SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV)
ELECTRIC SYSTEMS
Solar Electric Systems convert the photons in sunshine into electricity you can use in your building. In our area, 1 kilowatt (kw) of PV installed in an optimal location will produce about 1,000 to 1,200 kWh of electricity per year. The average Seattle household uses about 10,000 kWh of electricity per year. Because of excellent government incentives, a 3kw PV system, which generates about 30% of the average households energy, can bring in enough money to pay 100% of the household’s electric bills.
Currently the incentives for solar photovoltaic systems are:
• 30% Federal energy Tax Credit based on installed system cost.
• Washington State Incentive of 15-54¢ per kWh that your system produces.
• Renewable Energy Credits (REC’s) that fluctuate in price from 2-20¢ per kWh your system produces.
• Sales Tax Exemption.
• An increase in home value of $20 for every $1 your system saves you annually.
• Accelerated system depreciation over 5 years for businesses.
By purchasing a Solar system, you are essentially paying for your future energy up front. The benefit of this is that you don’t have to worry about energy rates increasing. In fact, increasing energy rates mean that the assessed value of your solar system goes up. This is great in the event that you move because you now have a unique, valuable feature that will increase the price of your home and if you do the solar tour, increase the number of potential buyers coming to visit.
Solar in Seattle?
The short answer is YES!!!
Did you know that Seattle gets 70% of the sun that Los Angeles receives and that in 2006, Germany did 55% of the installations in the world, more than the U.S. has ever done, and they only get about 70% of the sun that we receive. The truth is, incentives are far more important than a little increase in sun and Washington State has some of the best-designed incentives in the country.
How Does a Photovoltaic Solar System Work?
Without going into too much detail, the sun sends energy in the form of photons towards the earth. These photons are then absorbed by the solar modules on your roof. The photons excite electrons in the module pushing them on the path of least resistance, which is towards anything in your house that draws electricity. At this point we have direct current (DC) energy that needs to be sent through an inverter and made into alternating current (AC) energy so that you can use it to power your lights, refrigerator, and all other electrical equipment.
After the energy goes through an inverter and is transformed into AC energy, we install a Washington State production meter that measures the output of your solar system in kilowatt hours (kWh). What this meter reads will determine how much you get paid for your Washington State incentive and your renewable energy credits (REC’s); more on these later.
Now, we can connect the solar system to your house electrical panel so that you can use the solar energy. First, your solar energy will go to anything running off of your main electrical panel but, if your not demanding all of the solar energy, it will go out on the electrical grid and ultimately, your neighbor’s house. The best part about this whole process is that your meter will spin backwards as the utility company buys your solar energy from you at full retail price!
|
