Roof type: 

Solar panels are easily installed on asphalt shingles, concrete tile, or a metal seam roof. Certain flat rooftops such as torch down and TPO (foam) also qualify.  A solar roof-top array cannot be installed on slate, shake, or clay tiles. That’s because you’ll want your roof structure to be designed with plywood, not shake.

Roof obstructions: 

One of the most challenging things I encounter when installing roof-top panels is obstructions such as dormers, skylights, chimneys or bathroom vent pipes. Solar panels will need to be installed on the most southern exposed section of your roof, so it is ideal if you can either concentrate any obstructions on the north facing side, or try to keep them in a designated section of your other available roof space. This allows you to take advantage of the sunniest parts of your roof and maximize the area that can fit panels.

Planning for a ground-mounted array? Id love to take a look at the spot you’re considering. A ground-mount will need to be located in a fairly flat area – anything with more than a 10 degree slope will diminish the production of the system. Also if bedrock is found underground, that will disqualify the installation in that area.

Electric needs: 

If you can include a chase that runs from your attic to your electrical box, this will allow the installers to avoid running wiring on the outside of your home.

Building plans and construction:

If you have your design plans already, I can take a look at your blueprints and provide advice. I can also have our electricians connect with your electricians to ensure your home is solar-ready and whether you’ll want to incorporate smart home technology and battery storage.

Already have your location? 

If you happen to be integrating solar into the construction of a new residential home and have the address or coordinates for where you plan to build, I would be happy to assess the site for sun exposure and determine the optimal location for a solar array. Please also let me know if you plan to make changes to the site, such as removing trees to improve sun exposure.

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If you’re looking to go solar you may want to know what is actually going to be installed on your property. Here’s some basics on how solar cells work.

How Solar Cells Are Made

Inside those large solar panels are smaller square shaped PV cells. PV stands for photovoltaic which means “production of an electric current when exposed to light”. Solar panel manufacturers create the cells from a combination of various elements including silicon, quartz, boron, and copper. A chemical reaction occurs once these elements are exposed to sunlight which then converts the light into electricity. Because copper is super conductive, its electricity is then distributed as power.

Solar Panel Deconstructed

The amount of photovoltaic cells on a single solar panel dictates the panel’s size. Despite such a wide variety of solar panels available, the most popular have 60 or 72 cells in each panel. Manufacturers design solar cells that vary in power. This is translated in Wattage. Wattage is the sum of how much electricity a single solar panel can generate. The more Watts a panel has , the more solar energy it will generate. Most panels on the market today average at 325 Watts.

How Solar Cells Produces Electricity

An installed solar system (array or collection of solar panels) will vary in its output of electricity.  The sun’s orientation in the sky travels from east to west. An ideal solar system will be pointed in the direction where it can absorb as much sunlight as possible.  Electric generation is seasonal. Productivity is determined by the time of the year and how high and how long the sun shines in the sky. Summer will always produce more power than winter.

Annual Solar Energy Output

Soiling is another aspect that determines a solar system’s output. Soiling happens when pollution, dust, dirt, collect on top of the panels over a long period of time. A rainy day or a rinse down from a gardening hose will clear up any debris and dirt.

Solar Cell Performance

Solar cell’s efficiency is going to determine how well it performs over the years and how much electricity it will produce from the sun. Every solar panel has a rating system for its performance. Today’s solar panels range between 18% to 22%. Obstacles such as clouds, trees, shade, weather, angle of the sun affect performance. The higher the efficiency – the more strength the panel has to collect solar energy.  However, the elements used to create solar cells do deteriorate over time.  Manufacturers know that the design of the panels are not meant to last forever. For that reason every solar panel has a degradation process. The good news is that the degradation is very slow. It takes 25 years for a solar cell to lose 20% of its production. So even after 25 years, a solar system is 80% efficient.  Manufacturer’s guarantee production of their solar products for 25 years.

Solar is a simple yet efficient technology that has improved over years.  Consistent innovation and research by manufacturers have made solar not only more affordable and more powerful, but better looking too. Eventually solar is going to take over traditional methods of generating electricity. So why wait? If you’ve been thinking about switching to solar power, schedule an appointment with me to know if you qualify.

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Owning Solar

Over the last 7 years, the majority of homeowners purchased their solar system. The main reason is because of tax incentives. The Federal Tax Credit (FTC) is a great way to save money when buying solar. Before 2020, people that purchased a system got a 30% tax credit from the government. The FTC is now phasing out. This year, people that buy solar are eligible to receive a 26% tax credit. Not everyone qualifies so it’s best to first consult with a tax advisor.  They’ll determine if you’ll be able to get a credit, which will be mailed to you. If you don’t qualify, that means you owe taxes and the credit will contribute to what you owe to the IRS.

Another reason why buying makes sense is the Return on Investment (ROI) you get. When you own solar, it will pay itself off between years 8-10 after purchase. Your ROI is based on the amount of money you save from not paying the utility company. Cool! The idea is to have solar power offset as much utility power as possible. Schedule an appointment to see how much utility power your home can offset with solar. When owning solar, you basically have no electric bill. The savings goes back into your wallet. By the 8th or 10th year, you’ll break even from the accumulated savings.  Every year afterward is completely free energy!

When deciding to own, you’ll either pay the full purchase price upfront or finance and make monthly payments with principal and interest. When financing, the lender will offer 5, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25 year payment terms. The interest rates (based on FICO) for the 5 year term begins at 2.99% while rates for 25 year term range between 7-10%. While some people are able to pay the solar outright, most prefer to pay monthly. Keep in mind that you’re still paying interest so at the end of the term you may have paid more than the original cost. The upside to financing is that there’s not pre-payment penalty. So if you’re able to pay it off sooner, go for it! When shopping for solar, just be sure to know who’s financing our loan. Some lenders may add a lien to your home.

Cash vs. Finance vs. PPA vs. Lease

Leasing Solar

Leasing solar has gained more attention in recent years. Today, leasing is the most popular option because it offers a $0 up front cost. When purchasing solar, either you’ll pay the full price or (if financed) you’ll pay the tax credit you received to the lender. Lenders are going to give you 18 months to pay them your tax credit in order to keep your monthly payments low. Otherwise, they’ll increase your monthly payment. When choosing a lease, you’ll only pay a super low monthly payment for the solar. The payment terms range between 20-25 years and are broken down into a monthly kilowatt (kWh) rate. In other words, the lease program is exactly like how you pay the utility company for their power. The main difference is that you’re paying at a much lower rate.

Leasing a solar is a great option if you’re not able to qualify for the tax credit or if you want the most minimal monthly payments possible for electricity. Another advantage why leasing is a great option is the warranties and protections you get. When you own solar, it’s your investment. So you’re going to want to be on top of the system’s performance. Solar companies that sell you a system usually don’t maintain the system’s performance. They just include the manufacturer’s warranties in their contract.

With a lease, the solar company has ownership. In the lease agreement, they’ve made promises on the solar system, so they have the burden to ensure it’s performing at the level that you agreed to lease it at. If for some reason, the system fails to produce the amount of energy that’s been promised by the solar company, then you’ll be reimbursed or credited for the difference you had to pay for utility power.

Most homeowners think that leasing solar means to be in debt but that’s not the case. There’s no debt or lien since it’s easily transferable. So if you happen to sell the home, it’s not required to pay off the full cost.  The new buyer will simply take over the payments just as they would with the utility company.

The Power Purchase Agreement

The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is another type of lease option. Rather than paying the same monthly payment over a 20-25 year period, with a PPA you just pay for the amount of power the system produces. Because solar generates electricity from the sun, a solar system’s production is seasonal. Meaning that generation is low during the winter and high during the summer. With the PPA you’ll be paying less power in the winter time and you’ll pay more for power during the summer time.

Both purchase and lease have their own benefits and features. If you’re unsure whether to lease or buy, consider the following factors:

• How long are you going to live in the home?  If you’re planning to go solar and move out in 5-7 years, then go with the lease. By that time, more homes will have solar anyway because California State Law (Renewable Energy Act) requires it!
• Maintenance Preference. If you like to be on top of your system’s performance, then purchasing is a better way to go. If you prefer another company to handle all and any issue that may arise from the system in the future, select the lease option.
• Most cost saving option. If you’re looking to pay the cheapest price for solar right from the get-go, lease. If you’re patient and want to be free and clear with any energy costs by year 8-10, buy or finance the solar system.

When I discuss options with homeowners I ask them to think about how they intend to get a new car. Solar is similar, in a way. Like a car, it depreciates value, requires maintenance, comes with warranty, and has wear and tear over the years. Regardless of which option you go with, the key is to know how much you’re going to save with solar vs. what you’ll be paying the utility in the long-term. The long-term savings will be tremendous versus the cost you’d pay the utility company over the same amount of time. If you like to get a cost-analysis or breakdown of how much you can save with solar, schedule an appointment.

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Energy Efficiency is the Foundation of ZNE

California’s official plan, the ZNE Residential 2020 Vision Framework, states that ZNE buildings should use two-thirds or less of the energy of the typical current home. When calculating ZNE, the initial energy efficiency rating of a home is 100. Any energy efficiency improvements bring that number down. Finally, a renewable energy-fueled power source (typically solar) is added to bring the home the rest of the way down to zero.

Energy efficiency measures to get a home “ZNE-ready” include:

• Efficient envelope design strategies (e.g. insulation and double-paned windows)
• Highly energy-efficient lighting technology
• Day lighting (natural sunlight)
• Energy-efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)
• Energy controls, such as programmable thermostats and automation

Once these steps have been taken, it’s time to add the power source. Solar is most often used, and there are a few things homeowners should know when considering solar as part of ZNE.

How Zero Net Homes Affect Solar System Size & Cost

Newly-built Zero Net Energy homes in Los Angeles typically require one-third less power than similarly-sized conventional homes. So a house that might normally have required a 6kW system could get away with (at most) 4kW. Although that does not correlate directly to one-third less the price, a smaller system will cost less overall.

An increasing number of contractors also offer ZNE ready homes, which are energy efficient and wired for solar, but not yet connected to a system. Two years ago, the CPUC estimated the cost of ZNE at an additional $6-$8 per square foot of house. More recently, some contractors have begun offering the service at the same price as traditional construction, which speeds ROI on the reduced-size solar systems used by ZNE homes. Many homeowners still qualify for solar incentives in Los Angeles, too, so it has become less expensive to get solar for ZNE homes than it is for similar-sized homes that do not conform to ZNE standards.

How ZNE Retrofits Affect Solar Size

When an existing home gets a ZNE retrofit and then goes solar, how does the increased energy efficiency affect the home’s solar system power requirements? This ultimately depends on the extent of the retrofit. If a home’s energy efficiency rating is increased by 30%, the corresponding solar requirement will be 30% less than it was before the upgrade.

Solar System Monitoring is Part of ZNE

Many installers include power consumption monitoring systems when homeowners go solar. While this is a helpful feature for any home, ZNE consumption monitoring is especially useful. Since the goal of a ZNE solar system is to generate at least as much power as the house uses, you’ll want to confirm it’s performing as promised, even after you get your ZNE certification. Monitoring of both energy production and consumption will give you ongoing peace-of-mind that your rooftop solar system is doing its job.

If you’re considering buying a NZE-ready home, or retrofitting your existing home for NZE, let’s have that conversation. I have experience helping more homeowners go solar, and we’re here to answer your questions.

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