10 Things You Should Know Before You Go Solar

10. The current solar technology has been around since the 1960’s and while efficiencies have increased by about 200% since that time we are not going to see major advances in solar technology in the near future that will make current technology obsolete. What you need to understand is that solar makes financial sense today and once installed your solar system will continue to generate power for decades to come.

9. Electricity rates work on a price tier system. PG&E for example has five tiers that range in price from $0.12 to $0.44. If you only use a small amount of electricity in your home, you may be able to get all your energy needs at the lowest, Tier 1 rate. However as your energy use rises, you pay Tier 2 rates then Tier 3, etc. When you install a solar system you eliminate the top tiers first. Therefore, the more you spend on electricity now, the more you save and the higher your ROI.

8. If your local utility offers time-of-use metering you may be able to reduce the size of your system by up to 30%. Certain utilities are now offering time-of-use metering for customers with solar systems. What this means is that customers generating energy and putting it onto the grid during peak periods are compensated with additional energy credits. The idea is to conserve energy during on-peak rate times, so the meter spins backwards as fast as possible and to use energy at off-peak times when it is cheapest. If your family is away from home during the day, this rate structure is practical and maximizes energy generation credits with minimal need to change energy use habits based on time of day.

7. Before you can size the solar energy system that makes the most sense for you and your family you need to know exactly how much electricity your home uses each month. You can find this information on your utility bills if you have them. If not, you can request the information from your utility. In addition, you should consider your future electricity needs. Do you have a growing family? or are your kids about to leave home? Once you have thought about these issues you can talk to your local solar installer to determine the exact system size that works for you.

6. In the northern hemisphere, the best location to install solar panels is on a roof facing true south. If you don’t have a roof facing this exact direction don’t worry the panels will still produce electricity. Additionally, the panels should be installed at a 45-degree angle. If your roof is flat you will need to have the panels raised to this angle. The other issue is shade. Solar power's natural enemy is shade. One of the first things a solar installer should do is to climb your roof to assess the potential for shading from trees and other buildings.

5. You typically need 100sq ft of roof space for each kW of generating capacity. The average size of a solar system in the U.S is about 3 kW.

4. The majority of solar systems are grid-tied. That means that the energy produced by the solar panels will be used to power your home. Any additional energy that is produced is sent straight out onto the grid for your neighbors to use. For electricity you produce and send to the grid you will receive energy credits from the utility, which you will use at night when your solar system is not producing electricity. This is called net-metering.

3. If there is an electrical blackout your solar system will shut down. The inverter box, which is connected to the grid recognizes that there is a black out and will automatically shut down your system. The reason for this is that it would not be safe to put electricity onto the grid while maintenance personnel are trying to fix the electrical problem. To solve this problem you could have batteries installed, however, battery technology is not very efficient and still very expensive. If you are worried about not having power during a blackout, the best bet is to buy a diesel generator.

2. Solar panels have a life of to 30 years and lose approximately 0.5% of their efficiency each year. The only maintenance that is required is to clean them three or four times a year with a hose to remove dirt and leaves. The only part that requires replacement is the inverter. These units will last for up to 15 years and will cost about $1,500 - 2,000 to replace.

1. If you live in a cloudy or foggy climate your solar system will still work. Identical solar systems placed in the sunniest and cloudiest locations would differ by about 15 to 20% in electricity generation. Part of the reason is that solar photovoltaic cells actually operate more efficiently in cooler temperatures.