Frequently Asked Questions | Solar Power Systems

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To be a leading provider and installer of solar products, systems and services, by listening and paying strict attention to the wants and needs of customers, as well as through operational efficiency and excellence.

Who is eligible for Net Metering?
Any residential or commercial electricity customer of SDG&E, SCE, PG&E or SC Gas is potentially eligible for net metering. Your generating system must be powered by photovoltaic or wind energy and it must not exceed 1 Megawatt of peak power output.
What size should your photovoltaic system be?
The system size that you need for your residence or facility depends on several factors. Factors include how many kilowatt-hours you consume, available space, your utility rate structure and available funds.

Before determining what size you need, implement all energy savings procedures. This includes lighting, air conditioning, motor controls, etc.. Saving electricity is cheaper than generating it. Your utility company will not credit you for any excess electricity generated on an annual basis. Over any twelve month period, any excess electricity goes into the utility grid and you will receive no credit.

Your system size should be equal to or less than your annual kWh consumption. To estimate the size needed to eliminate you energy consumption take your annual consumption (in kWh) and divide that by 2,000 kWh/yr. This will give you an estimated CEC-AC system size. If you consume 6,000 kWh per year, we divide 6,000 by 2000 we get 3. This means this system need about 3 kilowatts (kW CEC-AC) of photovoltaics to completely offset their annual consumption. However, completely eliminating you annual consumption may not be you best choice. The best size may also depend on your rate structure. Call us and we will help you decide which system size is best for you (877 760-4232).
How many kWh will my photovoltaic system produce yearly?
The photovoltaic system production depends on several factors. The orientation, tilt, azimuth, shading and location are just some of the factors affecting the efficiency of the system. On average in San Diego 1 kW (CEC-AC) of PV will generate 2,000 kWh per year.
What size should my photovoltaic system be (Commercial)?
You utility rate will help decide your most economical system size. Most commercial facilities are on a Time-of-Use billing. Mid day and summer periods usually have a much higher rate charge than night time or winter. Since photovoltaic system take advantage of daytime and more summer production, systems probably do not need to be large enough to eliminate all of their yearly kWh consumption. Call us for a complete analysis of you energy bills.
What is the pay back?
There are several factors in determing the cost effectiveness of the solar system. The future price of power, your rate structure, the system you select, the kWh consumption, demand charges, rebates, tax credits and tax advantages are some of the factors in determining your pay back. When you purchase a photovoltaic system, you are effectively buying all or a portion of you power for the next —at least —20 years at a fixed cost. If average long-term electricity rates are above that fixed cost, the investment was worth it. If the cost of power is below the fixed cost, the investment may not have been financially sound. The ROI varies from 4 to 20 years.

Governments and non-profits can expect to generate power for about $0.15/ kWh While residential customers can generate power for about $0.25/kWh

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How much do photovoltaic systems cost?
Photovoltaic system costs depends on many factors, including system type and configuration, the difficulty of installation and available incentives.

The installed cost of a residential systems typically ranges from $8 to $10/watt, while larger commercial and institutional systems typically cost $8 to $9/watt. This is the cost before any rebates, tax credits, etc. Usually the larger the system, the lower the cost. Contact us to get to a get price quotes (877 760-4232).
What are the financial incentives available to reduce the cost of PV?
California Energy Commission, the Regional Energy Office and the Federal Government have financial incentives to reduce the cost of purchasing a photovoltaic system. California renewable agencies have buy-down Program offers rebates of $2.80/watt for residential and commercial systems. In addition, the federal government provides tax incentives for commercial entities who invest in solar energy equipment. The tax incentives include a 30% investment tax credit and 5-year accelerated depreciation.
Photovoltaic modules efficiencies?
Photovoltaic module efficiencies range from 5% for some thin-film technologies up to 19% for single crystalline technologies. These percentages refer to the conversion efficiency; that is, of all the light that hits the photovoltaic module, the percentage that is converted directly into electricity. Conversion efficiency is a critical issue when space is limited. The more efficient the module, the less space is needed to build a system that produces a desired amount of electricity.
Who offer Net Metering?
Yes. Under California law, all public and private utilities, including irrigation districts and cooperatives, that operated prior to January 1, 1998, must offer net metering. New electric service providers, who began selling electricity after January 1, 1998, may choose to offer net metering.

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What are the benefits of Net Metering?
Net metering is taking advantage of producing energy at the same rate that your utility company sells you energy. This means your solar system is producing electricity at retail rates.

Your are permitting to put any excess electricity you generate back into the electric grid at retail rates. Essentially, you selling you excess energy to your utility company at the same rate that they charge you, not at he electrical wholesale rates. Your excess electricity now offsets electricity you would otherwise have to buy at full retail prices. Getting this high retail value for your excess electricity makes owning your own generating system more cost-effective.

With Net Metering there is no immediate need for batteries to store energy for use in the evening when your system is not generating power.
Are there standby charges?
Net Metering law eliminated standby charges for commercial customers. Other forms distributed generation charged fee for the ability to draw power from the grid when their system was not operating.
How does Net Metering store my electricity?
Net metering is essentially letting you use the electric grid as a big battery when your PV system will be producing more electricity than your home or business is consuming at that moment. Actually kWh are not being stored, only dollars in the for of a credit that is used to offset you energy charges. With net metering, during these times, excess power is fed back onto electric grid to be used by others. Net metering permits you to "bank" your excess electricity and then withdraw it later time.
How will I be billed under Net Metering?
Your electric will continue to be read monthly. You will receive a monthly statement (not a bill) that indicates the net amount of electricity you consumed or the net amount generated and put into the electric grid that month.

If you have generated more credits over the past year, your utility company will NOT buy any excess credits. You have the option to pay that your electric bill monthly or annually.

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How much PV do I need for my house?
How much PV you need depends on your power loads and their duty cycles. If you wanted to completely replace your current electrical purchases from the utility with a PV system, you could look at your kWh usage on your electric bills for a year, calculate a daily average, and divide that by the number of average daily sun hours for your location. (3600 kWh/yr divided by 365 days/yr equals approximately 10 kWh/day, divided by 5 sun-hours per day (for locations in middle America), equals 2 kW. This would indicate that a 2-kW system would, over the course of an average year, produce enough energy to replace the power you are currently using.

However, if you design an energy efficient home, you could cut the annual electricity usage dramatically, reducing the size of the system. In the real world, the majority of home systems range from 1 kW to 2 kW. Where you live, if you are on the grid or off, and how you live, will dictate the size of your system, and its ultimate cost and value.
How long will PV last?
PV modules have been tested in controlled settings and in the field, with results showing module lifetimes in excess of 30 years. Other system components have varied lifetimes (batteries can last 2-15 years, and power electronics are the most sensitive components).
What kinds of PV are available?
The majority of power modules in use since 1955 are made of single- or multicrystalline silicon, though several manufacturers are producing large quantities of amorphous silicon power modules. Most solar-powered consumer products use thin-film amorphous silicon PV. Satellites and other space applications have used single-crystal silicon, single-crystal gallium arsenide, and test systems of thin-film materials.

Several companies are manufacturing thin-film modules of cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2, or CIS), but these are mostly pilot production at this time and are not available in commercial quantities.
What makes up a PV system?
A PV system comprises the PV modules and the balance of systems (design, support structure, wiring, storage, inverter, AC disconnect, DC disconnect, power electronics and solar panels).

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