Who Buys Solar Panels?

Published on March 29, 2009 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Trends.

I remember when I got into the solar industry about 3 years ago. It all started when Dan harped about the solar energy subsidies in Oregon where he lived, and how there should have been a lot more solar but no one knew about the financial benefits. We had grandiose ideas of how to help, and I got a sales job in San Francisco with an installation company to dig in and see if we could change things. We abandoned our original idea, but I learned so much as a sales person because I got to see firsthand who buys solar and who doesn’t, and why. Here’s some of the interesting stuff I learned:

Disillusionment #1:  Solar Purchases are usually made for financial motivations, not environmental.

When I started my job, I envisioned that about half of my customers would buy solar panels for environmental reasons, and 50% would buy for investment reasons (saving money on electricity).  Initially it actually appeared as though this was the case.  However, I soon learned when it came down to signing contracts, it flipped to more like 95% financial motivations and 5% environmental factors. Bottom line? It has to pencil out to a wise financial move for people to pull the trigger. But hey, that’s the way it is and fighting that is a big uphill battle.  But working inside of that paradigm makes all the difference.  The subsidies available today make it a pretty wicked investment in a huge slice of the pie; it’s just an issue of getting that knowledge to be commonplace.  The rest of the work will come from smart financing like solar leases, PPAs, or municipal solar financing, bringing the cost of solar down with better manufacturing processes or community solar purchasing, and education (can solarpowerrocks.com get a ‘holla?’).

Disillusionment #2:  Really wealthy people are actually LESS likely to purchase solar energy

I remember putting door hangers on these giant homes in San Francisco thinking, “this is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel,”  because in California, the larger your power bill, the more solar makes sense.  The reason for this is that the utilities charge people more for energy as they use more, in a tiered rate structure, to “punish” heavy users. Because their power costs more, the solar systems pay for themselves much quicker. Ironically though, all I heard from these neighborhoods was crickets and tumbleweeds… nothing.  What the hell?  $30,000 to the owners of these homes is nothing… what’s the problem?

At the same time, I was getting a MASSIVE inbound response from certain other areas. But these areas were not full of rich people. I didn’t get it.  Over time, I figured out that the sweet spot is this:  areas that are heavily saturated with owner occupied homes and socially conscious demographics, but also people who are still concerned about their monthly expenditures and saving for the future.  Turns out, if you can write a check for your $800 power bill each month and not bat an eye, you’re less likely to be interested in solar.

Here you can see a map of where people get solar in SF.  These people signed up to get low cost solar panels in a group at One Block Off the Grid, which is what I’m working on now.  These were not targeted, it is who came to us, so you can where the real interest is.

Disillusionment #3:  It’s not as easy as I’d thought to convey the value proposition of solar in a financial “slam dunk” situation.

I did a site evaluation and proposal for a laundromat in SF once.  There was a new San Francisco solar incentive program that offered $10,000 cash. The state rebate offered about another $15,000, and the Federal Tax Credit about $20,000.  Then there was their advanced depreciation schedule which was another $15,000-ish.  Point is, sure they had to shell out a ton of cash to BUY the system, but their net cost for a capital improvement to their building worth near a hundred grand ended up costing them only about $10,000 net.  So not only do they get a capital improvement basically paid for straight up, the rest of the system PAYS FOR ITSELF by saving them money on electricity, in about THREE YEARS!!!  And after that it’s all gravy, and every time their electricity rates go up, their property becomes more valuable.  Easy sell, right?

No.  This particular business owner could have written a check for this that day and not flinched, yet he never did it, and this story repeats itself a dozen times. I guess I was just a crappy salesperson because I never pressured anyone.  I just assumed they’d see this and obviously do it but here’s the rub, and it’s two-fold:

1) This is in-home sales for a product that no one understands.  People have questions, I have all the answers, but I’m also trying to sell them something at the same time.  The result is that, almost universally, people will think the solar industry is trying to ‘dupe’ them into thinking solar is a wise investment, when in a lot of cases, like this one, it is not only a good investment, but an insanely good one.  If we can get people to stop thinking we’re just pretending it’s a wise investment, and actually believe it might be, we’ll see the tipping point in solar.

2) This is a long term proposition.  I heard a great analogy from Cisco DeVries, who created the municipal solar financing program for Berkeley.  He said, and I paraphrase, “If I tell you I’ll sell you your cell phone minutes for half price, up front, for 20 years… you’d never do that, right? Even if it made sense… and that’s what we’re asking people to do with solar.”  It’s a complicated proposition, and any doubt is amplified 20 fold by point #1 above.

What are the Environmental and Financial Benefits of Going Solar?

Published on July 25, 2008 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: Solar Trends.

So, you are considering solar and need a few more rounds of ammo to seal the deal. Good! You’ve come to the right place. Let’s begin with the environmental benefits of choosing solar, then we’ll cover the juicy financials.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

• No emissions/pollution free

Unlike burning coal, oil, or even wood, solar power is clean. That is to say, there are no residual accumulating pollutants after a day’s worth of energy generation.

• Reduce your carbon footprint

Whether you are an eco-cognizant carbon worrier, or someone who does not know the difference between a carbon footprint and a criminal fingerprint, you’ll be glad to know installing solar equipment on your property lessens the detrimental impact you have on our environment. There are some curmudgeons out there that will argue the carbon cost of producing the panels outstrips the advantage of them, but they are flatly wrong. Those panels have a net zero carbon footprint after only 2 years on your roof, and that number is decreasing with new production methods. After that, you’ll be consuming significantly less energy produced by processes which release CO2 into the atmosphere, thereby doing your part to ameliorate our global warming and pollution problems. Go you!

• Provide clean energy for the next generation

Your home or business will probably be around for some years to come, even after you pass on to whatever you believe lies ahead. The equipment you install now has long-term warranties on it, and many panel manufacturers warranty their product for 25 years. There are installations done 50 years ago that still produce. Those that inhabit your home or work in your buildings in 2060 will be thankful you installed this equipment.

• Be a part of your communities’ solar future

By conserving and installing solar power, you now are providing a model for others in your community to follow. You would be AMAZED at the difference in receptivity to solar from people on a block where someone has it vs. people on a block who don’t. It’s also a great way to teach your children or those in the neighborhood about energy, the awesome power of the sun, and electrical engineering. Even though I studied psychology, this stuff is really cool. Just think, you can run your electric guitar, Cuisinart or power tools with photons careening off of our sun. Try to imagine explaining that to someone who was born in 1608. This technology is simple, elegant and really amazing.

FINANCIAL BENEFITS

Here we get down to the financial reasons to go solar. Experience has shown that this is the area many home and business owners really care most about. Well, let’s get to it!

• Stabilizes energy costs over time

Current utility rates are just that. They are current – meaning they have been a lot lower in the past and there is no reason to believe they will be decreasing any time in the near future unless you start generating some of your own power. Below, you can see the average cost of energy per kilowatt hour in California. Over the past 30 years, this rate has increased at 6.7% per year. Look for this number to increase US wide in the coming years due to the increase in natural gas prices, among other things.

By getting ahead of the curve and going solar, you can lock in future energy costs over several decades that are significantly lower than you are currently paying. Here’s a more practical example of why going solar for this reason makes a lot of sense. As you probably know, airlines are having severe problems maintaining their profitability after fuel hikes. Many are charging for additional bags, some are now charging for water! Water! Well, in the past 2 years, United filed for bankruptcy, Delta almost tanked, and others like America West and US Airways had to merge with each other to stay afloat.

Southwest was the only airline that made it through this continuing price surge. They recently reported their 28th profitable quarter in a row. Why? They locked in the price of fuel years ahead of time at a good rate by buying fuel futures. Buy your own energy futures with solar energy today. Don’t be the next United Airlines. Even if you don’t have pensions to sever, the money you save can be used for other things- like your bottom line, groceries, or your next tank of gas.

• Utilizes free fuel (sunshine)

Oil extraction is risky, dangerous, messy and expensive business. Sunshine however, is.. well.. pleasantly free. I’ll spare you the elementary math. Yes, while the equipment needed to harness the energy is not free, the energy produced after payback is. It’s like having your own oil rig in your back yard, except it’s not ugly, nor does it move. Plus you don’t have to set the product on fire to make it work, it just does.

• Adds value to your home

Having solar equipment on your home increases its value. How much? Appraisers are still getting their act together on this one and they may vary a bit from one to another, but according to The Appraisal Journal, solar energy adds $15-$20 times yearly energy savings to resale value. So let’s say you own a home in Pennsylvania and you install a solar power system on your roof, and it ends up saving you $4000/year in electricity bills. That means your home would increase in value $60,000-$80,000. That’s more than the system will cost, so your initial investment is recouped immediately and pays a $4000 dividend the first year. Instead of getting upset every time your utility raises power rates, you get a raise instead!

• Reduces your annual electric or gas bill

No brainer.

• Leverages lucrative financial incentives and tax credits

Incentives and tax credits were passed into law in many states. Check the right hand side of the page for further details. In some areas, you can deduct up to 50% of the cost of your solar power system (including installation!). However, these tax credits are not permanent. For some areas, credits like this are expiring and will be stepped down over the next decade. Now’s the time to lock them in. Once electric rate prices make solar more cost effective on it’s own, you will have purchased the same technology as the latecomers, but the government will have paid up to half the price for you. You’ve been paying for these rebates with your taxes and your electric bill…. TAKE THEM BACK!

• Adds credits to your utility account for future use

Many states have net metering guidelines they must follow when home or business-owners install energy producing equipment. Net-metering does not involve people from your municipality donned in orange hardhats coming through to measure the height of your basketball hoop net with meter sticks. Instead, your power company is obliged to purchase power you generate back from you at a wholesale rate. So, let’s say you’ve got some solar power panels up on your roof for the summer but you decide to go on and take a vacation for a month or so. All the power that is being generated gets credited to your account. At the end of the year, if you use as much power as you feed back into the grid, your power bill is… negligible. In Germany, legislation has gone a step farther. There, they have huge feed-in tariffs which means that home and business-owners get paid 4 times as much for the electricity that they produce than for the power they consume. Also, they are cut a check from the power company for excess power generation. This is why over 60% of the solar equipment produced in this country is shipped there, creating a panel shortage here. Though the subsidies there are about to be cut back quite a bit, look at the effects on the workforce and panel market:

Now, go get yourself hooked up with a local installer to get moving!

What's the scoop on the newly passed Pennsylvania clean energy legislation?

Published on July 16, 2008 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: Solar Trends.

While many groups are praising the Pennsylvania general assembly for passing solar legislation in a special session earlier this month, some significant work remains to implement energy proposals that could really make a much more important impact on citizen’s checkbooks. Read more details on the Pennsylvania solar energy page.

Solar for Renters and Landlords – Does it Work?

Published on June 29, 2008 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Trends.

Update 3/3/2009 – One Block Off the Grid (1bog, not ibog), which organizes groups to get solar together, is working on turnkey solutions for solar on renters and landlords.

Invariably, when you see a solar array on a home, that house is owner occupied. Typically, when someone rents a home or an apartment, they pay for the electricity bill. That removes any incentive for the landlord to install solar.

If we want to open up a huge slice of pie for solar energy, this needs to change. For instance, about 40% of U.S. households rent their homes. There are about 130,000,000 households. So, we’re looking at an untapped market of roughly 52,000,000 homes! While this logistically isn’t easy, here are some of the big ways it could be possible:

1. Create a tenant/landlord relationship for solar so it becomes financially beneficial for both parties. We’re trying to pave the way for solar energy for renters here in San Francisco.

2. Put solar on a great big unshaded roof to power some of the neighbors with worse exposure.

3. Create incentives for people to install solar arrays larger than their power bill requires. This will require both a feed-in tariff (or some similar incentive) and upgrades to the grid infrastructure (if you have all the houses on the block generating more than they use, you’re gonna blow some transformers. We didn’t really build this grid thing to go both ways).

Anyway, I digress. Back to renters and landlords:

Solar energy, ironically, is way more lucrative for landlords than homeowners (at least until the end of the year). Why? The Federal Tax Credit for Solar Energy is capped for personal residences at $2000, but is uncapped if the property is an “investment” property. In addition, landlords can depreciate the value of the solar array over a shortened period of 5 years. Finally, landlords can take a 50% bonus depreciation for items purchased and placed in service during 08′ (the economic stimulus package). When you see this all on paper, it’s pretty mind blowing.

However, unless they’re into green charity, landlords are not going to put solar on their “business” unless they are saving money on energy somehow too. So, you need to be able to work that energy savings into the lease of the tenant, so that the tenant receives comparable or even cheaper energy costs with clean renewable energy instead of 100% grid power.

This requires a few ground breaking moves on the tenant law side. The tax law is pretty well covered, and we’ve gotten a recent opinion from a professional on this. In addition, I’ve sold a few systems to landowners with tenants recently, and some of them have some intelligent CPAs who have backed this up.

Surprisingly, with respect to the tenant/landlord lease arrangement side of things, we’re getting help from our utility, PG&E. They have offered some legal resources to help figure this out. They routinely surprise me with their facilitation of the solar industry. They understand that the future is distributed power generation. They’re not fighting it, they’re working with it. They are a unique utility.

So the bottom line is, if you rent and you want solar, talk to your landlord and have them contact a solar systems integrator. They may not have all the answers on this, but at least they can size a system correctly and you can present them with the documents in this post as well.

Also, of course, if you live in San Francisco and you rent or own investment property, I’ll be happy to answer your questions about solar and whether it works in your situation.

How much is the cost per square meter of a solar panel. I have a 25meter x 30meter area I intend to install solar panels. How will it cost me?”Panels vary in efficiency and price. Solar is typically sold by the watt, not the square foot. Vendors with higher efficiency panels can milk more power our of that area, but it will cost more.”I am having a difficult time finding a Solar Installer on the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain? Can you recommend someone who services Washington & St. Tammany Parishes?”Louisiana is a little light on the solar installers but they are catching up. If you fill this out we’ll try to connect you with one.

“i have a 15 unit building in new york..can i use solar power to heat my building. my heats prices are putting me in the red”

Not really, but you can use solar-thermal to heat your hot water, and it is extremely cost effective, the payback on solar thermal is very quick and it’s not terribly expensive.

“I own four unit building in Florida. Do you have any solar power recommendations for small buildings like this? How can I make this a win-win for me and my tenants?”

The best way we can see to do it is to pinpoint how much money the system produces in electricity, and add that as a monthly fee to the lease.  The tenant gets clean energy for a more stable costs without paying any more, and you get the giant tax benefits and get to recoup your investment.  It’s win-win.  You have to check with the PUC in your state to see if there are issues with “selling” power like this to tenants.  Even the PUC here in San Francisco doesn’t have the answers to a lot of questions, and it’s ground zero here for solar innovation in the US… so, this is untreaded territory, but the financial benefits are pretty overwhelming while the 30% tax credits are still in place.

California Bay Area Solar Market Analysis

Published on April 16, 2008 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: Solar Trends.

We’ve noticed that there’s been quite a bit of chatter and advertising dollars thrown into solar in the bay area over the past year or so. For instance, we were just at a San Francisco Giants game last week and couldn’t help but notice the numerous PGE ads for their solar installation at AT&T park urging homeowners to consider the switch to solar. Glitzy ads from large oil companies (ahem, right right, “energy companies”) also emblazoned large billboards with solar elements. Well, the incentives in California are so good, that we started to wonder how many homeowners out of total in the bay area are already on board. So, it’s time for some good ol’ fashioned data analysis of the Bay Area residential solar market. The figures below were generated from data sourced by one of Dave’s colleagues. See the sources below for more info on their lineage.

As you can see from the image above, Contra Costa county accounts for just about half of the solar installs in the bay area over the past 3 years. The other counties pale in comparison. However, you can see from the chart below that there is a substantial way to go to penetrate the rest of the bay area market. While Contra Costa county does account for half of those installs, consider that that county is only about 2% saturated!

Key Assumptions

1. Size, Installed Price and # of installs numbers based on solar installs from 11/05 -1/08 –See

http://www.energy.ca.gov/renewables/emergingrenewableslindex.html

2. Population and Households data based on 2006 ACS Census estimates –See
http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/ for details

3. Penetration calculated as % of households with solar.

How are Solar Panels Attached to my Roof?

Published on March 20, 2008 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Installation Stuff.

OMG WHY IS WATER COMING THROUGH OUR CEILING!!!

The fear about roof penetration from solar installations is definitely in the top 3 concerns of people that are serious about installing solar power, so let’s just clear the air. I don’t personally know how every company installs solar energy panels on a roof, but I know how our company does it, and that is what I’m going to explain in this article. I also know that some people shouldn’t be doing it at all.

Installation practices vary by roof. Spanish tiles are the most expensive type roofs to install PV modules on. The reason is that we have no choice but to walk on them, and inevitably break some of the tiles. The owner must have extra tiles lying around, or we must be able to find a match ahead of time to be able to replace. If not, we cannot do the job. There is also some added time spent both drilling through them and treading carefully upon them. Wood shake shingles are particularly awful as well. The easiest and thus cheapest type of roof to install solar energy on is a composition roof.

There is a unique benefit to the flat, tar-and-gravel roofs and the flat polyurethane foam ones, because you can aim the photovoltaic modules in any orientation or tilt you desire, although to build that scaffolding to put them on costs a few bucks extra. With a pitched roof you are often limited to the orientation and tilt provided by the roof, which, if perfect already, is going to be cheaper than doing a flat roof.

Spanish Tile	Tar and Gravel	Wood Shake	Composition

We use something called “fastjack” to attach to the roof. Fastjack is made by pro solar. Then we seal the crap out of it with this stuff from GeoCellUSA.

Here are some notes:

1. Yes, we stick giant lag bolts into your beams like the one with fastjack in the picture above.
2. Panels aren’t that heavy. Most of the coding requirements come from “upforce.” Basically there is way more danger to the panels catching air like a sail and ripping off your roof than there is to them weighing too much and pushing through your roof. If they are bolted to the rafters then they are attached to the infrastructure of your house and not the roof, and there are no worries.
3. We’ve never had a customer have a leaky roof because of a solar installation we have performed, and we’ve been around 30 years. The sealant we use is very high grade and warrantied for 50 years.
4. A huge amount of labor is spent finding the exact center of the rafters. There are new mounting products coming out that will reduce this labor.
5. We can coordinate with a roofer so that we come in and put the posts in, they do the roof, then we come back and do the install.
6. It’s about $1000 bucks (of course that could be less or more based on size) to pop off existing panels to let a roofer do his thing, and then put them back on, so never let doing your roof stop you from getting solar. It’s almost always better to start saving money on energy today.

San Francisco Solar Incentive Program Approved by Board of Supervisors 6-3

Published on February 29, 2008 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Legistlation, Solar Politics.

From Alissa Pines and Wade Crowfoot at sfgov.org (I’m not sure which of the two actually wrote it, they both sent the same email):

“I wanted to give you a brief (very positive) update on the solar incentive program that Mayor Newsom and Assessor Ting have championed.

It was approved at first reading by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday by a vote of 6-3. Supporting the ordinance were Supervisors Ammiano, Chu, Elsbernd, Maxwell, Peskin, and Sandoval. Supervisors Daly, Mikarimi and McGoldrick voted against the ordinance. Supervisors Alioto-Pier and Dufty were absent from the meeting.

As a result of this vote, Mayor Newsom has withdrawn the solar incentive proposal from consideration on June ballot. Attached is his letter communicating this withdraw to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors must vote again on this on Tuesday (March 4) for the proposal for it to be approved. (Passing ordinances require two votes at the Board of Supervisors.)

Please consider emailing or calling Supervisors to thank them that voted for the legislation:”

I don’t want to publish their emails, but if you email addresses on the web, but email me at and I’ll give it to you so you can thank them, or can encourage those who voted against to vote yest on Tuesday (Chris Daly, Ross Mirkarimi, and Jake McGoldrick)… or….

“It’s key to give positive feedback to those who supported the ordinance to ensure the program’s passage on Tuesday. More info on phone numbers and contact info for the Board can be found at http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp

If it’s passed on Tuesday, we look forward to getting back in touch late next week to discuss details of the immediate implementation of the incentive payments.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in contact. Thanks much for all of your advocacy on this important program!

Alissa Pines
Policy Director
Office of Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting
City and County of San Francisco

http://www.sfgov.org/site/assessor_index.asp

Wade Crowfoot
Director of Climate Protection Initiatives
Office of Mayor Gavin Newsom
wade.crowfoot@sfgov.org

Solar Powered Airplane Avionics

Published on February 11, 2008 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Trends.

I just found this email in my “pics” folder and I thought it was interesting:

“Hi,

I represent Powerenz.com, they specialize in coming up with custom portable solar power units to meet almost any application. Here is a really cool solar power solution that they came up with for a pilot and his plane and some information to go with the pictures.

A commercial pilot who also owns a personal, single-engine, four-seater aircraft was looking for a better way to power his avionics system. The glass cockpit package in his airplane is a Garmin G1000 avionics, and is a 24-volt system. In order to power up the aircraft’s avionics system, either the battery must be turned on via a switch with the engine off, or the aircraft engine must be started and running. This either wastes battery power, or creates heat, loud noise and smoke, and burns and wastes high-cost aviation gas. On the front right side of the aircraft, there is an electrical DC power port that can be used to jump-start the airplane’s engine in case of battery failure by using a spare battery or to charge the airplane battery using AC power and a transformer. The pilot flies his airplane to several remote locations where there is no AC power. In addition, to carry a spare aircraft battery on flights occupies limited space, is heavy, and is expensive.

The pilot came to Powerenz and asked if they could design a portable power system that would allow him to power up the aircraft’s 24-volt avionics system with the engine off. He needed a unit that would not require him to use the aircraft battery, and could:

a. utilize solar energy for fuel instead of liquid fossil fuel
b. be stored and carried in one bag or case, by one person
c. be charged by AC power when available
d. provide durable, long-term independence from the power grid.

We assembled a portable solar panel-battery system that included the following components:
a. high-quality 12-volt, sealed lead acid battery
b. regulated 12-24-volt step-up DC-DC converter with a peak output power of 700 watts (29 amps)
c. two 42-watt foldable solar panels
d. 7-amp solar charge controller
e. proper fusing and wiring
f. 3-amp, automatic, 12-volt, AC-powered lead acid battery charger
g. proper connecting adapter that mates with the aircraft DC power port.

The step-up DC-DC converter was chosen over a second portable battery in order to save on weight. A second 12-volt battery could easily be substituted for the DC-DC converter, connected to the first battery in series, and provide 24 volts. This would be less expensive, though heavier than the DC-DC converter. The pilot chose the DC-DC converter option.

The entire system could be housed in either a heavy-duty tool-carrying case, a military tanker’s tool bag, or in a hard case such as those manufactured by Pelican, Hardigg, and HPRC.

The above portable power system can power up the aircraft avionics silently, without smoke, and without wasting aircraft fuel. The unit can be used for approximately 90 minutes before the portable battery required recharging. Ninety minutes of power was more than sufficient time to plan a flight, check weather, etc. During these preflight checks the aircraft engine does not have to be running, nor does the aircraft battery have to be used. To recharge the portable battery when low on charge would require 3-4 hours of good sunlight when using two 42-watt solar panels. The solar panels can be draped and secured over the aircraft wing, and left in place while the aircraft is parked on land until the next flight. When not in use, the portable system can be stored inside the aircraft until it is needed again.

To find out more information on Powerenz you can visit their website at Powerenz.com.

Thanks. It would be great if you could let me know if you decide to use any of the pictures. I also have the story in a case study form if you think your website visitors would be interested in that too.

Sincerely,

Jon Davis
Internet Marketing Analyst“

Top 10 Most Common Solar Power Questions

Published on February 8, 2008 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Trends.

OK, fine. Spicy or Yellow is not one of them… But I do visit new homes daily for solar power evaluations and here are the 10 most common questions I hear:

1. If the grid goes down, I stay up, right?

No. If you have a grid-tied system, that means that the solar system is tied to your utility, and that when you produce more power than you use, you send (sell) them (your utility) power, and when you use more power then you produce, you buy power. If the grid power goes out, so do you.

2. So if I don’t want my power to go out, can I get battery backups?

Typically only if you are very rich and eccentric. If you hate your utility with a passion, and you have money to burn, then “Islanding” as it’s called is for you. Battery technology is weak at this point in history, and it’s expensive. On top of that, hooking batteries to your solar system is a HUGE maintenance issue. Solar power itself has no moving parts, it RARELY breaks… Batteries on the other hand, wow. If you have lead acid batteries you have to ventilate them, not to mention replace the water as it gets eaten up. It’s a pain. If you have gel-cells you have to replace them every 5 years. All in all, just get a generator and plug it in if the power goes out. It doesn’t happen often.

3. Solar power doesn’t work when it’s cloudy, right?

Yes, it does. Ambient light and lots of UV light still get through. Figure between 10-50% effectiveness depending on how crappy the weather is.

4. How is it attached to my roof?

In different ways… but solar panels can catch wind like sails, and if they’re not attached to your beams, they can rip your roof off. We always attach them securely to the rafters so they are a part of the infrastructure of your house. I’ve never personally heard of a panel flying away. We use a high grade sealant and I’ve never heard of a roof leaking, but I’m sure it happens. If your ever talking to a salesperson make sure you nail down (ha) they’re mounting practices. Don’t hesitate to email me and ask me questions, I don’t care where you are, I’ll answer.

5. At the end of the year if I produce more than I use, I get a check from the utility, right?

Probably not. It depends on where you live. Check your state resource page on our homepage for net-metering laws in your state. For example, if you produce more power than you use in California in one month, you can use that as a credit for other months…. But at the end of the year, if you have produced more than you used in total, no, you don’t get a check, and your utility thanks you for the free power. So you want to optimize but not go over. In some states you can’t even sell back power at any time.

6. Is there anything I can apply for to get this subsidized?

Almost definitely. Check our state pages to see the kind of free money that is available in your state. Also, there is a 30% tax credit with a cap of $2000 for residential (no cap for business). Your installer should be aware of all credits/rebates/incentives for solar power available in your area.

7. Do you have to rewire my house?

No. The solar system has two parts: the panels and the inverter. The panels take photons and turn then into direct current (DC) electricity. Conduit is run from the panels to the other of the two parts, the inverter, which turns that direct current into alternating current (AC) which is the kind of power your appliances use. This inverter is connected to your main breaker and also the utility’s meter, so that you may draw power from the utility when you are not producing enough from your solar, and sell power to the utility when you are producing more than you are using. All the wiring in your house stays the same.

8. Isn’t solar power getting cheaper? Shouldn’t I wait?

I could talk about this forever, but I’ll try to keep it someone short. For starters, and contrary to EVERYTHING you read in the media, solar power is getting more expensive. Transportation costs, the energy required for production, increased demand, and suppliers shipping overseas to places like Germany and Spain are only some of the factors behind why solar power in the US is getting more expensive. In California in particular, the California Solar Initiative credits are decreasing, and the Federal tax credit ends after 2008. Couple this with increasing product cost and solar will not be cheaper than it is RIGHT NOW for a long time.

9. What about thing film and nano-solar?

The new “fancy” technologies get a lot of media buzz because they are new, and the reporters don’t have all the facts, which leads to a mislead public. Thin film is extremely cost effective – IF YOU HAVE A GIANT WAREHOUSE. Almost all non-PV technology is effective only for large surface areas. This doesn’t work with residential… If you own a house or a small business, PhotoVoltaics are the ONLY GAME IN TOWN and it’s going to be that way for years and years.

10. Don’t I have to clean them like all the time?

Nope, just hose them off once or twice a year and get any large items like bird poop or twigs off of them.

Does it matter if my solar panels face South or "True South"?

Published on January 15, 2008 by Dave Llorens.
Categories: Solar Technology.

So, what is the difference between “True South” and “Magnetic South,” anyway? Well, if you imagine the axis that the earth rotates around, the point at which that pokes out of the earth in the middle of Antarctica, that’s true south. But when you hold up a compass you aren’t really finding “true” north or south, you can only find “magnetic south,” which is the direction towards the south pole of our earth’s geomagnetic field. Believe it or not, this point actually moves a few miles each year because the molten metal in the earth sloshes around.

YOU: “Dave, I think I know south is the best way to orient my solar panels (or north if you happen to live in the southern hemisphere), but do I want to face them magnetic south or true south??”

DAVE: TRUE SOUTH. We’re not concerned with the magnetic poles, just where the sun is.

YOU: “Well that’s great and all Dave, but my compass only shows me magnetic south, how the hell am I supposed to find True South? ”

DAVE: Settle down, it’s gonna be ok. There are a few ways, but the most accurate is to find the magnetic declination in your area. (Australia, Canada, US, World). For example, I can tell from these sites that in San Francisco my current magnetic declination is (14° 33′ E). Since that number is positive, I add about 14 degrees to get true south. So if my compass points to south at 180 degrees, TRUE SOUTH is about 194 degrees. Point your panels in that direction!

TIPS: Don’t have a compass? Here’s a simple old school way. When the sun is at its highest point in the sky “solar noon,” any shadow cast by a telephone pole or some other perfectly vertical object will run perfect TRUE north-south.

When taking a compass reading, never hold the compass near metal, as it will throw off your reading. Watch out for your belt buckle!