and ideal available space for solar panel installations are two important factors which require consideration for the safe and effective solar panel installation. Ground mounted solar panels have a large capacity of 20 kilowatts as compared to the roof mounted solar panels, which have size range of 3 to 10 kilowatts. It depends on your required capacity to what type of solar panels systems would be appropriate for you - ground mounted or roof mounted.

Smith Sustainable Design has expert planners for solar panel systems ready to examine your homes for ideal solar panel installations. In order to design an effective solar power system, our team of experts carefully evaluates your site and its surroundings. Contact us to begin solar system planning for your home starting from the site evaluation.

If you are planning to install solar panels for your home, the first thing you need to do is a site assessment. But other than this there are some other factors you need to analyze before the installation process. The Environmental Protection Agency has defined certain specifications about the installation of solar panels in a new home you are preparing to build or in an existing home. If you are looking to install solar power, you may require only a few modifications in your home to help ease the installation process.



Solar Panel Installations Structure and Safety

It is important to know the load capacity of the roof of your home which tells the maximum safe load your home’s roof can bear without the chances of causing a severe damage. You are required to know about the maximum live load and dead load ratings for your roof. It will tell you whether your roof can withstand the weight of the solar panels or not. Another factor that needs your attention is the pitch or slope of your roof. Pitch analysis may help you decide whether or not your roof requires anchor safety system, which protects against falls.

Prepare your Home to Install Solar Panels

A considerable area is required to place solar panels, inverter and other components of the solar system. A 4’x4’ plywood area can serve the purpose of installing an inverter of the solar power equipment. You also need a 1-inch metal conduit as a connection between the area where you installed solar inverter, and the area designated to the array of solar panels. For the purpose of safety you need a dual-pole circuit breaker for your solar panel system. The addition of circuit-breaker in the electrical panel of your home protects from the overflowing of the electric power. 

To be well prepared for the installation of solar panel for your home, you must know about the additional components required for solar power system. In case you want to install solar panels for your new home ready to be built, you must accommodate the items of solar power system during the construction process. In order to retrofit solar energy system in an existing home, you may require few modifications in your structure to help the installation process. You can consult Smith Sustainable Design to get more information about the solar panels installation. Our expert team can provide you with a professional assistance about the planning of solar electric power for your home. 

A solar installation is a big investment for any home or business. Before you buy, you need to be certain that a solar installation is right for you and will fit your power needs. Ask these questions before you invest in solar energy.

Is your site appropriate?

You’ll need to assess your site to make sure it’s ideal for solar installation. A trained solar installer can help you determine that your site has the qualities needed for generating solar power. Not only will the site and landscape need assessed, your roof will also need evaluated. In homes and businesses with aging roofs, it may be a good idea to invest in a new roof before having the solar installation started.

You should also consider the future of your site. If expansion is in the future, you’ll need to make sure your future plans won’t disrupt the functioning of the solar installation. If you anticipate using solar energy to power the expansion, you should also consider how to integrate the solar installation with the new addition now.

What size system do you need?

Oversizing or undersizing your new solar installation won’t help you use your funds efficiently. You’ll need to evaluate your home’s current electricity needs as well as account for changing needs in the future. If you’re not ready to switch completely to solar energy, size the system to accurately supplement your home or business’s electric utility usage. A skilled solar installer can be a huge help, and can work with you to determine the proper size for your solar installation.

Can you afford the cost?

Solar installations are expensive. Luckily, there are many programs which can help you cut that cost. Federal tax credits are available for homeowners who install solar systems at home, which can be good for up to 30 percent of the installation costs. Many states and utility companies offer programs which give rebates or credits which can further lower the cost to you. You may be eligible to receive a loan to help you pay upfront costs. Solar leases are another option that may be chosen which can eliminate upfront costs.

Communities around the country are beginning to take advantage of solar photovoltaic power. Some communities utilize a solar garden, where solar photovoltaic panels are installed in a location other than the homes of those who use the power. Subscribers can sign up to co-own or lease a portion of the solar photovoltaic setup to receive its benefits. Solar gardens and net metering make it possible for homeowners to use solar power even if their home sites are less than ideal for installation.

In a solar photovoltaic system owned by the homeowner, net metering allows the homeowner to sell unused energy back to the utility gird. In a shared system, virtual net metering allows these energy credits to be shared between all the parties subscribed to the system. Unfortunately, solar garden subscribers aren't always eligible to receive these credits because the solar photovoltaic equipment isn't directly attached to their homes or buildings.

The growth of solar garden installation is creating new challenges for solar experts as well as legislators. These issues weren't a problem when systems were owned by single owners. With more communally-owned solar photovoltaic systems being developed each day, changes to the virtual net metering system are needed to allow members to receive the same benefits as single owners.

Luckily, some legislators are starting to realize this flaw of the virtual net metering system. New legislation is being passed in many states to allow solar garden subscribers to also receive the benefits of net metering.

To learn more about solar gardens and virtual net metering, call the solar photovoltaic experts at Smith Sustainable Design.

If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowners association, you know there are regulations which dictate what you can and cannot do on your property. Some homeowners associations are making it harder for homeowners to install solar panels for homes. While this may seem unreasonable to homeowners, a few of the reasons why homeowners associations are against solar panels for homes are listed below.

Solar panels for homes aren't aesthetically pleasing

Today’s solar panels for homes don’t look anything like the big, bulky units that first came out decades ago. Unfortunately, many homeowners associations are living in the past, and still view solar panels as ugly. Today’s solar panels for homes have come a long way and manufacturers have made great improvements to the look of home solar panels, so this should really be a non-issue for a homeowners association.

Some homeowners associations don’t like change

Some homeowners associations are reluctant to chance their policies. This may be because the board members don’t want the change. Whether it’s solar panels for homes or another change being pushed through, some people just aren't agreeable to change.

Homeowners associations are uneducated about solar panels for homes

Since this technology has really been gaining popularity in the last decade, not everyone is educated about the advantages and benefits solar panels for homes offer. To some who aren't aware of how the systems work, it may just seem like homeowners are wanting to switch utility providers, rather than give themselves the power to generate their own electricity. There are also many misconceptions about electric solar energy that can be a turn-off to those making the rules, such as the expense and the capabilities of solar technology. If board members don’t have all the facts about solar panels for homes, they are less likely to change the rules for homeowners wanting to install them.

Many home and business owners today are choosing electric solar energy to provide the power they need each day. This clean and abundant energy source is widely available wherever you are, but previously, the upfront costs have turned off many. Luckily, costs are declining and attitudes are changing, making electric solar energy more popular than ever.

Electric solar energy systems are ideal for most homes and businesses. These systems empower home and business owners, giving them the ability to generate much, if not all, the electricity needed to power everyday needs and operations. Generating energy rather than paying a utility company for it also offers significant savings, and can help system owners recoup the cost of equipment and installation. Plus, electric solar energy system owners won’t be vulnerable to rate increases from utility providers.

Choosing to install an electric solar energy system can also increase home values. For every dollar in energy savings the system generates each year, the United States Department of Energy reports that the system can add $10 to $20 to the value of your home. Plus, the protection created by roof mounted solar panels can protect your roofing materials, making your roof last longer.

Installing an electric solar energy system at your home or business doesn’t only benefit you, it also benefits the environment. Using solar energy means less fossil fuels must be used, which saves these limited natural resources while cutting carbon dioxide emissions. These systems have great benefits to our country as well. They help us cut back on plant produced power, which add a great amount of pollutants to our air in production. Using electric solar energy systems also limits our dependence on foreign oil to power our home and business needs. Electric solar energy systems create many new jobs for your neighbors as well, from manufacturing to installation.

Winter is coming, and that typically means snow for residents of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It also means shorter days, which can decrease solar production because of less sunlight exposure. Don’t let snow build up and further hinder the production of your solar photovoltaic panels.

To remove snow from your solar photovoltaic panels easily, use a long, soft-edged tool to reach up onto the roof. Be sure the tool you use is not metal or another hard material which might hurt the panels For example, these sorts of tools would work perfectly and not cause damage to your panels:

• Brooms with soft bristles
  
• Squeegees

Snow isn't a danger to your solar panels. In fact, if you leave it alone, the sunlight we do get will melt it right off. If you find that the snow isn't moving off the panels on a sunny day, you can clear a small portion of the panel to allow sunlight to be absorbed to start generating power which will then cause the snow to loosen.

Removing a small portion of snow from the bottom of the solar photovoltaic panels will allow sunlight and gravity to do the rest of the work for you. Once the panels begin to warm up, the snow should slide right off. You may want to use that tool to clear any snow buildup from your gutters or equipment and walkways on the ground below.

If you have questions about winter care for your home’s solar photovoltaic panels, give us a call! The experts at Smith Sustainable Design are happy to advise you on the proper way to clear snow and keep your panels safe all winter long.

There are many components which make up your solar power installation. Choosing quality components which will help you maximize the power generated by your solar modules will be a great benefit to your home. Inverters are a crucial component which convert the direct current generated by the panels into alternating current which you can use for electrical power inside your home. There are a few types of inverters available, but a good choice for your residential solar modules is a microinverter.

Choosing microinverters can help you achieve a good return on your solar investment. They offer very high efficiency to help you generate the most power from your solar modules. They also offer an excellent warranty term of 10 years (or more depending on the manufacturer and model). Below are some of the benefits of choosing microinverters for use with your system:

• Microinverters offer greater energy production over other types of inverters used in residential systems. They offer 5 to 25 percent more power generation than string inverters.
  
• Microinverters are installed directly on each panel, rather than one per series of panels.
  
• With microinverters, your solar modules will be less affected by factors that can hinder solar power generation, such as shade, temperature, and dirt.
  
• Microinverters help protect against the hazards created by direct current electricity. They operate at lower voltages and reduce the risk of shock and fires.
  
• Microinverters require less maintenance than other inverter types.
  
• Microinverters are able to operate in more extreme temperature ranges than other inverter types.
  
• A system with microinverters uses multiple inverters instead of just one. Therefore, if one is malfunctioning, it’s much cheaper to replace one microinverter versus a string inverter.
  
• Using microinverters offers more flexibility in solar module system design, as they can be used with nearly all panels.
  

Microinverters truly are a good choice for your solar module system. If you have questions about microinverters or any of the components used in a solar module installation, feel free to call the experts at Smith Sustainable Design for answers.