Posts Tagged ‘Solar’

With a solar water heater, the cost is concentrated around the operational costs rather than the fixed cost. While picking a heater, it is a good idea to go figure how much it will cost you to operate each and then compare and pick the best one. The US Dept. of Energy gives you a formula to do this:

365 × 41,045/SEF × Fuel Cost (Btu) = estimated annual cost of operation

Where SEF is Solar Energy Factor – provided by the manufacturer of the heater and fuel cost is the cost of the fuel used to run the auxiliary tank – provided by your local utility provider. The fuel cost could be in British thermal units (Btu) or therms. Once you have this answer, you can compare it with other heating methods and solar heaters.

Installation of the solar water heater will be undertaken by the provider. As with the PV system, you need to ensure that your provider is experienced in installing the type of system you need and is licensed to do so. Since solar water heaters take up some space in and around the house, you will need to check with local building authorities, community laws and also state laws. Your provider should be easily able to install a system that meets all these requirements.

Maintenance of a solar water heater is very important not only to maintain efficiency but also safety. Solar systems are prone to corrosion, freezing and general plumbing issues. Your provider should be able to brief you on issues related to your particular system and also offer periodic inspections. With regular basic cleaning, routine check ups can be held even once in 3-5 years. Generally, opt for a passive system with no moving parts if you wish to minimize maintenance.

Installing a PV system is not difficult, however it is best left to experts. At Laupen we install solar electric systems in remodeling and green building projects. Generally the company that provides with solar system will take care of proper installation and get the system up and running. Or, as in the case of Laupen, who follow the design build model, it will be the contractors of your building project.

A solar electric system has many different components that are placed in different locations all over your home and have to be wired together properly. A stand alone/independent grid is the smallest in terms of component parts and a grid inter-tied with battery backup is the largest. The entire set-up will be done by the installers, after taking into account which system will work best for your needs and also fulfill requirements of state law, local building authority and power provider. There are a few things you need to ensure are done by the installers:

1. Checking the site of installation for year round incident sunlight, and more importantly – shading – in order to figure out which spot would provide optimal usage. Installers have their own equipment for doing this. Also, industry norms generally ask that homes in the northern hemisphere install solar panels facing the south or south-east and south-west directions. In some cases even east or west would do.

2. Installation of solar panels such that they are exposed to air, or well ventilated, to keep them from heating up.

Apart from installation, a PV system also needs periodic check ups to ensure efficiency. Ideally, this should be covered by your system provider. The solar panels or PV array is very low maintenance and you only have to inspect it at intervals to remove dust and debris.

PV system: 2 times
Solar electric system: 2 times

There are many factors that you should consider while buying a solar electric system or a Photovoltaic (PV) system, apart from its cost.

1. Electricity consumption: The US Dept. of Energy provides a simple formula to do this: Wattage per appliance X Number of hours it is used everyday. This will give you your electricity consumption in watts (usually kilowatts). The size of your solar electric system (the number of PV/solar panels) will depend on this consumption. It will also help you figure out if a solar electric system alone will fulfill all your electricity requirements.

2. Type of system: Contrary to popular opinion, system types do not depend on how much electricity they produce, but rather on how they supply this to your house. There are 3 options available –

a. A Grid Inter-tied System, when you want to remain connected to the grid, while offsetting your grid consumption by supplying it with electricity you produce;

b. A Grid Inter-tied System with Battery Backup to keep your house (or part of it) running even when the utility grid fails – a good option if you experience frequent outages.

c. An off-grid/independent System which is not connected to any grid and supplies electricity only to your home. This system requires making some adjustments, like learning to live with the energy you have.

Every system might not work or work differently in every state, depending on state laws.

3. Cost: It is difficult to have a standard cost for solar electric system, however, we can say that the price is generally up of $10,000 and the larger a system, the lesser the cost. Cost depends on the kind of system, kind of solar cells used in the system, your electricity requirements, amount of sunlight you receive, weather, etc. The best way is to find out your exact requirements and to invite bids from suppliers.

4. Suppliers: Finally, it all comes down to getting a good supplier. A ‘good’ supplier or installer is one who:

a. Is experienced in installing the type of system that YOU need

b. Is licensed to install solar systems

c. Provides you with options and advice on how to make the process efficient and reduce costs

d. Provides warranties and customer support.

When it comes to green building, the first place we all go to is the sun. If you’re keen on building a green home, or are thinking of remodeling your home to make it eco friendly — shifting to solar energy for electricity needs is, today, the easiest and a high-impact way of going green. And we’d like to make it clear – it’s a misconception that solar or photovoltaic systems can work only in tropical areas with loads of sunlight. Switzerland, a country with temperate climate and lots of cloud cover (and let’s not forget all the snow) has the first and largest number of closed structures built by the passivhaus (Passive House) model, which uses only solar energy to fulfill the cooling, heating and lighting requirements of a home. And it may surprise you to know, solar energy systems (incl. the passivhaus standard) are most popular among Scandinavian countries. So there’s little reason why they should not work in our own Olympia.

A few other reasons why you should seriously consider shifting to solar energy:

1. Of all the renewable sources, solar energy is the easiest to generate on an individual or household level. While on a large scale commercial level, wind power or hydropower are cheaper sources than solar energy, Olympia does not have the average wind speeds needed to make wind power feasible, and hydropower would be too cumbersome.

2. Technological advancements and innovation are making solar panels more efficient, cheaper and feasible for use. Already, third generation solar cells (low price and high efficiency) are in the market and as market competition increases, manufacturers are trying hard to reduce prices. China plans to create solar power grids that will be able to supply power at just 10 cents per kWh and First Solar, a primary solar systems manufacturer stated that its costs in 2009 had gone down to 93 cents per watt and benefits of this would go directly to consumers.    

US tax advantages of Solar panels (both water and electric)

Here’s another ‘sunny’ incentive to go green: Using solar panels and other solar powered equipment can help you avail of a tax credit of up to 30% of the cost, with no upper limit. The tax credit is available for both – solar water heating systems and for photovoltaic cells that produce electricity. Solar water heating system must create at least 50% of its energy from the sun and must be for use in a residential property. Tax credit cannot be claimed if you’re looking at heating up your swimming pool, Jacuzzi or hot tub, only for simple every day usage within the house. It is important, that your system be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation or the Energy Star.

With photovoltaic cells, you can avail of similar 30% of cost tax credit for residential electricity needs. It is also important that the panels meet the necessary fire and electrical code requirements.

The tax credit is available only for systems ‘placed in service’ before the 31^st of December, 2016. To avail of the tax credit, you will need to file the IRS Form 5695 for the year during which you’re claiming tax credit. Along with this, you will also need a statement of certification from the manufacturer, certifying that his products meet the qualifying criteria for the tax credit.