SB1: An act concerning Connecticut’s energy future. A bright future for CT!

With the vote from the state Senate being 36-0, all Democrats and Republicans agreed, SB1, supported by Governor Malloy, was finally passed last Tuesday, June 7, 2011. The bill will become effective on July 1, 2011. The general statutes of SB1 are amended to establish policies, programs and procedures to reduce electricity costs, promote renewable energy, and create financing mechanisms for energy improvements that Connecticut has been in need of.

From 2008 to 2010 Connecticut fell from 8th to 18th in the nation for solar power installations. Kind of pathetic considering that at its peak Connecticut was in the top three! Luckily, its been realized that action must be taken to change this! The solar provisions made in this bill are to help Connecticut move back towards renewable energy sources. Connecticut is losing in the race against other states in providing clean energy and losing business to its surrounding states, such as New Jersey and Massachusetts.

With SB1 being passed, there is now a greater hope for expanding Connecticut’s future in renewable energy. For Connecticut ratepayers SB1 means reduced rates and decreases in costs, and the creation of what is called a “Green Bank”. The new funding model of the “Green Bank” allows for leveraging the ratepayer fees the fund already gets, private capital and other money. The legislation also dramatically expands the fund's purview beyond the solar rebate and other limited clean energy projects to include things like electric and natural gas infrastructure projects. Among the provisions is the commercial solar program to become part of a renewable energy credit system that includes other types of zero-emission energy sources and utilities are required to buy energy from them through long-term contracts. Municipalities may establish a Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, program to do energy efficiency and renewable energy work that is repaid through an assessment on property taxes. This also authorizes municipalities to do energy retrofits through performance contracts that use the money from energy savings to pay for the work. The provisions set forth for this bill are in the best interest for the consumer and for the government in a desperately needed movement towards renewable energy sources.

Economic Benefits of Commercial Buildings Using Solar Power

In the past, commercial building owners had to pay large upfront sums of money to install solar arrays and it was not economically viable for most people.  However, solar power has become much more affordable for commercial buildings due to the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.  They are offering a DG grant for commercial buildings, which will award $2.00 per watt up to a 100 kW system and $1.25 per watt beyond that.  This will reduce the price by nearly a third!

An average 30 kW system size could produce approximately $6,000 worth of electricity in the first year.  The electric savings combined with the DG grant and tax incentives could produce a payback in 5 years or less.  In other words, it will take 5 years or less until the savings equal the cost.  Beyond that, the solar panels will result in raw savings especially since electricity costs average an increase of 5% each year.

In addition to cutting down utility costs, solar panels increase property value tremendously.  According to a study published in The Appraisal Journal, a property’s value is increased by $20 for every $1 reduction in energy costs.  On top of that, the US Department of Energy’s renewable energy office has found that property with solar panels will sell twice as fast as property without solar panels.  There are various renovations that commercial property owners could make in order to save money, but it’s hard to argue that solar power isn’t the top priority.

Insuring your Solar Panels

When deciding whether to go solar, insurance is sometimes not the first thing on someone’s mind. However you will be reassured to know that unlike the scare stories of customers once being punished for going green, it is now very straight forward*.

Residential properties: For roof mounted systems an installation attached to a property would be included under any existing dwelling coverage policies. The new installation however should be declared to the insurance company and may require the coverage amount to be raised to cover the value of the new installation.

Ground mounted residential systems would also be covered within the residential policy under ‘Other Structures’ (usually 10% of the main dwelling cost). As above, an insurance company should be notified about the installation, to ensure the Property cover is suitable to include the new installation. Wind turbines, not attached to a house would also fall within this classification.

Commercial Properties: Like any building owned by a company, solar installations would be classed as building property and therefore covered under existing commercial insurance policies. All Solar PV systems should be declared, and coverage increased to incorporate the value of the new installation.

* This blog contains only general information, and should be used as reference only. PurePoint Energy encourages anyone considering solar PV to contact their own insurance company for specific details before completing any installation.

PurePoint Energy UGE Training

PurePoint Energy's Team visited the Big Apple on Monday to attend the Urban Green Energy distributor training session. UGE was ready and able to answer all the questions we had regarding their products and to discuss in detail their product line including the new Sanya Hybrid Street Lamp. Along with other distributors from across the country, we were able to get hands on experience with assembling the Eddy 600 watt wind turbine. Their other turbine sizes include the 1kW Eddy GT, and 4kW UGE-4k  which are all available through PurePoint Energy, a certified Urban Green Energy distributor.

Part 4: Costs of Owning Solar Panels; What You Should Expect

What's New with Renewable Energy? Part 4

One great aspect of solar panels is that they don't require much maintenance. A lack of moving parts can be credited for the generally low maintenance costs along with well made materials. Lets talk about some costs that a solar panel owner may run into.  On the lower end of the scale there are items such as wiring, nuts, bolts, frames etc. that may need replacement or repair over the panel’s lifetime. Items that may need to be replaced before the end of the panel’s lifetime that is more on the expensive side are the inverters. The two types of inverters are  central inverters and micro inverters. Central inverters are usually located in a central area where the panels, which are wired in a series, are connected and the power is converted from DC to AC. They usually come with a 10 year warranty.  Micro inverters are located on the back of  each solar panel where the conversion takes place. If one panel is not producing power, lets say because of an obstruction, the rest of the panels can still function independently where as with a central inverter if one panel is not working, the rest will most likely be effected as well due to their series setup. The micro inverters usually have  a 15 year warranty. The downside to the micro type is they are more expensive and there is a chance multiple inverters may need maintenance or replacement where as central inverters would only have one. The price of replacing an inverter can range from approximately $1200-$2000. Other than the parts mentioned there is little to no possible cost, making solar panels an even more appealing investment.

Maintaining Your Solar Investment (Part 3)

Can a Homeowner Maintain a Solar System?

There's one question that every homeowner looking to make a long term investment in solar power will be asking. Can I maintain what I'm buying? To people who are not familiar with solar systems the technical jargon and futuristic appearance may be slightly intimidating. But in reality you, as homeowner, will have little to worry about once everything is installed. After finding a qualified installer the next step is maintaining your investment. What's great about solar systems is that they are built to last. They are made to withstand harsh conditions and have no moving parts. So your only task is to allow the panels to keep producing electricity. In order to do that you need to keep them clean and free from any obstructions that can block the all important sun. In most cases you will only need to rinse down the panels a few times a year. If you live in an area that doesn't recieve much rain this may need to be done more frequently. In our February 4th article "Cleaning your Solar Panels" we give you the list of tools and strategies you may need to keep your panels performing at their best.

A service contract can usually be purchased along with your solar panel purchase although it may not be necessary depending on your ability to DIY. Most solar panels systems come with a warranty from 5-10yrs, so within that time span any issues that may arise with be fixed. However basic up keep is very minmum and can easily be done by the homeowner. If an issue does come about after the warranty, there are companies that can be hired to come and fix it. Other than cleaning, inspections should be done by the owner to look for hanging wires, animal nests or anything else out of the ordinary. (PurePoint Energy offers maintenance as well as installation for both ground mounted and roof mounted systems.)

(picture from- http://www.brockbuildersinc.com/422/residential-solar-panels-save-money-and-energy/)

Ground Mount Vs. Roof Mount

  So you decided to invest in solar panels for your home, and why wouldn't you its a great way to save money and do your part to help the environment simultaneously. You have a good grasp of the technology used and how it all works but now its time to decide where your going to put them. When most people think of solar panels they automatically picture them on roofs. But what they don't realize is that there are also ground mounted systems, each having their own pros and cons.

  

  Their are a few things that need to be looked at in if a roof mounted system is what you have in mind. The first and probably most important aspect that needs to be taken into consideration is, whether your roof will allow your panels to have the optimal southern sun exposure while also not being obstructed by shade form other nearby objects like buildings or trees.  Also does your roof provide enough space  for the solar panels. A 1000 watt system may need 100 – 200 square feet of area, depending on the type of PV module. If you did the measurements and your thinking your roof has the square footage needed, keep in mind the design of your roof as well as any  extras it may have (chimney, sky lights etc.) that can potentially affect the amount of usable space and cost of your system. Now if everything checks out and your roof is suitable for a roof mounted PV system then you can now move on to the next step, but if you find that it isn't or the cost is too high given the above conditions (or lack there of) a ground mounted system may be your future. 

(image:http://kissmyface.typepad.com/photos/green_power/sun-powering-our-solar-panels.html)

  Ground mounted systems make panel orientation much easier because they can be built to face any direction to maximize sun exposure. Cooler temperatures are ideal for solar panel use. If you have the space for a ground mounted setup air flow is much greater under the panels in comparison to their roof counter parts so there is a slight performance increase, although not significant. It does take more materials to build a ground system because it needs a place to be mounted and the wiring needs to be trenched to connect the panel(s) to the house. 

Lets review the pros cons:

Roof-Mounted

Pros :

• Depending on the pitch and orientation of your roof, it may be possible to install the solar panels out of view.
• Beyond standard equipment, rooftop solar energy systems typically don’t require a lot of additional racking and other mounting hardware that's needed for ground-mounted systems.
• Solar roofs make productive use of space that would otherwise go unused, as noted above.
• Related to the previous point, solar roofs don’t eat up land that could otherwise be productively put to use. This consideration is particularly important when it comes to larger commercial and utility-scale projects, which can take up multiple football fields’ worth of space. 

Cons:

• Shade, from trees or nearby buildings, can be a real problem.
• Sometimes a roof is too small to accommodate enough solar panels to suit the family’s energy needs.
• Roofs with lots of contours or other funky shapes can see increase costs associated with solar energy system design and installation. In the worst case, oddly shaped roofs don’t have enough uninterrupted area to accommodate the panels.
• It can be a bit more expensive to install solar panels on some kinds of roofs (like clay tile and wood shake shingle roofs) than it is on others (asphalt shingle).
• It can be kind of a pain to clean/rinse off the panels. Usually a rain shower does the trick. But if you live in a low-rainfall area that gets a lot of dust, this may be a consideration.

Ground-Mounted 

Pros :

• It’s relatively easy to optimize the placement of the solar panels in order to maximize their electricity output. Unlike a roof -- the pitch and orientation of which is already set -- a ground-mounted array can be built so that it captures the most sunlight possible throughout the year.
• While unusual for residential projects, it’s possible to install a tracking system with a ground-mounted system. (Note, too, that tracking systems increase the cost of solar installation.) 
• Solar panels perform best in cooler temperatures. More air tends to circulate behind the solar panels of a ground-mounted array than those of a rooftop system. Because ground-mounted panels manage to stay cooler, they often outperform their solar roof counterpart. (The difference in performance, however, is admittedly not that noticeable.)

Cons:

• Ground-mounted solar systems typically require additional racking and mounting equipment, which can increase the cost of solar installation.
• There may not be enough usable room on your property to accommodate a ground-mounted solar energy system.
• It may not be possible to find an inconspicuous area to install the solar panels on your property, which may prompt aesthetic objections by you (or your family members). Usually, however, a solar installer can work with you to design an array that addresses these concerns. 
• Ground-mounted solar energy systems may come with added costs for trenching. “Trenching” means digging a trench to bury the electrical wiring that runs from the solar panels to your home. If you live in an area with really rocky soil, or there would be a long distance between the solar panels and your home, the added costs for trenching and burying conduit could be substantial. 

(getsolar.com)