Get Started
on Solar
Concern for the environment and the possibility of planned power interruptions by PG&E have caused many to explore alternative ways to provide safe, clean, reliable, and cost-effective energy to power their home.
If you have thought about this but don’t know where to start, LET US HELP!
How Do I Get Started?
The U.S. Department of Energy publishes a useful guide to assist in evaluating and installing a solar energy system for your house.
Once you determine your needs, contact one or more reputable, experienced solar installers for a quote. You might search for one through the Better Business Bureau. They can help you plan, finance, install and apply for government rebates.
Once installed, a properly designed system will save you money on your daytime energy use. It will not, however, protect you during a power outage because the utility does not allow the system to feed energy back to the utility during an outage for safety reasons.
How Do I Keep the Power Flowing During an Outage?
To supplement your solar system, install a battery storage system that works with your solar array. Battery storage not only keeps the power on using the stored energy from your solar array, but it also allows you to continue to store energy even during an outage (because the generated power flows to the battery, not back into the grid). Battery systems have the additional benefit of allowing you to regulate the power that is fed back to the utility under the time of day metering. It also allows you to help the power utility by storing energy off-peak and feeding it back to the utility during periods of excessive demand. This is all set through an easy-to-use application that resides on your smartphone.
A solar array and battery backup system can be installed at the same time by the vendor.
By installing a solar array with battery backup, you are saving energy costs, helping preserve the environment, ensuring a reliable supply of energy, AND helping the utility meet demands during excessive demand. A WIN FOR EVERYONE!
Battery storage systems are compact and space efficient!