Is solar energy available to everyone?

Residents of our Tri-State area all receive enough sunlight to make solar energy a great option for you.

Will Solar Electric (PV) work for me?

Do you have a southern facing roof or wall on your building that is unshaded from the hours of 9am to 3pm? Your roof or wall can face East or West but South facing is optimum. Shading is the most critical part of the equation. Shading even a small portion of the array can cut your production substantially.
Does your roof need to be replaced in the next 5 years or less?
If so, you will want to replace it before the solar installation with a 30-year roof.

How much will it cost, and how much will I save?

Solar PV can produce up to 100% of your current electrical demand. This will often require a large amount of unshaded roof space and a large initial investment. Most PV systems are designed to be supplemental to your usage. Many customers elect to install systems that produce 25-75% of their needs.
To determine how much it will cost, we need to see the available space and copies of your electric bill. System costs for residential range from $12,000 up to $100,000. For commercial systems, the prices can range from $20,000 to many millions for extremely large facilities.


How much will I save?

This is a very common question, but one that can only be answered after a system has been designed and the estimated production is compared to your utility bills. The savings realized from a PV system will be dependant on your electrical demand and the system size that best fits your criteria and site conditions. With enough, well oriented, unshaded space and adequate financing we can offset ~100% of your utility bills. Many utilities have a minimum charge per month just for the “privilege” of being hooked to the grid. These charges are generally rather low. For instance, at the time this was written (’07), PECO’s customer charge was $5.18 per month.

How will I store the power?

The most common way to connect PV systems is directly to the utility grid (grid-tied). When power is produced by the system it is fed into the house and can be used by any loads that are currently drawing power (refrigerator, TV, etc.). If there is no need for electricity in the house or the loads are less than the power being produced by the solar, the excess power will be fed back into the grid. Because of net-metering standards your electric meter will run backwards and credit you for all of your excess power produced!

Another way to store the power is in batteries (Grid-tied w/ battery backup). The advantage of a battery backup system is that if your power from the utility goes out you can still power your critical loads from a sub-panel that is fed by your stored electrical energy in the batteries.

Then there is the stand-alone solar PV system. These systems are generally for locations that have no way to connect to the utility grid. The electricity generated by the solar PV is put directly into the batteries and the batteries feed the loads of the structure. Stand-alone systems are sized to meet your exact load requirements with a safety factor to account for extended periods of cloudy days.

Although batteries are very handy in power outages and absolutely crucial to stand-alone systems, they do have some disadvantages. The first is the additional cost. Batteries can add 10% to 35% to the cost of a solar PV system. This is due to the added complexity of the system, additional parts and cables, and the very high cost of the deep discharge batteries themselves. These are not your standard car batteries. Another issue with batteries is the maintenance required to ensure the long life and proper function. Lead-acid batteries require routine checks of electrolyte and de-sulfinating procedures. Lastly, batteries contain hazardous chemicals and require venting of explosive hydrogen gas. Disposal of ‘spent’ batteries must be done properly to ensure no pollution of the environment.

What kind of maintenance is required?

Solar PV is a clean, quiet, and very low maintenance way to produce electricity. When batteries are not used the only maintenance recommended is a yearly rinsing with a hose to remove dust and dirt.

How long does it last?

All of the solar modules that we install have at least a 20-year output warranty from the manufacturer. The majority of the modules we sell come with a 25-year manufacturers’ warranty. Solar inverters will often need replacing once (at ~15yrs) over the lifetime of the system, which is estimated at 25 to 30 years. Barring physical damage, the modules should still be producing power after that 25-year period. The output warranties generally state that they will produce at least 80% of their original rated value at 25-yrs. This means that potentially you can get many more years of solar power from the modules.

Source: solardelphia.com