So you live in the northeast…PV is perfect for you!

One of the things we most frequently hear at Earthsponse is: Is it worth installing solar panels on my home? I live in upstate NY and the sun rarely shines! The answer to that question is most definitely yes! It is more than worth it. Solar panels can work in all types of weather conditions, and actually perform better in the colder weather. This is because the cold temperatures cause an increase in the conductivity of metal and wires. In fact, PV systems in the northeast region produce roughly 5-10% higher energy output than PV systems in southern states. Of course, this doesn’t mean that southern states shouldn’t invest in solar. The vast space, little obstruction, and constant sunlight make the south a hot spot for solar.

Germany is a great example that constant warm weather isn’t needed for successful solar energy production. Geographically, Germany’s latitude is about the same level as that of North Dakota, a state not typically thought of as an ideal solar spot. And Germany is the world leader in solar! Germany accounted for over 50% of solar installations in the world last year.

Another great reason to think about solar in the northeast is the incentives. The states with SREC markets are primarily in the northeast. (Check out our previous post “SREC FAQs” to learn more!) Massachusetts and New Jersey are the two states with the highest SREC values of any state. There are also utility rebates and state tax credits to take advantage of in various different states that could cover a large portion of the install cost. To find out what state specific incentives you can take advantage of visit: http://dsireusa.org/solar/index.cfm?ee=1&RE=1&spf=1&st=1

-Lisa Dougherty

Countries that Love Solar Energy

Solar energy is one of the most rapidly growing markets in the United States. With a growth of 67% just last year, solar became the fastest growing energy sector in the U.S. But where in the world is solar most popular? For 2010 the top 5 countries in solar generated energy were: Germany, Italy, The Czech Republic, Japan and the U.S.

Germany topped the list, reporting that they had installed 7,400 MW of solar PV. December alone saw over 1,000 MW of solar installed. In fact, Germany has been a leader in renewables for some time now. A 2010 report shows that Germany generates nearly 17% of its electricity from renewable sources, and plans on raising that figure to 37% by 2020.

Italy is installed more solar PV in two months than California did in one year, and California is the solar leader in the U.S. and has a similarly sized geographic area to Italy. By the year 2020, Italy hopes to have 30 GW of solar installed. The original goal of 8 GW was completed ahead of schedule.

The Czech Republic has seen extremely rapid growth in the solar industry in the past few years. From 2008 to the end of 2010 the amount of solar installed by The Czech Republic rose from 66 MW to an enormous 1,820 MW.
Japan is fourth on the list, just ahead of the U.S. Renewables only account for 1.3% of total energy use, but Japan has set high goals. Since the tragedy in March, Japan has abandoned their nuclear expansion plans. They instead hope to have 10 million solar powered homes by 2020.

Lastly, the United States has been working hard to keep up in the renewables industry. As mentioned above, solar grew 67% just last year. Renewables accounted for over 11% of the domestically produced electricity in the United States. In 2009 President Obama called to double this amount in the following 3 years.

-Lisa Dougherty

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