The Process of Going Solar

Let's discuss if Solar Panels are right for you. Here are some of the basic questions that we will ask ... Do you own your own home? Although not a show-stopper, do you still have about 10 or 15 years of usage left of your existing roof?  Does a reasonable part of your roof have a good southern view?  Finally, will Northern Virginia power companies such as Novec, First Energy,  Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative  or Dominion allow you to sell back excess energy to the Grid - yes, they do. Whether for energy savings or just for wanting to go Green, maybe it's just a personal choice of more energy independence.

Going Solar will require and initial investment, but there are many ways to pay for that. Depending on your goals, a typical 2,200 sq-ft single-family-home with 20 solar panels on the roof generating about 6 Kw of power could cost you as much as $20,000 once completed. The investment in many cases can be purchased out-right, or financed with a home-equity line-of-credit at very low rates or thru other investment financing methods. Did you also know that the Government with pay up to 30% of your system thru a single or multi-year tax credit?  Absolutely!

So, what can you expect to save in the short-term and over time?  A solar panel systems can last for up to 30 years or more and produce good clean energy during that period. The short-term gains and goals are for you to try and achieve a near-zero monthly utility bill.  During high-production periods and when you don't use as much electricity, you will be able to sell back your excess energy back to the Utility company thru a concept called Net metering. In the long term, annual power credits will also be refunded to you in the form a cash check.  There is no doubt that most well-designed solar systems are going to save you money over their life span.

Replacing your roof may be required sooner or later?  What about hail or other weather related issues? Even if you had to replace your roof, solar panels can be temporarily removed and re-installed usually for a small cost of about  $1,000 and stored on site for you until the new roof has been completed. Hail and storm damage are possibilities, but rest assured that solar panels can survive most typical hail storms and are rated against golf ball-sized hail striking at speeds of up to 85 mph. Should damage occur, the option is always insurance and in most worst-case scenarios involves the changing out a panel or two.

Once the optimal design for your system has been determined and panels received from the factory, your Photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant will be installed on your roof and interfaced via a GSM or Ethernet HD-Wave Inverter from which system production and status is viewable on your Smartphone, PC, Tablet or on the inverter's visual display. After sign-of by a certified and licenced electrician, coordination with the county building inspector thru the building permit and inspection process, and the completion of a newly installed (and free) Net meter from your utility company, it time to power up, save money and Go Green!

Your system will undergo testing in the weeks to come and will be monitored for its' performance either thru onsite post-installation visits by your dedicated Smart Energy Alliance  Project Manager or thru online system monitoring of the Inverter. Your Project Manager will certainly also discuss ways for you to cut back on electricity either with you use of more efficient appliances which often times pay for them selves over time, the use of LED lighting technology and for other ways to make your home more energy efficient.