Go Solar, Really!

While the remnants of Hurricane Erika probably kept some people away from the Miami Beach Home & Design Remodeling Show this fall, the crowds ogling granite counter tops and high end kitchen appliances still seemed curiously thinner than years past.  However, our booth – Electron Solar Energy – was packed with people asking thoughtful questions and exhibiting real curiosity about what it means to “Go Solar.”

Considering how relatively new the subject of small scale renewable energy is to the general public, it is hardly a simple question to answer, and can be done best by addressing the three major concerns that consumers have price, quality, and aesthetics.  Since each of these component parts can take up chapters in a book, I think it best to address them each in turn.

By far the first question that people ask us is, “How expensive is it?” In light of the recent economic upheaval, this is hardly an unfair question to ask, however, never before has our country seen an administration in Washington that is so friendly to renewable energy.  While the outright cost of renewable energy systems is still relatively expensive, when you add in Federal and State tax incentives and grants, there has never been a better time to start thinking seriously about renewables.   I use the word renewables primarily to cover solar and wind since they are the most accessible for small to medium scale use (homes, farms, business) to harness.

The first and probably most important incentive is a 30% tax credit by the Federal Government that can be taken as a deduction off of your taxes, or as a direct grant – where the government sends you a check.  $50,000, five kilowatt solar PV system, now costs only $35,000.  While the 30% tax credit is expected to remain in effect for at least a couple of years, the option of taking it as a grant will probably close up as soon as the money runs out – think Cash For Clunkers.

The second set of incentives are offered by individual states and the various power companies, these are far too numerous to list, the online DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency) has an exhaustive list that is constantly updated.

Trying to decipher the various incentives can be quite the headache, however, any reputable renewable energy company will be well acquainted with all the various nuances.  After all, it’s our best interest to make sure that you are getting the best deal possible.  Without incentives, renewable energy systems now have an 18 to 22 year payback, with incentives that time is shortened to 7 to 10.

Now taking into account a 7 to 10 year payback, the next question that we hear most often is, “what type of quality are we getting?”

A solar panel is made up of a silicon wafer sandwiched between layers of conductive material and protected by glass, wrapped in an aluminum frame.  There are no moving parts.  Solar panels are built to last, the mechanics of a panel are basically pretty low-tech, therefore, it is easy to tell if you are getting quality panels.

When you’re looking at panel to see if you’re getting a good product, take a look at the panel.  Does the frame seem sturdy?   Is it well constructed?  As for the “wafers,” if you can see the inner “wire weave,” look to see if they’re all interconnected, see if they’re all straight and line up properly perpendicular and parallel.  If you look closely you’ll be able to see any imperfections easily with the naked eye.

For our clients, we typically like to go with the big name manufacturers, the companies that we all know and respect: GE, BP Solar, Mitsubishi, Sanyo, just to name a few.  The basic idea is this, if you’re going to invest tens of thousands of dollars into your home with a payback of 7 to 10 years you want to make sure that those panels are going to be around for 20 or 25 years.   All the major manufacturers have a least a 20 year power guarantee on their panels.

Regarding aesthetics, a chief complaint among homeowners, well, they’re working on it but affordability is the primary factor.  While the clunky set of aluminum frame panels is still the most common installation that we do, manufacturers have been attempting to produce architecturally appealing alternatives.

You may have read in other publications that someday we’ll be painting our home with photovoltaic paints, or printing out solar cells on our computer printers with special inks.

Let’s get real.  Those technologies are far off from being available on an affordable scale any time soon, or ten, fifteen or even twenty years from now.  However, there is still some middle ground between clunky and futuristic.

One option is to go with a thin film flexible, I used these on my house (see pictures below) and can say from experience that they’re great.  The panels are about 1/8 th of an inch thick and resemble rubber mats, with a super sticky glue on the back peal off the backing and stick them to your roof just like giant stickers, very easy to install and virtually maintenance free.  Another alternative is a bifacial panel, where the wafer is “floating” between two layers of glass leaving ample room for light to filter through – much like a skylight with solar wafers embedded in the glass.

There are even a couple of companies that are making solar roofing shingles that integrate seamlessly into an existing roof.

With all of these options, the basic difference is going to be cost and efficiency how well do these panels produce power versus how much they cost.  Hopefully, by naming a couple options, I’ve helped stimulate some curiosity where you might want to start investigating a little further.

Solar is no great mystery, it’s a technology that’s been in use for decades, it’s only now that we need to better acquaint ourselves with the possibilities.  We see that it’s affordable and that it works and that it can fit our lifestyle.

Get educated.   Go Solar.

Check out www.electronsolarenergy.com for more information.

by Ken Fields

Ken Fields is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Electron Solar Energy, a fully integrated renewable energy company based in sunny South Florida.  Having completed over 500 jobs in 23 countries, the company is happy to help, educating being the first step.