Residential Solar Power

By “Solar” Sarah Madsen
HelioPower Solar Energy Consultant

Want to go solar and don’t think you can quite afford it, still? Do you need a little more incentive than the

Residential Solar in Suisun installed by HelioPower

state and feds can give you (state rebate and federal tax credit)? How about looking into your local city and county programs? How about checking into Community Action of Napa Valley (CANV) and their “Napa Valley Solar Partnership” program?

The City of Napa, California has been looking for a way to take advantage of AB 811 and be one of the pioneers of citywide residential solar. Their sister county of Sonoma found a fabulous way to incent their green minded residents to go solar. It’s called “Solar Sonoma County.” Residents who go solar can receive a one- time loan for solar system purchase and pay it back over time through their property taxes. Sonoma County’s program kicked off fairly quickly and with great success due in part to the fact that their water district had funds available for the program. Unfortunately Napa City and County have not yet identified a funding pool for their own AB811 program.

In walks Jon Vaden, Director of CANV’s (Community Action Napa Valley) Napa Valley Solar Partnership Program. CANV applied for and received a federal grant to educate the residents of Napa Valley and get as many of them as possible to go solar before the end of 2010. The organization is trying to help all Napa County homeowners go solar, but also has a special emphasis on helping match low-income residents with available loan programs that can provide the upfront cost for solar.

With the grant in place Jon has set out on a trail of solar seminars around the valley called “Making Cents out of Solar” (with me, Solar Sarah, in attendance). He covers how solar works and how residents are connected with PG&E with their “net metering” agreement to buy AND sell energy back to the utility. He also goes over the programs and incentives available, as well as what to look for in a contractor. He explains to homeowners what to expect as it pertains to the process of bidding and installation – basically covering the ins and outs, from paperwork and permits to financing and commissioning your solar system. All of this is done from an educational standpoint with no pressure or steering to any one installation company. Of course I’m always ready, willing and able to schedule a site visit for those eager to get started!

CANV has a prescreened vendor list to assist Napa residents in choosing a qualified installer. Jon has vetted each company carefully, checking their contractor licenses and standing with the Better Business Bureau as well as the requirements of C-10 (Electrician), C-46 (Solar) and NABCEP certifications. The program requires that each company use screened employees and not sub-contractors or temporary workers, ensuring quality workmanship and professionalism from any company participating in the program.

HelioPower, Inc is proud to be a part of CANV’s Napa Valley Solar Partnership and I am privileged to attend every seminar and meeting. I’m Solar Sarah Madsen of the Napa Valley and you can find me at the weekly seminar spot, wherever that may be (find event listings on CANV’s website). I’m grateful to Jon Vaden for including us and believing in my commitment to service the Napa Valley and beyond. Everyone has worked together to create a successful program and it won’t work overnight, but your solar system doesn’t work overnight either ;) 

Now let’s get going GREEN and GO SOLAR with SOLAR SARAH in the NAPA VALLEY!!

You can reach Sarah Madsen via email at solarsarah@heliopower.com.

By Scott Gordon

Vice President Sales, Residential, HelioPower

Have you ever driven by a solar installation that was so ugly you wondered what the owners of the house were thinking when they decided to install their system?

Have you found stories on the internet about leaky roofs, fly-by-night solar companies or other tales of solar despair?

If you answered yes to any of these questions you’ve stumbled upon a little talked about topic in our happy industry:  the ugly side of solar.

Most solar installers shy away from the topic of ugly solar for fear of scaring off their potential customers.  After all, who wants to ruin their home’s curb appeal or wind up with a leaky roof?  The reason for this article is to arm consumers with the knowledge they need to avoid falling into either type of botched installation.

"Aesthetically Challenged" Solar Installation

First I’ll cover solar installations I would describe as “aesthetically challenged.”  The above photo is an extreme example of just how ugly solar can get.  As a person with nearly three years of solar sales and design experience, I can hardly wrap my brain around how the above installation was permitted in the first place.  I can only imagine how the neighbors feel when they drive by this house.  Unfortunately, I see ugly installs like this one far too often.

So, how do you avoid such a fate as you embark on your solar journey?  

Asking your installer for a roof plan BEFORE signing a contract is a great first step.  This will allow you to review and compare various plans from all bidders involved in order to see who’s come up with the best design for your roof.

For example, if you have a smallish roof, you may be limited to solar panels with high power density like those made by SunPower.  Panels with high power densities often obviate the need for tilt kits on the roof.  While you may not object to the ‘look’ of the tilt kits in the above photo, you need to consider the wind profile of the area in which you live.  Mounting solar panels on your roof so they resemble sails is never a good idea because sails are what they will become during high wind conditions (like tornados, hurricanes, Santa Ana winds, etc).  While there is little chance the panels will blow off your roof if properly attached, high gusty winds may loosen “sail mounted” panels over the course of several years resulting in roof leaks, deck rot, and other collateral damage.

HelioPower Installation of SunPower Solar Modules

If your best roof happens to be above your front door, you’ll want to get black framed panels, with a black backsheet, and back contacts (if you have the budget).  The second photo shows a recent HelioPower installation using SunPower 225 panels.

First notice how the panels look more like skylights than panels.  Notice how you don’t see any white diamonds or electrical contacts (black back sheet/back contact).  Notice how the solar array is contiguous and well organized on the roof. Such a roof layout takes planning. I tried four configurations before I found one I liked enough to present to this customer.  Think the folks in this neighborhood have a slightly different opinion about solar aesthetics than the previous example? You becha!!

What are some other ways you can be sure that your solar system will look as good as it performs? Again, make sure you get some roof plans.  

Once you’ve reviewed those, ask if there are any systems in your area you can drive by (this is far better than a phone reference).  Also ask to see photos of installed systems that will be similar to what the installer is proposing for your home.  Ask to see the same panels on the same roof type.  For example, if you’re interested in Evergreen panels for your Spanish tile roof, ask to see a photo of Evergreen panels on a Spanish tile roof.  A reputable installer with enough installations under his belt should be able to easily provide you with these and may already have examples you can reference on their website. If you've heard of the high efficiency of the Canadian Solar panels, then ask for installation photos showing these modules. There are many options. At HelioPower we offer all these panel options and more!

If tilt kits are required for one brand of panel, ask if they would be required if you instead bought high efficiency SunPower modules.  In solar, size matters, but in this case smaller is better.  High efficiency and smaller panels go hand in hand, but be prepared to pay a little extra for the efficiency.  It will be well worth it down the road when you have a sweet looking solar installation that doesn’t leak and is the envy of your neighborhood.

Finally, you may not have a good solar home.  That’s right, I said it.  Rare is the solar salesperson who will tell you that your home is not ideal for solar photovoltaics (electric), even if that is the case. You may not like it, but you need to listen.  Remember, these folks are mostly commissioned salespeople; they want to sell you a system.  That’s how they make their living. If one of the bidders declines to bid for this reason, put your feelings aside and consider strongly what he/she is telling you.  Fact is that the top photo is of a house that should NOT have solar panels on it. It’s not a good solar house.  Period.  Of course, the salesman that sold the job would disagree as his/her creativity with tilt kits suggests.  But facts are facts.  Which system would you rather have on your largest investment – A or B? HelioPower Energy Consultants are trained to provide you with the second option or no option at all.

While aesthetically ugly solar will scare off its fair share of customers, often times it’s what you can’t see that matters most of all.  In part two, I’ll get into the gory details of a truly botched solar installation.  It’s the type that keeps most home owners up at night.  Curious?  Stay tuned…

HelioPower joins other environmentally oriented companies to support the city of Palm Desert's Bright Ideas Expo, this Saturday, March 14, from 11am to 3pm. The focus of this family oriented & kid-friendly Expo is: Ideas to save money on your energy bills, and living “green.”

The Expo will be held in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park, located at Fred Waring Drive and San Pablo Avenue. HelioPower local solar energy experts, Matt Rifkin and Matt McPherson, will be at Booth 29!  Talk to our Palm Desert team about how we can help you reduce or eliminate your electric bill and use the city's Energy Independence Program to finance the purchase. 

For more information about the Palm Desert Energy Independence Program, click here.

HelioPower residential solar panel system in Palm Desert, CA

From Renewableenergyworld.com this week, CALSEIA Executive Director, Sue Kateley, speaks out on finding a reputable solar panel system integration firm in her article, "Solar Works, Scam Artists Don't." Here's an excerpt:

Editor's Note: Photo is of Scott Gordon residence and his solar power array system

"I live in a 2000 square foot house. How many solar panels do I need?"

If I had a 200 watt panel for every time I've been asked this question, I would've solved the world's energy problems long ago. Alas, I wish there was a simple answer to this question. The answer lies not in 'how big' your house is, but rather 'how big' your appetite for energy is. A simple illustration of two identically sized houses should shine some light on this topic.

Tommy and Eric live next door to each other in identical tract homes.

To the casual observer, the only obvious difference between Eric’s house and Tommy’s is the paint color. However, if we analyze the cost of operation of each of these buildings (yes although you may not like to think of your cozy little home this way, it is indeed just a building) we’ll discover dramatic differences in both the volume and application of energy.

Knocking on Eric’s door we discover he’s a friendly bachelor who works at home as an outside sales rep. He travels a lot on business, so he often asks Tommy to feed his cat. Of course, Eric has the usual things, a 60” flat screen tv with surround sound and the latest gaming consoles of choice. As to be expected he also has a refrigerator, electric stove, dishwasher, central air, washer & dryer, and home office complete with computer, printer, wireless internet, Gibson electric guitar, amplifier, and a charging station for all of portable electronics. The lighting in his house has been almost entirely changed to compact fluorescent bulbs. Since Eric travels a lot he doesn’t get to enjoy his home theater as much as he’s like and since he prefers eating take-out his kitchen appliances (other than the fridge) are hardly touched. In addition, the local cleaner happily washes and presses most of his clothes. Eric’s annual electric bill is around $600.

Tommy on the other hand is a father of three: Jimmy (age 12), Johnny (age 8), and Sally (age 4). Tommy’s wife Molly is a homemaker and makes the best chocolate chip cookies in town. Upon entering Tommy’s house, we find many of the very same appliances Eric has, with one major difference – they actually get used!

With three kids to look after, Molly is very busy. Every morning she turns on PBS for Sally and throws in a load of laundry. It’ll be the first of many throughout the day. While Tommy and the boys take showers, she makes breakfast (and later dinner) for the family using some combination of electric and microwave oven. She empties last night’s clean dishwasher load and fills it right back up after breakfast with plates, glasses, coffee cups, utensils and pans. Then Molly runs a vacuum over the house.

Even though the sun is shining in the house’s east windows, almost every lightbulb in the house is on and they’re all incandescent! Jimmy left the bathroom lights on as he hurried out to school (he also left his computer and stereo on). Three of the bedroom closet lights are on. The lights in the family room where Sally enjoys morning cartoons and the twelve canned lights in the kitchen are always on – 24/7.

At 11:00am every morning, the pool pump kicks on. This bad boy runs for 6 hours a day everyday of the year. To make matters worse, it’s 102 degrees outside, so Molly cranks up the AC and leaves it on late into the night since the second floor gets incredibly hot and the family has a terrible time sleeping in such heat.

Can you guess what Tommy’s annual electric bill looks like? Well, I can tell you that if Tommy lives in California his average monthly electric bill is in the $500 - $600 range putting his annual nut at a whopping $6,000 - 7,000!

This financial drag would be bad enough for poor Tommy and his family, except his utility just notified him that they’ll be increasing tariffs next year by 14%. This is the equivalent of adding a thirteenth month to his bill! I hope Tommy gets a pretty hefty raise next year. He’s going to need it.

I wish I could say that I made this story up, but it’s based on the very real differences in power consumption I see every day. Are you more like Eric or Tommy or are you somewhere in the middle? You must answer this question for yourself before buying solar panels from anyone. This self analysis is critical if you’re to get the biggest bang for your solar buck.

In my next post, I'll help you determine your 'Energy Profile' and how your use of energy impacts the cost of going solar.

One of our own team, Kristin Underwood, is an accomplished blog author. She also happens to be an excellent solar power installer. She wrote up her experiences in Treehugger. This is a fact filled and personal view into how a residential solar power system is installed including photos. Kristin demonstrates how the passion for doing "green" can yield great results!