Project Overview
Project Overview
Project Overview
If you’ve heard these terms (kilowatt and kilowatt hour) in the past but don’t know what they mean – don’t worry about it. You aren’t alone. Most ratepayers don’t.
But understanding these concepts, basic energy terms, and the difference between power and energy can save you confusion and stress when looking at and trying to understand your electricity bill.
Once you understand the terms – you’ll be able to save time and money and make better decisions for you and your family regarding your home energy needs.
You’ll also be able to make a more informed decision when you start exploring solar energy.
In solar, a kilowatt is a measure of power, precisely the rate of energy generated at a specific time.
Say your LED TV has a power rating of 80 watts. That means it takes 80 watts, or .08 kW, to turn on the TV. A plasma TV of the same size, on the other hand, takes 220 watts or .22 kW to turn on. (That’s why LED and Energy Star rated appliances are better!)
When you see a solar system with an associated kilowatt size – like a 9-kilowatt solar array – this number refers to the maximum possible power output of the system. In other words, it’s the nameplate capacity of the system. So, on the sunniest day, at noon when the sun is high in the sky, a 9-kilowatt solar energy system will produce 9 kilowatts of solar power in real-time.
We calculate a solar array’s kilowatt number from the total number of solar panels used. Say each solar panel has a wattage rating of 300 watts. If you install 30 solar panels, you’ll have a 9000 watt or 9-kilowatt solar system.
If you have a solar energy system, your monitoring will show a fluctuation of power output for the system as the sun rises and falls throughout the day and as the seasons change. Different factors affect the power output of a solar energy system. These factors can include the time of day, time of year, weather, ambient temperature, panel shading, and more.
After understanding that kilowatts equal the power output of a solar energy system, it’s important to understand kilowatt-hours. Kilowatt-hours tell the story of how much power a system can produce over a specific timeframe.
A Kilowatt-hour is a measure of power output over time. So, if our 9-kilowatt system produced 9 kilowatts continuously for a whole hour, it produced 9 kilowatt-hours.
Using kilowatt-hours, we can draw a more accurate picture of the production of a solar array over time.
When looking at a recent electricity bill, you will see that your electric provider has billed you for kilowatt-hours consumed.
Your solar energy system must be sized to offset the kilowatt-hours you typically use at home. Our solar experts know that there are variables to consider when sizing your solar array: weather patterns change, your energy consumption fluctuates as your family grows, or you add an electric vehicle.
That is why a solar consultation is a key step – your Solar Consultant needs to know a lot about your current energy use, available space for solar, and future plans to size a system that will meet your home energy needs for 30+ years.
Does your solar installer offer an energy production guarantee? When evaluating solar, you want to trust that your solar system will perform as expected. An energy production guarantee helps you rest assured that, no matter how much you trust your installer, your investment is protected if the solar energy system does not produce as much energy as was projected.
When you’re ready – reach out! (Or reach out if you’re still wondering “What’s the Difference Between a Kilowatt and a Kilowatt Hour?!)
Electric Cars and Solar Energy are the perfect pair. They’re both forward thinking technologies. And they’re sparking a revolution among those dedicated to self-reliance and building a better energy future.
We don’t need to tell you – we know you’ve considered an Electric Car.
There are some undeniable reasons why it’s a sound investment: fuel for an Electric Car is less expensive than a standard internal combustion engine car. Maintenance is estimated to be about 25% lower than combustion engine vehicles. And lastly, Electric Vehicles don’t burn fossil fuels when you drive them.
But when you move to invest in an Electric Car – will you fuel it with sunshine?
Our analysis found that you could save about 30% on your electric savings when you bundle your Electric Vehicle with solar.
Think about it: you’ll regularly charge your Electric Car from the local electric supply. And, depending on the mix of your local electric supplier, an Electric Vehicle owner could easily charge their vehicle with coal or natural gas. In Ohio, most of our utility energy supply comes from natural gas, followed by coal.
One way to increase your impact when you buy an Electric Car: charge on solar power.
“More than 50% of the people who I helped go solar in the last half of 2021 got an EV and saw their electric bill increase due to charging at home vs going to the pump. They saw solar as a way to hedge against those rising utility costs. PLUS, they want to get those haters off their backs who give them grief for charging their EV’s with coal.” -- John Wittine Solar Consultant, Cleveland Ohio
Assumptions:
The US Department of Transportation estimates that the average US driver drives about 13,500 miles a year, which comes to a little more than 1,000 miles per month.
We fell back to 900 miles a month for our estimates, knowing that there is a little less driving and traveling happening these days. Assuming you go with a traditional residential Level 2 Electric Vehicle charger – our solar expert in Cleveland, Ohio, John Wittine, calculates a monthly increase of 2,650 kWh of electricity used in a home annually and assuming a .14 cent cost per kWh, this equates to about $371 per year.
When John runs the same math on a solar energy system whose initial cost is finite but broken down by lifetime and including degradation to the panels over time, his estimates find that (and are corroborated by the findings at Elektrik) Solar power comes in at roughly $0.10 – $0.11 per kWh. If you drive your EV 900 miles a month, using 2,650 kWh a year, at $0.10 per kWh, you’ll be paying about $265 per year to charge at home.
All in, our analysis found that you could save 30% on your electric savings when you bundle your Electric Car with solar.
Rates vary based on utility provider, and power is cheaper in Ohio. Energy is cheaper in Ohio, and we have no peak hour rates, so the cost savings are not as significant as other states may see. Ultimately, our findings don’t consider the rising rates of electricity that homeowners will experience during the lifetime of their vehicle + solar panels.
So don’t forget to consider that variable.
Our electric grid will need to get a lot cleaner here in Ohio before Electric Car drivers can claim that they’re driving truly emission-free. While we see a clean energy future ahead of us, one way to make sure that your Electric Car is reaping the full benefits of being emission free vehicle now, is by choosing to charge it with home solar power.
PS – Check out this resource for buying an electric car in Ohio.
Read for a solar evaluation of your home? We are here to help! Get a no-obligation, free solar evaluation when you sign up today.
Chris and Pete Yost went solar with Third Sun Solar back in 2008. In 2021 the pair signed up to expand their initial system to cover additional electricity use at their home. Like most of our customers, Chris and Pete went solar for two reasons: for the environment & to increase their resiliency.
Chris and Pete Yost live in London, Ohio, a rural area outside of Central Ohio.
In 2008, they went back and forth, evaluating different renewable energy options for their farm. After learning about the maintenance requirements associated with residential wind generators, they settled on installing a solar energy system at their home.
The initial installation included a roof-mounted solar array and a battery bank of 16 Deka batteries.
While there were incentives available at that time, it was still a significant investment. Pete says: “I kept joking that my new Corvette is sitting on top of the garage” The family does not own any Corvettes, but they have made a commitment to living a clean energy lifestyle.
Back in 2008, they had a friend in the federal government who explained the grid’s vulnerabilities at that time. They wanted to have a plan in place if there ever was a big electrical failure.
As early adopters, the Yosts were able to get Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) locked in at a high rate, which has contributed to the financial payback of their solar and battery system. Unfortunately, today SRECs are not much of an incentive in Ohio. Read more about that here. But with federal incentives and decreased prices with widespread adoption, the solar market remains strong, despite the loss of value in SRECs.
Another frame of reference that Chris and Pete had back in 2008 was forward-thinking countries.
They had done some traveling to countries where the adoption of renewable energy technologies was already widespread. In Europe at the time, renewable energy sources were pervasive.
They saw substantial solar fields in countries with similar -if not cloudier- climates to the United States, which made it evident that solar energy was something to consider back home.
Now, any new construction in Germany requires a minimum of 2 solar panels for solar hot water heaters. Pete says, “When you go by housing developments you see solar panels on all the homes.”
On their rural farm outside of Central Ohio, Chris and Pete do experience power outages. The outages are not necessarily lengthy, but when they happen, the farm has maintained power.
And when the power goes out? Life goes on as usual.
They run what they must on the batteries and have necessary appliances set up to work with the system – water pump, geothermal, microwave, refrigerator, and a few lights.
With conservative energy use, they can go three days with no utility power when there is no charging of the batteries. And longer when the solar system is charging the batteries. Sometimes they let the batteries cycle on their own, which is important for the technology.
They may have been the first, but the Yosts are not the only ones in their family with a solar energy system. Pete has a brother in Ohio who put in a solar system a couple of years ago. Their daughter in Iowa has gone solar, too.
Chris and Pete are in the group that we think of as the early adopters of solar energy. In 2021 as they expand their existing solar array, they join an even more significant number of Ohioans turning to solar power to meet all of their energy needs.
Set your Solar Energy Goals for the New Year!
It’s that time of year when your feed is brimming with content about resolutions and goals. A lot of the goal-oriented content we see is about health, fitness, wellness, and financial planning.
Setting achievable goals is important to us. One of our core values is growth. And a big part of achieving growth is setting goals. A goal based on learning something new is a noble goal: reading, discovering, talking to someone in the pursuit of knowledge. After all, that is where change begins.
Our intention with this post is not to add to all that “New Year” noise but instead to help you to learn something new.
If solar is on your list this year – whether you plan just to learn more or your goal is to actually take the leap – we hope this article can help you.
There sure is a lot to learn. We speak with so many people every day who are just starting on their solar journey.
Your Guide to Going Solar is a free eBook download and is where we recommend you start.
Some of the biggest questions we here are:
If you prefer learning through video, head on over to our YouTube page. If you’re interested in digging deep on a particular topic, check out our solar 101 webinar series. This list of webinar recordings is comprehensive and covers many frequently asked questions.
It’s always good to reflect – especially on the money we spend. Look back at your energy prices over the last few years. Do you notice any changes in the rates that you are paying for your electricity?
Solar energy allows you to own your power instead of paying varying and increasing monthly payments to the utility company.
We predict that energy prices will continue to rise between infrastructure maintenance and grid modernization over the next decade or two. And we’re not alone.
Escalating energy costs is crucial to consider when evaluating a solar energy system for your home.
Net metering is what makes residential solar energy systems so prevalent in Ohio. It is a simple concept, but it is new to most people when they start to research solar energy.
Net-metering allows you to store the energy you produce in the electric grid in the form of credits. Excess electricity travels back into the power grid when your panels produce more energy than you need. You get credit for that energy. When you pull energy from the grid, you can use those credits to pay for grid energy when your panels aren’t making power.
If you’re interested in understanding net metering better, this webinar recording will be right up your alley.
Will solar save you money? Will you… make money? If you are on Facebook, you have undoubtedly seen those claims.
If you have always wondered what the payback is, now is a great time to find out. The best way to understand is to get a custom quote for your home. We evaluate three main factors to bring you a custom quote:
We’re thrilled that solar energy is now more accessible to more and more people in Ohio.
As the market has grown over the past 20 years, so too have financing options. Now, Third Sun Solar offers customers new and improved financing options and an opportunity to have 12 months without payments on their solar energy system.
The Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is a piece of the financial picture to consider. In 2021 and 2022 the ITC allows you to take 26% of the system’s cost off of taxes you owe. The ITC will drop to 22% in 2023. Read more about the current state of the ITC here.
Often, folks bundle the purchase of a new Electric Vehicle with a home solar energy system. If you’re thinking of doing the same, get up to speed on Ohio’s Electric Vehicle incentives here.
If you’ve always wondered if your home is a suitable candidate for a solar energy system – find out!
Start planning now if you think 2022 might be the year you go solar.
Most installers get pretty busy in the spring and summer months when the sun is high in the sky, and people are thinking about all the solar energy their roof could be capturing. Little do most know that wintertime is the best time to plan for that spring installation.
It takes time to design and permit a quality solar system like most other construction work. Think about it: you could get your solar system installed just in time to take advantage of those bright spring sun-rays.
Maximize your savings in 2022 by planning early and getting an install in time for Ohio’s peak sun days in spring, summer, and fall.
There is a lot more to find out…
We know that when you’re first looking, you have many questions, and we hope we’ve helped answer those.
Also, we know that sometimes it is easier to get questions answered by a real person. We pride ourselves in our no-pressure, consultative and educational sales approach. Feel free to reach out when you’re ready – we are just a phone call away.
Happy new year to you and yours from the Third Sun Solar team!
This year we talked with one of our clients, Kay, who was gifted a solar energy system by her mother-in-law, Sara.
Brad and Kay were in the process of building their forever home on a rural piece of land in southeastern Ohio when they first started seriously considering solar energy.
In recent years the couple had been looking into solar; they were both curious about it.
You may know from experience, but there is a whole lot to think about when building a house. The planning phase is the best time to plan for solar, but knowing when to throw a solar installation into the mix can be tricky. Brad and Kay were choosing vendors, suppliers, appliances, and making big decisions about their home. As they were chatting about the various considerations, solar energy came up, and Sara decided to gift them the solar system.
All in, it was the perfect gift: It was something Brad and Kay wanted, was a good environmental decision, it would set an example for the grandkids, and the solar system would offset the young family’s electrical costs for 30 years or more to come.
The whole family is environmentally driven.
“We are very aware of our carbon footprint. We know that the future is green. And we want to go in that direction,” Kay said when asked what first inspired her to look into clean energy.
Kay and Brad compost and recycle. They like to travel, enjoy nature, and most importantly, want to leave a healthy planet for their family.
The couple has a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old, and one on the way. For Brad and Kay and Grandma Sara, too, setting an excellent example for their children and creating a sustainable world for them is what matters most.
Sara lives in Anchorage, Alaska now, but grew up in Gallipolis, a town in southeast Ohio. She left Ohio in 1997 to join the Air Force. She’s a no plastic bags, composter, recycler, and renewable energy type of person at heart.
She says: “If I could talk anyone into it, I would.”
Sara is worried about climate change. Where she lives in Alaska, the effects of climate change are increasingly visible. She’s experiencing rising temperatures, receding glaciers, permafrost melting, which makes the homes in her community less stable, and eroding beaches that destroy homes.
When speaking about her family in southeast Ohio, Sara says: “My goal in life is to start taking them [the grandkids] on trips to get to know the world. If I can convince them to do their part, I’ve done my part.”
Sara asked Kay to do the research, and she did. Kay learned about solar, got the quotes, and when they were ready, Sara made the purchase.
Sara even got them a backup generator to ensure they had power access when the grid went down.
What did Kay and Brad learn while exploring solar options for their family? The couple learned that the cost was high, but the cost benefits and payback were something they hadn’t imagined.
Why did the couple choose Third Sun Solar? Kay says: “everyone was so friendly and excited. You can tell the people liked working there.”
If you’re looking for a unique, impactful gift for someone special this holiday season, consider giving the gift of solar to a loved one. It will no doubt have a lasting impact.
LOCATION –A new solar panel installation at the Southeast Ohio Foodbank, a program of Hocking Athens Perry Community Action (HAPCAP), will help the facility to save money, reduce their carbon footprint, and serve more individuals across the region.
The installation was made possible through a significant gift from the Northern Trust Charitable Giving Program. The addition of the 364 rooftop solar panels will allow the Foodbank to significantly reduce their contribution to greenhouse gas and carbon emissions over time, while also generating long-term financial gains associated with decreased energy costs. The 163.8 kW solar array system is expected to offset the facility’s annual energy costs by nearly 47 percent and offset an annual equivalent of 149 metrics tons of CO2. In greenhouse gas emissions, this is equivalent to 50.5 tons of waste recycled instead of landfilled, or 27 homes’ electricity for one year.
“Given the size and scope of our work at the Foodbank, we historically have had significant electrical expenses. The less money we spend on energy, the more money we can spend on food and other supports for our community members who struggle with poverty and food insecurity, “shared Kelly Hatas, Executive Director at HAPCAP. “We also know that climate change is an issue that disproportionately impacts low-income communities, and we want to be a part of the solution to this global crisis. Overall, this project represents HAPCAP’s commitment to a thriving and sustainable future for Southeast Ohio.”
Geoff Greenfield, CEO and co-founder of Athens, Ohio based Third Sun Solar, who designed and installed the system, commented, “We are really proud of this project. Not only will it continue to give back to the community for decades, but it’s a trip down memory lane for me. Before we started Third Sun Solar I worked for several years at Community Action. I love their mission and really appreciate all the important programs they run in our region.”
For more information about HAPCAP’s programs, please contact Rose Frech at [email protected], or (740) 767-4500.
You may encounter online solar system calculators when you first start on your solar journey.
After seeing and hearing all the advertisements about how solar can save you money – you may be motivated to pin those numbers down. Online solar system calculators can seem like a good place to start.
This tool on various websites provides you with quick pricing for a solar installation. You can get an estimate in minutes!
But, for homeowners serious about considering solar, the best way to get accurate pricing and financial analysis of solar for their home is to get a solar evaluation by a local solar installer.
Online solar system calculators are helpful when you’re first starting.
They’re pretty sophisticated- in addition to asking about your monthly electric bill and utility provider, many ask about the pitch of your roof and shade.
Some solar system calculators provide net solar savings over the lifetime of the solar system. These give a glimpse of how long it will take your savings to offset the cost of the solar system.
They’re quick and easy, and for that reason, they offer an excellent first glimpse at solar pricing.
So what do online solar system calculators leave out?
One element that online solar system calculators cannot account for is the usable area of your roof. It takes a professional to understand how obstructions like dormers, chimneys, and vents will affect the system size and the best equipment to use. In addition, equipment variations can significantly affect system costs.
Additionally, different cities, historic districts, and homeowner’s associations have various regulations for space that a solar installer needs to leave on the roof surrounding the perimeter of the solar system. We call these “setback requirements.”
Having a local installer familiar with these localized “setback requirements” will be necessary for ensuring your system is sized correctly and passes inspection once complete. Unfortunately, we have not seen any online solar calculators that can take these local requirements into account.
Some other significant cost variable includes your budget for solar and your goals. A solar specialist will offer different equipment at different pricing, with your budget and goals in mind, to help you reach your solar vision and goals.
Lastly, financing plays a significant role in solar system costs. The cost of the same solar system can vary widely based on how you choose to finance it.
We conclude that you’ll undoubtedly miss out on customized details if you rely solely on an online solar system calculator.
We focus our solar evaluations on customer education, and we give you all the information you will need to make an informed decision. We will be the first to tell you if your home is not a good fit for solar.
Remember – online solar system calculators are a fine place to start your research. But a no-pressure, free, customized evaluation will get you on the path towards achieving your solar dreams.
We’ve loved getting to spend time with Dayton Ohio customer Ellis Willis over the past year. He’s a great solar advocate!
Ellis is a retired city employee and adjunct professor at a local college.
He and his wife are very active with their family. They have young grandsons and one of the big reasons they wanted to go solar was to give them a better world to grow up in as they reduce their carbon footprint.
Also, the financial perks made sense too…
Third Sun Solar is a supporter of Small Business Saturday!
In the flurry of marketing holidays between Black Friday and Giving Tuesday, this important one comes right in the middle.
The intention of the holiday is simple: bring more attention to small local businesses.
We are participating this year by highlighting just a handful of small businesses that have gone solar with us.
The businesses selected have retail products, so if you are looking for a unique gift for a loved one this holiday season, some of these Ohio Small businesses might be right up your alley!
Have you ever searched for the perfect gift? Something meaningful that will have an ongoing impact on the life of your loved one for many years ahead. It’s hard to find a gift with lasting value.
If you’re looking for a unique, impactful gift for someone special this holiday season, consider giving the gift of solar to a loved one.
There is no doubt that it will have a lasting impact.
As discussions about inflation become commonplace, many people are asking us if the price of going solar will be affected as well.
If prices ARE going up, this would certainly be a reversal of historic trends. Many that follow the industry have gotten used to a general expectation of falling prices.
Solar installers around the country have celebrated the significant price drops that accompanied widespread adoption and increased efficiency of the technology. According to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, “Since 2014, the average cost of solar PV panels has dropped nearly 70%.”
Due to various factors, this trend has reversed, and solar costs are rising for the first time in recent memory.
Several factors are driving this new upward cost curve.
You’re surely aware of the rising commodity prices and surging freight costs across the country. These factors have impacted everything from vehicles to kitchen ovens. Like all markets in the U.S., the solar industry is beginning to see the effects of inflation as we turn the corner into the new year.
The building blocks of a solar system include copper, aluminum, steel, and electrical components. Copper is needed for solar inverters and electric cabling. Aluminum and steel make up the solar panel racking and panel frames. As the global economy comes back from Covid-19, and economies are “stimulated” with low interest rates, demand is booming while supplies are struggling to keep up.
The economists predict that these materials will continue to rise in price in 2022 and perhaps beyond.
The other major ingredient in a solar system is the people needed to do everything from the engineering work to bolting the modules to the rooftops. Just as the wait at your favorite restaurant is longer due to staffing shortages, the solar industry has their help wanted signs up as they seek to hire and train the workforce needed to meet the growing demand for clean energy.
Wages are rising to attract quality team members and compete with the other booming sectors of the economy. Across the board, positions are harder to fill.
Many solar installers have begun raising their prices, and others are planning to as they sell older inventory and are faced with buying more expensive material.
Facing a more competitive labor pool, installers are raising prices to keep up with higher payrolls.
These cost increases have driven up prices. Solar panel prices have jumped 16%, and total prices have risen 12%, according to a press release by Rastad Energy. The forecast is for more of the same throughout 2022.
While the modest inflation impacting solar is undoubtedly a change in direction from steadily declining prices, several variables could make this inflation more dramatic.
In a significant development in the global marketplace, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is beginning to enforce “Withhold Release Orders” on imported solar modules containing silicon from China’s Shaanxi Provence over concerns about the use of forced labor.
While many solar modules are made from material from other regions, systems to track and prove this do not yet exist, and industry experts are worried that even “ethical” solar module shipments may be held at the border.
Another area that could further raise prices is the efforts of several manufacturers to increase tariffs on imported modules – not just from China but from a host of Asian nations.
Finally, while we have discussed costs, rising demand is the other market signal leading to higher prices. The recently passed infrastructure bill is predicted to further drive up commodity and construction labor prices. The pending “Build Back Better” bill promises to incentivize further solar development, driving up demand in an already hot market.
As prices increase due to all these factors, deciding when or if to go solar is more important than ever.
We recommend our customers carefully evaluate their circumstances – no two households or businesses are the same.
One of the important variables is “the cost of waiting”: each month of buying costly dirty utility power is a month that could be filled with the savings of clean energy. We predict that despite the slight rise in costs, the demand for solar will continue to rise, and the limited schedule for established quality solar installers will fill quickly, especially as hiring to meet growing demand is a challenge.
If you have an older solar quote, it is possible that the current rise in prices is partially or completely offset by the historic reduction in costs that the industry has benefitted from over the past several years.
Even if your costs are going up, securing your space in the install schedule is likely to pay off as deferred savings are a lost opportunity.
Our guidance for you: gather updated information, evaluate your own personal situation, and make the right decision for you.
Several critical pieces of information should be consistent when you compare solar quotes.
We know comparing apples to oranges can be difficult, so we’ve created a checklist of items you need to watch out for when you’re considering which solar company to hire.
The information we’ve chosen to highlight is based on what we’ve seen in other proposals shown to us by our customers.
It’s essential to know the specifics of what equipment your installer will be supplying you. Although it can be difficult to trace exactly where a panel is made, make sure the manufacturer and model name are identified in your solar quote so you can verify that the panel manufacturer is reputable.
Keep in mind, the industry standard for a panel warranty is around 25 years. You will need to establish the likelihood that the manufacturer will honor your warranty during that time.
Solar Panels
Solar panels degrade gradually over time with exposure to sunlight, wind, and weather. Panels are typically warranted 25–30 years and have a design lifespan of over 30 years. Energy production is expected to degrade by about one-half of one percent per year.
Inverters
Inverters are warranted for 10–15 years and have an expected lifespan of 15–20 years. You may need to replace an inverter once in the system’s lifetime, and we figure that cost into our financial predictions.
Workmanship
Any home improvement typically has a “workmanship warranty” covering the quality of the work done. This promise from the contractor that they will install things correctly generally is two years. In the solar installation business, warranties often range from 2-5 Years, sometimes up to 10.
We rolled out our 20-year workmanship warranty in our twentieth year of business to give our customers peace of mind when they go solar.
Watch out for fluff! Production factors should be based on:
Some companies will add in some “fluff” to the numbers to make their quote look better. We have enough confidence to guarantee our customer’s production because we always confirm our solar production estimates with a physical in-person site assessment to take accurate orientation, tilt, and shading measurements!
Your most considerable risk in solar is that the system doesn’t perform as you were told it would.
We believe that the homeowner should not be liable for that risk.
As a solar installer, we back our production estimates with a performance guarantee.
Your solar company must know your current energy rate to project your system’s lifetime solar savings potential. If this number is wrong, the accuracy of their estimate of the financial benefit of the system will be off from the beginning.
We have seen some installers grossly overestimate how the cost of energy will rise in the future to make the solar system look like it has a greater return on investment or quicker payback. Make sure the current electricity price and price escalation rate are presented clearly on any solar quote you consider! The rate used dramatically affects the economics and the system value.
Watch out for:
Energy-efficient homes indeed help a homeowner maximize their solar purchase. We know of a few solar companies that bundle energy efficiency upgrades with their solar installation.
While this is great, watch out for these red flags:
For starters, there is no way to model the actual energy saving these upgrades have, so there is no way to do economic modeling for the estimated cost savings of the upgrades.
Second, some solar installers roll the projected energy savings into the solar system payback analysis. When installers add energy efficiency upgrades to the solar system payback analysis, they mislead customers about the actual capabilities of the system’s performance.
Looking at reviews can make a world of difference when evaluating your solar partner. Beyond the Better Business Bureau, Google Reviews, and other review sites, there are a few accreditations that you’ll want to keep in mind.
A solar energy system is a big investment and comparing solar quotes is one of the first steps in the journey. Our biggest takeaway is to choose a solar installer you trust.
Natalie Lucas went solar in 2019. Funny enough Natalie works remotely for a solar installer herself, StraightUp Solar in Illinois and Missouri.
Natalie is a true believer in renewable energy and doing the right thing by the plant – which is one reason she chose to go with Third Sun Solar.
She loves watching trends in her solar production. We enjoyed talking with Natalie a few years after her installation to hear her perspective!
Learn more about installing solar in Ohio here!
Rural electric co-ops and solar power have a long history here in Ohio. In the 1930s, Ohio established rural electric cooperatives. At the time, investor-owned utilities refused to service rural areas because it did not make economic sense. The structure of rural electric cooperatives provided a means to get electricity to rural America.
These cooperatives still stand today and are member-owned, like the title “cooperative” would suggest. You get one vote towards the board of directors if you’re a participant in the cooperative. Rural electric cooperatives are nonprofit entities, unlike more prominent investor-owned utilities.
Because these locally owned, nonprofit entities are much smaller than national energy companies – you might think it would be easier to go solar when plugged into one. But there are a few nuances to be aware of when choosing to go solar if your electric provider is a rural co-op.
Rural electric co-ops in Ohio are not required to offer net metering like investor-owned utility companies are. Most of them do, however, not all.
Additionally, because rural co-ops are member-owned and not required to follow regulations set out by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), they can set their own net metering rules. For example, when you produce more energy than you consume, you send that excess back to the grid. The rate you’re paid for that energy production varies from rural co-op to co-op.
Rules and regulations around fixed-rate amounts on your monthly bills vary. And the amount of electricity that you can send back to the grid annually also varies.
Because there isn’t one standard for the 24 rural electric co-ops, solar installers need to be familiar with the local rules, rates, and regulations.
Why is all of this important to know? If a rural electric co-op services your home and you’re thinking about going solar, you should be paying attention.
Your solar installer must understand your cooperative’s rules and rates to provide an accurate economic analysis of your solar installation project (that goes for investor-owned utilities, too!) We encourage you to ask them:
Kokosing Solar works very closely with the Distributed Generation Coordinators employed by each utility, including rural co-ops. We do this because it’s part of our job as a full turnkey solar installation partner. We know our customers trust us to stay up to date on the net-metering rules and fixed-rate fee structure.
*Keep in mind – there is certain information rural electric cooperatives will only give to their customers and not us! When this happens, we will ask you to communicate directly with your provider to retrieve this information.
Lastly, if your utility has policies that disincentivize solar production – become an advocate! If you’re part of a co-op- use your vote, attend public meetings and make your voice heard! Here is just one example of one of our customers who could go solar after advocating at the local level.
If you have any questions about going solar – reach out! We would love to help answer your questions.
Where are Ohio’s top locations for Electric Vehicles?
In the U.S., the most significant source of greenhouse gas emissions comes from cars and trucks. Transportation accounted for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. According to the EPA, “Over 90 percent of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum-based, which includes primarily gasoline and diesel.”
Stats like these are motivating Ohioans to consider going electric with their next car purchase. Electric Cars are better for the environment, require less maintenance, and electricity is cheaper than gasoline (especially if you have solar).
Top Alternative Fuel Vehicles by County in Ohio 2018 – current
Columbus, Ohio, seems to be the top location for electric vehicles in Ohio. It’s also the most populated city in the state. Following Columbus are our two key metropolitan Cities: Cincinnati and Cleveland.
Top 10 Alternative Fuel Vehicles in Ohio – From 2018– now
The U.S. has seen a slow adoption of electric vehicles compared to other countries. In 2020 E.V. registrations reached a new record by taking up 1.8% of overall U.S. light vehicles registered.
With an awareness of these barriers, private and public entities are making processes to make Electric Vehicles accessible to more drivers.
According to Clean Fuels Ohio, last month, The Ohio EPA awarded $3.25 million in grants to support the installation of E.V. infrastructure. The grants fund more than 500 publicly accessible Level 2 electric vehicle charging ports at more than 170 locations in 22 counties.
In 2020 ground broke on an electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Lordstown, Ohio.
The facility will produce Ultium batteries for a new Cadillac electric car, a new electric Hummer sport utility vehicle. The project is a $2.3 billion joint venture between G.M. and South Korea’s L.G. Chem.
Bringing the production of Electric Vehicle batteries to the United States tackles some of the barriers listed above.
“Sales of E.V.s are set to exceed a 3.5% overall market share in 2021 and climb to a more than 10% share in 2025, due to broader product offerings, according to IHS Markit. More than 100 new E.V. options are expected to launch between 2021 and 2025.”
As with solar power, building out the infrastructure for Electric Vehicles will require coordination. Public and private partnerships have been the golden standard for widespread solar adoption. And we can see the same happening with electric vehicles.
In 2016 Columbus, Ohio, was awarded a $10 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge.
In 2015, only 0.38% of new cars purchased in the seven-county region were E.V.s. We set a goal to increase E.V. ownership by 500% to 1.8% by 2020.
Fortunately, we’re on pace to meet or surpass that goal, with E.V. sales exceeding 2% of vehicles sold at the end of 2018.
How did they do it?
Read more about SMART Columbus here.
Third Sun Solar proudly offers Electric Vehicle charger installation as a service to homeowners interested in going green all the way. More and more, we see homeowners who go solar install Electric Vehicle chargers before buying the Electric Vehicle itself.
When you go solar, you have the opportunity to set yourself up for an entirely green lifestyle.
With Solar plus an Electric Vehicle, homeowners can charge their cars and, in most cases, drive more economically than they would by charging from the grid or public charging stations.
If you’re interested in learning more from our team about how we can make your clean energy dreams a reality, reach out today.
Jaber Wahel began considering solar in Cleveland, Ohio. 2 years later, he had Kokosing Solar install a 20-panel array on a flat, south-facing roof of his house. The array was designed to offset 46% of Jaber’s electricity in one year.
His motivation for going solar? It was primarily environmental, but the investment also needed to make economic sense. Most of the savings a homeowner sees when they go solar come from the savings in electricity bills over that time, but a significant portion for Jaber also came from the 30% Federal Tax Credit that he claimed.
Jaber often goes to California for work. Over time, he saw more and more homes in the Golden State with solar. This indicated to him that a movement was building. Seeing the significant solar infrastructure in CA first sparked his interest in the solar movement.
Jaber’s first step when shopping for solar, like many homeowners just beginning their solar journey, was to learn.
Jaber was first interested in how the climate affects solar production. Sure, solar was booming in California, but does solar make sense in Ohio? Working with Kokosing Solar, he found out that solar, even in an area like Cleveland, Ohio, despite getting far less sun time than places like California, still gets enough to make solar PV installation practical.
Jaber was curious how the angle of his roof would affect the system’s efficiency. Unlike most of our residential customers, his panels sit on a flat roof surface on the southern side of his home. This roof space was where he had the most uninterrupted, southern-facing roof space.
In Ohio, anywhere between a 4/12 and a 7/12 roof pitch is just fine for solar. These angles maximize the sunlight captured in both the summertime and winter. To get this desired pitch on a flat roof, Kokosing Solar uses ballasted racking, which tip the panels at a 10-degree tilt. Though panel efficiency does change a little depending on the angle of your roof, the difference is minimal.
Jaber was surprised to learn that he didn’t need solar batteries to go solar. He learned that if your home is connected to the grid, a solar system works seamlessly with your current electricity supplier to ensure that you have power. When it’s nighttime or snowy, the energy you use comes from the grid. Energy comes from your panels when the sun is shining. And, when the sun is shining, and you aren’t using energy, that extra energy is exported to the grid to power your neighbor’s homes, and you get credit for the energy you’ve produced. Net metering is the policy through which customers receive credits for the excess energy they produce.
When Jaber started considering solar in Cleveland, Ohio, he got quotes in the $50-60,000 range. Since then, the prices dropped significantly, and paired with federal incentives, solar made financial sense.
The most surprising part of Jaber’s process was how fast the installation took – in his case, it was just one day! For Kokosing Solar, the typical residential solar installations last between 1-4 days. The electric company came out within the next couple of days to switch out his meter for one that understands how to work with the solar system. After that, he turned on his system and started producing his own electricity!
His favorite part about his solar array is that the system is 100% hands-off. He says: “You just set it and forget it – it’s plug and play- you don’t think about it ever.” What has been the best part of having a solar powered home so far?
According to Jaber, the best part is that it works! He really is able to harness the sun to produce his own electricity.
When he walks around, Jaber says that he’s noticed maybe 10-15 houses in his community that have solar, though he doesn’t personally know anyone who also has an array. The City’s current Mayor has an electric car and solar on his house. He does know a lot of community members who have thought about it.
Jaber believes that there is a lot of inertia in the solar movement: it’s a movement gaining speed.
When asked what he thinks is stopping people from going solar, he says: “People think it’s complicated – for me, it was such an easy thing.” He says that the most challenging thing was filling out the loan application, which Kokosing Solar was there to help him.
He thinks the same is true of electric cars. While people are hesitant now, there is still a movement building. Once people overcome the anxiety see that it’s a technology that works, they’ll be more willing to adopt it.
According to Jaber, if you get out of Ohio and see how much it’s going up in other places- it makes choosing solar power easy.
Jaber says– “If you have a customer who is interested and hesitant, give me a call – I would be happy to talk with anyone about it.”
Interested in taking Jaber up on his offer? If so, reach out and we will connect you.
Ray Stewart is a Solar Advocate in Ohio. Through his efforts, the City of Amherst installed city-operated municipal utility installed bidirectional meters. Ray was the first person in the City of Amherst to go solar!
Four years ago, Lorain County, Ohio residents got together to organize a bulk purchasing deal for residential solar installations. Resident, Ray Stewart was excited. He was interested in getting a solar array for his home. He attended the community meetings to get up to speed. A core group of individuals evaluated and vetted different solar installers for the bulk purchasing program. This group ultimately chose Third Sun Solar.
Third Sun Solar Consultant, David Zelasko, consulted with Ray through the group buy program. David asked Ray about his motivations for going solar, goals, and available roof space for solar. While going through his routine process to understand the permitting requirements for solar in Amherst, David made a discovery. He discovered that going solar in the City of Amherst wasn’t possible. At that time, the meters on the homes of folks living in the city were not compatible with net-metering. For Ray, this meant that solar wasn’t feasible.
Because municipal utilities and rural co-ops are not regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, they are not required to offer net metering or allow interconnection for solar.
All the municipal utilities have their unique rules, so it’s essential to have an installer like Third Sun Solar, who has experience with these utilities and takes the time to do their due diligence. The City of Amherst at the time operated a municipal utility that did not offer net metering. Oberlin, Cleveland Public Power, and the City of Westerville are examples of municipalities that own the electric utility, provide net metering, and where Third Sun has installed solar.
Ray lobbied his Mayor and Councilman, who were supportive of residential solar. And no one was surprised by his request. The Mayor responded that it would be necessary to update software and develop the capacity to manage the change.
In 2019 the city utility department swapped all meters in their territory with bidirectional meters, which interact with residential solar systems and allow for net-metering.
Ray was able to install solar in June of 2019 and has been fueling his home on sunshine ever since!
Since the installation, Ray’s electric charges went down and have stayed down. He enjoys looking up at his roof and seeing the solar panels doing their work up there. He occasionally logs into his monitoring app to check on the data. Ray was lucky to have caught the 30% federal tax credit in its final year and is excited to get the tax credit when he files this year. (the federal tax credit stepped down to 26% in 2020 – read more about the federal tax credit for solar here).
When asked what motivated him to go solar, he says his motivation is to lower his carbon footprint.
Ray is a gardener, a composter, a recycler, and a hybrid vehicle owner. When solar became possible for him, it was a natural choice. Ray’s value’s alight with Third Sun’s: he feels that anything we can each do to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and lower our carbon footprint in the face of climate change is essential.
Ray had his students read Aldo Leapold’s 1949 essay collection A Sand County Almanac as a former science teacher. The essays convey the concept of “land ethic” and the ethical relationship between people and the land where they live.
The signature line in his email reads:
“We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
― Aldo Leopold
Community members within the City of Amherst now each have the opportunity to lower their carbon footprint.
You could make a case that through Ray’s efforts, the community in which he lives will be treated with a little more love and respect as the community members can now choose to power their homes and lives with clean, healthy, renewable energy.
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