1) Does it cost anything to use or qualify for Net Metering?

           ZERO! – you need only a copy of your last electric bill. TXT a copy to our back-office group at 719.671.5000 or return a copy of your PDF statement from your utility to www.cs2energy.com/upload – a report will be generated and returned to you in 24 hours.

2) Hail

           The panels we use in this area are referred to as TIER-1 panels and are the same class of equipment used down on the Gulf coast to withstand Hurricanes and Tornados. These TIER-1 panels are resistant to hailstorms up to 250 mph – yes you read that correctly - 250 mph.

If your panels get damaged by Hail you have likely been in a tornadic weather event and your home has likely also been severely damaged – thus, you will be making a claim under your homeowner’s policy for repair/replacement.

Your solar panel generators are physically attached to your home so they are either covered under your homeowner’s blanket policy; or sometimes your agent may write a separate add-on or rider policy to cover them to minimize deductible expense for you. We recommend that you call your agent to verify which option is best for you.

3) Is there any REAL cost savings for the long term with solar or this a ruse?

Grab your phone calculator…

Today you are renting electricity anywhere from 11 cents to 17 cents per kWh (maybe more) – and your new solar panels will make electricity at a FIXED cost of about 9 cents (or less) per kWh. This electricity is exempt from all future PUC electric rate hikes - so YES, there are significant long term savings averaging $26,000 - $45,000 depending how large your home is.

4) How much is the down-payment when I move to Solar energy?

           If your home qualifies for Net Metering, your down-payment is ZERO!

5) Are there any additional discounts for a direct purchase (as in cash)?

 YES, ask what the current discounts and incentives are at the time of purchase as they change throughout the year and the seasons -

6) What is an Energy Credit?

An Energy Credit occurs when your solar energy generators make more energy than your home can consume. When that happens, the excess energy is pushed and sold back to the grid in exchange for private energy credits that only you can use. The energy credits provide access to conventional grid energy at night and on cloudy or snow days.

7) What happens if the grid power goes out?

Today, Fire Department code requires that even your solar energy must be STOPPED at the source if there is a grid outage, as your solar energy would be converted back up to 13,000 volts of energy or more when it leaves your home, which would make for a very bad day for the Linemen at the power company working to effect repairs. 
 
If you want/expect to continue to use your solar energy if we have a grid outage during the day, then we need a device called a transfer switch. The transfer switch allows the energy from your solar panels or generator to stay inside your home and not create a safety hazard to the Linemen.

There are several types of these transfer switches from a smaller version like in the video above which supports a select number of circuits based on using a smaller generator; to a "whole house" transfer switch like we use with our Generac generators.

We can discuss which version and type is most applicable for your project along with cost summaries and differences. Consider viewing the video on Transfer switches the wiring is very similar for each.

8) Can I use batteries too?

YES, however, as much as we love using them, batteries are expensive and generally require annual maintenance –

It depends what your goal is for wanting them. There are several options to consider.

Don’t  be shocked at the cost – they run anywhere from $12,000 to well over $30,000 just for the batteries and inverters to utilize that power in your home.

9) How long does it take to install?

The installation process takes less than a day - its actually the permitting process and engineering reviews and approvals that take about 6-8 weeks of time as there are usually hundreds of projects each week that are being worked on.

Permitting and engineering reviews involve three agencies including the City, the power company and the Building department. If you were to take this on yourself, prepare to invest 7-8 months – we do the same work in only 7-8 weeks.

10) What happens if I move?

If you elected to use a financed option, then depending upon when you move there may be a payoff balance that can be settled by one of three methods –

1. Use the gross proceeds form the home sale to settle the balance remaining – Note: this will result in FREE electricity for you buyer, so you would want to likely negotiate a higher price for your home unless it’s for your Mom
2. Negotiate your best price for your home and simply transfer the remaining balance and FIXED solar electric bill to the new buyer
3. The new buyer may wish to absorb the balance into a new single mortgage when purchasing your home, which is essentially a mirror of Option i

There are likely other questions which may not have been addressed here –  not to worry, make a list, then call, TXT or email to setup a private Zoom meeting to get answers in context.

Whatever Solar technology solution you choose you are helping the environment and your family pocketbook by using clean, safe non-polluting energy, for which you should be proud.

As an aside, California decreed the use of solar with battery storage mandatory on every new home as of January 1, 2020. How long do you think its going to take until that is the standard across the country?

As of this writing, there is a Federal tax credit (of 26%) available for solar projects – taking advantage of that free gift from the government is in your best interest. We will show you how to claim that tax credit with one piece of paper.

If you’ve read this far, you may been strongly considering using solar, which is great.

You realize that you have seen the light, right? (sorry…couldn’t resist)

The next steps is pretty straightforward.

1) We conduct a brief interview with you to understand your normal energy usage, calculate annual consumption for sizing, and review a recent electric bill to calculate your current cost of electricity as a baseline for you.

2) We use the information in step 1 to prepare a Design Report for you to review. 

3) After your review, you'll be able to make an informed decision about the benefits of using Net metering with solar energy for your home and we'll discuss how to schedule a site survey to make sure your roof and electric systems are in good shape.

You may still have questions, which is fine and quite normal. Call our office to speak

with a system advisor and request a private discussion...and yes, even on the weekends!

719.671.5000