Author Gary Fairhead
Nova West Solar Inc.
07/15/2011
The washer and dryer are two most commonly forgotten appliances in the house, but their energy consumption is considerable. You may have no idea about it, but you can reduce your energy bills simply by changing a way of doing your laundry.
First of all, remember that nine tenths of the energy used by a washer comes for heating the water. Try to reduce the temperature of water and use cold water whenever possible. This will get rid of most of your washer energy consumption while not reducing the quality of laundry and your comfort level.
As for the dryer: first of all, keep its vents clean. If they get clogged, they will reduce the dryer's efficiency. Always clean the lint trap before loading the dryer and check the vent if you think drying goes slower or less efficient than usual. However, the best solution is usually just to skip the dryer. First, it saves a lot of power. Then, it adds a fresh smell to your clothing if you dry them on a clothesline instead of inside your dryer.
Do not hesitate when it comes to replacing your old washer and dryer. New models are much more energy-efficient and even though they certainly cost quite a bit, the energy, water and soap savings will make this investment pay off in a few years' time maximum.
If your current dryer is electric, consider changing to a gas dryer. Additional costs may occur by needing a gas line run to the new dryer, however, gas normally costs 5 times less than electricity!
A tip: try to avoid cleaning towels after you use it only once. A towel, if you hang it up and let it dry, can be safely re-used a few times before it gets dirty. This change may seem very simple, but it may reduce the time and energy you use for laundering your stuff by 20% a month.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Energy Star Washers
Author Gary Fairhead
Nova West Solar Inc.
07/03/2011The Washing Machine performs a fairly simple function… it cleans clothes. Yet anyone who goes to an appliance store to look at washing machines encounters what seem to be unlimited choices. Today, consumers are faced with top-loading, front-loading, high-efficiency (HE) water saver, steaming and wrinkle remover models to name only a few.
One option that no one should overlook is an energy-efficient washing machine. These machines can be identified most easily by the ENERGY STAR label.
ENERGY STAR-rated washing machines do cost slightly more than their less efficient counterparts, running from $400 to $1500, depending upon what features the consumer desires. Pay careful attention to the yellow energy guide on each individual washing machine when making a purchase.
An energy-efficient washing machine can save the typical homeowner around $50 a year or $540 to $600 over the life of the appliance. Efficient washing machines also will save more than 5,000 gallons of water a year. Careful shopping could mean that the resulting savings will pay for the washing machine over its lifetime.
The energy and water efficiencies of clothes washer are measured according to their Modified Energy Factor (MEF) and Water Factor (WF).
Front-loading clothes washers use a horizontal or tumble-axis basket to lift and drop clothing into the water, instead of rubbing clothes around a central agitator in a full tub, thus reducing the amount of hot water needed to clean clothes. A clothes washer consumes the most energy when it heats the water. Front-loading models also squeeze more water out of clothes by using spin speeds that are two to three times faster than conventional washers, thereby reducing both drying time and energy use.
Nova West Solar Inc.
07/03/2011The Washing Machine performs a fairly simple function… it cleans clothes. Yet anyone who goes to an appliance store to look at washing machines encounters what seem to be unlimited choices. Today, consumers are faced with top-loading, front-loading, high-efficiency (HE) water saver, steaming and wrinkle remover models to name only a few.
One option that no one should overlook is an energy-efficient washing machine. These machines can be identified most easily by the ENERGY STAR label.
ENERGY STAR-rated washing machines do cost slightly more than their less efficient counterparts, running from $400 to $1500, depending upon what features the consumer desires. Pay careful attention to the yellow energy guide on each individual washing machine when making a purchase.
An energy-efficient washing machine can save the typical homeowner around $50 a year or $540 to $600 over the life of the appliance. Efficient washing machines also will save more than 5,000 gallons of water a year. Careful shopping could mean that the resulting savings will pay for the washing machine over its lifetime.
The energy and water efficiencies of clothes washer are measured according to their Modified Energy Factor (MEF) and Water Factor (WF).
Front-loading clothes washers use a horizontal or tumble-axis basket to lift and drop clothing into the water, instead of rubbing clothes around a central agitator in a full tub, thus reducing the amount of hot water needed to clean clothes. A clothes washer consumes the most energy when it heats the water. Front-loading models also squeeze more water out of clothes by using spin speeds that are two to three times faster than conventional washers, thereby reducing both drying time and energy use.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Solar Leasing In The Solar Industry Part I
SOLAR LEASING CONSIDERATIONS
When is a solar lease a very good investment for consumers? The answer is when the consumer can own it in a very short time frame and if there is a specific and affordable buyout amount at the end of the lease.
Current leases and PPA’s (Power Purchase Agreements) are offered from several different solar companies in the central valley. There are differences between the two.
A lease give consumers a solar system with a very low down payment and lease payments that are a little lower than current electric rates from the utility company. A “left over” payment will be due to the utility provider every year too. Ownership is usually not an option.
A PPA sells energy to the consumer that has been generated by the new solar system. The price for the energy is a little less than what the same costs would have been from the utility. Left over payments to the utility company is part of the equation. Ownership is not an option.
To help break down leases and PPA’s, the following comparisons may help in evaluating these investment tools to determine which if any would work better than financing a solar system.
Solar City Lease
Solar City was the first to enter the market with a solar lease. Their lease has been evolving but some of the basic facts are:
1. Down payments can vary from 0 down to well into the thousands of dollars. The difference in the down payment is reflected in the monthly payments.
2. The term of the lease can vary from 15 to 20 years.
3. It is uncommon for them to lease a system that off sets 100% of your bill. A left over payment to the utility at the true up time (1 yr from interconnection) can be expected.
4. The quality of the equipment can be debated. However, if a consumer were to actually purchase the same equipment from a distributor, the cost of the solar panels and inverters would be some of the least expensive equipment available!
5. Efficiency of the equipment is definitely not the top of the industry.
6. Some of the equipment used is manufactured by First Solar. First Solar uses cadmium-telluride in the manufacturing of their panels.
7. The inflation or escalation rate increase per year is a solar leasing high of 3.9%.
8. Renegotiating a lease in 15-20 years may be more difficult to negotiate than now.
Some of the obvious questions then should be:
1. How much is a large down payment actually costing you. You are in effect pre paying the lease in exchange for lower monthly payments. What could your money do for you now?
2. Do you want to lease for up to 20 years and own nothing?
3. Does the left over payment to the utility company concern you knowing that our electric rates have been doubling every 10 years since 1970? You may also want to consider the degredation rate of solar panels. They will produce up to 20% less energy at 20-25 years as when they were brand new.
4. Will potential recycling costs of First Solar panels undermine the net savings to you down the road? Because of it’s hazardous waste rating with the US government, recycling of cadmium-telluride needs to be researched and considered in either selling your home with current hazardous waste disclosure forms and the eventual cost of recycling of this product. Currently it is approximately 20 times more expensive to recycle hazardous waste versus normal landfill accepted waste.
5. Is ownership of your energy important to you?
6. Consideration needs to be given to when the lease expires. There are so many potential disadvantages to the consumers, that multiple states will not allow leasing companies to lease a solar system unless there is a buyout option at the end of the lease.
Our next blog will be The Solar Leasing of California advantages over every other lease or PPA available today.
When is a solar lease a very good investment for consumers? The answer is when the consumer can own it in a very short time frame and if there is a specific and affordable buyout amount at the end of the lease.
Current leases and PPA’s (Power Purchase Agreements) are offered from several different solar companies in the central valley. There are differences between the two.
A lease give consumers a solar system with a very low down payment and lease payments that are a little lower than current electric rates from the utility company. A “left over” payment will be due to the utility provider every year too. Ownership is usually not an option.
A PPA sells energy to the consumer that has been generated by the new solar system. The price for the energy is a little less than what the same costs would have been from the utility. Left over payments to the utility company is part of the equation. Ownership is not an option.
To help break down leases and PPA’s, the following comparisons may help in evaluating these investment tools to determine which if any would work better than financing a solar system.
Solar City Lease
Solar City was the first to enter the market with a solar lease. Their lease has been evolving but some of the basic facts are:
1. Down payments can vary from 0 down to well into the thousands of dollars. The difference in the down payment is reflected in the monthly payments.
2. The term of the lease can vary from 15 to 20 years.
3. It is uncommon for them to lease a system that off sets 100% of your bill. A left over payment to the utility at the true up time (1 yr from interconnection) can be expected.
4. The quality of the equipment can be debated. However, if a consumer were to actually purchase the same equipment from a distributor, the cost of the solar panels and inverters would be some of the least expensive equipment available!
5. Efficiency of the equipment is definitely not the top of the industry.
6. Some of the equipment used is manufactured by First Solar. First Solar uses cadmium-telluride in the manufacturing of their panels.
7. The inflation or escalation rate increase per year is a solar leasing high of 3.9%.
8. Renegotiating a lease in 15-20 years may be more difficult to negotiate than now.
Some of the obvious questions then should be:
1. How much is a large down payment actually costing you. You are in effect pre paying the lease in exchange for lower monthly payments. What could your money do for you now?
2. Do you want to lease for up to 20 years and own nothing?
3. Does the left over payment to the utility company concern you knowing that our electric rates have been doubling every 10 years since 1970? You may also want to consider the degredation rate of solar panels. They will produce up to 20% less energy at 20-25 years as when they were brand new.
4. Will potential recycling costs of First Solar panels undermine the net savings to you down the road? Because of it’s hazardous waste rating with the US government, recycling of cadmium-telluride needs to be researched and considered in either selling your home with current hazardous waste disclosure forms and the eventual cost of recycling of this product. Currently it is approximately 20 times more expensive to recycle hazardous waste versus normal landfill accepted waste.
5. Is ownership of your energy important to you?
6. Consideration needs to be given to when the lease expires. There are so many potential disadvantages to the consumers, that multiple states will not allow leasing companies to lease a solar system unless there is a buyout option at the end of the lease.
Our next blog will be The Solar Leasing of California advantages over every other lease or PPA available today.
Pools, Spas, Pumps and Solar
How to Save Energy & Money on Your Pool
Pools are a major investment, not only in the initial expense involved, but also the ongoing maintenance and energy expenses. Maintenance and energy savings will directly affect how much solar you need to have installed or how much "extra" energy you can direct elsewhere.
Algae is a living aquatic creature that multiplies rapidly on warm, sunny days. Containing chlorophyll, algae utilizes photosynthesis to grow. That is, they take in carbon dioxide and expend oxygen as a byproduct
Algae is a problem that plaques pool owners sooner or later. In order to "kill" or eliminate algae it is necessary to monitor conditions that are primary causes of algae. They include water balance, warm temperatures, sunlight and the presence or nitrates or carbon dioxide.
Algae also cloggs up sanitation pathways in the water, as well as the pores in a filter, decreasing filter effectiveness and requiring more backwashing or medium replacement. Algae creates a chlorine demand in the water for itself, actually consuming chlorine that should be working on other contaminants. Algae are kind of like weeds in your garden. Unsightly, unwanted space takers that create more work for the gardener, and sap up nutrients and resources from the flora we wish to grow.
Additional hours of pool pump usage is a must as well as increased chlorine to treat the water.
Products such as "Phosfree" offer savings on energy, equipment, and pool chemical expenses.
Here is how it works.
Algae feeds off of phosphates. Phosfree eliminates phosphates in your pool. By eliminating phospates, algae has nothing to survive on. This in effect has major savings to pool owners.
The first savings in Chlorine. Although chlorine is not expensive, having it installed can add up quickly.
The second is in maintenance on filters. Algae plugs up or restricts water flow through the filter.
The third is electricity. Due to filters Not being clogged up. This unrestricted flow as well as no algae means you can normally cut back pool pump times in half! Being these pump use a lot of energy, this an important aspect to utilizing this product.
The fourth is pool equipment maintenance and equipment replacement expenses.
Other benefits that are realized by this product are not needing chlorine, not having burning eyes from the excess chlorine treatments in the summer months, and a soft smooth feeling to your skin and hair after swimming.
Another big savings on energy is upgrading to more efficient pumps and filters. Growing up on the Ranch in Nebraska, Dad always preached "If it isn't broken, Don't replace it" This is great advise, but sooner or later replacement is needed. And when it comes to building a larger solar system or conserving energy, we should at least take a look at pool efficiency.
New pool pumps are offered with "variable speed" motors. This means that the motor will be operating at certain times at a "lower speed" which utilizes less electricity.
New pool filters allow more water to flow through them while doing the same or better filtering job than the old filters. This means the pool pumps do not need to run as often.
Being pool equipment can be ran during the evening hours, the time of use rate should be incorporated into your solar investment. Please read our article on Time of Use "TOU" to see how attractive the rates would be for you. Time of Use will preform like another "rebate" for solar only it is ongoing. Knowing how to utilize this option is very important when going solar.
Pools are a major investment, not only in the initial expense involved, but also the ongoing maintenance and energy expenses. Maintenance and energy savings will directly affect how much solar you need to have installed or how much "extra" energy you can direct elsewhere.
Algae is a living aquatic creature that multiplies rapidly on warm, sunny days. Containing chlorophyll, algae utilizes photosynthesis to grow. That is, they take in carbon dioxide and expend oxygen as a byproduct
Algae is a problem that plaques pool owners sooner or later. In order to "kill" or eliminate algae it is necessary to monitor conditions that are primary causes of algae. They include water balance, warm temperatures, sunlight and the presence or nitrates or carbon dioxide.
Algae also cloggs up sanitation pathways in the water, as well as the pores in a filter, decreasing filter effectiveness and requiring more backwashing or medium replacement. Algae creates a chlorine demand in the water for itself, actually consuming chlorine that should be working on other contaminants. Algae are kind of like weeds in your garden. Unsightly, unwanted space takers that create more work for the gardener, and sap up nutrients and resources from the flora we wish to grow.
Additional hours of pool pump usage is a must as well as increased chlorine to treat the water.
Products such as "Phosfree" offer savings on energy, equipment, and pool chemical expenses.
Here is how it works.
Algae feeds off of phosphates. Phosfree eliminates phosphates in your pool. By eliminating phospates, algae has nothing to survive on. This in effect has major savings to pool owners.
The first savings in Chlorine. Although chlorine is not expensive, having it installed can add up quickly.
The second is in maintenance on filters. Algae plugs up or restricts water flow through the filter.
The third is electricity. Due to filters Not being clogged up. This unrestricted flow as well as no algae means you can normally cut back pool pump times in half! Being these pump use a lot of energy, this an important aspect to utilizing this product.
The fourth is pool equipment maintenance and equipment replacement expenses.
Other benefits that are realized by this product are not needing chlorine, not having burning eyes from the excess chlorine treatments in the summer months, and a soft smooth feeling to your skin and hair after swimming.
Another big savings on energy is upgrading to more efficient pumps and filters. Growing up on the Ranch in Nebraska, Dad always preached "If it isn't broken, Don't replace it" This is great advise, but sooner or later replacement is needed. And when it comes to building a larger solar system or conserving energy, we should at least take a look at pool efficiency.
New pool pumps are offered with "variable speed" motors. This means that the motor will be operating at certain times at a "lower speed" which utilizes less electricity.
New pool filters allow more water to flow through them while doing the same or better filtering job than the old filters. This means the pool pumps do not need to run as often.
Being pool equipment can be ran during the evening hours, the time of use rate should be incorporated into your solar investment. Please read our article on Time of Use "TOU" to see how attractive the rates would be for you. Time of Use will preform like another "rebate" for solar only it is ongoing. Knowing how to utilize this option is very important when going solar.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Utilities to Pay for Solar Generation
Gary Fairhead
Dec 2010
California passed a law in 2010 that will require Public Utilities to pay for excess solar generation. The bill, AB 920, sponsored by Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Currently, if you generate more electricity than you use in a year, the excess simply goes to the Utility for free. This bill is the equivalent of a feed in tariff. However, briefly reading through the bill, we didn’t see at what rate the electricity would be reimbursed. It may end up being a feed in tariff that doesn’t have much value.
Pacific Gas and Electric, (PGE) is claiming that the electricity will be paid for by people who don’t have the resources to purchase solar for themselves. This is just ridiculous. If you look at the tiered rate schedule, people with larger homes and pools pay a substantial percentage more for their electricity, and in some cases are being crushed by the size of their electric bills. For these people, who are already subsidizing the solar rebates, it makes sense to buy solar. The only reason a person with resources or not would generate more energy than they need would be because the feed in tariff makes good economic sense.
Dec 2010
California passed a law in 2010 that will require Public Utilities to pay for excess solar generation. The bill, AB 920, sponsored by Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), was signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Currently, if you generate more electricity than you use in a year, the excess simply goes to the Utility for free. This bill is the equivalent of a feed in tariff. However, briefly reading through the bill, we didn’t see at what rate the electricity would be reimbursed. It may end up being a feed in tariff that doesn’t have much value.
Pacific Gas and Electric, (PGE) is claiming that the electricity will be paid for by people who don’t have the resources to purchase solar for themselves. This is just ridiculous. If you look at the tiered rate schedule, people with larger homes and pools pay a substantial percentage more for their electricity, and in some cases are being crushed by the size of their electric bills. For these people, who are already subsidizing the solar rebates, it makes sense to buy solar. The only reason a person with resources or not would generate more energy than they need would be because the feed in tariff makes good economic sense.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Where to Conserve Energy
Where to Start Conserving Energy in Your Home
People are always asking what energy conservation items should be addressed first when wanting to conserve energy.
This is important because just by conserving energy, we can build consumers a smaller solar system. Usually the cost of solar is more than conserving your existing energy consumption.
The first items on the list should be the least expensive. Upgrading your lighting to the newer high efficient flourescent and LED lighting should be high on the list. Flourescent is now available in may light colors that are very easy on your eyes.
Weatherstripping doors and windows should be next.
This should be followed by replacing or unhooking extra deep freezers and refridgerators. These appliances are fairly inexpensive to change out. Many people see there bills drop by over $40 per month when the new appliance is purchased. This is based on the applicance being old. Pre 1990. The electric bills can be determind by the energy star rating on the appliance. It is not unusual for the new electric bill to run $5 per month on the new appliance. A small gaget called "kill-o-watt" can be purchased on Amazon. Just unplug your appliance and plug the kill o watt into the outlet. The applicance then plugs into the kill o watt. The kill o watt then measures the kilowatt hour usage. This can then be translated into overall savings per month.
Hot and cold air follow the least resistance when trying to escape our homes. The first way to exit or enter is the attic. Next the walls, and following that the floors.
Attic insulation should be fourth. Attics should be brought up to R-38 if they have less than R24 existing.
Being walls acount for 60% of a homes entire wall area, they should be addressed next.
Most older windows allow for air infultration due to the poor or lacking weather stripping. Windows are also a poor insulator. One pane of glass carries a whopping .67 R-Rating. Compared to the R-38 in attics, it is not very much. Now, all windows are manufactured not only dual pane glass, but with Low Emissitivity (low e) coatings. These coatings have increased in their efficiency in the last few years. Low e glass allows sunlight into a home but reflect 95% of the heat. This works both in the summer to help restrict heat gain but also in the window to contain heat with the same reflective properties.
Next should be floor insulation followed by air conditioning replacement. Please discuss this with your air conditioning contractor as there are some homes that replacement is not as high a priority.
Appliance replacement is next. Although most people have a natural gas or propane hot water heaters, these items will not be affected by solar. However, if a consumer has a conventional electric (storage tank) hot water heater, they should replace it with a gas heater immediately.
Gas is four times cheaper than electricity.
The same holds true of electric clothes dryers. Switching to gas is a definate money saver.
These are the basics of where and when to address energy conservation in your home.
People are always asking what energy conservation items should be addressed first when wanting to conserve energy.
This is important because just by conserving energy, we can build consumers a smaller solar system. Usually the cost of solar is more than conserving your existing energy consumption.
The first items on the list should be the least expensive. Upgrading your lighting to the newer high efficient flourescent and LED lighting should be high on the list. Flourescent is now available in may light colors that are very easy on your eyes.
Weatherstripping doors and windows should be next.
This should be followed by replacing or unhooking extra deep freezers and refridgerators. These appliances are fairly inexpensive to change out. Many people see there bills drop by over $40 per month when the new appliance is purchased. This is based on the applicance being old. Pre 1990. The electric bills can be determind by the energy star rating on the appliance. It is not unusual for the new electric bill to run $5 per month on the new appliance. A small gaget called "kill-o-watt" can be purchased on Amazon. Just unplug your appliance and plug the kill o watt into the outlet. The applicance then plugs into the kill o watt. The kill o watt then measures the kilowatt hour usage. This can then be translated into overall savings per month.
Hot and cold air follow the least resistance when trying to escape our homes. The first way to exit or enter is the attic. Next the walls, and following that the floors.
Attic insulation should be fourth. Attics should be brought up to R-38 if they have less than R24 existing.
Being walls acount for 60% of a homes entire wall area, they should be addressed next.
Most older windows allow for air infultration due to the poor or lacking weather stripping. Windows are also a poor insulator. One pane of glass carries a whopping .67 R-Rating. Compared to the R-38 in attics, it is not very much. Now, all windows are manufactured not only dual pane glass, but with Low Emissitivity (low e) coatings. These coatings have increased in their efficiency in the last few years. Low e glass allows sunlight into a home but reflect 95% of the heat. This works both in the summer to help restrict heat gain but also in the window to contain heat with the same reflective properties.
Next should be floor insulation followed by air conditioning replacement. Please discuss this with your air conditioning contractor as there are some homes that replacement is not as high a priority.
Appliance replacement is next. Although most people have a natural gas or propane hot water heaters, these items will not be affected by solar. However, if a consumer has a conventional electric (storage tank) hot water heater, they should replace it with a gas heater immediately.
Gas is four times cheaper than electricity.
The same holds true of electric clothes dryers. Switching to gas is a definate money saver.
These are the basics of where and when to address energy conservation in your home.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
HERE COMES THE SUN
Here Comes The Sun
A Tribute to George Harrison by Paul Simon, David Crosby, and Grahm Nash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muFOeZSIC2U
Live at Madison Square Garden
The 25th Aniversary of Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame
A Tribute to George Harrison by Paul Simon, David Crosby, and Grahm Nash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muFOeZSIC2U
Live at Madison Square Garden
The 25th Aniversary of Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The time to seriously consider solar is here.
California electricity costs in 1970 were $0.02 per kWh and have risen to around $0.20 per kWh in 2006 and topped $0.49 per kWH by spring of 2010. This is an average increase of approximately 7% per year and does not consider the doubling of our rates since 2005! Worldwide supply and demand will increase energy costs above 7% per year. These increases could actually be catastrophic to your future.
With utility rates doubling every 7 to 10 years it is easy to see where something has to give in the next ten years. We will either need to make and pay more money for energy or cut back on our lifestyle. Both choices are troubling being we all have become accustomed to a certain lifestyle once we walk in the door of our homes.
The following reasons will help to drive energy prices even higher in the future:
Peak Oil and Peak Gas–Will drive energy costs up
Energy Demand Increase—China up 14%, India 6%–Will drive energy costs up
Current need for very expensive infrastructure costs that are looming in California
Lack of new power generation facilities to help supply current demand
The sale of older generation plants by PG&E. (New owners can raise prices)
Solar customers are now not paying the highest rates to the utility because they now "own" their own energy. Being these solar customers were in fact the highest tier using consumers, higher prices should be introduced to current lower priced tiers and consumers
Utilities paying solar customers for overproduction of their solar electricity
High influx of consumers to California placing higher burdens on utilities
Lack of competition
Higher prices from out of state energy producers have been experienced due to supply and demand issues in the open market. California does not produce enough energy during certain times of the year and are dependant on these out of state producers.
New clean energy power plants are being built, but with investors demanding a satisfactory rate of return on their monies, there is no reason to believe that OUR rates would be reduced, just less energy purchased from out of state sources. These owners are not "price governed" like PG&E would be.
Providing your home is a candidate for solar, it is time to think about what kind of lifestyle we want to come home to in the next ten years. It is ironic that we all agree on ownership of our homes so we won't have rent to pay in our retirement, but the lifestyle the energy provides us must also be addressed.
With most solar applications paying themselves back in just 5 to 7 years, ownership of our energy and lifestyle is a financially sound move.
Not having cash or equity is now a non issue as the solar leasing of California ten year lease to own program is available to consumers at a payment rate that is usually less than your utility bill.
Protect your retirement and current lifestyle.
Go Solar, harness the power of the sun, and own your own energy!
California electricity costs in 1970 were $0.02 per kWh and have risen to around $0.20 per kWh in 2006 and topped $0.49 per kWH by spring of 2010. This is an average increase of approximately 7% per year and does not consider the doubling of our rates since 2005! Worldwide supply and demand will increase energy costs above 7% per year. These increases could actually be catastrophic to your future.
With utility rates doubling every 7 to 10 years it is easy to see where something has to give in the next ten years. We will either need to make and pay more money for energy or cut back on our lifestyle. Both choices are troubling being we all have become accustomed to a certain lifestyle once we walk in the door of our homes.
The following reasons will help to drive energy prices even higher in the future:
Peak Oil and Peak Gas–Will drive energy costs up
Energy Demand Increase—China up 14%, India 6%–Will drive energy costs up
Current need for very expensive infrastructure costs that are looming in California
Lack of new power generation facilities to help supply current demand
The sale of older generation plants by PG&E. (New owners can raise prices)
Solar customers are now not paying the highest rates to the utility because they now "own" their own energy. Being these solar customers were in fact the highest tier using consumers, higher prices should be introduced to current lower priced tiers and consumers
Utilities paying solar customers for overproduction of their solar electricity
High influx of consumers to California placing higher burdens on utilities
Lack of competition
Higher prices from out of state energy producers have been experienced due to supply and demand issues in the open market. California does not produce enough energy during certain times of the year and are dependant on these out of state producers.
New clean energy power plants are being built, but with investors demanding a satisfactory rate of return on their monies, there is no reason to believe that OUR rates would be reduced, just less energy purchased from out of state sources. These owners are not "price governed" like PG&E would be.
Providing your home is a candidate for solar, it is time to think about what kind of lifestyle we want to come home to in the next ten years. It is ironic that we all agree on ownership of our homes so we won't have rent to pay in our retirement, but the lifestyle the energy provides us must also be addressed.
With most solar applications paying themselves back in just 5 to 7 years, ownership of our energy and lifestyle is a financially sound move.
Not having cash or equity is now a non issue as the solar leasing of California ten year lease to own program is available to consumers at a payment rate that is usually less than your utility bill.
Protect your retirement and current lifestyle.
Go Solar, harness the power of the sun, and own your own energy!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Energy Efficient Lighting
CFL's Change is in the Air
The lighting sector is on the edge of a spectacular revolution, a shift from the century-old, inefficient incandescent light bulb to far more efficient technologies. Perhaps the quickest, most profitable way to reduce electricity use worldwide—thus cutting carbon emissions—is simply to change light bulbs.
The first advance in this field came with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Replacing old-fashioned inefficient incandescent bulbs that are still widely used today with new CFLs can reduce the electricity used for lighting by three fourths. Over its lifetime, each standard (13 watt) CFL will reduce electricity bills by roughly $30. And though a CFL may cost twice as much as an incandescent, it lasts 10 times as long. Each one reduces energy use compared with an incandescent by the equivalent of 200 pounds of coal over its lifetime. For perspective, the energy saved by replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with an equivalent CFL over its lifetime is sufficient to drive a Toyota Prius hybrid car from New York to San Francisco.
The world may be moving toward a political tipping point to replace inefficient light bulbs across the board. In February 2007, Australia announced it would phase out the sale of incandescents by 2010, replacing them with CFLs. Canada soon followed with a 2012 phaseout goal. In early 2009, the European Union (EU) approved a phaseout of incandescent bulbs, one that will save the average EU consumer 25–50 euros each year.
LED Light Bulbs
The second major advance in lighting technology is the light-emitting diode (LED), which uses up to 85 percent less electricity than an incandescent bulb. Although LEDs are the ultimate in lighting efficiency, they are still too costly for most uses. They are rapidly taking over several niche markets, however, such as traffic lights, where they now have 52 percent of the U.S. market, and exit signs in buildings, where they hold 88 percent of U.S. sales. New York City has replaced traditional bulbs with LEDs in many of its traffic lights, cutting its annual bill for maintenance and electricity by $6 million. In early 2009, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the city would replace its 140,000 street lights with LEDs, saving taxpayers $48 million over the next seven years. The resulting reduction in carbon emissions would be like taking 7,000 cars off the road.
LEDs offer another strong economic advantage. While CFLs last 10 times as long as incandescents, LEDs last 50 times as long. Indeed, a typical LED installed at the time of a child’s birth will still be working when the youngster graduates from college. The savings in commercial situations from both lower electricity costs and the virtual elimination of replacement maintenance often more than offsets the higher initial cost.
The lighting sector is on the edge of a spectacular revolution, a shift from the century-old, inefficient incandescent light bulb to far more efficient technologies. Perhaps the quickest, most profitable way to reduce electricity use worldwide—thus cutting carbon emissions—is simply to change light bulbs.
The first advance in this field came with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Replacing old-fashioned inefficient incandescent bulbs that are still widely used today with new CFLs can reduce the electricity used for lighting by three fourths. Over its lifetime, each standard (13 watt) CFL will reduce electricity bills by roughly $30. And though a CFL may cost twice as much as an incandescent, it lasts 10 times as long. Each one reduces energy use compared with an incandescent by the equivalent of 200 pounds of coal over its lifetime. For perspective, the energy saved by replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with an equivalent CFL over its lifetime is sufficient to drive a Toyota Prius hybrid car from New York to San Francisco.
The world may be moving toward a political tipping point to replace inefficient light bulbs across the board. In February 2007, Australia announced it would phase out the sale of incandescents by 2010, replacing them with CFLs. Canada soon followed with a 2012 phaseout goal. In early 2009, the European Union (EU) approved a phaseout of incandescent bulbs, one that will save the average EU consumer 25–50 euros each year.
LED Light Bulbs
The second major advance in lighting technology is the light-emitting diode (LED), which uses up to 85 percent less electricity than an incandescent bulb. Although LEDs are the ultimate in lighting efficiency, they are still too costly for most uses. They are rapidly taking over several niche markets, however, such as traffic lights, where they now have 52 percent of the U.S. market, and exit signs in buildings, where they hold 88 percent of U.S. sales. New York City has replaced traditional bulbs with LEDs in many of its traffic lights, cutting its annual bill for maintenance and electricity by $6 million. In early 2009, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the city would replace its 140,000 street lights with LEDs, saving taxpayers $48 million over the next seven years. The resulting reduction in carbon emissions would be like taking 7,000 cars off the road.
LEDs offer another strong economic advantage. While CFLs last 10 times as long as incandescents, LEDs last 50 times as long. Indeed, a typical LED installed at the time of a child’s birth will still be working when the youngster graduates from college. The savings in commercial situations from both lower electricity costs and the virtual elimination of replacement maintenance often more than offsets the higher initial cost.
Overview of Solar Leases & PPA's in the Central Valley
Solar Leases and PPA's in Todays Marketplace
Solar leases are now the most popular way for consumers in California to invest into solar. There are two different options in this arena, leases and PPA's. (Power Purchase Agreements)
A PPA works by allowing you to purchase energy produced from the solar system at a lower cost than purchasing the same energy from PG&E.
A solar lease supplies energy for your utilazation for a monthly fee. Usually, this fee is less than purchasing the same energy from the utility.
Up until last year, there were two primary options available to homeowners. A solar lease from Solar City and a PPA from Sun Run. Solar City's lease is available through Solar City. Sun Runs PPA is available through REC Solar, Life Style Solar, and Real Goods Solar.
The problem with these two products are as follows:
1. Both programs typically do not offset all of a customers energy's needs. This means a left over bill paid to PG&E.
2. Both programs do NOT allow for ownership.
3. Both programs have high inflation rates as compared to other programs.
4. Both programs have historically utilized some of the least expensive equipment available.
5. Both programs require very stringent credit requirements.
6. Both are "20 year" terms. This is a very long time for a basic equipment lease.
In 2010, Sungevity entered the market place. They offer a ten year lease with a buy out of fair market value. Fair market value is not good for consumers because you never know what your actual costs will be. Most of us have Never entered into a legal contract not knowing what the contract and terms will actually cost us.
Also in 2010, Sun Tech (Chinese solar manufacturer) has entered the market with their new solar lease. It is a fifteen year lease with lease payments typically less than your current electric bill. They have a buy out option that is approximately $1.5 per peak watt or $13,600 on a 9KW system. This lease is offered only to Sun Tech dealers. Solar Universe is the only dealer locally offering this lease.
In 2010, Solar Leasing of California introduced their ten year lease. It differed from the other leases by offering the following:
1. Multilple down payment options
2. Options of 10,12,and 15 yr leases terms.
3. A very attractive Pre Paid lease.
4. Premium German Equipment
5. 100 % offset of bill is typical.
6. Certified contractors.
7. Payments typically lower than your current average electric bill.
8. The most generous production guarantee on the market.
9. The lowest credit requirements on the market.
10. An actual buyout that is guaranteed not to exceed the Stated amount. This is normally a very reasonable number.
11. Ground mounts are also approved for leases.
There are many other benefits to this lease. Nova West Solar has been awarded the exclusive rights to the Solar Leasing of California lease in the Central Valley of California.
Solar leases are now the most popular way for consumers in California to invest into solar. There are two different options in this arena, leases and PPA's. (Power Purchase Agreements)
A PPA works by allowing you to purchase energy produced from the solar system at a lower cost than purchasing the same energy from PG&E.
A solar lease supplies energy for your utilazation for a monthly fee. Usually, this fee is less than purchasing the same energy from the utility.
Up until last year, there were two primary options available to homeowners. A solar lease from Solar City and a PPA from Sun Run. Solar City's lease is available through Solar City. Sun Runs PPA is available through REC Solar, Life Style Solar, and Real Goods Solar.
The problem with these two products are as follows:
1. Both programs typically do not offset all of a customers energy's needs. This means a left over bill paid to PG&E.
2. Both programs do NOT allow for ownership.
3. Both programs have high inflation rates as compared to other programs.
4. Both programs have historically utilized some of the least expensive equipment available.
5. Both programs require very stringent credit requirements.
6. Both are "20 year" terms. This is a very long time for a basic equipment lease.
In 2010, Sungevity entered the market place. They offer a ten year lease with a buy out of fair market value. Fair market value is not good for consumers because you never know what your actual costs will be. Most of us have Never entered into a legal contract not knowing what the contract and terms will actually cost us.
Also in 2010, Sun Tech (Chinese solar manufacturer) has entered the market with their new solar lease. It is a fifteen year lease with lease payments typically less than your current electric bill. They have a buy out option that is approximately $1.5 per peak watt or $13,600 on a 9KW system. This lease is offered only to Sun Tech dealers. Solar Universe is the only dealer locally offering this lease.
In 2010, Solar Leasing of California introduced their ten year lease. It differed from the other leases by offering the following:
1. Multilple down payment options
2. Options of 10,12,and 15 yr leases terms.
3. A very attractive Pre Paid lease.
4. Premium German Equipment
5. 100 % offset of bill is typical.
6. Certified contractors.
7. Payments typically lower than your current average electric bill.
8. The most generous production guarantee on the market.
9. The lowest credit requirements on the market.
10. An actual buyout that is guaranteed not to exceed the Stated amount. This is normally a very reasonable number.
11. Ground mounts are also approved for leases.
There are many other benefits to this lease. Nova West Solar has been awarded the exclusive rights to the Solar Leasing of California lease in the Central Valley of California.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
PG&E Gets Approvals For Rate Increases in 2011/12/13
PG&E Gets Approval To Raise Your Rates
PG&E officials won approval from state regulators on Thursday to seek about $395 million from customers through rate increases this year, but rates will not go up until the beginning of 2012, a company spokeswoman said today.
As part of a settlement between PG&E and several advocacy groups, the California Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco approved PG&E to seek rate increases for this year, 2012 and 2013.
But rates will not increase this year because the utility giant's revenues are already meeting the additional $395 million that was requested, PG&E spokeswoman Christine Cordner said.
With the adjusted increase, PG&E is seeking a total of $5.9 billion in customer rates this year, Cordner said.
Beginning in January 2012, PG&E will begin seeking an additional $180 million on top of the $395 million requested for 2011, bringing the total to just over $6 billion in total rates sought.
PG&E has been approved to charge another $185 million in rate increases in 2013, bringing the total to nearly $6.3 billion, according to Cordner.
The increases were part of a general rate case submitted by PG&E for CPUC approval every three years. The increases were approved as part of phase 1 of the rate case.
Phase 2 of the case will be heard on May 26, and will include commissioners deciding on a disputed proposal by PG&E to levy a $3 flat fee on all of its residential customers.
"We've proposed these changes because we want customers to pay closer to what it costs to serve them," Cordner said.
In PG&E's current payment scheme, residents who conserve energy or live in smaller dwellings are legally protected from the rate increases that are levied on customers nearly every year, she said.
In San Francisco, for example: if a person lives in a studio, one bedroom, or small house, they likely will not be charged more than 12 or 14 cents per kilowatt-hour even if rates increase, Cordner said.
"PG&E is legally bound from charging them more," she said. "So the people who are incurring rate increases are essentially covering the cost of service for those customers who PG&E can't charge."
But if approved, the $3 flat fee would also apply to people who were potentially out of town or not using any energy at all.
"We're very much opposed to that," said Mindy Spatt, spokeswoman for The Utility Reform Network, a ratepayer advocacy group.
"That's $3 we don't think they should have," she said.
PG&E officials won approval from state regulators on Thursday to seek about $395 million from customers through rate increases this year, but rates will not go up until the beginning of 2012, a company spokeswoman said today.
As part of a settlement between PG&E and several advocacy groups, the California Public Utilities Commission in San Francisco approved PG&E to seek rate increases for this year, 2012 and 2013.
But rates will not increase this year because the utility giant's revenues are already meeting the additional $395 million that was requested, PG&E spokeswoman Christine Cordner said.
With the adjusted increase, PG&E is seeking a total of $5.9 billion in customer rates this year, Cordner said.
Beginning in January 2012, PG&E will begin seeking an additional $180 million on top of the $395 million requested for 2011, bringing the total to just over $6 billion in total rates sought.
PG&E has been approved to charge another $185 million in rate increases in 2013, bringing the total to nearly $6.3 billion, according to Cordner.
The increases were part of a general rate case submitted by PG&E for CPUC approval every three years. The increases were approved as part of phase 1 of the rate case.
Phase 2 of the case will be heard on May 26, and will include commissioners deciding on a disputed proposal by PG&E to levy a $3 flat fee on all of its residential customers.
"We've proposed these changes because we want customers to pay closer to what it costs to serve them," Cordner said.
In PG&E's current payment scheme, residents who conserve energy or live in smaller dwellings are legally protected from the rate increases that are levied on customers nearly every year, she said.
In San Francisco, for example: if a person lives in a studio, one bedroom, or small house, they likely will not be charged more than 12 or 14 cents per kilowatt-hour even if rates increase, Cordner said.
"PG&E is legally bound from charging them more," she said. "So the people who are incurring rate increases are essentially covering the cost of service for those customers who PG&E can't charge."
But if approved, the $3 flat fee would also apply to people who were potentially out of town or not using any energy at all.
"We're very much opposed to that," said Mindy Spatt, spokeswoman for The Utility Reform Network, a ratepayer advocacy group.
"That's $3 we don't think they should have," she said.
Friday, May 6, 2011
The future of summer: Air conditioners that are 90 percent more efficient
Air conditioners are a pain. They use an incredible amount of energy, reflected in incredibly high electricity bills in the summer months. But in some places, like Texas and Arizona, it’s hard to go without them. Now, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory may have an answer to the problem: A brand new air conditioning design that could make AC units 90 percent more efficient than they are today.
This is not just a new spin on the traditional design. NREL has ditched major components of today’s AC units, including their condensers and compressors. It generates colder air by evaporating water off a wet surface with a built-in fan. There is a desiccant included to make sure the air is dry.
In addition to slashing the amount of energy needed to run a typical AC unit, the NREL model, called the DEVap, also eliminates the need for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), toxic chemicals used in many of today’s air conditioners that pollute the atmosphere.
Previously, this evaporative air conditioning process only worked in dry, hot climates, because the cool air generated would otherwise contain too much moisture. The addition of the desiccants has made it functional in a range of climates, even very humid environments, NREL says.
The challenge now will be to make the NREL air conditioner cost competitive with those already on the market. It might be as many as five summers before consumers can get buy the units to cool their houses, the laboratory says. It will be licensing the deign for commercial distribution.
Steeply reducing the amount of energy sucked by air conditioners could have a major impact on overall energy use in the U.S. and abroad. After all, air conditioners account for 5 percent of energy used in the U.S. every year.
This is not just a new spin on the traditional design. NREL has ditched major components of today’s AC units, including their condensers and compressors. It generates colder air by evaporating water off a wet surface with a built-in fan. There is a desiccant included to make sure the air is dry.
In addition to slashing the amount of energy needed to run a typical AC unit, the NREL model, called the DEVap, also eliminates the need for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), toxic chemicals used in many of today’s air conditioners that pollute the atmosphere.
Previously, this evaporative air conditioning process only worked in dry, hot climates, because the cool air generated would otherwise contain too much moisture. The addition of the desiccants has made it functional in a range of climates, even very humid environments, NREL says.
The challenge now will be to make the NREL air conditioner cost competitive with those already on the market. It might be as many as five summers before consumers can get buy the units to cool their houses, the laboratory says. It will be licensing the deign for commercial distribution.
Steeply reducing the amount of energy sucked by air conditioners could have a major impact on overall energy use in the U.S. and abroad. After all, air conditioners account for 5 percent of energy used in the U.S. every year.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Property Tax Exemptions for Solar
Property Tax Exemption
Many consumers are confused at to whether their new solar system is subject to Property Taxes. The below paragraphs are from the State Legislature's California Revenue and Taxation Code, Section 73 which exempts homeowners property taxes from being increased due to the value to their homes increasing after solar is installed.
Property Tax Exemption Jan.08, 2009
California Law provides a property tax exemption for qualified solar energy systems.
California Revenue and Taxation Code, section 73.
73. (a) Pursuant to the authority granted to the Legislature pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 2 of Article XIII A of the California Constitution, the term “newly constructed,” as used in subdivision (a) of Section 2 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, does not include the construction or addition of any active solar energy system, as defined in subdivision (b). (b) (1) “Active solar energy system” means a system that uses solar devices, which are thermally isolated from living space or any other area where the energy is used, to provide for the collection, storage, or distribution of solar energy. (2) “Active solar energy system” does not include solar swimming pool heaters or hot tub heaters. (3) Active solar energy systems may be used for any of the following: (A) Domestic, recreational, therapeutic, or service water heating. (B) Space conditioning. (C) Production of electricity. (D) Process heat. (E) Solar mechanical energy. (c) For purposes of this section, “occupy or use” has the same meaning as defined in Section 75.12. (d) (1) (A) The Legislature finds and declares that the definition of spare parts in this paragraph is declarative of the intent of the Legislature, in prior statutory enactments of this section thatexcluded active solar energy systems from the term “newly constructed,” as used in the California Constitution, thereby creating a tax appraisal exclusion. (B) An active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity includes storage devices, power conditioning equipment, transfer equipment, and parts related to the functioning of those items. In general, the use of solar energy in the production of electricity involves the transformation of sunlight into electricity through the use of devices such as solar cells or other solar collecting equipment. However, an active solar energysystem used in the production of electricity includes only equipment used up to, but not including, the stage of conveyance or use of the electricity. For the purpose of this paragraph, the term “parts” includes spare parts that are owned by the owner of, or the maintenance contractor for, an active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity and which spare parts were specifically purchased, designed, or fabricated by or for that owner or maintenance contractor for installation in an active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity, thereby including those parts in the tax appraisalexclusion created by this section. (2) An active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity also includes pipes and ducts that are used exclusively to carry energy derived from solar energy. Pipes and ducts that are used to carry both energy derived from solar energy and from energy derived from other sources are active solar energy system property only to the extent of 75 percent of their full cash value. (3) An active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity does not include auxiliary equipment, such as furnaces and hot water heaters, that use a source of power other than solar energy to provide usable energy. An active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity does include equipment, such as ducts and hot water tanks, that is utilized by both auxiliary equipment and solar energy equipment, that is, dual use equipment. That equipment is active solar energy system property only to the extent of 75 percent of its full cash value. (e) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, for purposes of this section, “the construction or addition of any active solar energy system” includes the construction of an active solar energy system incorporated by the owner-builder in the initial construction of a new building that the owner-builder does not intend to occupy or use. The exclusion from “newly constructed” provided by this subdivision applies to the initial purchaser who purchased the new building from the owner-builder, but only if the owner-builder did not receive an exclusion under this section for the same active solar energy system and only if the initial purchaser purchased the new building prior to that building becoming subject to reassessment to the owner-builder,as described in subdivision (d) of Section 75.12. The assessor shall administer this subdivision in the following manner: (A) The initial purchaser of the building shall file a claim with the assessor and provide to the assessor any documents necessary to identify the value attributable to the active solar energy system included in the purchase price of the new building. The claim shall also identify the amount of any rebate for the active solar energy system provided to either the owner-builder or the initial purchaser by the Public Utilities Commission, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, an electrical corporation, a local publicly owned electric utility, or any other agency of the State of California. (B) The assessor shall evaluate the claim and determine theportion of the purchase price that is attributable to the active solar energy system. The assessor shall then reduce the new base year value established as a result of the change in ownership of the new building by an amount equal to the difference between the following two amounts: (i) That portion of the value of the new building attributable to the active solar energy system. (ii) The total amount of all rebates, if any, described in subparagraph (A) that were provided to either the owner-builder or the initial purchaser. (C) The extension of the new construction exclusion to the initial purchaser of a newly constructed new building shall remain in effect only until there is a subsequent change in ownership of the new building. (2) The State Board of Equalization, in consultation with the California Assessors’ Association, shall prescribe the manner, documentation, and form for claiming the new construction exclusion required by this subdivision. (f) This section applies to property tax lien dates for the 1999 -2000 fiscal year to the 2015-16 fiscal year, inclusive. (g) The amendments made to this section by the act that added this subdivision apply beginning with the lien date for the 2008-09 fiscal year. (h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2017, and as of that date is repealed.
Many consumers are confused at to whether their new solar system is subject to Property Taxes. The below paragraphs are from the State Legislature's California Revenue and Taxation Code, Section 73 which exempts homeowners property taxes from being increased due to the value to their homes increasing after solar is installed.
Property Tax Exemption Jan.08, 2009
California Law provides a property tax exemption for qualified solar energy systems.
California Revenue and Taxation Code, section 73.
73. (a) Pursuant to the authority granted to the Legislature pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 2 of Article XIII A of the California Constitution, the term “newly constructed,” as used in subdivision (a) of Section 2 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution, does not include the construction or addition of any active solar energy system, as defined in subdivision (b). (b) (1) “Active solar energy system” means a system that uses solar devices, which are thermally isolated from living space or any other area where the energy is used, to provide for the collection, storage, or distribution of solar energy. (2) “Active solar energy system” does not include solar swimming pool heaters or hot tub heaters. (3) Active solar energy systems may be used for any of the following: (A) Domestic, recreational, therapeutic, or service water heating. (B) Space conditioning. (C) Production of electricity. (D) Process heat. (E) Solar mechanical energy. (c) For purposes of this section, “occupy or use” has the same meaning as defined in Section 75.12. (d) (1) (A) The Legislature finds and declares that the definition of spare parts in this paragraph is declarative of the intent of the Legislature, in prior statutory enactments of this section thatexcluded active solar energy systems from the term “newly constructed,” as used in the California Constitution, thereby creating a tax appraisal exclusion. (B) An active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity includes storage devices, power conditioning equipment, transfer equipment, and parts related to the functioning of those items. In general, the use of solar energy in the production of electricity involves the transformation of sunlight into electricity through the use of devices such as solar cells or other solar collecting equipment. However, an active solar energysystem used in the production of electricity includes only equipment used up to, but not including, the stage of conveyance or use of the electricity. For the purpose of this paragraph, the term “parts” includes spare parts that are owned by the owner of, or the maintenance contractor for, an active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity and which spare parts were specifically purchased, designed, or fabricated by or for that owner or maintenance contractor for installation in an active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity, thereby including those parts in the tax appraisalexclusion created by this section. (2) An active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity also includes pipes and ducts that are used exclusively to carry energy derived from solar energy. Pipes and ducts that are used to carry both energy derived from solar energy and from energy derived from other sources are active solar energy system property only to the extent of 75 percent of their full cash value. (3) An active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity does not include auxiliary equipment, such as furnaces and hot water heaters, that use a source of power other than solar energy to provide usable energy. An active solar energy system that uses solar energy in the production of electricity does include equipment, such as ducts and hot water tanks, that is utilized by both auxiliary equipment and solar energy equipment, that is, dual use equipment. That equipment is active solar energy system property only to the extent of 75 percent of its full cash value. (e) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, for purposes of this section, “the construction or addition of any active solar energy system” includes the construction of an active solar energy system incorporated by the owner-builder in the initial construction of a new building that the owner-builder does not intend to occupy or use. The exclusion from “newly constructed” provided by this subdivision applies to the initial purchaser who purchased the new building from the owner-builder, but only if the owner-builder did not receive an exclusion under this section for the same active solar energy system and only if the initial purchaser purchased the new building prior to that building becoming subject to reassessment to the owner-builder,as described in subdivision (d) of Section 75.12. The assessor shall administer this subdivision in the following manner: (A) The initial purchaser of the building shall file a claim with the assessor and provide to the assessor any documents necessary to identify the value attributable to the active solar energy system included in the purchase price of the new building. The claim shall also identify the amount of any rebate for the active solar energy system provided to either the owner-builder or the initial purchaser by the Public Utilities Commission, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, an electrical corporation, a local publicly owned electric utility, or any other agency of the State of California. (B) The assessor shall evaluate the claim and determine theportion of the purchase price that is attributable to the active solar energy system. The assessor shall then reduce the new base year value established as a result of the change in ownership of the new building by an amount equal to the difference between the following two amounts: (i) That portion of the value of the new building attributable to the active solar energy system. (ii) The total amount of all rebates, if any, described in subparagraph (A) that were provided to either the owner-builder or the initial purchaser. (C) The extension of the new construction exclusion to the initial purchaser of a newly constructed new building shall remain in effect only until there is a subsequent change in ownership of the new building. (2) The State Board of Equalization, in consultation with the California Assessors’ Association, shall prescribe the manner, documentation, and form for claiming the new construction exclusion required by this subdivision. (f) This section applies to property tax lien dates for the 1999 -2000 fiscal year to the 2015-16 fiscal year, inclusive. (g) The amendments made to this section by the act that added this subdivision apply beginning with the lien date for the 2008-09 fiscal year. (h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2017, and as of that date is repealed.
Should You Get Solar Power Now, or Wait
Buy Now or Wait and See
It’s the eternal question: Buy now or wait? Assuming you want to install solar panels on your roof, should you go for it or hold off for better technology or lower prices? Some consumers are concerned that solar pricing and higher efficiencies are just around the corner. Why then, would consumer's want solar now?
The first reason is pricing has dropped from over $4.00 per DC watt to under $2.00 per DC watt in just the last two years. This is due to mass production and the ability of asian labor markets to help make solar more affordable. Most people in the industry are not expecting lower prices. We have been put on notice that there will be shortages later on this year and to anticipate higher prices until certain orders are fulfilled.
The second reason is the rebates. The California Solar Initiative started at $2.50 per watt rebate. This rebate has decreased in time and is now only $.65 per watt. By waiting, there may not even be a rebate available!
The third reason is the added appreciation to your home"s value. This may not sound exciting today, but if circumstances dictated a move in this market, the solar would be a great selling point and an option to help you realize a higher sales price. Keep in mind that the total system is only costing you $.60 on the dollar once you account for both the tax credits and rebate.
The fourth reason is inflation. With record spending and printing of money, it is not out of the realm of reason to see higher inflation. Inflation raises the cost of every thing we purchase. This not only includes solar but electricity costs as well. It is always best if you can purchase a big ticket item today and lock in your costs for tomorrow. Similar to purchasing a home. With high utility rates, most consumers see a pay back on their investment of between five and seven years. This is in the 30% internal rate of return on your money! It is hard to get that elsewhere. It also insures your current lifestyle down the road regardless of what energy costs.
Why wait to start saving money and securing your future lifestyle?
Financing is getting better in the current market and if you can lease to own, you may find that it is easier replacing a utility electric payment with a lower lease payment. Especially if the lease allows you to inexpensively buy the system after a few short years.
It’s the eternal question: Buy now or wait? Assuming you want to install solar panels on your roof, should you go for it or hold off for better technology or lower prices? Some consumers are concerned that solar pricing and higher efficiencies are just around the corner. Why then, would consumer's want solar now?
The first reason is pricing has dropped from over $4.00 per DC watt to under $2.00 per DC watt in just the last two years. This is due to mass production and the ability of asian labor markets to help make solar more affordable. Most people in the industry are not expecting lower prices. We have been put on notice that there will be shortages later on this year and to anticipate higher prices until certain orders are fulfilled.
The second reason is the rebates. The California Solar Initiative started at $2.50 per watt rebate. This rebate has decreased in time and is now only $.65 per watt. By waiting, there may not even be a rebate available!
The third reason is the added appreciation to your home"s value. This may not sound exciting today, but if circumstances dictated a move in this market, the solar would be a great selling point and an option to help you realize a higher sales price. Keep in mind that the total system is only costing you $.60 on the dollar once you account for both the tax credits and rebate.
The fourth reason is inflation. With record spending and printing of money, it is not out of the realm of reason to see higher inflation. Inflation raises the cost of every thing we purchase. This not only includes solar but electricity costs as well. It is always best if you can purchase a big ticket item today and lock in your costs for tomorrow. Similar to purchasing a home. With high utility rates, most consumers see a pay back on their investment of between five and seven years. This is in the 30% internal rate of return on your money! It is hard to get that elsewhere. It also insures your current lifestyle down the road regardless of what energy costs.
Why wait to start saving money and securing your future lifestyle?
Financing is getting better in the current market and if you can lease to own, you may find that it is easier replacing a utility electric payment with a lower lease payment. Especially if the lease allows you to inexpensively buy the system after a few short years.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Study Finds Solar Panels Increase Home Value
Building Equity With Solar
All of the homeowners who have been installing residential solar panels over the last decade may find it was a more practical decision than they thought. The electricity generated has cost less than that coming from the local power company (especially when utility rebates and federal tax credits were accounted for) But if they choose to sell their homes, the price premium they will get for the solar system should let them recoup most if not all of their original capital investment.
That is the conclusion of three researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who looked at home sales — both homes with photovoltaic systems and homes without — in California over an eight-and-a-half-year period ending in mid-2009. The abstract of their study states, “the analysis finds strong evidence that California homes with PV systems have sold for a premium over comparable homes without PV systems.”
The premium ranged from $3.90 to $6.40 per watt of capacity, but tended most often to be about $5.50 per watt. This, the study said, “corresponds to a home sales price premium of approximately $17,000 for a relatively new 3,100-watt PV system (the average size of PV systems in the study).”
And the bottom line: “These average sales price premiums appear to be comparable to the investment that homeowners have made to install PV systems in California, which from 2001 through 2009 averaged approximately $5/watt.”
In the Central Valley of California, we experience higher utility bills due to the hot summers. At Nova West Solar, our average size system is over double the 3100 watt PV system. This would boost the resale value to over $35,000!
With current inflation taking off at a record rate, large utility increases are a very real possibility. Whether you purchase a system and receive rebates and tax credits, or choose the 120 mo "lease to own" program, locking in your electric costs is even more important in today's economic environment.
All of the homeowners who have been installing residential solar panels over the last decade may find it was a more practical decision than they thought. The electricity generated has cost less than that coming from the local power company (especially when utility rebates and federal tax credits were accounted for) But if they choose to sell their homes, the price premium they will get for the solar system should let them recoup most if not all of their original capital investment.
That is the conclusion of three researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who looked at home sales — both homes with photovoltaic systems and homes without — in California over an eight-and-a-half-year period ending in mid-2009. The abstract of their study states, “the analysis finds strong evidence that California homes with PV systems have sold for a premium over comparable homes without PV systems.”
The premium ranged from $3.90 to $6.40 per watt of capacity, but tended most often to be about $5.50 per watt. This, the study said, “corresponds to a home sales price premium of approximately $17,000 for a relatively new 3,100-watt PV system (the average size of PV systems in the study).”
And the bottom line: “These average sales price premiums appear to be comparable to the investment that homeowners have made to install PV systems in California, which from 2001 through 2009 averaged approximately $5/watt.”
In the Central Valley of California, we experience higher utility bills due to the hot summers. At Nova West Solar, our average size system is over double the 3100 watt PV system. This would boost the resale value to over $35,000!
With current inflation taking off at a record rate, large utility increases are a very real possibility. Whether you purchase a system and receive rebates and tax credits, or choose the 120 mo "lease to own" program, locking in your electric costs is even more important in today's economic environment.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
New Schuco Solar Panels
New Solar Panels from Schuco
Schuco is pleased to announced the arrival of their new Black frame and Black glass panels just a few months ago. These new panels have an amazing 0%-5% tolerance rating. This means they preform very well in in hot climate zones like Fresno. They are also announced the arrival of yet another solar panel. This new solar panel also carries the impressive 0%-5% tolerance rating and also boasts a frame that will support a load of 110 lbs psi! Most solar panels are rated at 35 to 50 lbs per sq inch. Schuco will have the 220watt-235watt panels MADE IN THE USA shortly!
What makes these panels an exceptional value is that they are less expensive (installed) than Chinese made panels. This is due to the additional labor savings utilizing Schuco's alluminum railing and mechanical fastening system. With less time on the job, and more installs per month per crew, costs as well as pricing to consumers goes down! Lower prices, superior warranties and efficiencies all equate into a better system at highly competitive pricing. At Nova West Solar, we believe Pricing Service & Value equals happy customers.
Schuco is pleased to announced the arrival of their new Black frame and Black glass panels just a few months ago. These new panels have an amazing 0%-5% tolerance rating. This means they preform very well in in hot climate zones like Fresno. They are also announced the arrival of yet another solar panel. This new solar panel also carries the impressive 0%-5% tolerance rating and also boasts a frame that will support a load of 110 lbs psi! Most solar panels are rated at 35 to 50 lbs per sq inch. Schuco will have the 220watt-235watt panels MADE IN THE USA shortly!
What makes these panels an exceptional value is that they are less expensive (installed) than Chinese made panels. This is due to the additional labor savings utilizing Schuco's alluminum railing and mechanical fastening system. With less time on the job, and more installs per month per crew, costs as well as pricing to consumers goes down! Lower prices, superior warranties and efficiencies all equate into a better system at highly competitive pricing. At Nova West Solar, we believe Pricing Service & Value equals happy customers.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Energy, Solar, and Tsunamis
So much for the “nuclear renaissance,” said Eugene Robinson in The Washington Post. Until last month's earthquake-triggered disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, even some prominent environmentalists had begun championing nuclear power, portraying it as a means to end our dependence on foreign oil and “significantly mitigate global warming, all at the same time.” President Obama has promoted the addition of nuclear plants in his new energy policy, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was poised to approve the construction of 20 new reactors. The fact is that “every energy source has risks.” Oil rigs sometimes blow up and cause giant spills; coal mines sometimes collapse, killing miners. Adding more solar and wind power, meanwhile, would require claiming vast tracts of land and seascape for giant windmills and vast arrays of solar panels—and overcoming the fierce resistance of the “not in my backyard” crowd.
But let’s also realistically “weigh the risks of every alternative,” said the Chicago Tribune. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels, scientists say, kills 2 million people a year—far more than “all the nuclear incidents worldwide,” including Chernobyl. The possibility of a nuclear accident will always be with us, and it will always be scary, “but not as scary as a world starved for electricity.” Future nuclear power plants in the United States may never be built.
As one of the cheapest sources of electricity, it's loss will be felt by all rate payers across the country. We should all keep in mind that it wasn't the earthquake that caused the problem, it was the devastation of nuclear reactors as well as the collapse of entire communities (up to five miles inward) that resulted from the earthquake created tsunami. With no back up plan to restore power from an offsite source, the outcome was inevitable.
With State and Federal incentives for solar, now may be an excellent time to compare powering your home with solar versus utilizing PG&E and all of their future increases.
So much for the “nuclear renaissance,” said Eugene Robinson in The Washington Post. Until last month's earthquake-triggered disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, even some prominent environmentalists had begun championing nuclear power, portraying it as a means to end our dependence on foreign oil and “significantly mitigate global warming, all at the same time.” President Obama has promoted the addition of nuclear plants in his new energy policy, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was poised to approve the construction of 20 new reactors. The fact is that “every energy source has risks.” Oil rigs sometimes blow up and cause giant spills; coal mines sometimes collapse, killing miners. Adding more solar and wind power, meanwhile, would require claiming vast tracts of land and seascape for giant windmills and vast arrays of solar panels—and overcoming the fierce resistance of the “not in my backyard” crowd.
But let’s also realistically “weigh the risks of every alternative,” said the Chicago Tribune. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels, scientists say, kills 2 million people a year—far more than “all the nuclear incidents worldwide,” including Chernobyl. The possibility of a nuclear accident will always be with us, and it will always be scary, “but not as scary as a world starved for electricity.” Future nuclear power plants in the United States may never be built.
As one of the cheapest sources of electricity, it's loss will be felt by all rate payers across the country. We should all keep in mind that it wasn't the earthquake that caused the problem, it was the devastation of nuclear reactors as well as the collapse of entire communities (up to five miles inward) that resulted from the earthquake created tsunami. With no back up plan to restore power from an offsite source, the outcome was inevitable.
With State and Federal incentives for solar, now may be an excellent time to compare powering your home with solar versus utilizing PG&E and all of their future increases.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Offsetting 100% of Your Energy
How much power should I offset?
When you are purchasing a solar system, you have the option to offset part or all your power. Here in Fresno and the Central Valley, summer bills can get out of control with air conditioning use and kids being out of school so it pays to think this through before finalizing the purchase.
Many solar companies here in Fresno and the in Central Valley will usually recommend offsetting all your usage except for the "lower two tiers" of your bill. They are referring to the baseline and the next tier after the baseline, which have been locked by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) to low pricing to help lower income individuals from high bills.
Recently, PGE was able to coerce the CPUC into removing the pricing lock for the lower 2 tiers, meaning that PGE can raise rates even though this will affect low income individuals and raise utility bills for every one. These two tiers will run from $60 to $80 per month before moving on to higher rates, depending where you live.
Going back to how much power should you offset, when you purchase a solar system you are getting rebates and tax credits as a one time payment to help you offset the cost of solar. If you leave a part of your bill, even though they are called "cheap energy", you are still tied to the utility company paying something every month. You have made a significant investment to go solar/green and yet you still have a bill due every month, for the rest of the life of the system.
Let's think about this: the State of California the Federal Government and in some cases, your city/county is paying for such a huge part of your solar system, go ahead and offset 100% of your bill. Future rate increases, inflation on that left over bill, payments for selling overproduction to PG&E, as well as the way PGE structures their rates make offsetting all of your energy a very attractive option. Also, the larger the system you build, the better the pricing usually is.
When you are purchasing a solar system, you have the option to offset part or all your power. Here in Fresno and the Central Valley, summer bills can get out of control with air conditioning use and kids being out of school so it pays to think this through before finalizing the purchase.
Many solar companies here in Fresno and the in Central Valley will usually recommend offsetting all your usage except for the "lower two tiers" of your bill. They are referring to the baseline and the next tier after the baseline, which have been locked by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) to low pricing to help lower income individuals from high bills.
Recently, PGE was able to coerce the CPUC into removing the pricing lock for the lower 2 tiers, meaning that PGE can raise rates even though this will affect low income individuals and raise utility bills for every one. These two tiers will run from $60 to $80 per month before moving on to higher rates, depending where you live.
Going back to how much power should you offset, when you purchase a solar system you are getting rebates and tax credits as a one time payment to help you offset the cost of solar. If you leave a part of your bill, even though they are called "cheap energy", you are still tied to the utility company paying something every month. You have made a significant investment to go solar/green and yet you still have a bill due every month, for the rest of the life of the system.
Let's think about this: the State of California the Federal Government and in some cases, your city/county is paying for such a huge part of your solar system, go ahead and offset 100% of your bill. Future rate increases, inflation on that left over bill, payments for selling overproduction to PG&E, as well as the way PGE structures their rates make offsetting all of your energy a very attractive option. Also, the larger the system you build, the better the pricing usually is.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Nova West Solar Offices Grand Opening
New Location
Nova West Solar is proud to announce the location of our new offices.
We are now located at 7429 N First St, Suite 104, Fresno, Ca 93720. This location is located on the North West corner of Alluvial and First Av. The complex is comprised of single story red brick buildings. What makes these buildings stand out are the "bow" glass window configuration on all of the building's corners.
With more room to accomodate accounting, marketing, sales, and business as well as construction management,we have seen our business double!
With increased sales comes even better pricing from all of our manufacturers.
At Nova West Solar we are commited to offering the best solar panels and equipment at the best prices. We routinely are the lowest bid utilizing German. We are unaware of any solar contractor that competes with the quality of our customer service and construction departments.
We would like to thank all of our customers for their patronage and look forward to being there if or when you need us.
Gary Fairhead
Robert Green
Nova West Solar is proud to announce the location of our new offices.
We are now located at 7429 N First St, Suite 104, Fresno, Ca 93720. This location is located on the North West corner of Alluvial and First Av. The complex is comprised of single story red brick buildings. What makes these buildings stand out are the "bow" glass window configuration on all of the building's corners.
With more room to accomodate accounting, marketing, sales, and business as well as construction management,we have seen our business double!
With increased sales comes even better pricing from all of our manufacturers.
At Nova West Solar we are commited to offering the best solar panels and equipment at the best prices. We routinely are the lowest bid utilizing German. We are unaware of any solar contractor that competes with the quality of our customer service and construction departments.
We would like to thank all of our customers for their patronage and look forward to being there if or when you need us.
Gary Fairhead
Robert Green
Monday, March 14, 2011
Cleaning Your Solar Panels
How and When to Clean Your Solar Panels
Cleaning solar panels should be done two to three times a year if you live in the city and three to four times a year if you live in the country.
Excessive dust and dirt build up can lower your output by anywhere from 5-15%! By generating electricity, we are in essence generating money. It only makes sense to keep your solar investment running at an optimum.
Cleaning solar panels can be accomplished in several different ways. What is important to keep in mind is not leaving hard water deposits on the glass.
Do not clean panels in the middle of the day.
The first is to make sure you have soft water and apply water after light scrubbing with a brush.
It is always best to utilize a squeegee after you rinse off the panels.
The second option is to lightly wash off 4-6 panels at a time. Utilizing a product called "Squeegee" window cleaner manufactured by Genlabs.
This product is sold by Clovis Janitorial in Clovis Ca. You simply put one capful in one gallon of warm water. Then use a sheep skin scrubber to apply cleaner & squeege. This product leaves a light sudsy film on the glass that does not evaporate for 5 minutes. Squeegee off and the glass will sparkle! And NO STREAKING!!!
This product is great for cleaning house windows. The glass on a 24 window home can be cleaned in approximately 30 minutes.
Another product "Windex Outdoor Multi-surface" spray is an easy alternative. This product is used to clean two story homes windows and comes in a spray bottle that can direct either water or windex and water as you so choose. Just spray down a few panels with straight water, then apply the Multi surface cleaner along with water. This product has a water softening agent that should not leave any streaks or water stains. After leaving the product on the determined time, just switch back to the rinse option and your done. If the panels are real dirty, you may want to scrub the panels after the Multi Surface has been applied.
As always, if a squeegie is used after the final rinse, your solar panels will sparkle and be both streak and water spot free.
The third way is to hire a cleaning service. $2-$3 per solar panel is average. Some services can go to $5 per panel or more. Be aware that a few of these services are not interested in making a $100, they want to service and maintain your system. Any service or maintenance done by an outside service will usually nullify your solar labor warranty. Always call your solar contractor if you think you have a problem. Remember, your system is warrantied for 10 years!
There are a couple of new options that are making their way onto to the solar panel cleaning scene. I will follow up in the coming months on these new cleaning methods.
Cleaning solar panels should be done two to three times a year if you live in the city and three to four times a year if you live in the country.
Excessive dust and dirt build up can lower your output by anywhere from 5-15%! By generating electricity, we are in essence generating money. It only makes sense to keep your solar investment running at an optimum.
Cleaning solar panels can be accomplished in several different ways. What is important to keep in mind is not leaving hard water deposits on the glass.
Do not clean panels in the middle of the day.
The first is to make sure you have soft water and apply water after light scrubbing with a brush.
It is always best to utilize a squeegee after you rinse off the panels.
The second option is to lightly wash off 4-6 panels at a time. Utilizing a product called "Squeegee" window cleaner manufactured by Genlabs.
This product is sold by Clovis Janitorial in Clovis Ca. You simply put one capful in one gallon of warm water. Then use a sheep skin scrubber to apply cleaner & squeege. This product leaves a light sudsy film on the glass that does not evaporate for 5 minutes. Squeegee off and the glass will sparkle! And NO STREAKING!!!
This product is great for cleaning house windows. The glass on a 24 window home can be cleaned in approximately 30 minutes.
Another product "Windex Outdoor Multi-surface" spray is an easy alternative. This product is used to clean two story homes windows and comes in a spray bottle that can direct either water or windex and water as you so choose. Just spray down a few panels with straight water, then apply the Multi surface cleaner along with water. This product has a water softening agent that should not leave any streaks or water stains. After leaving the product on the determined time, just switch back to the rinse option and your done. If the panels are real dirty, you may want to scrub the panels after the Multi Surface has been applied.
As always, if a squeegie is used after the final rinse, your solar panels will sparkle and be both streak and water spot free.
The third way is to hire a cleaning service. $2-$3 per solar panel is average. Some services can go to $5 per panel or more. Be aware that a few of these services are not interested in making a $100, they want to service and maintain your system. Any service or maintenance done by an outside service will usually nullify your solar labor warranty. Always call your solar contractor if you think you have a problem. Remember, your system is warrantied for 10 years!
There are a couple of new options that are making their way onto to the solar panel cleaning scene. I will follow up in the coming months on these new cleaning methods.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Evaluating Solar Companies
Choosing 3 Solar Companies from Hundreds
Right now, we are seeing a flood of new solar companies joining the solar installation ranks in California. Every day, a new website goes up proclaiming years of experience and yet, there are only a couple dozen real players out there. Every year, several hundred solar companies try their hand at solar and you never hear from them again. The next year, a whole new group of 200-300 companies enter the field. The question becomes, how do you choose a solar company that knows how to properly design and install a solar system that will be safe, will function at a high level of efficiency, and will be supported over the long haul?
Solar Companies–Large or Small, Local or Global
There are a number of very large solar companies in the United States that are trying to gain market share by keeping their prices low and expanding rapidly into new markets. These companies are losing staggering amounts of money. Most of these companies are privately held and it is difficult to show just how much money they are losing. However, one good example is Akeena and here is a link to their financials. Just looking at it briefly, Akeena stock went from a high in 2008 of $15.00 to a current price just below $1.00. This company has posted huge quarterly losses as far back as I can remember. This past quarter, Akeena lost $2.4M on $6.5M in Revenue. There are a number of other large solar companies in this same boat. Losing money at this rate in the good times isn’t sustainable. So the question is, should you choose a large solar company for your solar installation because they seem on the surface to be a safe bet, or should you choose a smaller, well run local company that is financially stable? If you decide to invest in a solar home, you will have to answer this question for yourself.
Check the Solar Installation Company Contractors License
The first thing I would do before choosing a company and investing in a solar home is look their contractors license. Typically, the best type of license for solar electrical installation is the C-10 Electrical license. The State of California allows General Contractors (B), Grading Contractors (A) Electrical Contractors (C-10) and Solar Contractors (C-46) to install solar in California. We at Nova West Solar carry the C-10, C-46, B, as well as the C-39 Roofing license. You can check a solar company’s contractors license here. You can determine from this site if a Contractor has Workers Compensation, is bonded and if their license is current or expired. You can also tell how long they have had their license and/or how long the license or licensee has been affiliated with the company.
Check out Their Web Page
Photos of solar installations on a web page are very telling. If the photo of a solar installation on a home looks like it was taken in Germany, it probably was. If you live in California and are looking for a solar installation company with local experience, look at the photos on their website. There should be dozens and dozens of different installations featured and they shouldn’t look like they were photos plucked off the web or purchased from istock. Local experience with local building codes and local officials is very important. Experience with local codes makes the solar permiting and inspection process go much smoother and end up costing you much less.
Check out their BBB listing
A solar company should have a listing on the Better Business Bureau. You can check out the listings for: Fresno CaliforniaMake Sure they are Listed on the CSI databaseThe California Solar Initiative has a list of Resellers and Installers that are approved to sell and install solar in California.
Check out their references
Most Solar Companies are very proud of their reference lists. Ask for a list and call a past customer at random.
Check out their Local Installations
Most solar companies that have been around for awhile will have at least one installation in your area. Ask to be able to at least drive by one installation.
Evaluating Solar Companies
The bottom Line is a final choice can be easier that one would think. Normallly I would recommend the above listed suggestions and then temper them with who has the best producing panels at the lower/best price. (Not necessarilly the cheapest) However, with solar being a major long term investment, the warranties-production and replacement-need to be looked at very closely. Once this is done, your decision process should be complete.
Right now, we are seeing a flood of new solar companies joining the solar installation ranks in California. Every day, a new website goes up proclaiming years of experience and yet, there are only a couple dozen real players out there. Every year, several hundred solar companies try their hand at solar and you never hear from them again. The next year, a whole new group of 200-300 companies enter the field. The question becomes, how do you choose a solar company that knows how to properly design and install a solar system that will be safe, will function at a high level of efficiency, and will be supported over the long haul?
Solar Companies–Large or Small, Local or Global
There are a number of very large solar companies in the United States that are trying to gain market share by keeping their prices low and expanding rapidly into new markets. These companies are losing staggering amounts of money. Most of these companies are privately held and it is difficult to show just how much money they are losing. However, one good example is Akeena and here is a link to their financials. Just looking at it briefly, Akeena stock went from a high in 2008 of $15.00 to a current price just below $1.00. This company has posted huge quarterly losses as far back as I can remember. This past quarter, Akeena lost $2.4M on $6.5M in Revenue. There are a number of other large solar companies in this same boat. Losing money at this rate in the good times isn’t sustainable. So the question is, should you choose a large solar company for your solar installation because they seem on the surface to be a safe bet, or should you choose a smaller, well run local company that is financially stable? If you decide to invest in a solar home, you will have to answer this question for yourself.
Check the Solar Installation Company Contractors License
The first thing I would do before choosing a company and investing in a solar home is look their contractors license. Typically, the best type of license for solar electrical installation is the C-10 Electrical license. The State of California allows General Contractors (B), Grading Contractors (A) Electrical Contractors (C-10) and Solar Contractors (C-46) to install solar in California. We at Nova West Solar carry the C-10, C-46, B, as well as the C-39 Roofing license. You can check a solar company’s contractors license here. You can determine from this site if a Contractor has Workers Compensation, is bonded and if their license is current or expired. You can also tell how long they have had their license and/or how long the license or licensee has been affiliated with the company.
Check out Their Web Page
Photos of solar installations on a web page are very telling. If the photo of a solar installation on a home looks like it was taken in Germany, it probably was. If you live in California and are looking for a solar installation company with local experience, look at the photos on their website. There should be dozens and dozens of different installations featured and they shouldn’t look like they were photos plucked off the web or purchased from istock. Local experience with local building codes and local officials is very important. Experience with local codes makes the solar permiting and inspection process go much smoother and end up costing you much less.
Check out their BBB listing
A solar company should have a listing on the Better Business Bureau. You can check out the listings for: Fresno CaliforniaMake Sure they are Listed on the CSI databaseThe California Solar Initiative has a list of Resellers and Installers that are approved to sell and install solar in California.
Check out their references
Most Solar Companies are very proud of their reference lists. Ask for a list and call a past customer at random.
Check out their Local Installations
Most solar companies that have been around for awhile will have at least one installation in your area. Ask to be able to at least drive by one installation.
Evaluating Solar Companies
The bottom Line is a final choice can be easier that one would think. Normallly I would recommend the above listed suggestions and then temper them with who has the best producing panels at the lower/best price. (Not necessarilly the cheapest) However, with solar being a major long term investment, the warranties-production and replacement-need to be looked at very closely. Once this is done, your decision process should be complete.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Solar power Inverters
Grid Tied Inverters
Inverters work by taking the DC power from the source, such as an array of photovoltaic modules (typically 250 to 600 volts DC) or micro hydroelectric turbines, and inverting it to AC power so it can be fed into the grid. The inverter must also synchronize its frequency with that of the grid (e.g. 60 Hz) using a local oscillator and limit the voltage to no higher than the grid voltage. Typical modern GTI’s have a fixed unity power factor, which means its output voltage and current are perfectly lined up, and its phase angle is within 1 degree of the AC power grid. The inverter has an on board computer which will sense the current AC grid waveform, and output a voltage to correspond with the grid.
Grid-tie inverters are also designed to quickly disconnect from the grid if the utility grid goes down. This is an NEC requirement that ensures that in the event of a blackout, the grid tie inverter will shut down to prevent the energy it produces from harming any line workers who are sent to fix the power grid.
Grid-tie inverters that are available on the market today use a number of different technologies. The inverters may use the newer high-frequency transformers, conventional low-frequency transformers, or even use no transformer. Instead of converting DC current directly to 120 or 240 volts AC, high-frequency transformers employ a computerized multi-step process that involves converting the power to high-frequency AC and then back to DC and then to the final AC output voltage. Transformerless inverters, which boast lighter weight and higher efficiencies than their counterparts with transformers, are popular in Europe. However, transformerless inverters have been slow to enter the US market. Until 2005, NEC code required all solar electric systems to be negative grounded, an electrical configuration that interferes with the operation of transformerless inverters. The issue at stake currently is that there are concerns about having transformerless electrical systems feed into the public utility grid since the lack of galvanic isolation between the DC and AC circuits could allow the passage of dangerous DC faults to be transmitted to the AC side.
Most solar grid-interactive inverters on the market include a maximum power point tracker that enables the inverter to extract an optimal amount of power from the solar array by tracking the array’s maximum power point.
Micro Inverters
A solar photovoltaic micro-inverter is a device that converts direct current (DC) from a single solar module (panel) to alternating current (AC).
Unlike a central or string inverter that aggregates and converts the power generated by the entire array of solar modules, a micro-inverter converts the DC power from a single solar module to AC. The concept of panels delivering AC power has appeal for small-scale home project applications at lower voltage levels.
Disadvantages of Micro Inverters
Inverters are generally acknowledged to fail at a higher rate than other components in a photovoltaic system. The warranty of an inverter is typically 10 years, whereas the rest of the system can be warranted for up to 25 years. Thus inverters are most-often rated for shorter warranties than other components. Detractors of micro-inverter technology claim it is not advisable to distribute the least reliable component of the PV system to every module, as the failure rate of an inverter at the module level multiplies failure points. Another issue is that the Micro Inverters would be located on the roof and daily temperature cycling would be detrimental to the long term reliability of the inverter.
Inverters work by taking the DC power from the source, such as an array of photovoltaic modules (typically 250 to 600 volts DC) or micro hydroelectric turbines, and inverting it to AC power so it can be fed into the grid. The inverter must also synchronize its frequency with that of the grid (e.g. 60 Hz) using a local oscillator and limit the voltage to no higher than the grid voltage. Typical modern GTI’s have a fixed unity power factor, which means its output voltage and current are perfectly lined up, and its phase angle is within 1 degree of the AC power grid. The inverter has an on board computer which will sense the current AC grid waveform, and output a voltage to correspond with the grid.
Grid-tie inverters are also designed to quickly disconnect from the grid if the utility grid goes down. This is an NEC requirement that ensures that in the event of a blackout, the grid tie inverter will shut down to prevent the energy it produces from harming any line workers who are sent to fix the power grid.
Grid-tie inverters that are available on the market today use a number of different technologies. The inverters may use the newer high-frequency transformers, conventional low-frequency transformers, or even use no transformer. Instead of converting DC current directly to 120 or 240 volts AC, high-frequency transformers employ a computerized multi-step process that involves converting the power to high-frequency AC and then back to DC and then to the final AC output voltage. Transformerless inverters, which boast lighter weight and higher efficiencies than their counterparts with transformers, are popular in Europe. However, transformerless inverters have been slow to enter the US market. Until 2005, NEC code required all solar electric systems to be negative grounded, an electrical configuration that interferes with the operation of transformerless inverters. The issue at stake currently is that there are concerns about having transformerless electrical systems feed into the public utility grid since the lack of galvanic isolation between the DC and AC circuits could allow the passage of dangerous DC faults to be transmitted to the AC side.
Most solar grid-interactive inverters on the market include a maximum power point tracker that enables the inverter to extract an optimal amount of power from the solar array by tracking the array’s maximum power point.
Micro Inverters
A solar photovoltaic micro-inverter is a device that converts direct current (DC) from a single solar module (panel) to alternating current (AC).
Unlike a central or string inverter that aggregates and converts the power generated by the entire array of solar modules, a micro-inverter converts the DC power from a single solar module to AC. The concept of panels delivering AC power has appeal for small-scale home project applications at lower voltage levels.
Disadvantages of Micro Inverters
Inverters are generally acknowledged to fail at a higher rate than other components in a photovoltaic system. The warranty of an inverter is typically 10 years, whereas the rest of the system can be warranted for up to 25 years. Thus inverters are most-often rated for shorter warranties than other components. Detractors of micro-inverter technology claim it is not advisable to distribute the least reliable component of the PV system to every module, as the failure rate of an inverter at the module level multiplies failure points. Another issue is that the Micro Inverters would be located on the roof and daily temperature cycling would be detrimental to the long term reliability of the inverter.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Power Plants and Higher Electric Rates
FUTURE UTILITY INCREASES PLANNED
The electricity that we are supplied today from PG&E and the other investor-owned-utilities is produced by a multitude of different power plants. This group of power plants is called the "portfolio." Electric power plants are characterized by their size (Megawatts) and the fuel source used to drive the generators. PG&E's electricity generation mix (fuel mix or power content) is about 50% fossil, mostly natural gas. The rest is nuclear, large hydroelectric, and about 12%-14% renewable
Current thinking on the part of the utilities is that they will increase the amount of renewables. Recently, an executive order requires them to increase renewables to 33% of total generation by 2020. New nuclear power plants are, at this point, prohibited in the State of California until there is a safe way to store the waste. No one knows when that will change. Similarly, no new large hydroelectric plants because of the ecological damage they inflict. The only remaining technology to produce low carbon electricity is Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). Most or all of the existing fossil generation facilities will have to be specially fitted with systems to capture the carbon dioxide being given off and store it somewhere, either underground or under the ocean bottom, forever.
PG&E and the other utilities are telling us that reaching 33% renewables is going to be expensive. However, that cost is dwarfed by the cost of retrofitting existing fossil plants with carbon capture and sequestration. Today, it is impractical. There is no indication of what the ultimate cost of a large scale CCS retrofit would be. To hear the utilities tell it, this scenario is our only hope. The federal government so far largely agrees with them.
We should all brace for higher and higher rates due to the present exclusion of new nuclear, hydro electric, or coal plants but also the massive expense associated with replacing our infrastructure and retrofitting fossil fuel plants. This would include retrofitting and replacing major natural gas pipelines that are 50 years old as well as electrical lines, poles, trasformers, etc. PG&E is hoping to get a "flexible" increase system in place so they don't have to ask for specific increases which up to date have to be "justified".
There appears to be no winning with the utilities short of owning your own solar power plant and securing your current comfort and lifestyle for the rest of your life.
The electricity that we are supplied today from PG&E and the other investor-owned-utilities is produced by a multitude of different power plants. This group of power plants is called the "portfolio." Electric power plants are characterized by their size (Megawatts) and the fuel source used to drive the generators. PG&E's electricity generation mix (fuel mix or power content) is about 50% fossil, mostly natural gas. The rest is nuclear, large hydroelectric, and about 12%-14% renewable
Current thinking on the part of the utilities is that they will increase the amount of renewables. Recently, an executive order requires them to increase renewables to 33% of total generation by 2020. New nuclear power plants are, at this point, prohibited in the State of California until there is a safe way to store the waste. No one knows when that will change. Similarly, no new large hydroelectric plants because of the ecological damage they inflict. The only remaining technology to produce low carbon electricity is Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). Most or all of the existing fossil generation facilities will have to be specially fitted with systems to capture the carbon dioxide being given off and store it somewhere, either underground or under the ocean bottom, forever.
PG&E and the other utilities are telling us that reaching 33% renewables is going to be expensive. However, that cost is dwarfed by the cost of retrofitting existing fossil plants with carbon capture and sequestration. Today, it is impractical. There is no indication of what the ultimate cost of a large scale CCS retrofit would be. To hear the utilities tell it, this scenario is our only hope. The federal government so far largely agrees with them.
We should all brace for higher and higher rates due to the present exclusion of new nuclear, hydro electric, or coal plants but also the massive expense associated with replacing our infrastructure and retrofitting fossil fuel plants. This would include retrofitting and replacing major natural gas pipelines that are 50 years old as well as electrical lines, poles, trasformers, etc. PG&E is hoping to get a "flexible" increase system in place so they don't have to ask for specific increases which up to date have to be "justified".
There appears to be no winning with the utilities short of owning your own solar power plant and securing your current comfort and lifestyle for the rest of your life.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Why Are Solar Panels So Expensive?
How Mono Crystalline is Made
To better understand the expense of a single solar panel, it is necessary to know how the highly efficient mono crystalline cells are produced.
Silicon is a semi conductor that can either block or conduct electricity, depending on how it is treated.
It has taken decades to perfect the manufacture of mono crystalline crystals. The process starts out with heating raw poly crystalline in sealed ovens to over 2500 degrees Fahrenheit. It is then purged with argon gas to eliminate any air.
The resulting lake of molten silicon is then spun in a crucible and a silicon seed crystal, roughly the size and shape of a pencil, is then lowered into it while spinning in the opposite direction.
As the molten poly crystalline is allowed to cool, the seed crystal is slowly withdrawn at roughly 1.5 millimeters per minute. The result is a single crystalline weighing around 440 pounds and a diameter of approximately 200 millimeters. The silicon is so strong it can support its entire weight by a single thread just 3 millimeters in diameter. It is brittle but must now be cut down to size without shattering.
After testing with chemicals and x-rays to check its purity and molecular orientation, it is fed into a silicon Salomé slicer. A ten ton wire saw using a fast moving web of ultra thin wire is used to produce mono crystalline wafers. These wafers are very thin and 99.9 percent pure.
These almost pure wafers now go through a buffing and lapping process.
It is time consuming and expensive to manufacture these silicon wafers. Couple with the fact that less than half a dozen facilities even manufacture mono crystalline cells, it is easier to understand why a solar system can be so costly.
However, with paybacks on solar systems averaging between 4 and 7 years, the high cost of manufacturing silicon is less expensive than the cost of purchasing energy from our utility companies.
To better understand the expense of a single solar panel, it is necessary to know how the highly efficient mono crystalline cells are produced.
Silicon is a semi conductor that can either block or conduct electricity, depending on how it is treated.
It has taken decades to perfect the manufacture of mono crystalline crystals. The process starts out with heating raw poly crystalline in sealed ovens to over 2500 degrees Fahrenheit. It is then purged with argon gas to eliminate any air.
The resulting lake of molten silicon is then spun in a crucible and a silicon seed crystal, roughly the size and shape of a pencil, is then lowered into it while spinning in the opposite direction.
As the molten poly crystalline is allowed to cool, the seed crystal is slowly withdrawn at roughly 1.5 millimeters per minute. The result is a single crystalline weighing around 440 pounds and a diameter of approximately 200 millimeters. The silicon is so strong it can support its entire weight by a single thread just 3 millimeters in diameter. It is brittle but must now be cut down to size without shattering.
After testing with chemicals and x-rays to check its purity and molecular orientation, it is fed into a silicon Salomé slicer. A ten ton wire saw using a fast moving web of ultra thin wire is used to produce mono crystalline wafers. These wafers are very thin and 99.9 percent pure.
These almost pure wafers now go through a buffing and lapping process.
It is time consuming and expensive to manufacture these silicon wafers. Couple with the fact that less than half a dozen facilities even manufacture mono crystalline cells, it is easier to understand why a solar system can be so costly.
However, with paybacks on solar systems averaging between 4 and 7 years, the high cost of manufacturing silicon is less expensive than the cost of purchasing energy from our utility companies.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Solar's Glossary of Terms
Solar Terms and Definitions
Baseline Rate
This is the lowest or base rate you pay for electricity. This is shown in blue in the Tiered Rate Structure below. The entire tiered rate structure is founded on this baseline amount.
The baseline amount of electricity varies by several factors. These factors are:
Summer vs. Winter (actual electric rates can also change by Summer vs. Winter)
The region you live in (coastal, inland, mountain, or desert as defined by SDG&E SCE, or PG&E)
If you are an all electric household versus customers who use both natural gas and electricity or propane and electricity.
Some customers utilize a time of use rate (TOU) as well as subsidized rates for medically impaired customers.
There is another complexity to this: usually twice a year you get a bill that straddles between summer and winter so your baseline and tiers change in the middle of the billing cycle.
Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic Systems (BIPV)
BIPV is a term that generically refers to a PhotoVoltaic (i.e. Solar Electric) system that has been integrated as part of the building itself rather than a system that has been "bolted onto" a building. Very often the solar electric system is used as a roof or sometimes as a wall of the building.
Carbon Emissions
Carbon based pollutants released into the atmosphere that are a result of burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. One of the primary emissions is carbon dioxide that is a "greenhouse" gas that is widely accepted to be causing global warming.
Electricity (AC and DC),
Type of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) cells generate DC (direct current) electricity and the Inverter changes it to AC (alternating current) electricity that your house can use or can be exported to the utilities electric grid (Grid-Intertie).
Electricity can be thought of as flowing like water. The amount of pressure is like the "voltage" and the amount of water flowing is like the "current".
If electricity flows through the wire in only one direction it is called DC or "direct current". Batteries provide DC current to things like your cell phone and MP3 player.
AC or "Alternating Current" is when the current flows through the wire in one direction and then reverses to flow in the other direction. The electricity from the outlets in your home are a prime example of AC electricity.
Full Retail Price
The full price that you would pay the utility company for electricity used.
Grid-Intertie / Utility Grid
The utility company provides electricity to homes and businesses through its power distribution "grid". The grid is all of the interconnections that distribute power to electric utility customers. A grid-intertie is simply a connection to the utility power distribution grid.
In remote locations without power a "standalone" solar electric system would need to be installed.
Incentives / Rebates
The state of California offers rebates to offset the cost of your new Photovoltaic System. These are typically in the "thousands of dollars" range and work out to be approximately 10% of your system cost. They can be a lump sum paid when your system is first started (EPBB) or paid out over 5 years as your system produces electricity (PBI).
Additionally, there is a federal tax credit of 30% of the system cost which helps you recover much more of your initial investment, much more quickly.
Inverter
The equipment in a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) or solar electric system that converts the electricity from the DC (direct current) output from the Solar Panels to AC (Alternating Current) that can be used by home lights and appliances or exported back to the utility company.
kWh (Kilowatt Hours)
Kilowatt Hours is a measure of amount of electricity used (electrical energy). It is the basic unit the utility company uses to measure the amount of electricity you use and are billed for.
Note: Kilowatts (kW) are a unit of power. And power over time is energy. So Kilowatts (power) over a period of time can be measured in kWh (energy).
Mounting or Racking System for Solar Electric
A mounting or racking system is typically an aluminum or steel structure that solar panels are mounted on. It provides a physical connection to mount the panels on.
Net Metering
Electricity can be thought of as flowing like water. Your electric meter measures how much electricity flows through it so the utility can bill you for the amount used. Now what do you think would happen if you could "push" electricity back to the utility company. You have probably already guessed that the meter would run backwards. That's what Net Metering is and that is what a solar PV system does when you produce more electricity than you are using.
This is important because PV systems produce electricity only when the sun shines on them and they produce the most in the middle of the day. This is a time when many people are not home and are not using much electricity. So your electric meter runs backwards in this case, and allows you to "bank" electricity with your utility company for use when you are home. It's like the utility company buys electricity from you during the day and you buy it back when you need it.
In other words you pay for the "Net" amount of electricity used and so it is called "Net Metering". The utility company is effectively buying back electricity from you at Full Retail Price during the day when you are often using the least amount of electricity and generating the most.
The amount of electricity is "netted" annually starting on the first day your system is interconnected to the utility grid (Grid-Intertie). In other words, the amount of electricity generated over one year is subtracted from the amount used over one year and you pay only for the "net" or remaining amount for that year.
Pay for only for the amount of electricity that you actually use minus the amount your new photovoltaic electricity system generates.
On-Site Evaluation
An On-Site evaluation needs to be done, because every installation location is different. If you want the most out of your solar electric system a site visit is absolutely necessary. There's no way to know details about your roofline and shading without a visit. Don't believe those who say they can do a thorough job without a site visit to determine location, orientation, and sizing of your system first.
Photovoltaic Solar Cells (PV Solar Cells)
Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells are semiconductor devices that are commonly made out of very pure silicon (Si) that when exposed to the sun generate electricity. They are often called "solar cells".
Semiconductors
are materials that have unusual properties. They are not conductors like metals and are not insulators like many minerals or plastics. They have very unusual electrical properties that are not like either of these and this allows them to convert energy from the sun to electricity.
Solar Electricity Generation Systems
Systems that generate electricity directly from naturally occurring solar energy that is falling on the earth's surface every day from normal sunlight. The most common method of converting sunlight to electricity is using Solar Photovoltaic (PV) cells.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are simply groups of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) cells that have been packaged into a more useable arrangement.
The panel protects the solar PV cells from the elements, like rain. It makes them physically more durable because they are protected on the top and bottom by other materials (glass, metal, plastics) and usually on the edges by metal frames. They also provide a solid method to secure them to their mountings.
Tiered Electric Rates
Utility companies sell electricity as varying rates depending on how much electricity you use. This is known as a "Tiered Rate" because you pay a different rate in each tier as shown below. As you use more electricity you are charged more per unit of electricity used. Your Baseline rate is the lowest rate charged; then as you use more electricity the rate charged by the utility increases as shown in chart below. The basic idea is this: the more electricity you use the more you are charged per unit of electricity. The basic unit of electricity you are charged for is the Kilowatt-Hour or kWh. The utility company is trying to get you to conserve by charging a lot more if you use a lot or waste a lot of electricity. Low energy users pay less per kWh than high energy users. The idea is: if you use a lot of electricity then you pay more for your share than if you were a lower consumption user.
Here in San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) territory there are 4 tiers for the rates you are charged for electricity.
Tier 1 - The first tier is called "baseline".
Tier 2 - The next tier is 100% to 130% of the baseline amount.
Tier 3 - The next tier is 130% to 200% of the baseline amount.
Tier 4 - The next tier is 200% and up of the baseline amount.
The baseline is an amount of electricity measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) and you are charged one rate for this electricity. Then when your usage goes over this "baseline" amount and up to 130% of it (Tier 2) you are charged a slightly higher rate. Then when your usage goes over 130% of this "baseline" amount (Tier 3) you are charged a significantly higher rate. And similarly for when you go over 200% of the "baseline" amount (Tier 4).
It is very important to note that the Tier 3 & 4 rates are substantially higher than the Tier 1 and 2 rates for PG&E customers. And a solar power generating PV system will "shave off" the electric bill starting from the higher rates billed in Tier 4 and Tier 3 first. And eventually "shave off" the bill down to Tier 2 and then to Tier 1 if enough energy is produced.
This is important; because with Net Metering your total or "net" electricity used is reduced. Which means the electricity that the PV system generated is taken from the top of your usage which in effect removes the most expensive electricity used first. This is a big advantage. Your most expensive electricity is removed from your bill first.
To help understand the tiered electric rates here is an example to illustrate it. Imagine if:
the first 10 gallons of gasoline you purchase cost $3 /gallon
then the next 3 gallons cost $3.50 /gallon
then the next 7 gallons cost $8 /gallon
and anything over 7 gallons cost $9 /gallon.
Wouldn't you rather try to not use the $9 /gallon and $8 / gallon gasoline first or get it another way? That's exactly what solar electricity does with your tiered electric rates. It removes the most expensive electricity first. So if you are trying to maximize your savings then you want to size your solar system so that it gets rid of (or "shaves off") the electricity that would be charged in the Tier 3 and Tier 4 rates. This will improve your payback period and rate of return.
Baseline Rate
This is the lowest or base rate you pay for electricity. This is shown in blue in the Tiered Rate Structure below. The entire tiered rate structure is founded on this baseline amount.
The baseline amount of electricity varies by several factors. These factors are:
Summer vs. Winter (actual electric rates can also change by Summer vs. Winter)
The region you live in (coastal, inland, mountain, or desert as defined by SDG&E SCE, or PG&E)
If you are an all electric household versus customers who use both natural gas and electricity or propane and electricity.
Some customers utilize a time of use rate (TOU) as well as subsidized rates for medically impaired customers.
There is another complexity to this: usually twice a year you get a bill that straddles between summer and winter so your baseline and tiers change in the middle of the billing cycle.
Building Integrated PhotoVoltaic Systems (BIPV)
BIPV is a term that generically refers to a PhotoVoltaic (i.e. Solar Electric) system that has been integrated as part of the building itself rather than a system that has been "bolted onto" a building. Very often the solar electric system is used as a roof or sometimes as a wall of the building.
Carbon Emissions
Carbon based pollutants released into the atmosphere that are a result of burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. One of the primary emissions is carbon dioxide that is a "greenhouse" gas that is widely accepted to be causing global warming.
Electricity (AC and DC),
Type of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) cells generate DC (direct current) electricity and the Inverter changes it to AC (alternating current) electricity that your house can use or can be exported to the utilities electric grid (Grid-Intertie).
Electricity can be thought of as flowing like water. The amount of pressure is like the "voltage" and the amount of water flowing is like the "current".
If electricity flows through the wire in only one direction it is called DC or "direct current". Batteries provide DC current to things like your cell phone and MP3 player.
AC or "Alternating Current" is when the current flows through the wire in one direction and then reverses to flow in the other direction. The electricity from the outlets in your home are a prime example of AC electricity.
Full Retail Price
The full price that you would pay the utility company for electricity used.
Grid-Intertie / Utility Grid
The utility company provides electricity to homes and businesses through its power distribution "grid". The grid is all of the interconnections that distribute power to electric utility customers. A grid-intertie is simply a connection to the utility power distribution grid.
In remote locations without power a "standalone" solar electric system would need to be installed.
Incentives / Rebates
The state of California offers rebates to offset the cost of your new Photovoltaic System. These are typically in the "thousands of dollars" range and work out to be approximately 10% of your system cost. They can be a lump sum paid when your system is first started (EPBB) or paid out over 5 years as your system produces electricity (PBI).
Additionally, there is a federal tax credit of 30% of the system cost which helps you recover much more of your initial investment, much more quickly.
Inverter
The equipment in a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) or solar electric system that converts the electricity from the DC (direct current) output from the Solar Panels to AC (Alternating Current) that can be used by home lights and appliances or exported back to the utility company.
kWh (Kilowatt Hours)
Kilowatt Hours is a measure of amount of electricity used (electrical energy). It is the basic unit the utility company uses to measure the amount of electricity you use and are billed for.
Note: Kilowatts (kW) are a unit of power. And power over time is energy. So Kilowatts (power) over a period of time can be measured in kWh (energy).
Mounting or Racking System for Solar Electric
A mounting or racking system is typically an aluminum or steel structure that solar panels are mounted on. It provides a physical connection to mount the panels on.
Net Metering
Electricity can be thought of as flowing like water. Your electric meter measures how much electricity flows through it so the utility can bill you for the amount used. Now what do you think would happen if you could "push" electricity back to the utility company. You have probably already guessed that the meter would run backwards. That's what Net Metering is and that is what a solar PV system does when you produce more electricity than you are using.
This is important because PV systems produce electricity only when the sun shines on them and they produce the most in the middle of the day. This is a time when many people are not home and are not using much electricity. So your electric meter runs backwards in this case, and allows you to "bank" electricity with your utility company for use when you are home. It's like the utility company buys electricity from you during the day and you buy it back when you need it.
In other words you pay for the "Net" amount of electricity used and so it is called "Net Metering". The utility company is effectively buying back electricity from you at Full Retail Price during the day when you are often using the least amount of electricity and generating the most.
The amount of electricity is "netted" annually starting on the first day your system is interconnected to the utility grid (Grid-Intertie). In other words, the amount of electricity generated over one year is subtracted from the amount used over one year and you pay only for the "net" or remaining amount for that year.
Pay for only for the amount of electricity that you actually use minus the amount your new photovoltaic electricity system generates.
On-Site Evaluation
An On-Site evaluation needs to be done, because every installation location is different. If you want the most out of your solar electric system a site visit is absolutely necessary. There's no way to know details about your roofline and shading without a visit. Don't believe those who say they can do a thorough job without a site visit to determine location, orientation, and sizing of your system first.
Photovoltaic Solar Cells (PV Solar Cells)
Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells are semiconductor devices that are commonly made out of very pure silicon (Si) that when exposed to the sun generate electricity. They are often called "solar cells".
Semiconductors
are materials that have unusual properties. They are not conductors like metals and are not insulators like many minerals or plastics. They have very unusual electrical properties that are not like either of these and this allows them to convert energy from the sun to electricity.
Solar Electricity Generation Systems
Systems that generate electricity directly from naturally occurring solar energy that is falling on the earth's surface every day from normal sunlight. The most common method of converting sunlight to electricity is using Solar Photovoltaic (PV) cells.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are simply groups of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) cells that have been packaged into a more useable arrangement.
The panel protects the solar PV cells from the elements, like rain. It makes them physically more durable because they are protected on the top and bottom by other materials (glass, metal, plastics) and usually on the edges by metal frames. They also provide a solid method to secure them to their mountings.
Tiered Electric Rates
Utility companies sell electricity as varying rates depending on how much electricity you use. This is known as a "Tiered Rate" because you pay a different rate in each tier as shown below. As you use more electricity you are charged more per unit of electricity used. Your Baseline rate is the lowest rate charged; then as you use more electricity the rate charged by the utility increases as shown in chart below. The basic idea is this: the more electricity you use the more you are charged per unit of electricity. The basic unit of electricity you are charged for is the Kilowatt-Hour or kWh. The utility company is trying to get you to conserve by charging a lot more if you use a lot or waste a lot of electricity. Low energy users pay less per kWh than high energy users. The idea is: if you use a lot of electricity then you pay more for your share than if you were a lower consumption user.
Here in San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) territory there are 4 tiers for the rates you are charged for electricity.
Tier 1 - The first tier is called "baseline".
Tier 2 - The next tier is 100% to 130% of the baseline amount.
Tier 3 - The next tier is 130% to 200% of the baseline amount.
Tier 4 - The next tier is 200% and up of the baseline amount.
The baseline is an amount of electricity measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) and you are charged one rate for this electricity. Then when your usage goes over this "baseline" amount and up to 130% of it (Tier 2) you are charged a slightly higher rate. Then when your usage goes over 130% of this "baseline" amount (Tier 3) you are charged a significantly higher rate. And similarly for when you go over 200% of the "baseline" amount (Tier 4).
It is very important to note that the Tier 3 & 4 rates are substantially higher than the Tier 1 and 2 rates for PG&E customers. And a solar power generating PV system will "shave off" the electric bill starting from the higher rates billed in Tier 4 and Tier 3 first. And eventually "shave off" the bill down to Tier 2 and then to Tier 1 if enough energy is produced.
This is important; because with Net Metering your total or "net" electricity used is reduced. Which means the electricity that the PV system generated is taken from the top of your usage which in effect removes the most expensive electricity used first. This is a big advantage. Your most expensive electricity is removed from your bill first.
To help understand the tiered electric rates here is an example to illustrate it. Imagine if:
the first 10 gallons of gasoline you purchase cost $3 /gallon
then the next 3 gallons cost $3.50 /gallon
then the next 7 gallons cost $8 /gallon
and anything over 7 gallons cost $9 /gallon.
Wouldn't you rather try to not use the $9 /gallon and $8 / gallon gasoline first or get it another way? That's exactly what solar electricity does with your tiered electric rates. It removes the most expensive electricity first. So if you are trying to maximize your savings then you want to size your solar system so that it gets rid of (or "shaves off") the electricity that would be charged in the Tier 3 and Tier 4 rates. This will improve your payback period and rate of return.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Solar Leasing of California's 10 yr Lease
In March of 2010, Solar Leasing of California debuted their new ten year lease. Most leases like Solar City, REC & Real Goods (Sun Run Lease) do not allow customers to buy their solar system at the end of 20 years.
They usually do not offset all of a customers electric bill and do not use high end solar equipment.
Solar Leasing of California is different in that it offers Schuco (GERMAN MADE) solar panels and SMA (GERMAN) inverters. Schuco makes all of the major components for the solar system with the exception of SMA inverters. However, being SMA's largest customer, they are allowed to brand name the SMA inverters "Schuco"
Solar Leasing of California's lease allows customers to purchase the system at the end of ten years for a very affordable price.
Payments are typically less than a customers electric bill.
No equity is required, just good credit.
Monitoring and maintenance is included.
Nova West Solar Inc. has won the exclusive rights to the lease in the Central Valley of California.
They usually do not offset all of a customers electric bill and do not use high end solar equipment.
Solar Leasing of California is different in that it offers Schuco (GERMAN MADE) solar panels and SMA (GERMAN) inverters. Schuco makes all of the major components for the solar system with the exception of SMA inverters. However, being SMA's largest customer, they are allowed to brand name the SMA inverters "Schuco"
Solar Leasing of California's lease allows customers to purchase the system at the end of ten years for a very affordable price.
Payments are typically less than a customers electric bill.
No equity is required, just good credit.
Monitoring and maintenance is included.
Nova West Solar Inc. has won the exclusive rights to the lease in the Central Valley of California.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Solar Design, Quality, and Performance Part 2
Solar Design and System Performance
Solar Energy is becoming more common in the United States and especially in the central valley of California. If you are considering a solar energy system for your home, there are some design considerations that will help make your system cost effective, reliable and safe.
Cost Effective Solar Energy
The first and most important consideration for a solar array is to make sure it has sun on it. Although this seems obvious at first glance, there are many examples of installation of solar panels behind a chimney or under a tree. There will always be trade offs, as you can’t cut down all the trees or remove chimneys just for the sake of a little more energy.
IV Curve for Maximum Power Point Tracking
Solar cells are extremely sensitive to shading. If a single cell is shaded, it will affect all of the cells wired in series in the solar panel by acting as a resistor. Solar panels have a number of bypass diodes which will bypass a series of shaded cells and will mitigate the problem to a certain extent. The easiest way to illustrate this is by wiring in a 12 volt RV fan directly to a lower voltage panel. When placed directly in the sun, the fan runs extremely fast. When casting a shadow over a number of cells, the fan speed drops significantly. Another more expensive method is to use a clamp on DC current meter. When casting a shadow, the DC current will drop off quickly.
Shade Analysis Tool
There are design methods that can reduce the impact of shading. One of the more important tools is a Solmetric Suneye. The Suneye is a great tool for Solar Companies because it provides an indication of how much shading will occur on an array at different times of the day and different times of the year. It also predicts, however crudely, what affect the shading will have on energy generation. As the shade tool only predicts gross reductions in sunlight striking the surface of the module and doesn’t model individual solar cell characteristics or array IV curves, a little interpretation by by good solar designer is still required. Minimizing shading or eliminating it are the still best courses of action.
Array Orientation for Best Energy Production
Generally, if you want the best energy production out of a solar array, you would orient it to the South. A 10 degree tilt would give you the best summer production and, in California, a 30-35 degree tilt would give you the best year round production if the array is facing South. The further East or West the array is oriented, in general, the flatter the array should be for best production. The Azimuth and Roof pitch chart illustrates this concept. Note that, in general, most residential roofs are 4:12 pitch to 6:12 pitch. Anything steeper than this is pretty tough to walk around on.
PVWatts is another tool that will output the solar energy predicted per day, based on 30 years of flat plat data and simulates the predicted energy output per month and year for your solar energy system.
Many solar designers, sales persons and even solar energy companies do not fully understand how IV curves and Maximum Power Point Tracking work nor do they understand the ramifications of poor design on the solar energy output of a system. A good designer can squeeze the last few kWhs out of a system. System design is almost always a trade off between the space available, shading from objects including inter-row spacing, and the budget for the system.
Solar Energy is becoming more common in the United States and especially in the central valley of California. If you are considering a solar energy system for your home, there are some design considerations that will help make your system cost effective, reliable and safe.
Cost Effective Solar Energy
The first and most important consideration for a solar array is to make sure it has sun on it. Although this seems obvious at first glance, there are many examples of installation of solar panels behind a chimney or under a tree. There will always be trade offs, as you can’t cut down all the trees or remove chimneys just for the sake of a little more energy.
IV Curve for Maximum Power Point Tracking
Solar cells are extremely sensitive to shading. If a single cell is shaded, it will affect all of the cells wired in series in the solar panel by acting as a resistor. Solar panels have a number of bypass diodes which will bypass a series of shaded cells and will mitigate the problem to a certain extent. The easiest way to illustrate this is by wiring in a 12 volt RV fan directly to a lower voltage panel. When placed directly in the sun, the fan runs extremely fast. When casting a shadow over a number of cells, the fan speed drops significantly. Another more expensive method is to use a clamp on DC current meter. When casting a shadow, the DC current will drop off quickly.
Shade Analysis Tool
There are design methods that can reduce the impact of shading. One of the more important tools is a Solmetric Suneye. The Suneye is a great tool for Solar Companies because it provides an indication of how much shading will occur on an array at different times of the day and different times of the year. It also predicts, however crudely, what affect the shading will have on energy generation. As the shade tool only predicts gross reductions in sunlight striking the surface of the module and doesn’t model individual solar cell characteristics or array IV curves, a little interpretation by by good solar designer is still required. Minimizing shading or eliminating it are the still best courses of action.
Array Orientation for Best Energy Production
Generally, if you want the best energy production out of a solar array, you would orient it to the South. A 10 degree tilt would give you the best summer production and, in California, a 30-35 degree tilt would give you the best year round production if the array is facing South. The further East or West the array is oriented, in general, the flatter the array should be for best production. The Azimuth and Roof pitch chart illustrates this concept. Note that, in general, most residential roofs are 4:12 pitch to 6:12 pitch. Anything steeper than this is pretty tough to walk around on.
PVWatts is another tool that will output the solar energy predicted per day, based on 30 years of flat plat data and simulates the predicted energy output per month and year for your solar energy system.
Many solar designers, sales persons and even solar energy companies do not fully understand how IV curves and Maximum Power Point Tracking work nor do they understand the ramifications of poor design on the solar energy output of a system. A good designer can squeeze the last few kWhs out of a system. System design is almost always a trade off between the space available, shading from objects including inter-row spacing, and the budget for the system.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
INVERTER RECALL!
Xantrex announces inverter recall - Xantrex, Sunpower and GE brands
Unfortunately, we have learned about a fairly extensive product recall regarding Xantrex inverters that have been marketed under the Xantrex, Sunpower and General Electric brands.
We understand from the attached Recall Notice that this is a voluntary recall on the part of the manufacturer and that it covers Xantrex GT series grid-tie inverters that were manufactured between September 2005 and August 2010.
According to the recall notice:
A component of the inverter can degrade, causing out gassing within the wiring compartment of the inverter. Should arcing occur, gasses could build and force the compartment cover to be blown off. If the cover is blown off with sufficient force it can injure the user or person [sic], or cause damage to property in close proximity to the inverter.
NOVA WEST SOLAR HAS ALWAYS INSTALLED GERMAN MADE SMA INVERTERS! OUR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT AFFECTED OR ASSOCIATED IN ANY WAY WITH THIS RECALL!
XANTREX IS A CHINESE MANUFACTURER THAT IS ON THE CSI APPROVED LIST OF MANUFACTURERS. IF YOU SHOULD HAVE A XANTREX INVERTER, CALL THE SOLAR CONTRACTOR WHO INSTALLED YOUR SOLAR POWER SYSTEM. IF THEY ARE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS, YOU SHOULD CONTACT XANTREX AT 800-714-7176.
Unfortunately, we have learned about a fairly extensive product recall regarding Xantrex inverters that have been marketed under the Xantrex, Sunpower and General Electric brands.
We understand from the attached Recall Notice that this is a voluntary recall on the part of the manufacturer and that it covers Xantrex GT series grid-tie inverters that were manufactured between September 2005 and August 2010.
According to the recall notice:
A component of the inverter can degrade, causing out gassing within the wiring compartment of the inverter. Should arcing occur, gasses could build and force the compartment cover to be blown off. If the cover is blown off with sufficient force it can injure the user or person [sic], or cause damage to property in close proximity to the inverter.
NOVA WEST SOLAR HAS ALWAYS INSTALLED GERMAN MADE SMA INVERTERS! OUR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT AFFECTED OR ASSOCIATED IN ANY WAY WITH THIS RECALL!
XANTREX IS A CHINESE MANUFACTURER THAT IS ON THE CSI APPROVED LIST OF MANUFACTURERS. IF YOU SHOULD HAVE A XANTREX INVERTER, CALL THE SOLAR CONTRACTOR WHO INSTALLED YOUR SOLAR POWER SYSTEM. IF THEY ARE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS, YOU SHOULD CONTACT XANTREX AT 800-714-7176.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Solar Design, Quality, and Performance Part 1
Quality Matters
From the inception of the company, we wanted to offer a very personalized, custom approach to each client. That meant doing one project at a time, with an emphasis on high quality, outstanding products and complete follow through on everything promised. Our Sales Engineers work with each client to design a system that exceeds their expectations. We schedule permits, material delivery and installation to meet your needs. Our affiliation with Schuco, and SMA, allows us to maintain a large inventory of solar modules, inverters and mounting hardware in the local area. This equates to volume buying power, great prices and excellent customer service. Our installation employee crews have installed more than 300 systems in the past 5 years. Lead by degreed site (employee) managers along with Nova West Solar's C-10 electrical as well as General B, PV Solar, and c-39 Roofing licenses, we take every step to ensure a successful, trouble free installation. With 47 consecutive years in contracting, you can be assured that quality and customer service has been paramount in our success.
If you are looking for a cost effective solar power system using some of the best solar modules and inverters available, Nova West Solar is the right choice. Solar electric systems are our specialty. Our goal is to provide the best systems at a great price and we are always on time.
From the inception of the company, we wanted to offer a very personalized, custom approach to each client. That meant doing one project at a time, with an emphasis on high quality, outstanding products and complete follow through on everything promised. Our Sales Engineers work with each client to design a system that exceeds their expectations. We schedule permits, material delivery and installation to meet your needs. Our affiliation with Schuco, and SMA, allows us to maintain a large inventory of solar modules, inverters and mounting hardware in the local area. This equates to volume buying power, great prices and excellent customer service. Our installation employee crews have installed more than 300 systems in the past 5 years. Lead by degreed site (employee) managers along with Nova West Solar's C-10 electrical as well as General B, PV Solar, and c-39 Roofing licenses, we take every step to ensure a successful, trouble free installation. With 47 consecutive years in contracting, you can be assured that quality and customer service has been paramount in our success.
If you are looking for a cost effective solar power system using some of the best solar modules and inverters available, Nova West Solar is the right choice. Solar electric systems are our specialty. Our goal is to provide the best systems at a great price and we are always on time.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Does more efficiency actually pay
Paying Less and Getting More
Consumers have many different solar panels available to use under the CSI (California Solar Initiative). With so many different solar products available, it is easy to get confused on which panels to purchase. Several factors need to be incorporated into the final decision on which solar panels to use.
What is the efficiency of the panels? This is important because efficiency translates into more annual killowatt production versus a less efficient system.
This also translates into a higher rebate due to CSI's policy to base rebates on estimated energy production.
Do more efficient solar panels translate into higher overall pricing? Yes it does. However where it really increases in pricing is from panel efficiencies from 15% to 18%.
Do the extra costs incurred upfront pay additional benefits over a 5 to 7 year period. The answer is no. The following breakdown is of a Sanyo hybrid HIT210 watt panel (17.1% panel efficiency) and a very good Schuco 210 watt SMAU1 panel (14.9% panel efficiency).
The major deciding factor on the two panels is the pricing. Sanyo with its hybrid panels cost more than the Schuco panels. When the dust settles after pricing, rebates and annual KWH production, the customer's can realize the following:
Number of Panels 42 Sanyo 210 HIT versus Schuco 210 SMAU1
Internal Rate of Return 32% versus 39.7%
Pay back in years 6 years versus 4.8 years
Total Annual KWH 14,106 versus 13,970
Total CSI Rebate $5,108 versus $4,932
Total System Price $59,535 versus $48,510
Finally the warranties. When warranties are compared, Sanyo is less confident with their product as it only has a 20 yr warranty versus a 25 year warranty with Schuco. The tolerance rating for Sanyo is -0 to +10% which is excellent. However, after the first day on the roof, the warranty drops off to -5% to +10%. The -5% now makes this warranty less than average. Schuco has a -0% to +5% tolerance. Their warranties start at the panel rating while Sanyo starts at -5% (after day 1)from the panel rating. Sanyo guarantees 90% output up to 10 years from installation while Schuco offers 90% up to 12 years from installation.
Based on the internal rate of return, the payback, the small differenct in overall KWH production and rebates, and the much smaller price and better warranties, it is easy to see why most people would choose a very efficient panel like Schuco versus a super high efficient Sanyo panel.
The bottom line is more efficiency is a good thing to have, but if pricing is not competitive and or the warranties are not as good as most other panels, then the extra efficiency may very well not equate into a better "value".
Consumers have many different solar panels available to use under the CSI (California Solar Initiative). With so many different solar products available, it is easy to get confused on which panels to purchase. Several factors need to be incorporated into the final decision on which solar panels to use.
What is the efficiency of the panels? This is important because efficiency translates into more annual killowatt production versus a less efficient system.
This also translates into a higher rebate due to CSI's policy to base rebates on estimated energy production.
Do more efficient solar panels translate into higher overall pricing? Yes it does. However where it really increases in pricing is from panel efficiencies from 15% to 18%.
Do the extra costs incurred upfront pay additional benefits over a 5 to 7 year period. The answer is no. The following breakdown is of a Sanyo hybrid HIT210 watt panel (17.1% panel efficiency) and a very good Schuco 210 watt SMAU1 panel (14.9% panel efficiency).
The major deciding factor on the two panels is the pricing. Sanyo with its hybrid panels cost more than the Schuco panels. When the dust settles after pricing, rebates and annual KWH production, the customer's can realize the following:
Number of Panels 42 Sanyo 210 HIT versus Schuco 210 SMAU1
Internal Rate of Return 32% versus 39.7%
Pay back in years 6 years versus 4.8 years
Total Annual KWH 14,106 versus 13,970
Total CSI Rebate $5,108 versus $4,932
Total System Price $59,535 versus $48,510
Finally the warranties. When warranties are compared, Sanyo is less confident with their product as it only has a 20 yr warranty versus a 25 year warranty with Schuco. The tolerance rating for Sanyo is -0 to +10% which is excellent. However, after the first day on the roof, the warranty drops off to -5% to +10%. The -5% now makes this warranty less than average. Schuco has a -0% to +5% tolerance. Their warranties start at the panel rating while Sanyo starts at -5% (after day 1)from the panel rating. Sanyo guarantees 90% output up to 10 years from installation while Schuco offers 90% up to 12 years from installation.
Based on the internal rate of return, the payback, the small differenct in overall KWH production and rebates, and the much smaller price and better warranties, it is easy to see why most people would choose a very efficient panel like Schuco versus a super high efficient Sanyo panel.
The bottom line is more efficiency is a good thing to have, but if pricing is not competitive and or the warranties are not as good as most other panels, then the extra efficiency may very well not equate into a better "value".
Friday, February 11, 2011
Solar Power can be a lifestyle decision
Quality of Life and Energy
People want to run their air conditioners when it is hot. People want to keep their lights on when it is dark. People want to run their computers and other household electronics when they need to work or be entertained. Eventually people will want to charge their electric cars or generate hydrogen, using electricity, for their hydrogen cars. Buying a solar power system is just like putting money in your 401k for retirement. If you buy solar now you will be able to run your air conditioner when energy prices go up and yet maintain your lifestyle at a much lower cost. The image of an older man and his wife eating dog food out of a can is enough to entice me to invest in the future. The thought of that same couple sweating out a hot summer and not being able to drive or keep the lights on is enough for me to invest in solar.
Most people believe that the cost of electriicty will increase over time. When you look at the cost of oil and gas, the increased difficulty mining coal and nuclear material, it is pretty obvious that costs will go up. Increasing demand across the world will also apply pressure to the cost of energy.
Some of our customers want to run the air conditioner so cool that they can see their breath, but they don’t want their friends and family to think they are energy hogs. Solar electricity is a great way to maintain or improve you lifestyle and you can feel good about it.
People want to run their air conditioners when it is hot. People want to keep their lights on when it is dark. People want to run their computers and other household electronics when they need to work or be entertained. Eventually people will want to charge their electric cars or generate hydrogen, using electricity, for their hydrogen cars. Buying a solar power system is just like putting money in your 401k for retirement. If you buy solar now you will be able to run your air conditioner when energy prices go up and yet maintain your lifestyle at a much lower cost. The image of an older man and his wife eating dog food out of a can is enough to entice me to invest in the future. The thought of that same couple sweating out a hot summer and not being able to drive or keep the lights on is enough for me to invest in solar.
Most people believe that the cost of electriicty will increase over time. When you look at the cost of oil and gas, the increased difficulty mining coal and nuclear material, it is pretty obvious that costs will go up. Increasing demand across the world will also apply pressure to the cost of energy.
Some of our customers want to run the air conditioner so cool that they can see their breath, but they don’t want their friends and family to think they are energy hogs. Solar electricity is a great way to maintain or improve you lifestyle and you can feel good about it.
Solar hot water act (S.2993 &HR 4597)
Solar Hot Water
The 10 Million Solar Roofs & 10 Million Gallons of Solar Hot Water Act would address rising energy costs, global warming and America’s dependence on foreign energy sources and create tens of thousands of new green-collar jobs and billions of dollars in new investment. The legislation would spur the installation of photovoltaic (PV) and solar water heating (SWH) technology across the country by providing direct rebates to consumers. Analysis by SEIA shows that there is sufficient roof space in the United States to provide 20% of total electricity demand using PV panels. A report by the New Rules Project shows that 38 U.S. states could generate 20% or more of their electricity from in-state resources using rooftop PV alone.
Key Provisions
Provides a direct rebate to the purchasers of solar PV or solar thermal systems in the United States. The maximum rebate for PV systems would begin at $1.75/watt and would decline to $0.50/watt in 2018. The maximum solar thermal rebate would be $1/watt.
The Secretary of Energy determines the actual rebate level, with the goal of deploying 10 million new distributed PV systems and 200,000 new solar hot water systems over the next ten years.
Eligible recipients include homeowners, businesses, non-profit entities and state or local governments. The properties on which the solar systems are installed must be located within the United States and must meet energy efficiency criteria designated by the Secretary of Energy. The solar systems must also be no larger than 2 megawatts.
The total rebate may not exceed 50% of the net installed system cost after factoring in other rebates, tax credits and incentives.
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