Xcel makes it very confusing to understand the electric bill once you install a Photovoltaic system, so you are not alone in feeling baffled by how it is represented. Let me trying to help put the pieces together, and explain how they do the billing. Xcel’s labeling is a misnomer so lets decode that first:“Total [...]
The answer is yes and no. No you can not likely afford enough batteries to power your entire home if the grid is down for a week; but yes you can power the Critical Load items of your home or business from a Photovoltaic Battery Back-up system. If we use a 10kW photovoltaic system as [...]
Adding solar PV to your structure typically will not lower your natural gas bill, just your electric bill, but one does have the opportunity while sizing the solar PV system to make changes to how you use energy that will lower the natural gas bill. If you know that your gas hot water heater is [...]
The difference between a kilowatt (kW) and kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the most misunderstood topic of understanding electricity and how we measure power and consumption/production. Both concepts are referenced when talking about a photovoltaic solar system and important to understand before buying a solar PV system. kW measure power, it represents the actual electrical size of [...]
Depending on how much you are you currently spending for electricity, but the goal is to save you your entire electric bill every months for the next 40-45 years. That is assuming you have an adequate sized roof or area on the ground to build a solar system that can power 100% of what you [...]
Yes, if you have the skills and are able to be working on a roof in a safe manner it is not rocket science. However, often the price a consumer can buy the equipment online at is equal the price a solar integrator can sell the equipment and the labor to two the install, so [...]
Thin film solar power is an alternate technology for turning the sun’s photons into electricity as apposed to the original method using silicon crystal based solar cells. The thin film panels offer some advantages over silicon cells but at this stage of their development they are not as efficient nor less expensive per watt so [...]
To decode which of the hundreds of solar panel manufactures is the best a few questions must first be answered about what one is trying to achieve. The simple answer is that the best warranty, the highest efficiency, and best performing solar PV panel is unquestionably the best. But not everyone may need the best. [...]
Buying American made solar PV panels vs. foreign panels is a matter of how price sensitive one is. Solar panels like all consumer goods come in a varying degree of quality, efficiency, warranties, and manufacture stability. Like automobiles, today many components come from countries all over the world so knowing only where something was assembled [...]
When the grid power goes off most solar photovoltaic system will shut down automatically also. This is a built in safety feature to protect power company linemen working on the wires from being electrocuted by solar photovoltaic back flowing to the grid and electrifying power lines they assumed were turned off. However, if maintaining the [...]
