Solar Panel Installation
We use tier one monocrystalline panels, they are anti-soiling, anti-reflective and have 98% sun capture rate.
The panels we use have a 12-year product warranty and 25-year linear power output warranty (it guarantees the performance of a panel will stay above a specific degradation rate).
Every system is custom designed based on your average electric usage/bill, your available space for panels, and your budget for the project. Your energy consultant will look at your electric bills and design a system that fits your home and energy needs.
Our module efficiency is 20.2% (most other panels have an average efficiency of 15-18%), the Module Efficiency rating measures the percentage of sunlight that hits your panel that is converted to energy.
This is unlikely to happen. Your HOA may try, but in many states, this is not allowed – however that your HOA may ask you to modify the system design and/or placement for aesthetic reasons.
Solar Panel Maintenance
Solar systems generally operate without the need for much care and maintenance but there are a few things you can do as a solar homeowner to make sure you are getting the most out of your solar system. 1) Trim back trees: it’s a good idea to keep nearby trees trimmed to allow the sunshine to reach your panels for as much of the day as possible. 2) Spray dusty panels: a few rainy days a year is enough to clean your panels. If you live in a particularly dusty area, you may want to hose them off, but do it from the ground to be safe. 3) Watch out for falling snow: it’s normal for snow to stick to your panels. Please resist the urge to clean them. The snow will slide off when it’s ready, just avoid parking in the landing zone.
The panels we use have a 12-year product warranty and 25-year linear power output warranty (it guarantees the performance of a panel will stay above a specific degradation rate).
No, solar panels do not overheat.
If you’re entertaining the thought of going solar you probably care about the environment, and you’re asking yourself how you can recycle the panels when you’re done with them. The good news is that solar panels often last up to 40-50 years, so you won’t have to change them out often. If you inherit a home with outdated panels and want to upgrade them, recycling may make sense. The EU has a more organized system for recycling solar panels than the United States, but the U.S. has started to get on board. Many of the components of solar panels, including glass and wiring, can easily be recycled. Groups like SEIA and some individual manufacturers are allowing customers to turn in old panels for repurposing or recycling.
Roof Mounted Panels
Most roofs are expected to have a lifespan of about 40 years, but as a general guideline an asphalt shingle roofs should be 10 years old or less and in good condition before beginning solar panel installation. If your roof is over 10 years old, then you may want to schedule a roof inspection to see if it’s still in good enough condition for solar panel installation.
The roofs suitable for installing solar panels should be unshaded between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. every day, south facing is best but east and west work as well, have easy access to and have enough free space for panel installation, be made of composite, metal or concrete tile.
As the homeowner, you would be responsible for the cost of panel removal if a roof needs to be replaced or repaired. We can come out to take the panels off for a fee to cover labor and re-install them on your new roof.
Solar on your roof does not deteriorate your roof, rather it can act as a shield to the sun and heat, cooling the surface’s temperature by a couple of degrees. To protect our customers even further, we provide a 5-year roof penetration warranty that protects all of the work done on the roof.
Relocating & Mounting Solar Panels
Technically your solar panels are your property, and you could take them with you to a new property. But you may not want to consider it when you factor in the increase in your home’s value. On an average, a solar panel system that generates about 5kW could improve the value of a home by tens of thousands. You’re typically better off to leave your solar panels in place, sell your home, and install a different system at your new address.
Most solar lenders will transfer the solar loan to the next owner.
A roof is not the only possible place to mount solar panels. There are four types of mounting used in solar systems:
1) Sloped roof mounting
2) Flat roof mounting
3) Roof-integrated mounting
4) Ground mounting.
Each one of these mounting types has its benefits and drawbacks. It should be noted that not every mounting construction is suitable for every panel type.
Furthermore, certain types of solar panels are designed for a specific mounting type only.
Solar on your roof does not deteriorate your roof, rather it can act as a shield to the sun and heat, cooling the surface’s temperature by a couple of degrees. To protect our customers even further, we provide a 5-year roof penetration warranty that protects all of the work done on the roof.
Weather Condition on Solar Panels
It is extremely rare to have a panel damaged by hail. Solar panels are specifically designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. In fact, they are tested to make sure they can survive through one-inch hail falling at a rate of 50 miles per hour. If they do get damaged, your homeowner insurance would cover that.
No. The best weather for producing solar power is surely the sunny day. This does not mean that solar electricity can be generated during sunny days only. Weather data for your address is factored into the production calculation..
Solar energy systems will capture and convert sunlight even on rainy days. When it’s raining, your solar panels may produce about 10% of their regular output. But if your solar energy system is designed properly, it will take under consideration these rainy days since you should be on an annual billing plan called, Net Energy Metering (NEM).
Immediately after solar panels get covered with thick snow, they will still produce some power and since snow easily slides off panel surface after getting melted and your panels will be again exposed to sunlight relatively soon. Furthermore, power production might even boost due to the sunlight reflection in the white snow around. Many homeowners can simply wait for the snow to melt because the angle at which the panels are installed encourages the melted snow to naturally run downward.
What Else You Should Know
These are just a few of the questions you may be wondering about. We’ll do everything we can to help answer any other questions you have along the way.
Most installations take between 6-8 weeks from approval of estimate. Design, permitting, application and approval generally take 10-15 days. We’ll perform a site survey and then order materials after approval which requires about 20 days. Installation takes 2-5 days pending weather. Then the final step is the inspection, utility connection and turning the system on.
Services include: blower door testing for whole house leakage, duct blaster testing to check for duct-work leakage, CAZ testing for combustion appliance zones, installing programable thermostat and attic tents. Also includes visual inspections of all doors / windows & entryways, attic insulation, raised floor area crawlspace and all HVAC equipment.
During the day, your solar system often makes more power than the home consumes. The extra power returned to the utility is tracked by the net meter to ensure you receive credit for the extra power produced by your solar system. When the sun goes down and your system is not producing power, you will consume power from the utility. Your net meter will go both directions. At the end of the billing period, the utility will simply read the meter to decide your actual consumption. When you produce more than you use during a billing period, you will receive a credit on your account which will carry forward and help supplement those months when you produce less than you consume.
NABCEP stands for North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners® (NABCEP®) is the most respected, well-established and widely recognized certification organization for professionals in the field of renewable energy. In Simple Solar, our NABCEP professionals work to ensure that you work with an installer who knows precisely what they are doing. We count on our NABCEP associates to ensure we always adhere to the highest possible installation standards for the industry. In addition, our crews undergo a rigorous certification program to receive the training to handle your installation needs. Our technicians all respect National Electric Code standards and adhere to industry installation methods that can help you feel confident about the quality of the artistry put into your job. The Simple Solar team believes in providing you with optimal system design. We use reputable products for the installation and always strive to give you the best quality results possible.
Pearl Certification is the standard for homes that go above and beyond to keep you comfortable, healthy and saving energy. Pearl Certification is a practical, valuable tool for homeowners who want to understand how their homes perform – and then keep improving them. Simple Solar was fortunate to work with PEARL because they only work with the top 5% of all contractors in the country. As one of the Elite Pearl Contractors, you can have confidence in us when it comes to expertise, excellent services, and quality artistry.
