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Solar / Photovoltaic (PV)
What is Solar?
Solar electric systems convert the sun's energy into electricity to power any of the electrical appliances in your home or business.
Solar electric panels are made of semiconductor material called photovoltaics (PV). When sunrays strikes the panels it makes electrons move creating direct current (DC) and voltage. Electric wires connected to the solar panels take the current to an electronic device called an inverter, which converts this DC into the alternating current (AC), the electricity used by most appliances inside a building.
If solar panels are generating more electricity than a building is using, then the utility meter spins backwards and in many areas, selling excess solar power to the utility company. This is known as net metering. In this way, owners of solar electric systems are contributing to the local supply of power with clean, green renewable energy - and getting paid for it in the process.
Solar energy was traditionally bought by people who lived off the grid. This came was a tremendous collection of car batteries, which stored extra power that was generated. This can be very costly, requires significant storage space and can be toxic and dangerous if batteries are not maintained.
Early this decade, modern inverters became available that allowed solar electric systems to connect to the utility grid and to a building's existing power panel without using battery backup. This greatly simplified and reduced the cost of utilizing solar electricity for mainstream consumers with access to utility power. For these systems, the utility performs the role of a battery - storing extra energy produced by earning credit spinning the meter backwards. The basic components of this type of system are illustrated below.
What We Do
For a typical project we have a consultation session with you. Get a feel for what your energy use is. Typically we work with you and see your goals. Some people want to offset their bills by a certain percentage while others want to never pay an electric bill again. Ideally we'd like to see at least 12 consecutive months of your energy consumption (your electric bill). If you do not have it handy your utility company should be able to provide the usage for you. Basically we total up the average annual and monthly usage in kWh (kilawatt hours).
We can help you with an energy audit in your home. We can help provide some insight and recommendations to reduce your energy consumption, in turn, reducing the size of the solar array needed - saving you money.
Then with the wonders of math we calculate the size of the array you need, help you select the panels to use, apply for the permitting, order the necessary panels, invertors, mounting hardware (tracking or fixed), and schedule your installation.
Rest-assured you are in good hands. We are educated with degrees in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University and are knowledgeable about green building and renewable energy.
Save money!
investing in renewable energy can be a significant cost. We import our panels directly, reducing the bottom line installed cost significantly, reducing that barrier to entry. The payback period varies but there are numerous financial incentives to offset your solar panel investment.
DSIRE SOLAR is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote the adoption of solar technologies. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technology Program, DSIRE SOLAR is a new component of the DSIRE project that provides solar-specific policy information to consumers, policy makers, program administrators, the solar industry and other stakeholders.
http://www.dsireusa.org/solar
TRIVIA
Each day more solar energy falls to the Earth than the total amount of energy the planet’s 6 billion inhabitants would consume in 4 to 5 years. (1,2)
PV covering an area in the Nevada desert equal to just over half of The Nevada Test Site and the surrounding Nellis Air Force Base could equal the entire electrical consumption of the United States. (2)
In the last 7 years, photovoltaic sales have nearly tripled. More than 125 megawatts of modules were manufactured worldwide in 1997. (3)
According to the Department of Energy, the average Idaho home consumes more than 36 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per day. (4) — One of the highest in the country.
Federal subsidies for traditional energy supplies—that don’t show up in the price, but are a part of taxes—were estimated to cost $36 billion in 1989, or $390 per household. This doesn’t include the significant environmental costs. (5)
“How long do PV modules last? PV modules last a long, long time. How long we honestly don’t yet know, as the oldest terrestrial modules are barely 30 years old, and still going strong...[W]e may find that lifespans of 60 to 80 years are normal. (2) Efficiency, as expected, will slowly drop over time. Solar panels must withstand heat, cold, rain and hail for many years. Many Crystalline silicon module manufacturers offer warranties that guarantee electrical production for 10 years at 90% of rated power output and 25 years at 80%. Keeping panels clean by simply hosing the glass off with water from time to time can be a big help.
1-Solar Energy International. www.solarenergy.org
2-The Real Goods Solar Living Source Book, Eleventh Edition, 2001 pp. 55, 62. www.realgoods.com
3-Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, “Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2001”. www.eia.doe.gov
4-Department of Energy, www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/esr/esrt01p1.html, accessed 2/7/03
5-Homemade Money, How to Save Energy and Dollars in your Home, Rocky Mountain Institute,
6-Sierra Club, www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/dangerousexperiment/, accessed 2/9/03
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panels
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-inverter
