Why your solar system size is larger than the inverter?

Hello Solar friends, It's Channel from PurePoint Energy. We have been getting questions from clients about their solar system size and inverter size. "Why is the system size larger than the inverter?', "Is this dangerous?", "Am I wasting power?". I am here to answer all these questions!

Why oversize your system?

• The goal of designers is to ensure maximum energy harvest from each module in the system. By doing so, designers ensure the optimal use of this high-cost system component. 

• By maximizing production per module, designers achieve the optimal specific yield of the system.

• Since a larger array feeding a fixed size inverter will result in greater system annual production, the increased annual energy harvest is spread across the system’s fixed/semi-fixed costs, which include inverters, AC collection system, permitting, interconnection fees, engineering and overhead.

Are you wasting power/ Is this dangerous?

• When the available DC power from a PV array exceeds the inverter maximum power rating, the control logic in the inverter responds by moving the PV array off its maximum power point.
• Limiting power in this manner ensures that excess power is not dissipated as waste heat in the inverter.
• The inverter components are not exposed to this excess power under normal operating conditions.
• NO, it is not dangerous at all!

Here at PurePoint Energy, we strive for perfection when completing your custom solar proposal. We provide quality products for maximum efficiency. Schedule your FREE consultation with us to learn more about more solar! 

Solar Ownership vs. Leasing, Which one is better?

Hello Solar friends! This is Channel from PurePoint Energy. Installing solar panels on your home is an asset to your home's energy usage and home value. They save you money from your electric bill and increase the value of your home. There are two types of ways you can go solar for your home; Ownership and Leasing. Owning your solar panels means you have invested the money necessary to completely pay for the system. Leasing your solar panels means you have agreed  to finance your solar system and pay it off over time.  Owning or Leasing your solar panels can affect your homes resale value.

Ownership

• According to a study led by the U.S Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, found that home buyers are willing to pay more for homes with solar panels that are owned. 

• The study consisted of analyzing 22,000 sales of homes in eight states between 1999 and 2013 and almost 4,000 had solar panels. 

• They found that a solar power system is worth about $15,000 to home buyers or an estimate of about $4 per watt.

Leasing

• According to an article on npr.org, they say there isn't enough data to show whether the home value of a home decreases when there are leased solar panels installed.

• Bloomberg Business states, for potential buyers "a solar lease is a liability rather than an asset and may drive people away."

• A homeowner sold his solar paneled house for $140,000, when his asking price was $155,000. He had to lower the price three times, up to the point that the price of the house was lower than the price of the houses without solar to get people interested.

When going solar for your home, both options of of Ownership or Leasing have it's advantages and disadvantages. Thinking about the long term affects on your homes resale value is important when considering which option is best for you. 

Here at PurePoint Energy, we offer many financing options that can help with making the transition to solar affordable. If you do not want to finance your solar system, there are many solar rebates, tax credits and incentives that also help make going solar more affordable. One of them  is 30% Solar Tax Credit that will only remain until December 31, 2016!. Schedule an appointment with PurePoint Energy and go solar today!.

Solar Fun Fact for the Day

Here is your Solar Fun Fact for National Solar Awareness Month! Enjoy!

How to: Determining Energy Usage

Hello Solar friends! This is Channel from PurePoint Energy. After your solar system has been installed, there is plenty of useful information available to you. Here at PurePoint, we have been getting questions from our clients on how they can determine and understand their energy usage. I have listed below things you need in order to determine and understand your overall energy usage.

Here are a few things you will need:

• A Bill 
• Solar energy monitoring platform
• Correct billing cycle

1. From your bill you need two specific numbers:

• "Purchases from the utility" 
• "Sales to the utility"

2. From your Solar energy monitoring system:

• You can use the dates of the billing cycle on your bill to run a report on your solar energy platform.
• Once you have run a report, you will need the "total generation" number from your solar array.

3. Now that you have your total generation, sales to the utility and purchases from the utility, you will need these simple formulas to determine your energy usage:

•  (Total generation) - (Sales Utility) + (Purchases from Utility) = Total energy usage by the household for the billing cycle chosen.

• (Total generation) - (Sales Utility) = (the amount the solar array used in "real time")

• (the amount the solar array used in "real time") + (Purchases from Utility) = Total energy usage by the household for the billing cycle chosen.

Here at PurePoint Energy, we try to make our clients transition to solar as easy as possible. Make an appointment with PurePoint Energy today and go solar!

Are Solar Panels affected by any Fall or Winter weather?

Hello Solar friends! This is Channel from PurePoint Energy. We are entering into fall and winter weather here in Connecticut and some of our customers have some doubts or concerns about how effective solar panels are during these climates. I am here to tell you there is no need to worry, they still work! 

1. Do Solar panels work on a cloudy day?

• Solar panels can still produce electricity when there is still no obvious sunshine.
• Typical solar panels can produce 10-25% of their capacity on a cloudy day.
• At PurePoint Energy, we install the best panels for your solar energy system, one of them is SunPower panels.
• Even in low sunlight environments, SunPower’s premium monocrystalline cells are very sensitive to low levels of light. SunPower solar panels “wake up” earlier in the day and will keep generating energy later in the day. 

2. How do solar panels work with snow?

• During the snowy climates, snow may cover your solar panels but that does not mean they turn off or stop working.
• Sunlight may actually go through the panels and warm them up enough to melt the snow off.
• SunPower panels convert photons to electricity in the short wavelengths and long wavelengths of the solar spectrum.
• This means that even during the winter weather, SunPower panels will continue to produce electricity for your home.
• Installing panels at a tilting angle where the snow can slide off is great way to prevent snow from building up on top of the panels. 

3. Steep slope roof vs. Low slope roof


The slope of a roof is often referred to as pitch. The slope, or pitch, of a roof is determined by the vertical rise in inches for every horizontal twelve inch length called the "run". A roof with x rise/12 run slope means that for every 12 inches horizontally (run), it  rises x inches.

• Here's a diagram of the differences between Low and Steep Slope's:
  

• During the winter climate, home owners that have solar panels that are installed in steep slope roof's are going to have a much easier time removing snow. For low slope roof's, it depends on how low the pitch or rise of the roof is.

4. Examples

Below we have two pie charts from two different locations that show the amount of energy produced over the course of one year:

 

• This pie chart shows the amount of energy produced over the course of year 2013 for Averill Farm in Washington Depot CT. Q1 = January, February, March, Q2 = April, May, June, Q3 = July, August, September, Q4 = October, November, December. During the Fall and !inter month's (Q4), you can see there was still energy production of 17% for the Averill Farm Solar Array. Winter weather normally ends around January and February and there was still 22% percent of energy production in Q1.

• This pie chart show the amount of energy produced in the Shagbark Farm in East Hadam, CT over the course of (Q4) in 2014; October, November and December. The rest are up until September of 2015. As you can see here, there was 48% of energy production in Q4 which were the Fall and Winter months. 

In the end, solar panels generate a lot more energy during the Summer and sunny seasons, but are still effective when Fall and Winter weather starts here in Connecticut. There is nothing to be worried about when installing solar energy for your home, it still works! Call and schedule an appointment with PurePoint Energy for a complimentary Solar Evaluation. Visit our website at www.purepointenergy.com and Like us Facebook and Follow us on Twitter for updates!

"How to read a Net Meter

• Daniel Scarozza from PurePoint Energy explains how to read a Net Meter for you solar system.

Calls us for your complimentary Solar Evaluation!

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30% Solar Investment Tax Credit remains until December 31, 2016?

Hello solar friends! This is Channel from PurePoint Energy. The 30% Solar Investment Tax Credit will expire December 31, 2015 for homeowners and will go from 30% to 10% for business owners. Why is this important you might ask? The Solar Investment Tax Credit has created many opportunities for the people of Connecticut to use their natural energy and save big bucks on becoming solar. On average, PurePoint's residential customers will save over $10,000 because of this tax credit. Since it has become so popular to go solar, this has given opportunities for many solar energy companies, like PurePoint Energy, to open the doors for people interested in becoming employed within the Solar Energy industry.

What is the Solar Investment Tax Credit?

The Solar Energy Industries Association states that the Investment Tax Credit or "ITC" is a 30% federal tax credit for solar systems on residential and commercial properties that, under current law, remains in effect through December 31, 2016. Companies use this tax credit for projects that they have installed, developed or financed. Residential tax credits are used towards residential sized projects and homeowners can apply this tax to their income taxes. The credit is used when homeowners purchase solar systems and have them installed on their homes.

How has this affected Connecticut residents and solar companies?

How has this effected Connecticut residents and solar companies?

Ikea in New Haven, Connecticut

"In 2014, Connecticut homeowners and businesses installed 45 Megawatts of solar electricity capacity, making the state the 17th most solarized state out of 50..." according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Connecticut offers incentives that are based on system capacity, like the Connecticut Green Bank. The Connecticut Green Bank calculate their incentive amount by measuring how much energy the house uses on average over a period of 12 months. If the capacity is up to the average; homeowners will expect a generous rebate, if the capacity is lower than the average; they can expect a lower rebate. These incentive programs have helped with the growth of installing solar systems in Connecticut. Connecticut has taken action in becoming more solar, IKEA in New Haven is one of the largest corporate photo-voltaic systems in the state, it has 940 kilowatts of solar capacity in New Haven.

Solar tax credits and incentive programs have helped with Connecticut residents and companies to become more solar and it also has created more jobs. "The Solar power industry has created 31,000 new jobs last year..." according to Solar Jobs Census. Also, more than 170,000 jobs are supported by the installment and maintenance of solar power and there are also over 700,000 jobs in relation to the solar power industry. The growing popularity of solar jobs, account for almost 2% of all new jobs created in the U.S. in 2014. Tax policies have played an important role in creating jobs in Connecticut and the U.S. as a whole.

Why should the Investment Tax Credit be extended?

The Solar Energy Industries Association state three important points as to why the Investment Tax Credit is so important.

1. The ITC has helped annual solar installation grow by over 1,600 percent since the ITC was implemented in 2006 - a compound annual growth rate of 76 percent.
2. Solar employment has grown by 86% in the last four years and is creating jobs at a rate nearly 20 times higher than employment growth in the overall economy.
3. The existence of the ITC through 2016 provides market certainty for companies to develop long-term investments that drive competition and technological innovation, which in turn lower costs for consumers.

Solar energy is one of the best ways to help the world become a better place to live in. It is a great investment . Take advantage of the Solar Investment Tax Credit and schedule an appointment with PurePoint Energy, before time runs out. Visit our website at www.purepointenergy.com for a free consultation. To see what we've been up to, like us on Facebook and visit our Twitter and Instagram.

References: http://www.seia.org/policy/finance-tax/solar-investment-tax-credit http://www.seia.org/research-resources/extend-residential-solar-investment-tax-credit http://www.computerworld.com/article/2870954/solar-industry-jobs-are-growing-at-20-times-the-national-rate.html http://www.theridgefieldpress.com/49405/ridgefield-growing-solar/

Solar PV Array: Orientation and Tilt

A common misconception when it comes to the placement of your solar PV panels is that you can put them anywhere that there is sun light. While it is true that a solar panel will generate electricity when there is sun light, the amount of electricity can vary greatly based on its tilt and orientation. 

Orientation:

In the northern hemisphere the general rule of thumb is that, when possible, you should face your panels "true" south. When using a compass it will point you to magnetic south. True south is about 14° west of magnetic south in CT. So if you are purchasing/ building a ground mounted solar array you will want to make sure that it is facing true south. 

Tilt:

Once you have the proper orientation the next step would be to determine the optimal tilt. A panel will produce most effectively when it is perpendicular to the sun. The suns elevation changes throughout the year so you should take the average elevation/ the latitude for your arrays specific location to use as the tilt. Something to keep in mind is that you may be limited to the engineering specifications. Here in CT we have winds that cause most ground mounted arrays to be restricted to a tilt of ~35° or less. In this case you should tilt the array to that 35° when possible. 

Example: The following will be based on a project in CT at a 41° lattitude

We have a project in New Milford CT that is a top-of-pole mounted solar array. With this type of mount you are able to adjust the tilt of the panels.

The array was installed facing south/ south-west (as seen from Google maps screen shot below). In some cases true south isn't always the best option because of shading or obstructions. For this particular site we adjusted the orientation to avoid shading. 

With this design you are given six different tilt options:

As previously mentioned, our engineers recommend a tilt no greater than
35° for a ground mounted array in CT.

Now that you have installed an array facing true south with the ability to adjust the tilt, the next question is: When and how often should we change the tilt?

We'll first start with how often. Compared to an array that is constantly following the sun (solar tracker) a fixed tilt array will collect approximately 71% of the available energy (assuming ideal conditions). An adjustable array which you change twice a year will yield approximately 75.2%. Finally, if you were to adjust the array four times a year, or every season, you will be able to collect approximately 75.7% of the available sun. 

Given the small benefit increase of changing the tilt more than twice a year we recommend adjusting your array once in the spring in once in the fall. The best dates for a project in CT would be around March 30th and September 12th. 

For this specific project we recommend the 15° setting starting at the end of March through early September. For the fall and winter we recommend no greater than the 35°, again because of engineering loads. 

Solar Fun Fact with Chris

Solar Fun Fact with Greg

Monocrystalline vs. Polycrystalline: Which Solar Panel Is Right For Your Project

If you've been looking into investing in solar PV to help reduce your electricity bills or help the environement you have likely come across two common types of panels, monocrystalline and polycrystalline. We're going to briefly explain the difference and help guide you in your selection.

 

Monocrystalline

Monocrystalline solar panels are made with a single layer of silicon during the Czochralski method. They have a higher efficiency than polycrystalline panels and therefore do better in low light environments. When compared to a polycrystalline panel of the same same size, they are able to create a larger amount of energy out of the same footprint making them a better option for people looking to get as much energy as they can from a limited amount of space.

Polycrystalline

As the name implies polycrystalline panels are comprised of multiple silicon crystals. The processes used in making these panels is both quicker and less expensive to manufacture which translates to a lower cost to the consumer. However, the polycrystalline panels are less efficient than their mono counter parts. In order to get the same amount of energy as monocrystalline panels they would need a larger footprint. If you have a large amount of unobstructed roof space or land that is not being used these slightly lower priced panels may be a better option.

Farms Progressing with Solar

When people think of solar panels, more often than not, they think of them on residential roofs or maybe even spanning large commercial buildings. But with the cost of electricity going up there are other, less obvious structures that are incorporating solar electric systems. Century old farms are beginning to look for an alternative energy source which is both cost effective and safe for the environment.

This has led a number of local Connecticut farms to install solar electric systems on their property. While ground mounts are often a popular choice, some are choosing to use their existing barns as a way to progress with modern technology, without interfering with the valuable land they use to grow crops and feed their livestock. The Hickories of Ridgefield is an organic farm in Ridgefield, CT that has been growing crops for over 2 centuries. They decided they wanted to decrease their carbon foot print as well as their electricity bills and asked PurePoint Energy to make that happen. The end result was a 52 panel, 10.66kW solar array on their west facing barn. Stone Wall Dairy, another organic farm, decided they too wanted a way to offset their electricity usage and felt that solar technology was the way to go. PurePoint Energy designed and installed a 48 panel 10.56kW solar electric system on the barn roof.
Both systems provided a maintenance free, clean energy solution that was cost effective. They were able to take advantage of the available state and federal incentives making this investment decision a no-brainer. These farms will hopefully be the begging of a long list of farms that continue progressing by combining their historical infrastructure with modern technology to help both the agricultural industry as well as the environment.

New Building-Integrated PV: Solar Windows

Skyscrapers like Chicago’s Willis Tower consume huge amounts of energy but have so far been unable to install solar panels because of the comparably small amount of roof space they have. However, solar technology company Pythagoras Solar has now found a way of using the massive amount of sunlight that hits the tall building walls every day.

Pythagoras’s new solar windows are now being tested on a few buildings, including the Willis Tower. The product is the world’s first transparent photovoltaic glass unit, and is used in place of regular windows, which do nothing to offset energy use. The typical window is also a huge burden in the summer; all offices want natural lighting, but that invites more heat for which we then need more air conditioning. The solar window allows light to come in, but can also use it to generate electricity, all in the same product. The panel, like traditional solar panels, still has grids on it, but they resemble a set of open venetian blinds. Other than that, it is also clear, just like an ordinary window. Its silicon PV cells sit between two panes of glass.

Pythagoras Solar’s new product combines the ideas behind self-tinting windows and thin film solar windows, which also tried to control the amount of light let in and generate power. The added aesthetic value of not actually looking like solar panels makes the product more attractive to architects and homeowners, as well. Prices have not been revealed yet, so interested residential customers may have to wait to install them. However, Founder and CEO Gonen Fink estimates that the typical consumer will recoup the cost of the windows after three to five years.

The unit, which has already won GE’s Ecomagination Challenge, joins other BIPV products like solar shingles and solar façade modules in using buildings themselves to generate energy.

With SB1 passed, what has been implemented? Great incentives for CT!

The Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA) is going to be offering a residential solar incentive program which aims to build at least 30 megawatts of solar by 2023. A third of their funds, which is $10 million dollars a year, will now be used toward this new program. CEFIA can structure this incentive in two ways, as an upfront rebate or as performance-based incentives. As funding diminishes over time, so must the incentives and CEFIA plans to keep us updated on the status of their budget via their website.

Taking effect on January 1, 2012 the electric utilities must solicit 15 year contracts with developers for zero-emission Class I renewable energy credits for non-emitting Class I renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar, and micro-hydropower. The budget for this program starts at $8 million per year and will go up to $48 million a year by 2018. These projects must be customer-sited and less than 1 megawatt in size. This project will make it possible for municipalities to install far more solar power than ever before on town buildings and schools, and will be benefit those interested in powering town facilities with wind.

A reform has also been made to the CT Energy Efficiency Fund. The electric and natural gas utilities have been removed as voting members of the Efficiency Fund board, although they are still kept as paid program administrators. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s commissioner/designee is now the chair of the Efficiency Fund’s board. This change in the CT Energy Efficiency Fund board will allow the fund to be more transparent and responsive to outside input.

Speak Your Mind—That’s Wind Power |EMagazine.com

Speak Your Mind—That’s Wind Power EMagazine.com

Let the Sun Shine On Your Face & Power Your Bike While Going For a Ride!

Electric bikes are already a greener way to get around, getting riders about 1,000 miles per gas gallon, but what about riding an electric bike powered by solar energy?! This trend has been gaining popularity in recent years. There are different ways to go about using solar energy to power your electric bike. You can either use a mounted solar panel from your house and/or work to charge the bike’s battery, or mount a solar panel to the bike itself. Electric bikes are actually pretty powerful, requiring 200-500 watts of energy to be stored in their batteries in order to travel a desirable range. Although they may be less efficient than normal solar panels, roll-up solar panels are an easier and more transportable way to acquire solar energy for your electric bike. These roll-up solar panels can come with 25-75 watts of output, they can be put out on your bike while riding, and rolled up to be stored away once you reach your destination. An even newer and upcoming way of traveling on solar energy is the solar electric bike that has photovoltaic panels built in to its wheels! I’ve provided a picture with this blog post to show how unique this bike looks! This particular bike is called the E-V Sunny Bicycle and can go up to 19 mph from its 500 watt motor. It may be a little pricey, but it sure looks cool!  The company who made this bike called it the “first of all solar electric bicycles driven completely from power derived from the sun’s rays”! Would you consider a solar electric bicycle to replace your gas guzzling car??

PurePoint Energy is attending the CT Farm Energy Fair & so should you!!

We will also be giving a presentation between 5-6pm during this event! Don't miss it!

U.S. Solar Market Trends of 2010

While 2008's Great Recession put a damper on the solar market in 2009, steady growth since then meant a boost for the solar market in 2010. This boom, expected to carry into this year, was facilitated by increased capital through recovery after the economic meltdown, in conjunction with financial stimulus and higher consumer demand.

The U.S. Treasury Grant, for example, was enacted by Congress in early 2009 as part of the stimulus package. The program gives the option of a cash grant for installations-this in lieu of Investment Tax Credit, which was a weaker incentive for consumers. The Treasury cash program, which was originally meant to expire at the end of 2010, was later renewed for 2011. It provided $410 million, funding about 40% of non-residential PV installations in 2010, the tax credit levels of which are set to continue until 2016 (cash grants are up for renewal on a yearly basis). Many federal and state government solar installations were also funded by ARRA, while capital markets recovery for 2010 contributed to the growth of non-residential solar installations by 63%. Prices for PV modules decreased as well, by between 14 and 20 percent, providing a stimulus for areas without local policies already; however, financial incentives will continue to determine where the most solar installations are happening.

The number of installations in the residential sector in particular has grown a lot in the past decade. It increased by 64% and accounted for 91% of the grid-connected PV installations in 2010, but only 29% of the capacity; non-residential systems are, on average, ten times as big as residential ones. The overall PV capacity installed in 2010 doubled compared with 2009 and was over eight times the capacity of PV installations in 2006.

California stayed the state with the most installations, largely thanks to a 10 year, $3 billion program called "Go Solar California" that started in 2007. The state also has a steadily increasing RPS requirement mandating that a certain fraction of the electricity supply be provided by renewable energy. It is planning for 20% by 2013, and 33% by 2020 (Connecticut will be requiring 27% by 2020). In contrast, states like Kentucky with no solar RPS policy or few incentives also have relatively few installations.

In 2011, analysts expect there to be continued growth for the solar market, especially for grid-connected PV systems. Installations doubled in nine states, and will spread to more. As in the past, growth for this market will be predominantly determined by federal and state incentives.

Click here for the entire report and additional information.

Recent Research Confirms That Homes With Solar Sell For More!

     Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory in California has conducted a study comparing 2,000 homes equipped with photovoltaics to comparable homes without solar. The Lawrence Berkley lab is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and was conducted by the renewable energy research group, which conducts public-interest studies on renewables, including policies, costs and financing.

     Their research suggests that a house with a 5 kW solar system sells for $19,500 to $32,000 more than comparable homes without solar systems. This is useful and hopeful information for those looking to invest money into PV systems and are worried about being in their homes long enough to earn back the money that they put into their solar investment. This study also found that new homes with PV systems had a lower premium than existing homes, $2.30 to $2.60 per W compared to over $6 per W value.

     This study proves that there can be great financial benefit in more ways that just one when you invest in solar, however local market conditions do vary from state to state. Electricity prices and installation prices do affect the financial benefit of solar, so the next step to take is to apply this study to other states and see if the results coincide with those from California. Overall, the results of this study are very positive for the solar industry. Not only do solar consumers save on their electricity bills, but they can see money coming back to them if they decide to sell their homes.

Are PV trackers worth the extra expense? Once thought not, but times are changing.

To determine whether it is more beneficial to consumers to install regular modules in order to boost site production or to install a tracker it is important to look at the geography of the project at hand. Depending on how much solar radiation an area receives or how much space you have to install the modules will make or break your decision to go with trackers. If you are located in an area with lower levels of solar radiation installing a tracker may not be as beneficial compared to areas that receive more sunlight. However, if you are limited on space for a project, a tracker would be a more efficient way of receiving solar energy. Trackers are also beneficial when working with problematic terrain.


According to Frank A. Middleton, vice president of marketing and chief operating officer at OPEL Solar Inc. based in Shelton, CT choosing to install trackers is typically expected to increase the costs of a project by 4-5%. Middleton believes that the yield increases, which usually reach up to 15-20%, justify the use of trackers for nearly all PV projects. 20 years ago due to the lack of technology that we now have trackers were known to be unreliable, but now with GPS chips trackers require so much less maintenance. The belief that trackers have higher costs than fixed systems is now virtually gone, and in the end you are producing more energy which would make up for any of the equipment that is slightly more expensive.

Today’s trackers follow the sun by using one of two technologies, according to Middleton. The first uses astronomic tracking algorithms, which is tracking the sun by using mathematical equations to determine exactly where it is at all times, while the second is searching for the brightest spot in the sky and adjusting for clouds, reflections from objects, and is more difficult. The first seems to be the preferred technology among many. With new technologies we are now able to track and control our trackers wirelessly! Maintenance, problem solving, and monitoring can all be performed remotely with this new network.

Of course every project is different and it depends on many factors what the best option is for your installation. Taking all these factors into account can help to determine whether it is beneficial to choose trackers versus fixed modules. Trackers, once thought to be too expensive and a hassle, is finally gaining acceptance in the industry as technologies are improving and being perfected.