Solar Panel Mounting Systems

A couple of weeks ago, we discussed how solar can work in the northeastern US with its cold and often snowy weather. It is true that solar performs well in the northeast, but there are other factors to take into account when determining if your home is “solar ready.” Is your roof south facing? Are there trees or other buildings that will block the sun? If trees are an issue can they be trimmed or removed? Is the roof even large enough to fit the size solar system you would like?

Luckily, for those whose homes have one or more of the issues mentioned above, there are viable solutions that will enable your home to incorporate solar. Solar panels are not restricted to a roof-mounted system only. There are other ways to have solar panels and still get maximum efficiency, even if you have an east/west facing roof, or a large tree or building shading your home

Ground Mounted System
A ground mounted system generally has a steel frame and a concrete foundation. These systems are ideal for those who live in rural areas. They can be set back on the property and made to point directly south. They may be a bit bulky, but they are easy to clean off and cost little, if anything more than a roof mounted system.

Pole Mounted System
Pole mounted options are the most expensive of the options, but can be more aesthetically pleasing. In this situation the panels are mounted on top of a steel pole that is anchored into the ground. The additional cost can be offset by the added efficiency of this option. These systems can generally be a couple percentage points more efficient than the other two options due to the fact that the pitch of the panels can be changed throughout the year to capture more sunlight.

To learn more about a solar system that would work best for you home, contact us at Earthsponse today!

-Lisa Dougherty

Micro vs String Inverters

There has been a lot of talk lately about microinverters.  Microinverters are small inverters that mount on the racking system directly under each solar module.  There is a one to one correlation between microinverters and solar modules.  For example, if you have 20, Kyocera KD230GX-LPU modules on your roof, you would have 20 microinverters.  Microinverters have been gaining in popularity lately due to the advance of one manufacturer in particular: Enphase. Enphase recently came out with a new microinverter.  It's the model M215.  The biggest change is that this new inverter comes with a 25 year warranty. For the first time, the inverter warranty last as long as the module warranty.   This could be a game changer for the solar industry.

Some of the benefits of installing microinverters:
-Each module/inverter works independently, so shade affecting one module does not affect the whole system.
- No central point of failure, if one microinverter stops working, the rest of the system still functions
- Truly advanced data logging showing power output at the module level
- No high voltage DC wires to run.  DC-AC conversion takes place at each module on the roof and each microinverter is connected with an AC trunk cable.  This cable is then run down and connected in your main AC panel.

For more info on the M215, visit http://enphase.com/

Call the Earthsponse Solar Solutions Center at 866-94EARTH and ask for a system quote using microinverters, you may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

-Andy Young

Top 5 Reasons to go Solar

5. Energy independence
The installation of solar panels makes you less dependent on foreign energy sources with constantly fluctuating prices. While the supply of fossil fuels decreases each year, causing your neighbor’s energy bills to rise, you can relax knowing that you have access to an infinite supply of clean energy. In fact, every hour, the sun radiates more energy onto the earth than the entire human population uses in one whole year. All we need to do is capture it!

4. It works no matter where you are
The sun shines everywhere. Even in upstate New York in the dead of winter (believe it or not). Solar actually works great in the cold!

3. It’s low maintenance
A misconception about solar panels is that they need a great deal of maintenance to keep them clean and continually producing electricity. This is not the case! Solar panels are virtually maintenance free. Once they are on your roof or in your yard, that’s it. The only moving parts in your solar system are contained in the inverter, which converts the DC power your solar panels generate into AC power, which the appliances in your home use. Concerned about cleaning your solar panels? Rain and other precipitation keep them spotless. If it snows, the panels will still heat from the sun and the snow will slide off. If you choose to go with a ground or pole mount system, snow can be easily brushed off, but it is not necessary. In fact, when you receive your proposal from Earthsponse, a 30 year weather study by Nrel is taken into account, which factors in the days when poor weather conditions may occur.

2. You’re helping the planet
With the noticeable climate change occurring throughout the past few decades, we need to be thinking about the amount of greenhouse gases we are releasing into our environment. Most of the electricity in the U.S. is still coming from non-renewable, polluting sources, such as coal and other fossil fuels. Solar is the perfect remedy!

1. It saves you money!
Perhaps the most important reason to go solar is to save you money on your electric and hot water bills. Your system is constantly producing electricity, even when you are not using it. Through net metering, you can sell that unused electricity back to the grid at the retail price. Not only that, no matter where you are in the U.S. there are incentives to help make solar affordable to you. The federal government provides a tax credit, worth 30% of your system cost, with no cap! Other states provide more incentives. To see what your state has to offer, visit http://dsireusa.org/.

Along with these incentives, solar will add value to your home. Every $1 saved on your utility bill can add up to $20 on your home’s resale price, according to the National Appraisal Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

-Lisa Dougherty

MyGen kits for Wireless

All of the Kyocera MyGen kits provided by Earthsponse come with a great data monitoring function, so you can keep track day to day and hour to hour of exactly how your solar PV system is doing.  All that is necessary is an Internet connection and a cable.   Plug a standard Ethernet CAT5 cable from your home’s Internet router into the special data card that comes in the PVPowered inverters.  That’s it!  You’re ready to data monitor.  Your respective Earthsponse or Earthsponse dealer representative will set up the deck monitoring website using the serial number of the Inverter! 

But what happens if I installed the inverter outside away from my house on a pole or other outbuilding?  Well, your installer will make the judgment call.   If a trench is available, then special underground cable can be run back to the Internet connection in the home or business.  If this isn’t available, then we can hook up a wireless bridge at the Inverter side (requires 120VAC) and a wireless router in the home.  These wireless devices have to be perfectly matched and programmed by your solar professional.  In most case the simple wireless-N protocol is used due to its increased transmission capabilities.  Also the wireless-N frequency ranges have less interference than the standard wireless-B/G protocols in common use today.   Earthsponse has successfully connected a remote inverter to the Internet via wireless connection at a distance of over 300 feet!

For more information on data monitoring with Kyocera MyGen kits and to see a sample visit http://www.deckmonitoring.com/mygen_sample

-Andy Young