Solar Electric (Photovoltaic Systems)

We are living in uncertain times; banks are cash heavy and unwilling to lend money. Even qualified home buyers have difficulty getting mortgage loans. If the banks are not lending, they are not collecting interest on loans, and their foreclosure portfolios continue to grow. The question then becomes, if the banks have no faith in the market, where does the average investor look to grow their finances and generate a return on investment (ROI)?

1. Residential Solar installations comprise a small, but quickly growing market. Initially, city assessors had no data to prove that adding solar to a home would improve, or downgrade property value. New documentation supporting the "added value" of a Solar System on residential properties can be found here. The updated research contains proven real estate tracking documentation that indicates homes with Solar Systems increased in value by 16%. The city of Ann Arbor also has determined that Solar improves residential property values.

2. In Michigan, utility companies are required to match your energy generation with grid parity. They will credit you for every kWh you generate, and subtract the amount from your energy consumption calculation. If you use less energy on a given day than what you produce, you would net neutral, or better. To determine how much power you use per month, look at the number of kW's being billed, and not your daily usage. This number is usually in the hundreds, not in tens, per month.

3. SREC's (Solar Renewable Energy Credits). Did you know that by generating energy from a renewable resource, such as solar, and feeding it into the grid, you are producing a tradable commodity? Many states are purchasing Renewable Energy Credits from Michigan producers in order to meet renewable energy portfolio goals. You have complete control over when, and at what price you sell your energy.

• Your SREC's are purchased independently, or through Brokers by progressive companies and states.
• SREC trading options are numerous and can be leveraged over decades or sold up front.
• The advantages of SREC trading are increasing daily.
• Our monitoring systems have been approved as SREC generation meters.
• Real case example of a SE MI home solar credits sale: 8.1 kW systems can produce 8-10 MW/year of renewable energy credits, if sold at $200 - $400/MW. The additional household or business income in this example is substantial.
• Some SREC terms will allow you to sell your generation, ahead of production, offsetting the requirement of cash up front.

Solar Electric Systems, utilizing silicon based photovoltaic (PV) panels, convert sunlight directly into electricity. As light photons strike the silicon cells in a PV panel, electrons are knocked loose from their atoms, producing direct current (DC). This energy is sent to an inverter used to transform DC power into home, business, and grid usable AC (alternating current) power.

There are two types of systems. A single string system means panels are connected to each other and act as one, using a separate single inverter to change DC to AC (pluggable and grid-tied power). A micro-inverter system has a small inverter attached to each panel that makes each panel and cell alive and independent of the others and converts DC to AC immediately.

The micro-inverter system has the benefit of increasing each panel performance by 5% - 25% because every cell is live and independent from each other. Any shading from a chimney, trees or passing clouds affects only the cell shaded and the rest of the system generates power unaffected by shade issues around the array. Single string systems will shut down performance once a certain percentage of shading has reached even though many of the panels are in direct sunlight.

We prefer micro-inverters system because it is a better fit with the Michigan climate and a more flexible system.

Absolutely! Michigan receives over 2000 peak sun-hours per year, on average. You can expect between 1400 and 1800 kWh per year from each kW of PV installed in Michigan. Some of our installations in southeastern Michigan are getting utility bills in March 2011 of minus $50.00. The Solar Specialist* Installers are manufacturer trained and certified. Our managers are also certified solar installation trainers, highly qualified, with 26 years in business. What is involved when buying a solar electric system?

Even in snow falls of ten inches, common in Michigan, light rays are still penetrating the solar panels. The micro-inverters enable the solar panels to utilize these low light levels and create enough heat from the panels to melt the snow while still generating electricity. A single string system would be inoperable longer because it takes higher levels of direct sunlight to kick in until the sun melted the snow.

Don't forget, solar panels are more efficient at cooler temperatures. Depending on the pitch of your panels February and March are often extremely productive for solar generation.

Panel efficiencies can range from 8% to almost 20% and are improving quickly. The higher the efficiency the fewer square feet are required to create maximum power generation. There are many brands and quality panels manufactured here in the US that are competitively priced. The Solar Specialist uses NAFTA and US manufactured products as much as possible.

For the best performance, Solar Panels should be installed on the south/south west side of a roof or property. Grid-Tied Systems offer the best combination of efficiency and low maintenance. Battery storage can be added to a system, but requires additional components.

• No moving parts
• Nothing to wear out
• Expect a 40+ year life from your panels
• Can extend the life of your roof
• Made in the USA and NAFTA
• Great warranties
• Made for Michigan climates

• Understand your energy needs, learn to reads your electric bill and your monthly consumption
• Decide how much energy you want to offset, 100% - 10%?
• Learn about the energy efficiency of panels
• Some cities require more documentation than others
• Possible city requirements can make a difference in pricing:
• Historic board meetings and requirements
• Community Association meetings and requirements
• Roof load study
• Engineering drawings and stamps
• City planning development board reviews
• Inspection Fees