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| 1)Isn't solar too expensive? | 1) No, the price of other energy sources don't reflect the environmental damage they cause. Solar has few of the hidden subsidies that are associated with other energy sources. Unlike conventional power, solar electicity provides a return on investment. Utility power can never "payback", as it is an expense. A solar electric system costs about the same as a hot tub or a mid-range automobile. (neither of which will provide a "payback") | |
| 2) Will solar work in Washington? How about Seattle? | 2)Yes, It is the sun that makes Seattle the “Emerald City”. When the long days of summer are making our trees grow, we have a great solar resource. Net metering allows us to “store” that summer sun for the rains of winter by spinning our meters backwards. During the three summer months Seattle gets 97% as much sun as San Diego. On an annual basis, Seattle gets about 1/3 less than San Diego. Seattle recieves about 3.5 average peak sun hours per year. so a 1Kw solar array will generate about 1000 kWh's per year. | |
| 3)How much does a solar electric system cost? | 3)A carefully shopped 1kW solar electric system with an easy installation can be as low as 8 thousand dollars. The more carefully you shop, the more money your system will earn for you. In Seattle a 1kW system should produce about 1000 kW hours per year. Remember, after it has paid itself off it will continue to produce power for many years. A solar electric system is not a cost, it is an investment, it is more like buying stocks and bonds than paying an electric bill. |
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| 4) How long will a solar electric system last? |
4) The first commercial solar modules commercially produced in 1955 are still operating. Solar modules come with a 20 to 25 year warrantee that they not drop below 80-90 % of their performance when brand new. Inverters last from 5 to twenty years, and their price is decreasing all the time. A solar system you invest in today should be earning you money 30 years from now? |
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| Net Metering | ||
| 1) What is "net metering? | 1) Net metering measures the difference between the electricity you buy from your utility and the electricity you produce using your own generating equipment. Your electric meter keeps track of this "net" difference as you generate electricity and take electricity from the electric grid. | |
| 2) Am I elegible for net metering? | 2) In Washington, any residential or small commercial electricity customer who generates at least some of their electricity is potentially eligible for net metering. Your generating system must be powered by solar, hydro, wind, energy, or some combination of these resources, or it could also be a fuel cell. In any case, it must not exceed 25 kilowatts of peak power output. Your utility should be able to tell you if your electric account is the right type. | |
| 3) What are the technical requirements for net metering? | 2) A net metering system used by a home owner or business must include at the customer's own expense, all equipment necessary to meet applicable safety, power quality, and interconnection requirements established by the national electrical code, national electrical safety code, the institute of electrical and electronics engineers, and underwriters laboratories. | |
| 4) What are the benefits of net metering to me? | 4) First, net metering allows you to get full retail value for most, it not all, of the electricity you produce. It does this by permitting you to put any excess electricity you generate back into the electric grid and retrieve it later, free of charge, for your use. Your excess electricity now offsets electricity you would otherwise have to buy at full retail prices. Getting this high retail value for your excess electricity makes owning your own generating system more cost-effective. Secondly, because net metering permits you to effectively "store" your excess electricity on the electric grid, you can also now size your system larger and offset more of your annual electricity needs. Without net metering to give value to this "excess" electricity, you might otherwise make your generating system smaller to minimize the amount of time your system produces electricity in excess of your immediate needs. Unfortunately, a smaller system also means that you would produce less electricity when you did need it. Without net |
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| 5) How does net metering "store" electricity? | 5) Net metering allows you to use the electric grid, and the company that otherwise supplies you with electricity, as if it were a big, free battery. There will be times when your electricity needs are less than the amount of electricity your generating system is providing at the moment. Your generating system puts the excess electricity you do not need back into the electric grid to be used by others and allows you to take this same amount of electricity back out of the electric grid. Net metering permits you to "bank" your excess electricity and then withdraw it from the grid free for your use later that day, or even months later. When you withdraw your "banked" electricity, you save not having to buy this amount of electricity from your electric service provider. For example, on a sunny summer day when no one is home, a photovoltaic (solar) generating system might produce more electricity than needed at the time. Conversely, in the evening, when everyone is home, electricity needs would exceed the output of the system. Most electric meters measure electricity moving both into and out of your home or business. Generally, we are taking electricity from the electric grid for our needs. The meter runs "forward" as it counts up the kilowatt hours we have consumed. But if you generate electricity with a photovoltaic or wind generating system and you make more electricity than you need, net metering legally allows this excess electricity to run the other way through the meter and back into the electric grid. Just like running your car in reverse, the meter now turns backwards. Net metering, thus, might result in your meter turning backwards at mid-day when the sun is the strongest and running forwards at night when a solar system stops operating. If you put 10 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of excess electricity into the electric grid during the day, net metering allows you to take 10 kWh of electricity out of thegrid later and pay nothing for them. In effect, you are allowed to "bank" these 10 kWh and use them later to offset your need to buy 10 kWh. Thus, you can get full retail value for the electricity you generate. | |
| 6) Who offers net metering? | 6) Under Washington law, all public and private utilities, including cooperatives, must offer net metering. | |
| 7) How will I be billed under net metering? | 7) Just as they do presently, your utility will continue to read your meter monthly. However, with net metering, they will not send you a monthly bill. Instead, they will send you a monthly statement showing the net amount of electricity you consumed that month or the net amount generated and put into the electric grid. If you ran the meter backwards more than forwards, you would be a net generator for that month. If you took more electricity from the electric grid than you fed back, you would be a net consumeryour utility will bill you for only the amount of net electricity consumed over the last twelve months. If instead you were a net generator over the past year, the utility is not required to buy any net generation. However, some utilities might buy your net generation, or even arrange a more favorable contract that pays you a premium above the retail rate for your "green" environmentally friendly power.. | |
| 8) How do I sign up for net metering? | 8) It's simple. Just contact your utility and ask about their net metering agreement. If you have a large utility company, they may be a bit slow. Some large utilities in Washington still do not have their policies in place. You may be able to help them develop one by installing even a small solar electric system | |
| 9) Can I use my current electric meter for net metering? | 10) Generally, yes. Most residential and small commercial customers have simple meters that are already capable of turning in both directions (bi-directional). Some utilities may want two meters for net metering, one meter to measure all electricity flowing into your home or business and one measuring the excess you are putting into the electric grid. If a utility wants two, one-way (uni-directional) meters, by law they, not you, must pay for them. You are only responsible for having a single, bi-directional meter, the type most residential and small commercial customers already have. | |
| Common Misconceptions About Net Metering | ||
| 1) If my generating system produces more electricity than I need, my electric service provider must buy it from me. | 1) Wrong: Utilities may, but are not required to, purchase any excess electricity you produce at the end of each year of your net metering agreement. State law assures that your utility does not have to buy your net generation. However, some utilities in Washington, especially those specializing in selling "green" electricity, may be willing to buy your excess solar or wind electricity for resale to their other customers. | |
| 2) My electric service provider will pay me full retail rates for my excess electricity. | 2) Wrong: If they are willing to buy this "net" annual generation, they do not have to pay you full retail prices for it. While the actual rate paid would be up to the ESP, it would likely be less than retail and closer to "wholesale" rates, which are much lower. | |
| 3) I will have to spend hundreds of dollars on special meters, inspections or fees to get my system hooked up to the electric grid. | 3) Wrong: You are only responsible for having a simple, bi-directional meter, the type you probably already have. If your generating system meets national safety and performance standards, you cannot be charged for additional tests, certification or fees. | |
| 4) The kilowatt-hours of electricity I might still need to buy from an ESP will cost me more than before I became a net metered customer. | 4) Wrong: Your ESP cannot charge you anything extra for being a net metered customer and no charges can be imposed on the electricity you generate. | |
| Getting a solar electric system installed | ||
| 1) Who sells and installs solar electric systems? |
2)In some locations, finding a solar electric provider can be as simple as picking up the telephone directory and looking under “Solar Energy Equipment and Systems— Dealers.” Be aware, however, that many of those listings are for solar water-heating companies. Many of these companies may not be experienced in solar electric system design or installation. Similarly, many electrical contractors, although proficient in typical electrical contracting work, may not have expertise in solar electric or with residential roof-mounting techniques. How do you identify solar electric system providers? Here are several suggestions. Check the Directory of the U.S. Solar lectric Industry, which is posted at the following Web address: http://www. eren.doe.gov/solar electric/solar electricdirectory.html • Contact the Solar Energy Industries Association for a list of Unless you are skilled in solar electric installation, you should consider hiring a reputable professional contractor with experience in installing solar electric systems. |
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| 2) How do I choose among solar electric providers? | 2) Compile a list of prospective solar electric providers. You might first consider those closest to you, because the contractors travel costs might add to your system price. Next, contact these providers and find out what products and services they offer. The following questions may give you a good sense of their capabilities:
Has the company installed grid-connected solar electric systems? If not, has it installed grid-independent solar electric systems?Experience installing grid-connected systems is valuable because some elements of the installation—particularly interconnection with the local utility—are unique to these systems. Because grid-connected systems are relatively uncommon, most contractors with solar electric experience have worked only on systems such as those that power remote cabins far from the nearest utility line. This means they have experience with all aspects of solar electric system installation except the connection with the utility grid. Although grid-connection work is different from “off-grid” work, a competent company with solar electric experience should not be eliminated just because it has not installed grid-connected solar electric systems in the past. In fact, experience with off-grid systems is valuable because grid-independent systems are more technically complicated than grid-tied systems. How many years of experience does the company have installing solar electric systems? This issue speaks for itself: A company or contractor that has been in business a long time has demonstrated an ability to work with customers and to compete effectively with other firms. • Possession of a solar contractor specialty license, issued by a local building jurisdiction, that recognizes—through testing or Does the company have any pending or active judgements or liens against it? As with any project that requires a contractor, due diligence is recommended. The Washington State Electrical Board at the Department of Labor and Industries can tell you about any judgments or complaints against a state-licensed electrician. Consumers should call the city and county in which they live for additional information on how to check up on contractors. The Better Business Bureau is another source of information on contractors. |
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| 3) How do I choose among competing bids? | 3) If you have decided to get more than one bid for the installation of your solar electric system (and it's generally a good idea to do so), you should take steps to ensure that all of the bids you receive are made on the same basis. For example, comparing a bid for a system mounted on the ground against another bid for a rooftop system is like comparing apples to oranges. Similarly, different types of solar electric modules generate more electricity per square foot than others. Bids should clearly state the maximum generating capacity of the system (measured in watts or kilowatts). If possible, have the bids specify the system capacity in “AC watts” under a standard set of test conditions, or specify the output of the system at the inverter. You may want to obtain some estimate of the amount of energy that the system will produce on an annual basis (measured in kilowatt-hours). Because the amount of energy depends on the amount of sunlight—which varies by location, season, and year to year—it is unrealistic to expect a specific figure. A range of ±20% is more realistic. Bids also should include the total cost of getting the solar electric system up and running, including hardware, installation, connection to the grid, permitting, sales tax, and warranty. Your warranty is a very important factor for evaluating bids. A solar rebate program may require that systems be covered by, say, a two-year parts-and-labor written installation warranty, in addition to any manufacturers' warranties on specific components. The installer may offer longer warranties. Also ask yourself, “Will this company stand behind the full-system warranty for the next two years?” | |
| 4) Is the lowest price the “best deal”? | 4) It might not be. Often, you get what you pay for. Remember that a solar overhead and operating expenses that must be covered. It's always possible Companies that plan to stay in business must charge enough for their margin. Therefore, price should not be your only consideration. | |
| 5) What about permits? | 5) Most likely, you will need to obtain permits from your city or county building department. You will probably need a building permit, an electrical permit, or both before installing a solar electric system. Typically, your solar electric provider will take care of this, rolling the price of the permits into the overall system price. However, in some cases, your solar electric provider may not know how much time or money will be involved in “pulling” a permit. If so, this task may be priced on a time-and-materials basis, particularly if additional drawings or calculations must be provided to the permitting agency. In any case, make sure the permitting costs and responsibilities are addressed at the start with your solar electric provider. Code requirements for solar electric systems vary somewhat from one jurisdiction to the next, but most requirements are based on the National Electrical Code (NEC). The NEC has a special section, Article 690, that carefully spells out requirements for designing and installing safe, reliable, code-compliant solar electric systems. Because most local requirements are based on the NEC, your building inspector is likely to rely on Article 690 for guidance in determining whether your solar electric system has been properly designed and installed. If you are among the first people in your community to install a grid-connected solar electric system, your local building department may not have approved one of these systems. If this is the case, you and your solar electric provider can speed the process by working closely and cooperatively with your local building officials to help educate them about the technology and its characteristics.
If you live in a community in which a homeowners association requires approval for a solar system, you or your solar electric provider may need to submit your plans. Gain approval from your homeowners association before you begin installing your solar electric system. Under the law in some states, you have the right to install a solar system on your home. |
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| 6) What about insurance? | 6) Your electric utility will require you to enter into an interconnection agreement, described more fully in the next section. Usually, these agreements set forth minimum insurance requirements that you must keep in force. If you are buying a solar electric system for your home, your standard homeowner’s insurance policy is usually adequate to meet the utility’s requirements. | |
| 7) What about warranties? | 7) Warranties are key to ensuring that your solar electric system will be repaired if something should malfunction during the warranty period. Solar electric systems eligible for some solar rebate programs must carry a full (not “limited”) two-year warranty, in addition to any manufacturers’ warranties on specific components. This warranty should cover all parts and labor, including the cost of removing any defective component, shipping it to the manufacturer, and reinstalling the component after it is repaired or replaced. The rebate program’s two-year warranty requirement supercedes any other warranty limitations. In other words, even if the manufacturers own warranty on a particular component is less than two years, the system vendor must still provide you with a two-year warranty. Similarly, even if the manufacturer’s warranty is a limited warranty that does not include the cost of removing, shipping, and reinstalling defective components, the system vendor must cover these costs if the retailer also installed the system. Be sure you know who is responsible for honoring the various warranties associated with your system—the installer, the dealer, or the manufacturer. The vendor should disclose the warranty responsibility of each party. Know the financial arrangements, such as contractor's bonds, that assure the warranty will be honored. Remember that a warranty does not guarantee that the company will remain in business. Get a clear understanding of whom you should contact if there is a problem. Under some solar rebate programs, vendors must provide documentation that specifies information on system and component warranty coverage and claims procedures. To avoid any later misunderstandings, be sure to read the warranty carefully and review the terms and conditions with your retailer. |
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| 8) How can I finance the cost of my solar electric system? | 8) There is nothing magical about financing the cost of purchasing and installing your solar electric system. Although there are some special programs available for financing solar and other renewable-energy investments, most of the options will be familiar to you. The best way to finance solar electric systems for homes is through a mortgage loan. Mortgage financing options include your primary mortgage, a second mortgage such as a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Title 1 loan, or a home-equity loan that is secured by your property. There are two advantages to mortgage financing. First, mortgage financing usually provides longer terms and lower interest rates than other loans such as conventional bank loans. Second, the interest paid on a mortgage loan is generally deductible on your federal taxes (subject to certain conditions). If you buy the solar electric system at the same time that you build, buy, or refinance the house on which the solar electric system will be installed, adding the cost of the solar electric system to your mortgage loan is likely to be relatively simple and may avoid additional loan application forms or fees. If mortgage financing is not available, look for other sources of financing, such as conventional bank loans. Remember to look for the best possible combination of low rate and long term. This will allow you to amortize your solar electric system as inexpensively as possible. Because your solar electric system is a long-term investment, the terms and conditions of your solar electric financing are likely to be the most important factor in determining the effective price of your SOLAR ELECTRIC-generated power. Solar electric systems purchased for business applications are probably best financed through a company's existing sources of funds for capital purchases—usually Small Business Administration loans or conventional bank loans. | |