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Solar electric, what's called Photovoltaics, is probably the most romantic and coveted way of using solar energy. With these solar systems you can actually slow how fast your electric meter spins or even spin it backwards! The way this is done is by installing some photovoltaic panels on your roof. Solar Energy Solutions has been selling and installing solar electric systems since 1992. How Much Does It Cost? From our observations, Photovoltaic, grid-tied solar electric systems,
generally range in cost between $5.30 and $7.00 per watts installed.
The reason for the price difference is due to the complexity of
the installation, the kind of solar electric equipment you choose
and the fact that the bigger the system you buy the lower the cost
per watt. There are many incentives
in place here in Oregon to encourage people to go solar. Which Manufacturer Of Solar Electric / PV Panels Do You Install? Solar Energy Solutions has spent the last 24 years pouring over technical specifications on the various photovoltaic panels, inverters, and accompanying equipment. After endless hours, weeks, and years we have landed on “top of the line” name brand photovoltaic panels we think are great and represent the best in the industry. At the top of this list is SunPower. SunPower is “The Planet’s Most Powerful Solar”. The 318 watt panel is the same size or smaller than all of the other photovoltaic panels on the market today, but puts out 25% more power! That’s 25% more power than any other panel on Planet Earth! SunPower also has a lower 225 watt panel that is totally black for our clients who are super sensitive to the aesthetics of these systems. Futhermore, due to the uniquely efficient nature of the SunPower panel it is between 4% and 9% more efficient than the rest. The reason for this is because the SunPower panels starts producing power earlier in the day and keeps on producing later in the day. To hear why folks choose SunPower click here
In the past 10 years we have installed Sanyo, Sharp, Trina, Kyocera and SolarWorld. We have access to all other name brands, but we have decided to mostly focus on installing SunPower, Sharp and Trinas at this time due to how well they perform and the quality of the panel’s construction. We install these systems using Solectria, SunnyBoy, or PV Powered inverters.
Please see the data sheets below:
Where Can I Install The Panels? You will need a sunny south- or west-facing roof for your photovoltaic
panels. Photovoltaic panels take up a lot of roof space, so you
will need a very large and sunny, rectangular, and ideally contiguous
roof space to place them on. This roof space should have little
or no tree or building shade, like chimneys, falling on it from
10 am to 4 pm year round. Does It Only Work On Sunny Days? The photovoltaic panels will generate electricity better under
sunny conditions but produce electricity even when it is raining.
The electricity produced from the photovoltaic panels goes to
an inverter. The inverter makes the electricity generated from the
photovoltaic panels compatible with the power coming into your house.
From the inverter, the electricity the photovoltaic panels generate
goes to your electric meter. The electricity your photovoltaic panels
generate off-sets the flow of electricity going into your house
from the utility company. The less power you consume, and the more
power your photovoltaic system produces, the greater the impact
the photovoltaic system has. How Many Panels Will I Need? There are basically three ways to figure out how big or
small of a grid-tied photovoltaic system you should install. The
first way of sizing a system is by how big your roof is. How
many photovoltaic panels can you fit on it? The second is
by figuring out what your yearly electric energy consumption is
(how many kilowatt hours your house uses in a year) and then deciding
what percent of this consumption you wish to replace with a photovoltaic
system. The final and most popular way of figuring out what
size system you wish to install is by determining how much money
you would like to invest in this kind of a solar system. Unlike
other solar energy applications, there is really no limit as to
how big or small of a system you install. It is solely based upon
the above factors. What Else Can I Do To Lower My Energy Consumption? It is important to think about energy conservation when thinking about your Photovoltaic system. However, it is not essential. It is just that this kind of technology, like any other that produces energy, is very, very, VERY expensive. If you want a photovoltaic system to have the greatest impact on your electric consumption for the least amount of money, energy conservation would be the first step. If conservation is something you are open to, here are some things for you to think about. Think about replacing every single one of your incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs. Compact fluorescents consume 1/3 of the energy, are just as bright, and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. Think about replacing your refrigerator which is consuming 7-12 kilowatt hours a day with a highly efficient one which only consumes 1-2 kilowatt hours a day. Replace your top loading washer with a front loader. Eliminate electric loads that you are not using. For example, clock radios that you have plugged in or other electronics that have lights on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Turn your computer completely off at a power strip when you are not using it. Look for a microwave that does not have a clock on it. Basically and ideally, challenge yourself to examine your electric bill every month and figure out ways to make it smaller and smaller. This does not mean, nor should it, that you have to compromise on the lifestyle you have grown accustomed to. It simply means making some minor adjustments.
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