FAQs:
What is Solar Energy?
Solar energy is produced by converting sunlight into electricity through solar panels. These panels are connected to an inverter that converts the direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC), which is the type of electricity used in homes.
What is Net Metering?
Net metering allows you to get credit for the electricity sent back to the grid from your solar panels. For example, you may generate more electricity than you use during daylight hours. With net metering, the electricity meter runs backward, providing a credit against electricity consumed at night or other times when usage exceeds the system’s output. Customers are only billed for their “net” energy use.
What is Solar+Battery?
In recent years, battery backup solutions have gained popularity alongside solar systems. A battery backup system allows you to save the excess solar energy generated by your system for later use during peak hours, instead of pulling power and incurring charges from the utility grid. It also provides power to your home during a power outage. With storage, you remain connected to the grid but are less dependent on it. This solution addresses the “temporary” nature of solar power generation by storing energy, lowering your utility costs, and keeping the lights on at night if the grid goes down.
Frequently Asked Questions
General
How can I figure out how much energy my home uses?
If your home is grid-tied, meaning you are connected to the power grid and pay for electricity from an energy provider, you can find your energy usage through a recent utility bill from your power company. Oftentimes, an energy bill will display a month-to-month breakdown of your energy consumption, providing an interesting and useful overview of your home’s usage over time. If you are off-grid, finding an accurate measure of your energy consumption becomes a bit more uncertain unless you already have a monitoring system in place. Fortunately, our team has 20 years of experience optimizing solar systems and is here to help you along the way.
What happens if there is snow on my solar panels?
Snow generally isn’t heavy enough to cause structural issues with solar panels and the tilted design helps snow slide off in a self-cleaning way. Snow coverage can, however, block sunlight, preventing solar panels from producing energy. Steeper roofs shed snow faster and allow the system to begin producing sooner, while lower-pitched roofs will retain snow longer. Creative Energies factors in snowpack when designing a system so that it releases snow naturally rather than needing to remove it manually. Energy loss from snow is factored into our calculations when providing an estimate.
Do solar panels need a lot of maintenance?
With no moving parts, solar systems require little to no maintenance. Inverter maintenance or replacement generally occurs about halfway through the system’s lifetime (around year 15). Creative Energies recommends a service check every 3-5 years to be proactive rather than reactive to any potential issues that could arise. If you have questions our Service team can help.
How long does it take to install solar or how long does it take to install solar panels?
The installation of the solar panels can be as short as 1-3 days depending on the system’s size and complexity. The planning, design, and permitting process can take one month or longer. Smaller systems generally go faster while larger, more complex solar systems take longer.
Will my roof work for solar?
South-facing roofs with little to no shade are ideal for installing solar, however, East and West-facing roofs can work great too. If there are any doubts, it’s always worth asking. Our team will always be honest and transparent about whether your home is suitable for solar. If you have an older roof that needs to be replaced soon, some people opt to do their roof replacement before going solar, but our Service Team can always uninstall and reinstall solar panels if a roof needs repairs.
Can you put solar panels on a metal roof?
Yes, solar panels can go on metal roofs. Our team has experience installing solar panels on different types of metal roofs (as well as solar on asphalt shingles, solar on membrane roofs, and more).
Solar
What is Solar Energy?
Solar energy is produced by converting sunlight into electricity through solar panels. These panels are connected to an inverter that converts the direct current (DC) electricity into alternating current (AC), which is the type of electricity used in homes.
What are the environmental benefits of solar energy?
Solar power benefits the environment by lowering the agents of climate change and supporting cleaner, healthier air by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants like sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. Today’s solar modules offset the CO2 required to produce them in 1-3 years depending on the roof location.
How does solar on my home interact with the utility grid?
When a homeowner’s system generates more solar than it uses, the electricity is fed back to the grid and credited to future bills. This is a process called Net Metering. Those credits depend on where you are located and what utility company services your area. When there are power outages, a grid-tied solar system will shut down to protect workers who might be working on power lines. A solar system with energy storage, however, will continue to produce and store energy for home use.
How do solar photovoltaic (PV) panels work?
Solar panels absorb the sun’s energy and turn it into Direct Current (DC) electricity. Since most homes and appliances run off of Alternating Current (AC) electricity, the DC electricity from the panels has to pass through an inverter and be converted to AC electricity. The converted AC electricity can then be used throughout the home, stored in a backup battery, or fed back onto the electric grid. Check out our Instagram for videos explaining different aspects of solar technology.
Do my solar panels produce power when the sun isn’t shining?
Peak solar production happens during longer, sunnier days, usually between 9 am and 3 pm, but cloudy and shorter days will still produce solar energy to power your home. At nighttime, your panels will not generate power.
How long will solar panels last?
Solar panels can produce power for about 25 years and manufacturers warranty power output for 25 years.
How heavy are solar panels?
An average solar panel is about about 44 pounds or 4 pounds per square foot. This extra weight is typically not an issue on most roofs and during a site visit our technical sales team will check the condition of your roof structure.
How many solar panels can I fit on my roof or how many solar panels do I need for self-sufficiency?
Our team will work with you to design a solar system that meets your energy goals and usage history. The number of panels will vary depending on generation goals as well as your roof structure, angle, slope, and shade.
How do I know if my solar panels are working properly?
You can check your solar monitoring (it might be SolarEdge, Enphase, Tesla, or Sunvoy) online or via the monitoring app to see your solar generation data in real-time. You can also contact us directly at 866.332.3410 or [email protected] if something looks off or if you’re not sure how to access your account.
Energy Storage
What is Solar + Energy Storage?
In recent years, battery backup solutions have gained popularity alongside solar systems. An energy storage system allows you to save the excess solar energy generated by your system for later use during peak hours, instead of pulling power and incurring charges from the utility grid. It also provides power to your home during a power outage. With storage, you remain connected to the grid but are less dependent on it. This solution addresses the “temporary” nature of solar power generation by storing energy, lowering your utility costs, and keeping the lights on at night if the grid goes down.
How Long Does Energy Storage Last?
The lifespan of an energy storage system depends on its technology. Typically, a battery’s useful life ranges from 5 to 15 years. If you install an energy storage system today, you may need to replace it at least once to match the 25-year lifespan of your solar panel system. However, as the lifespan of solar panels has significantly increased over the past decade, battery technology is also advancing, leading to improvements in lifespan, performance, and overall value.
What Is The Best Location To Install Your Energy Storage System?
We recommend installing battery systems indoors, ideally in the garage. Outdoor installations are possible, but it is best to place them in a shaded area to protect the battery from extreme weather conditions. The ideal temperature range for these systems is between 15°F and 110°F, so your location and climate can play a significant role.
Both indoor and outdoor Powerwall installations are possible since they are water-resistant and built for all weather conditions. The Powerwall can operate within a wide range of temperatures (from -4°F to 122°F). However, you should still avoid installing it in areas with direct sunlight or constant high/low temperatures.
How Long Can an Energy Storage System Power My Home?
The duration a battery can power your home depends on several variables, including your household’s daily energy consumption, the battery’s capacity and power rating, the loads it supports, and whether you are connected to the electrical grid. Ideally, a battery should be sized to run your home for multiple days, even without solar panel production. Some batteries can be recharged by your solar panels during a power outage.
Pro Tip: Ideally, your solar panels should be able to recharge your energy storage system even during an outage. However, not all solar batteries have this capability.
Ultimately, if paired with a solar PV array, one or two batteries can provide sufficient power during the evening when your panels are not producing. Without a renewable energy solution like solar panels, you may need three or more batteries to power your entire home for 24 hours. Additionally, if you aim to disconnect from the electric grid and go off-grid, you should install at least an extra day or two of backup power to account for cloudy weather.
Are There Different Sizes Of Energy Storage Systems?
Most battery models are modular, meaning that they can be combined to create larger systems based on your energy needs.
What’s The Difference Between Different Kinds Of Energy Storage Systems?
Batteries have several differentiating factors: power, energy, and the number of battery cycles. These are critical in determining their use. The amount of kW (kilowatts) determines the power, meaning the more kW, the more (or larger) appliances it can run. The kWh (kilowatt-hours) represents the energy, so the more kWh, the longer the battery will power your home on a single charge.
The number of cycles indicates the life of your battery. If a battery charges and depletes its energy every day and has an expected life of 365 cycles, it will last one year before needing replacement. Most batteries have over 10,000 cycles. Manufacturers’ warranties often reflect the number of cycles. For instance, Tesla Power-walls come with a 10-year warranty, while Enphase batteries have a 15-year warranty.
What Is Involved In The Installation?
The battery itself is mounted on the wall or floor near your main electrical distribution panel, generally in the garage or on the side of the house. The appliances and rooms you want to back up are rewired from your main distribution panel to a critical loads panel adjacent to the battery. If you have solar panels, they are also rewired to the critical loads panel. The battery is then connected to the grid through the main panel and to the critical loads, as well as solar panels through the critical loads panel.
Are Batteries Safe?
Batteries are UL-listed home appliances. The battery cells in a storage battery are identical to those in electric cars and your laptop or phone.
Are Batteries Recyclable At The End Of Their Useable Life?
Yes, lithium-ion batteries typically contain over 99% recyclable materials. However, you won’t need to recycle your home battery anytime soon, as they are warranted for 10 years and can last over 15 years.
Cost and Incentive
What are the financial benefits of installing solar energy in my home?
Solar energy systems have the potential to save homeowners money on electricity bills and provide energy independence from future rising electricity rates. Depending on the state you live in, there might be federal, state, and local tax incentives to help you go solar as well.
Federal tax benefits: thanks to the new Inflation Reduction Act, homeowners can get a 30% Income Tax Credit (ITC) on the total cost of an installed solar system.
State & Local benefits: your state, county, city, or town may offer other solar incentive programs in addition to the Federal Income Tax Credit.
In addition to saving money on energy bills, solar panels are also an excellent investment in your home. Studies show that a solar system can increase the home’s value and help the home sell faster.
What are solar financing options?
Homeowners can purchase a system directly or take out a solar loan. For loan financing, Creative Energies recommends Clean Energy Credit Union, a financial institution focused solely on providing loans that help people afford clean energy products and services such as solar electric systems, electric vehicles, and home energy efficiency retrofits. This financing option has no loan origination fees and no prepayment penalties.
Featured Projects.
Take a look at these case studies featuring some of our favorite commercial solar projects.
Culture Coffee
Culture Coffee
System Size: 28.8kW
Number of Panels: 60
Type of Panels Used: Hanwha Qcells
Energy Storage: Tesla Powerwall+
Inverter: Tesla
Laramie Interfaith
Laramie Interfaith
System Size: 16.34 kW
Number of Panels: 38
Type of Panels Used: Hanwha Qcells
Energy Storage: Fortress Envy
Inverter: Enphase