New England Breeze Solar
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Residents and business-owners in Concord who are interested in solar energy have until April 30 to sign up for a community discount program offered by New England Breeze Solar...Read more.
Solar Electric Questions and Answers
Q. What is involved in a typical solar panel installation?
A: Check out photos of the New England Breeze team in action on a typical roof mounted solar power system.
Q: How can I tell if solar will work on my house?
A: For the best results, the solar panels should be mounted on a south facing roof or in the yard. The panels should have little to no shade on them during the hours of 9 AM to 3 PM throughout the year. During our visit to your site, we will use a tool to record the amount of shading present at your location for the entire year.
Q: How much space do I need on my roof to install solar panels?
A: A typical residential solar electric system can be installed in about 100 to 500 square feet of roof space.
Q: How do I know what size system I need?
A: A typical residential solar electric system is between 1000 and 5000 Watts and will produce between 1000 and 6000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. Start by looking at your electrical bill to learn how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) you use per year, and identify what percentage of that you would like to produce with clean power.
Q: How much money can I save by installing a solar electric system?
A: Producing your own clean electricity with solar power will reduce your annual electrical bill by about $200 to $1000 the first year. You should see savings of $10,000 to $50,000 over the first 25 years. Remember, if your primary goal is to save money, be sure to investigate ways to use less electricity in your home through energy efficiency measures. Contact www.masssave.org to schedule a free energy audit.
Q: What are SRECs and how do they work?
A: Briefly, Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) are going to be in high demand in Massachusetts beginning in 2010. Thanks to aggressive Renewable Energy Portfolio (RPS) Standards, Massachusetts intends to produce 15% of electricity through renewable energy sources by the year 2020. Solar electric system owners will be eligible to sell the kilowatt-hours (kWh) they produce to utlity companies who will claim the productions as their own green power. The PV system production will trade at about $0.25 per kWh - this is in addition to the savings on your electrical bill. Stay tuned for more details about how to sell your SRECs.
Q: How much does a solar electric system for my home cost?
A: A typical solar electric system for a home can cost between $10,000 and $35,000 before rebates and tax incentives. Click here to learn more about system costs and benefits.
Q: How do I know if my installer is certified?
A: Currently there exists a voluntary national certification by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). Solar installers who are NABCEP Certified Installers have completed classroom training and have demonstrated their technical and practical knowledge through documented installations and and by passing a written exam.
Q: What are the main components of a solar electric system?
A: The solar panels are mounted outside and an inverter and its disconnects are mounted on a wall near the main breaker panel.
Q: How long do solar electric systems last?
A: Solar electric systems are designed to last more than 20 years, but most systems will still be producing power in 30-50 years.
Q: Besides installation costs, what other costs might there be with a solar electric system?
A: If your main breaker panel is not large enough to accommodate the addition of solar or if the wiring is old, you may need to have your wiring updated. Additionally, if your roof has less than 10 years of life left, we recommend replacing it before you have the solar electric system installed. Because a solar system will be in place more than 25 years, it is best to start with a roof that has plenty of life left.
Q: Will I have power when the during a power outage?
A: No. With a straight grid-tied system without batteries, even on a sunny day when your solar array is producing power, you will not have power in the home. This is to protect the lineman working on the utility grid. If you absolutely need power during an outage, your system must have batteries. This adds cost and complexity to the installation.
Q: Will I be helping the environment if I install a solar electric system on my home?
A: ABSOLUTELY! You will be using less fossil fuel each and every day and producing your own non-polluting power.