About the System
Will this system heat my pool?
How long will my solar system last?
How much space will the solar electric system take up on my roof?
If I move can I take my solar electric system?
I have a “?” sq. ft. home. How much will a system cost?
What can a panel power in my home?
How much roof space will be needed to power my home?
My roof gets sun for most of the day; that would be enough for a solar system, right?
Should I switch to a Time of Use meter once I get a system?
About the Costs & Savings
How will it affect the value of my house?
What is the payback?
Are there still tax credits and rebates?
What will it cost to get rid of my electric bill?
When is the best time to install solar?
How do I know if my system is producing what it is supposed to?
About Inverters
About Net-Metering
What is net-metering?
Why is net-metering important?
Will state tax credit apply every year?
About Rebates
How long can I reserve the rebate before installing the solar system?
What is the current rebate amount and how long will it last?
Who fills out my rebate forms?
Are the rebates ever coming back up?
About the Weather
How will the weather affect my solar electric system?
What happens if there’s a utility power outage?
What’s the effect of rain and fog?
Is snow covering the panels going to reduce production
About the System
Q – Will this system heat my pool?
A – Typically, a solar electric system is not the most efficient or cost
effective way to heat a swimming pool. Using solar water heating
panels, natural gas or a propane heater would be a more efficient
method.
Q – How long will my solar system last?
A – Most solar panels come with a 25 year power output guarantee and are
expected to last at least twice that long. The power output guarantee
on the solar panels is provided by the manufacturer of the panels and
states that at the end of the 25th year, the solar panel will still
produce a minimum of 80% of their original power output.
Q – How much space will the solar electric system take up on my roof?
A – A good rule of thumb is to allow 100 sq. ft. per every kilowatt of
electricity the system produces. A solar electric system for a typical
home will require 300-500 sq. ft.
Q – If I move can I take my solar electric system?
A – Although you can take your solar electric system with you if you
move, it usually is better to leave it on the original house because it
increases the resale value of a home.
Q – I have a “?” sq. ft. home. How much will a system cost?
A – The size of your home isn’t the issue, but rather what your average
electricity bills are and how much of that average bill you would like
to offset. How much you want to offset will dictate the system size and
cost.
Q – What can a panel power in my home?
A – A grid-tied solar electric system is going to work to offset the
electricity used by the entire home, not a specific device. The solar
electricity from the panels will offset whatever is currently using
electricity in your home.
Q – How much roof space will be needed to power my home?
A – The answer depends on your current electric usage and how much of
that you would like to reduce. After looking at your electric bills,
we’ll be able to determine how many panels, and how much roof space,
will be necessary to offset your electric bills.
Q – My roof gets sun for most of the day; that would be enough for a solar system, right?
A – Even though your roof gets sun for most of the day, it may or may not
be enough to make a solar electric installation cost-effective. On a
site evaluation we’d be able to determine this for you. If there is not
full access to the sun, year-round, it may take longer for the system
to pay for itself, which would increase the return on your investment.
Removing or trimming back some trees around your property can help with
better access to the sun.
Q – Should I switch to a Time of Use meter once I get a system?
A – A time of use meter benefits customers who can produce power during
the peak 12-6 M-F and use during the off-peak. Depending on the client
this can be beneficial or not.
About the Costs & Savings
Q – How will it affect the value of my house?
A – According to a study by ICF Consulting, solar can add $20 of home
value for every $1 of yearly energy cost savings. For more information
about how solar can increase your home’s value, visit http://www.irecusa.org/articles/static/1/binaries/wfnews.pdf.
Q – What is the payback?
A – Payback is immediate, if you were to finance your solar system your
payments would typically be less than the electric bill that it
replaces. A solar system will also add value to your property, reduce
your monthly expenses and insulate you from higher and higher energy
costs. If you were to pay cash for your system, at today’s rates, you
will recover all your investments within the next 12-14 years, but as
rates go higher the time it will take to fully recoup your investment
could easily be less than 10 years.
Q – Are there still tax credits and rebates?
A – Yes, but you have to act fast, this is the last year for the 7.5%
state tax credit and the rebates will be less next year. Now is the
time to make the commitment and have your solar system installed this
year. Solar electric systems are also exempt from property tax
assessments; you will pay no higher property tax on the value added to
your home.
Q – What will it cost to get rid of my electric bill?
A – The cost for this will again depend on your electric usage. The more
panels we place on the roof, the more electricity costs we’ll be saving
you.
Q – When is the best time to install solar?
A – The best time to install solar was last year and will always be last
year. Solar electricity is getting more and more expensive as the
rebates drop and the panel prices increase. Fortunately electricity
rates are increasing at a faster rate than the price of solar!
Q – How do I know if my system is producing what it is supposed to?
A – Pure Energy Systems is one of the few companies that really makes it
easy to monitor your system performance. When estimating what your
system will produce we are conservative in our approach and use 20 year
historical sun data from NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory).
We will provide you with a production estimate for your system and we
encourage you to match what we estimate your system will produce vs.
the actual consumption. Your inverter has an LCD display that will
provide you with a readout as to how your system is producing, which
makes it simple to compare our estimates to your actual production.
About Inverters
Q – What is an inverter?
A – An inverter converts the DC (direct current) power produced by solar
panels to common household AC (alternating current) power.
About Net-Metering
Q – What is net-metering?
A – Net-metering measures the difference between the electricity you buy
from your utility and the electricity you produce with your solar
energy system. Under net-metering any excess electricity produced by
your solar energy system spins your existing meter backwards,
effectively storing the electricity until it is needed. Your meter than
spins forward when your solar energy system is not producing all the
electricity you are currently using. Your electric meter keeps track of
this “net” difference as you generate electricity and take electricity
from the utility grid.
Q – Why is net-metering important?
A – Because solar energy is an intermittent resource you may not be using
the power when it is generated, and net-metering allows you to receive
full value for the electricity you produce without installing and
investing in a battery storage system.
Q – Will state tax credit apply every year?
A – No, the tax credit is a one-time benefit.
About Rebates
Q – How long can I reserve the rebate before installing the solar system?
A – In California, the California Energy Commission (CEC) provides you
with a 6-month window in which to install the system. For new
construction homes, an 18-month reservation period is given. If you do
not install the system within that time frame, the reserved CEC rebate
money is simply kept by the CEC. There is no penalty from the CEC if
you decide not to install.
Q – What is the current rebate amount and how long will it last?
A – In California, the CEC rebate is currently at $2.60 per DC Watt. For up-to-date rebate information visit http://www.energy.ca.gov.
Q – Who fills out my rebate forms?
A – Pure Energy Systems takes care of your rebate forms, every step of the way. We float the rebate amount so you don’t have to.
Q – Are the rebates ever coming back up?
A – The rebates are not coming back up. They will reduce a certain percentage every six months.
About the Weather
Q – How will the weather affect my solar electric system?
A – Solar electric systems are designed to withstand all weather
conditions. Lightning, wind up to 80 miles per hour, and extreme
temperatures are all things your solar system can handle. However,
these conditions will temporarily reduce its energy production. When
PURE ENERGY SYSTEMS designs your solar electric system, we use a method
based on national data that takes these weather conditions into
consideration.
Q – What happens if there’s a utility power outage?
A – With grid-connected solar electric systems, you will experience loss
of power when the utility grid is down. This is intentional: when there
is an electricity outage, there are people working on the power lines.
If your system were allowed to stay active during the outage, the
people working would run the risk of being electrocuted by the live
wire.
Q – What’s the effect of rain and fog?
A – In fog, marine layer, or June gloom your system will still produce
about 25-30% of normal. A steady rain cuts production but is great for
cleaning your panels.
Q – Is snow covering the panels going to reduce production?
A – You’re absolutely right that during the time immediately following a
snowstorm when the panels are covered the system production will be
minimal. However, we place solar systems in the exact spot where
sunshine is greatest. The first area to melt will be where the solar
panels are located. Plus, the panels are tilted with a surface made of
tempered glass allowing snow to easily slide off.