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Author: developer

New law puts up to 40% of the cost of going solar back into your pocket

Posted on by developer

Nobody knows whether the Inflation Reduction Act, just signed into law, will actually reduce inflation. But it will definitely reduce the cost of going solar, in a big way.

For starters, it raises the solar tax credit from 26% to 30% – almost a third of your installation’s cost.

So if you’re buying, say, a $30,000 solar system, your 30% credit comes to $9,000 – giving you a $30,000 installation for just $21,000.

What’s more, that increase is retroactive to the start of this year, so if you already bought a solar system, you’ll be getting an additional 4% back.

Even better, you won’t have to wit until this coming April 15 to put that money in your pocket. Until now, if you didn’t have a big enough tax liability (like many retired households, for example) the tax credit didn’t do you much good. But now, you can also take it as a tax refund, as if it were an overpayment.

Or you can give it away or sell it and pocket the profit.

Also up until now, batteries for backup storage weren’t eligible for the solar tax credit. But now they are, so you’ll save big-time on those too.

If key components, such as the Solark inverters and SimpliPhi batteries we use, are Made in USA (i.e., at least 40% domestically manufactured), you can add another 10% of the installation cost to your 30% credit/refund.

There are some other, more esoteric, credits that industry authorities PV Magazine and the Solar Energy Industries Association explain., And there are sure to be all sorts of regulations down the road, as bureaucrats get their teeth into the Act’s 730 pages of legalese.

But the top-line news is great, and there’s never been a better time to cash in on it.t

Which businesses can reap the most benefit from REAP solar grants?

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There are many state, federal and privately funded incentives for businesses and consumers considering solar. One of the best for business owners is the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). This program has a number of benefits tailored to helping business owners interested in solar and in reducing their carbon footprints. We’ve been very successful in helping business apply for and receive REAP grants and would be happy to discuss with you at you convenience.

Here’s an overview:

REAP grants can pay 25% of the cost of renewable (e.g., solar) energy systems, from $2,500 to $500,000. The program also offers loan guarantees for another 50% of the cost, plus accelerated depreciation. On top of that, there’s the 26% federal income tax credit.

That word “Rural” in the title may make it sound like REAP grants are just for farms. But any rural or small-town business in areas with less than 50,000 population is eligible.

Obviously, the more electricity a business uses, the more it can benefit from a REAP grant. Here are some of the leading candidates:

  • Car dealerships use lots of electricity for showing off inventory in their lots (and preventing theft) at night, for heating and air conditioning, and for powering the computers, security systems, and tools in the service bays.
  • Auto Body Shops – Whether independent or part of a dealership, a body shop’s paint booth air heaters are big electricity consumers.
  • Gas station convenience stores – Those bright lights by the pumps out front and the refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners inside don’t power themselves.
  • Groceries – Keeping constant temperatures inside refrigerators and freezers (particularly those that that customers keep opening and closing), and in open refrigerator and freezer cases, eats up lots of electricity.
  • Bakeries, Delis, Restaurants – Whether standalone or part of a supermarket, ovens, other kitchen equipment, and refrigeration all increase power consumption.
  • Motels and B&Bs – As 24-hour establishments, motels have high energy costs – not just for round-the-clock lighting and HVAC, but also for operating any onsite kitchens or restaurants. B&Bs have many of the same electricity costs, but on a smaller scale.
  • Dry Cleaners – Electricity can consume 25% of total operating costs, with steam boilers accounting for 20-80% of energy costs.
  • Craft Breweries in West Virginia, for example, turn out an average of 728 barrels a year, according to the Brewers Association. Between refrigeration, packaging, and compressed air, it takes from 50 to 66 kWh of electricity to produce just one barrel of beer. At 10¢ per kWh of local electricity, that’s $5 to $6.60 per barrel. A solar installation like this one, for a brewery in Elkins, WV (population: 7,072) can crank out more than 500kWh a day.
  • Farms’ operations don’t use that much electricity, partly because so much of their acreage is so far from power lines. But off-grid solar installations can pump cattle tanks and water wells, irrigate crops, and ventilate buildings in remote areas. If at least half your gross revenue comes from farming, you’re eligible for a REAP grant.

As part of the required paperwork, you’ll need to show that your project has technical merit and uses commercially available technology. We routinely conduct free on-site solar surveys and provide complete, detailed custom plans, itemized lists of materials and delivery schedules – that we stick to. And as far as technical merit goes, our CEO is one of only 93 solar installers nationwide to have earned double NABCEP certification.

Do reviews really matter?

Posted on by developer

Spoiler alert: They matter. A lot.

The process of deciding on a solar system for your property, and deciding on the company you want to install it, is one of the more important decisions any property owner can make.

You’ll be looking for all of the obvious issues such as price, warranty and quality, but just as important is the safety aspect of putting a high voltage power plant on your roof (if roof-mounted, of course).

NABCEP certified installer credentials are essential for all those reasons.  And experience in installing the exact system type you’re considering is just as important.  As I’ve posted here many times, an electrician license alone does not qualify one to design and install solar systems.  West Virginia is one of the few states that continues to think that an electrician’s van and a few extension ladders makes you a qualified solar installer/contractor.

Even with tax credits and assorted subsidies, and even though they pay for themselves over time, solar installations aren’t cheap. That’s why I harp on checking out installers you’re considering before making that commitment.

A recommended first step in doing this is to ask these 12 questions. Then, use the answer to Question 12 (names and contact information for reference customers) to check the answers you got for Questions 1 through 11.

Of course, no installer’s going to refer you to unhappy customers, so it also makes sense to Google “[installer name] reviews.”

I do this from time to time, to see how Milestone’s doing and look for ways we can do even better. In this process, I came across this great 5-star review on angi.com, which is what Angie’s List is called now.

It’s not signed, but if you check it out here (It’s the fifth one down.), you’ll see the only changes we made were to correct some punctuation:

Bill Anderson, engineer and company owner, personally came to our home to answer questions and do a free site survey. He returned the next week with a detailed, written plan and cost estimate for a Grid-tied, battery back-up PV solar system for our home. I really appreciate the fact that he listened carefully to what we wanted from a solar system and then designed a plan that met our needs. He kept us informed about schedules and was always available to answer any questions we had. Bill took care of all the building permits, inspection appointments, and worked with the local power company to get our net-meter installed. The construction crew was always on time and did an excellent job of constructing the framework for our ground mount system with minimal damage to the rest of the yard. Phil, the electrical engineer who wired the system, did an excellent job. His wiring is practically a work of art! It took a little while for the parts to our system to arrive, but once everything was here the process was relatively quick. I should note here that Milestone Solar evaluates each customer’s needs and puts together a personalized system. There is no cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all mentality at Milestone. The components for each system are specific to the job. I am more than satisfied that Bill chose some of the industry’s best and most reliable components for our system. These components have 15 to 25-year warranties, depending on the specific piece of equipment. And even though our system has been up and running for a month now, I know that the Milestone Solar team provides after-sale follow-up and they are just a phone call away if I ever have a question or problem. I should also note that Bill Anderson is one of the first engineers in the country to pass the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Photovoltaic (PV) Technical Sales Exam. Milestone Solar is licensed and insured, and Bill was happy to provide references that I could contact. In fact, I did speak with several individuals and one municipal official who had contracted with Milestone Solar in the past. Every person was very happy with their experience with Milestone. If you are interested in having a PV solar system installed, you cannot go wrong with Milestone Solar. We were very impressed with the professionalism and craftsmanship of the entire Milestone team.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK
No-cost site survey and evaluation –A written estimate including components to be used and cost estimates – Obtained all the needed permits and scheduled all necessary inspections – Ordered and delivered all the necessary components to our home – Constructed the ground mount framework that holds the photovoltaic panels – Installed all the components and completed all the wiring – Fine-tuned the system to optimize output – Coordinated with local power company to install net-meter – Continues to be available to answer any questions or concerns

This review is for a ground mount installation.    Ground mounts offer two important advantages:  Few if any roofs are perfect azimuth for solar, but with ground mounts you can precisely orient the array to the sun path and maximize production.   And it’s easier to clear off snow from the array, so you’ll still have power after a snowstorm creates a power outage.  Particularly important when talking about battery (emergency) power systems.

Ground mounts call for precise, custom design, electrical engineering (due to voltage drop), and some special equipment. Installing them also involves dealing with trenching to the interconnect point and rocks and stuff.  This is why many plug-and-play solar installers just don’t choose to do them. For many of the plug-and-play guys, the business model is quick-in-and-quick-out roof-mount systems only.

We do a lot of ground mounts.

All lithium-ion batteries aren’t alike

Posted on by developer

Most of our solar installations include backup storage these days, so batteries are a major component.  You may not know this, but there are different types of lithium-ion batteries, based on a wide range pf different chemistries. Tesla and LG chose lithium-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC) chemistry. This the same chemistry that led to an LG recall in 2020. We use batteries with lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry. Their pricing’s gone down, they’ve become more compact, and they have an established safety record. 

How government money can help you go solar

Posted on by developer

Going solar saves you significant money in the long run.

But did you know that in the short run, all kinds of federal, state and local cash incentives can pay for an even more significant share of your purchase cost?

That just two federal programs combined can give you back as much as half of your solar installation’s purchase price?

That a few – for commercial installations – pay as much as $5 million?

And that there are even more cash incentives where those came from? Not only from the federal government, but also from the four states we serve – Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia – plus many of their counties and electric utilities?

Take a few minutes to look over the list below. If any of the incentives there interest you, please contact us for more information. And if they motivate you to go solar sooner rather than later, we’ll be more than happy to help you with the qualifying paperwork.

Federal Solar Credits and Incentives

IRS Residential Energy Efficient Property Tax Credit – Your federal tax credit will be 26% of your installation price. You’ll need to include form 5695 with your Federal Tax return. This credit can be rolled over. On January 1, 2021, it drops to 20%.

USDA REAP program – Grants up to $20,000 for farms or small businesses located outside cities of 50,000+ population

USDA High Energy Cost Federal Grant Program – Grants of up to $5 million.

IRS Residential Energy Conservation Subsidy Exclusion – 100% subsidy for energy efficient improvements, including solar, to single- and multi-family residences

Residential Energy Efficient Tax Credit – Federal Energy Incentive – Up to $1500 for residential energy efficiency improvements including solar.

State and Local Solar Credits and Incentives

Maryland

The Maryland Energy Administration’s Energy Storage Tax Credit Program has $266,370 to give away to homeowners and $437,373 to businesses. It reimburses 30% of the cost of installing battery backup storage to a new or existing solar system, up to $5,000 for a residential project and $75,000 for commercial. We can help you with the required paperwork and inspections. Then, between the state tax credit and the 26% federal energy-saving tax credit, you can save about half the cost of of your home’s battery storage system.

Maryland Clean Energy Grant – $1,000 per solar (photovoltaic) project for Maryland homes and businesses.

The state’s Clean Energy Grant Program Residential Solar Rebate Program rebates $500 per kilowatt-hour of electricity saved by solar, to a $10,000 maximum.

Anne Arundel, Baltimore,  Carroll, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties all offer property tax credits. These range from 50% to 80% of assessed property taxes with maximums of $5,000 to $5 million.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Sunshine Solar Rebate Program – Available only through state- approved contractors. (Milestone Solar is a Pennsylvania approved solar energy installer.) Your installer will complete and submit the rebate paperwork for you. Your rebate will be $750 per kilowatt your system can generate, up to $7500 or 35% of the installation cost.

High Performance Building Incentives Program – Up to $2 million for energy efficient building improvements, including solar

Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority Grants – Up to $1 million per project to nonprofits, schools, local governments, and industrial businesses for energy efficiency improvements including solar

Metropolitan Edison Company (FirstEnergy Territory) – Up to $25,000 for businesses, nonprofits and schools that go solar

Penelec SET of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies Grant Program (FirstEnergy Territory) – Up to $25,000 for businesses, nonprofits and schools that go solar

 Virginia

Virginia has some incentives to help residents become energy independent by converting to solar or other renewables. These include property tax incentives, property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing, a performance-based incentive offered by the Tennessee Valley Authority, and net metering.

Arlington County Green Building Incentive Program – For single- and multi-family homes and commercial buildings

West Virginia Tax Credit

The state has enacted a $2,000 tax credit for residential solar.

Maryland wants to give you thousands of dollars

Posted on by developer

The state of Maryland wants to give away $750,000 in tax credits to homeowners ($300,000) and businesses ($450,000) that add battery backup storage to new or existing solar installations.

Under the terms of the state’s Energy Storage Income Tax Credit Program, tax credits are to be distributed on a first come, first served basis – and so far not  many households or businesses have come to be served. As of April 15, 2020, 94% of the tax credits – $266,370.00 for households and  $437,372.70 for businesses – have yet to be applied for.

Which is a shame when you consider that between the Maryland income tax credit and the federal 26% energy saving income tax credit, you can save half the cost of adding an emergency electricity generator that has no toxic exhaust fumes and “refuels” itself with each morning’s sunrise.

You can apply online anytime up to January 15, 2021, and we can help you with the documentation and inspections.

Of course, you’ll need to have a solar system with battery backup storage, and we’re one of a very few installers serving Maryland who can help with that too.

Solar Storage 101

Posted on by developer

Storage is the hot topic throughout the solar industry. More and more manufacturers and distributors are coming online with all the components, including batteries, charge controllers and inverters. More and more states (Maryland is just one example) are offering subsidies or other incentives for adding storage capability to a home or business solar installation.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that whenever a hot sales opportunity like this comes along, there are always some unqualified and unethical contractors taking advantage of it – and of customers, with poorly designed and poorly executed systems. It’s particularly true of solar systems with storage, which are substantially more complex then the simply plug-and-play kind with just optimizers and micro inverters.

There’s only one sure way to avoid this issue, and that’s to check and choose your installer very, very carefully.

In West Virginia, that’s problematic, because the Contractor Licensing Board has decided, in my opinion, that anyone with an electrician’s van and a few ladders is a qualified solar installer.

For example, community organizing experience does not qualify any company to design and install any solar system, particularly a more complex system with storage.

Some of the technically challenged commissioned salespeople in our region will tell you almost anything to make the sale (and the commission that goes with it). I know this to be true because we hear the stories – constantly.

So check the installer’s licenses.

Check their credentials, particularly NABCEP certifications.

Check their references and previous installations. Don’t just ask for references, insist on them. And then make sure you talk to the buyers.

You really don’t want to have on-the-job training taking place on your roof, at your expense (and peril).

What kind of storage system should you get?

While people tend to think of solar storage as if it were one kind of system, it’s actually three different ones – each with its own special uses, advantages and disadvantages.

Bi-modal – Named that way because it can operate in either of two modes: as a grid-tied system or as an off-grid system, using its adjunct battery bank and associated electronics to take stored energy from the batteries whenever a grid outage occurs. The inverter takes DC electricity from the batteries, converts it to AC and energizes a critical loads panel throughout the outage.

It’s a fully automated system that engages in microseconds – so quickly, our customers tell us, that they never have to reset their digital clocks.

We’ve been installing bi-modal battery backup systems since 2009. Our systems are designed to give most homes three days plus of electricity without charging – running the well pump, refrigerator and freezers, lights, and the like, so you can life a very normal lifestyle. Three days plus is a conservative estimate, by the way; even on very cloudy days, you’ll still get some charging from the sun. In fact, we’ve had people go more than two weeks during extended outages with this system.

We use AGM batteries, which I’m 100% convinced is the best battery technology at this time. The proof is that we have battery banks that are over nine years old with no evident degradation whatever. (So little degradation is visible that the only way to tell for sure would be a formal load test.)

Lithium-Ion batteries like LG, the Tesla PowerWall or the Solar Edge StorEdge may be newer, but they’re definitely not better for this backup-only configuration. If anyone tells you otherwise, ask them to get back to you when they understand the technology better.

Consumptive Storage – With this configuration, the power grid and the solar array power your home or business by day and generate enough excess electricity to charge up the batteries so they can power key circuits at night.

There are major downsides to solar with consumptive storage:

  • By cycling your batteries from full charge to flat every day, you significantly reduce their lifespan. This is true even for Lithium-Ion batteries, which are actually well suited to many cycles (as in electric cars).
  • The inverter’s capacity limits the number of circuits you can use at night – no clothes drying, for example, no hair dryers, etc. This could lead to some strained conversations with family members.
  • Consumptive storage just isn’t as good as net metering, which lets you transfer surplus power to the electric company’s grid and cut your monthly bills accordingly. In the US, we have net metering. In Europe, where electric rates are double to triple those here, and where they don’t have net metering, consumptive storage is very popular. If we ever lose net metering here, it will be Game On for consumptive storage, which we can easily convert our bi-modal installations to. But until that day comes, bi-modal solar with battery backup and net metering beat consumptive storage hands down.

Off-Grid – Off-grid solar is really my favorite solar type and the most fun to design and deploy. But if you enjoy things like heat pumps, air conditioning, and all the other appliances we take for granted, it’s not the most fun to live with.

Most of our off-grid systems are for vacation homes or hunting cabins. Only a few are for full-time residences, because for full-time residents, living off grid is a lifestyle choice and a commitment to stay within the system’s power limits.

Installing a properly designed off-grid system requires a complete understanding of key factors like properly identified loads and selecting properly sized components such as inverter, charge controller, and solar array to meet those loads over many differing scenarios.

A friend who works as an engineer in the solar industry says off-grid solar requires “balance.” The inverter, batteries, charge controllers and array all have to be in balance with the loads and complement each other. That’s a good way to describe it.

In our area, very few installers really know off-grid solar and a few dabble in it – usually at the customer’s expense. A typical mistake is to try to cover their bases with a battery bank that’s much too large (and expensive) for the other components. As a result, the rest of the system doesn’t generate enough power to maintain the battery bank’s charge level, shortening the batteries’ lifespan.

Once again, balance is key. As is choosing your installer carefully.

Adding battery backup storage to your solar system pays. (Literally.)

Posted on by developer

Major Financial Incentives for Battery System Owners

There’s good news for solar owners: the IRS recently ruled that adding batteries to your system does qualify for the federal tax credit . There had been some disagreement on this issue, but this ruling seems to take care of that on the federal side.

But if you’re a Maryland resident, the news gets even better. The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) recently announced a 2018 Energy Storage Tax Credit Program. The potential amount available for storage is as follows (whichever is less):

  • $5,000 for a residential property;
  • or$75,000 for a commercial property;
  • or 30% of the total costs for installing the storage system

Throw in the 30% federal tax credit for storage, and your savings add up to as much as 60% of the parts and installation labor cost of your new battery storage system.

This is a great opportunity for both residential and commercial solar users in Maryland. But one key thing to keep in mind is that the available amount is finite: The original amount set aside for residential was $225,000.00. As of May 11, 2018, there was $184,883.20 still available for residential tax credits, and $525,000 available for commercial tax credits. This is a first come, first served opportunity, so give us a call or click here if you’d like a quote and to get in the queue as soon as possible

Make sure you know enough about storage. (And that your installer does.)

Solar systems with storage cover a fairly wide spectrum. You have solar systems with a battery backup capability that significantly engages only when the grid goes down. You have solar systems that employ a configuration that offers backup power and also operates in a “consumptive mode”at night to reduce or completely offset the need to buy power from the grid on most days. And you have fully off-grid systems that have no grid connection whatever, with the property’s entire electric system based on a battery bank and its supporting solar array and charge controlling system.

The very key point for off-grid is that your available power is totally finite, so you’d better have a good handle on your daily loads and a solar/battery system professionally designed to meet that anticipated loads number.

Like most things solar, there are new storage products hitting the market all the time. New battery technologies come and go, and consumers are faced with trying to sort out the wheat from the chaff. This is particularly hard when they are confronted with supposed “facts” from solar installation companies who, in many cases, have really limited technical understanding of how the battery chemistries work and the pros and cons of different battery systems. I know this from seeing installations and proposals from companies that are clearly using customer installations for on-the-job training.

We’ve been installing solar with battery backup and off-grid solar systems since 2009, and I believe that during those years we’ve installed more solar systems with battery banks than anyone else in the four-state region. Some of our battery systems are now 9 years old and show no obvious sign of degradation.

The only way to confirm this would be with formal load testing, but we see no reason for that until some sign of a problem.

Systems we Recommend

We currently recommend and install the following battery systems:

  • Solar with Battery backup: Sealed AGM batteries from DEKA USA
  • Off-Grid Solar: Sealed Gel Batteries from DEKA USA
  • Consumptive Solar Systems: As long as we have net metering, a consumptive configuration on your battery system makes no sense. Yes, you can offset some loads by going to a time-of-day switchover to batteries, but you’ll have to use solar system production the next day to recharge the batteries. It’s a bit worse than a wash, because in addition to using solar system power to recharge the batteries, you’re shortening the lifecycle of your batteries.

Systems we don’t recommend

SolarEdge StorEdge system with LG batteries: This system is popular with the plug-and-play solar installation companies, but we see multiple issues with this system’s design and capability:

  •  Very high battery cost (compared to AGM storage)
  • Very limited stored capacity (currently only 9.5 kWh useable) 
  • Very limited surge capability. If you have a deep well, submerged well pump (3/4 HP or more), pay attention that that factor. Well pumps don’t react well to “brown power.”
  • Limited scalability (You’re restricted to the minimum and maximum solar array values that the 7600 inverter supports.) For larger arrays, you need a second inverter – which will not be part of the battery-based capability, by the way.No integrated generator connection (for long grid outages)

Note: SolarEdge recently announced a new and improved system with more storage and capacity. We’ll see.

Tesla Battery System: Has anyone ever actually received one?

Adding Batteries to Legacy Systems

Our approach for adding battery backup to a legacy system is the same as for installing a new system:

Proven technologies, proven engineering, and industry best practices followed for installation. The battery banks are AGM based batteries in metal cabinets. The batteries are protected and maintained by a fully functional AC-Coupled inverter, and the critical loads panel is designed by a professional designerin close consultation with the homeowners. (It’s their system, after all).

AC Coupling is not a perfect system, and it does require some fairly detailed planning as to the anticipated loads when the grid is down. But for legacy systems it’s the best there is at this point. We have reference installs you can talk with if you’re interested.

Major Financial Incentives for Battery System Owners

There’s good news for solar owners: the IRS recently ruled that adding batteries to your system does qualify for the federal tax credit . There had been some disagreement on this issue, but this ruling seems to take care of that on the federal side.

But if you’re a Maryland resident, the news gets even better. The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) recently announced a 2018 Energy Storage Tax Credit Program. The potential amount available for storage is as follows (whichever is less):

  • $5,000 for a residential property;
  • or$75,000 for a commercial property;
  • or 30% of the total costs for installing the storage system

Throw in the 30% federal tax credit for storage, and your savings add up to as much as 60% of the parts and installation labor cost of your new battery storage system.

This is a great opportunity for both residential and commercial solar users in Maryland. But one key thing to keep in mind is that the available amount is finite: The original amount set aside for residential was $225,000.00. As of May 11, 2018, there was $184,883.20 still available for residential tax credits, and $525,000 available for commercial tax credits. This is a first come, first served opportunity, so give us a call or click here if you’d like a quote and to get in the queue as soon as possible

Make sure you know enough about storage. (And that your installer does.)

Solar systems with storage cover a fairly wide spectrum. You have solar systems with a battery backup capability that significantly engages only when the grid goes down. You have solar systems that employ a configuration that offers backup power and also operates in a “consumptive mode”at night to reduce or completely offset the need to buy power from the grid on most days. And you have fully off-grid systems that have no grid connection whatever, with the property’s entire electric system based on a battery bank and its supporting solar array and charge controlling system.

The very key point for off-grid is that your available power is totally finite, so you’d better have a good handle on your daily loads and a solar/battery system professionally designed to meet that anticipated loads number.

Like most things solar, there are new storage products hitting the market all the time. New battery technologies come and go, and consumers are faced with trying to sort out the wheat from the chaff. This is particularly hard when they are confronted with supposed “facts” from solar installation companies who, in many cases, have really limited technical understanding of how the battery chemistries work and the pros and cons of different battery systems. I know this from seeing installations and proposals from companies that are clearly using customer installations for on-the-job training.

We’ve been installing solar with battery backup and off-grid solar systems since 2009, and I believe that during those years we’ve installed more solar systems with battery banks than anyone else in the four-state region. Some of our battery systems are now 9 years old and show no obvious sign of degradation.

The only way to confirm this would be with formal load testing, but we see no reason for that until some sign of a problem.

Systems we Recommend

We currently recommend and install the following battery systems:

  • Solar with Battery backup: Sealed AGM batteries from DEKA USA
  • Off-Grid Solar: Sealed Gel Batteries from DEKA USA
  • Consumptive Solar Systems: As long as we have net metering, a consumptive configuration on your battery system makes no sense. Yes, you can offset some loads by going to a time-of-day switchover to batteries, but you’ll have to use solar system production the next day to recharge the batteries. It’s a bit worse than a wash, because in addition to using solar system power to recharge the batteries, you’re shortening the lifecycle of your batteries.

Systems we don’t recommend

SolarEdge StorEdge system with LG batteries: This system is popular with the plug-and-play solar installation companies, but we see multiple issues with this system’s design and capability:

  •  Very high battery cost (compared to AGM storage)
  • Very limited stored capacity (currently only 9.5 kWh useable) 
  • Very limited surge capability. If you have a deep well, submerged well pump (3/4 HP or more), pay attention that that factor. Well pumps don’t react well to “brown power.”
  • Limited scalability (You’re restricted to the minimum and maximum solar array values that the 7600 inverter supports.) For larger arrays, you need a second inverter – which will not be part of the battery-based capability, by the way.No integrated generator connection (for long grid outages)

Note: SolarEdge recently announced a new and improved system with more storage and capacity. We’ll see.

Tesla Battery System: Has anyone ever actually received one?

Adding Batteries to Legacy Systems

Our approach for adding battery backup to a legacy system is the same as for installing a new system:

Proven technologies, proven engineering, and industry best practices followed for installation. The battery banks are AGM based batteries in metal cabinets. The batteries are protected and maintained by a fully functional AC-Coupled inverter, and the critical loads panel is designed by a professional designerin close consultation with the homeowners. (It’s their system, after all).

AC Coupling is not a perfect system, and it does require some fairly detailed planning as to the anticipated loads when the grid is down. But for legacy systems it’s the best there is at this point. We have reference installs you can talk with if you’re interested.

You probably know why to buy a solar system. But do you know how?

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While solar energy pays for itself and then some, it’s still too big an investment to make blindly. So here are some facts to help you make that investment wisely and safely – with an installation that performs as promised and gives you decades of trouble-free, dependable service.

Choose the type of system

More than 90% of U.S. solar installations are roof-mounted and tied to the power grid. Electricity they generate during daytime lowers your electric bills and sends excess power back to the utility company for credit. At night, you use power from the grid. If your roof isn’t pointed to produce enough solar energy, a ground mount system can be. Whether it’s for pumping water from a well or powering a small hunting cabin, a stand-alone off grid system lets you declare your independence from the power company. And adding battery backup storage to your system can keep the lights on and key appliances running as long as the sun keeps rising. (Milestone performs all these types of installations and has installed more battery backup systems within 200 miles of our offices than anyone else.)

Research the solar panels

Solar panels differ widely in quality, from high-output, world-class modules to outright pieces of junk. So go online, check the specs and particularly the reviews to be aware of what you’re getting. (Milestone installs modules made by REC, Europe’s leading brand and California’s number-one choice – and, for slightly more, Panasonic, arguably the world’s most powerful and efficient solar panels, with the world’s best warranty protection.)

Shop for value, not just price

Just one cheap cell in one cheap panel going bad can slash your whole system’s power output. Cutting costs with one cheap central inverter cuts your warranty protection by 60%. Cheap electricians without solar experience can make wiring mistakes that create fire hazards. Rooftop solar systems are supposed to last for 25 years or more. With cheap components and cheap, inexperienced and unskilled labor, they won’t.

Choose a certified installer

Installing a solar system safely and properly involves working with unusually high-voltage DC circuits and understanding things like temperature-corrected conductor selection, proper fusing and grounding, and proper string sizing. Most licensed electricians – even master electricians – without solar training and experience aren’t up to it. For an installer who is, look for NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certification. Earning it calls for relevant real-world construction qualifications such as mechanical, structural and electrical engineering, as well as a track record of successful installations. (Five West Virginia solar installers have employees with NABCEP PV Installer certification. Milestone’s founder has earned two – for PV Installation and PV technical sales.)

Avoid site-unseen bids

No, that’s not a misspelling.

It takes more than reading a filled-out online form to know what kind of solar installation to recommend. So make sure that any installer you consider will make a free visit to your property to conduct a thorough site evaluation. (Milestone does.)

Compare multiple bids and ask multiple questions

Reading an installer’s bid can tell you not just how much the job will cost, but also how they’ll approach it. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask – because the answer you get will also tell you a lot about how they work. If answers are evasive, or if they indicate the sales reps don’t understand specifics, that’s a red flag. Also, ask about the company’s business model. If they’re a high-volume outfit, for example, they may hurry the work to move on to the next job on time. If they’re smaller, they’ll take the time to make sure everything’s done right and take the time for extra quality steps, like flashing all roof penetrations to prevent damaging water leakage, at no added cost to you.

Check references

Ask the installer for names and contact information of customers with the type of installation you want. Then, make sure to talk to or visit them – preferably both.

Compare after-installation service

Will the installer come back 45 days after installation to make sure everything’s working as it should? What will they do if a problem develops later? (45 days after installing your solar array, Milestone follows up to make sure it’s performing every bit as well as promised. And in the unlikely event of a problem later on, we’re happy to answer questions and trouble-shoot on site.)

Compare the warranty protection

What’s important about a warranty is not just its terms, but also the health of the company that issued it. Down the road, if the company goes out of business, you’re out of luck. Some installers have bought up deeply discounted solar panels from dying companies, and your warranty protection could die with them. (Panasonic Solar’s warranty covers module workmanship and performance for 25 years. In addition, as West Virginia’s only Authorized Panasonic Solar Installer, only Milestone gives you an extended warranty, covering shipping and installation labor for 25 years.)

What’s important about a warranty is not just its terms, but also the health of the company that issued it. Down the road, if the company goes out of business, you’re out of luck. Some installers have bought up deeply discounted solar panels from dying companies, and your warranty protection could die with them. (Panasonic Solar’s warranty covers module workmanship and performance for 25 years. In addition, as West Virginia’s only Authorized Panasonic Solar Installer, only Milestone gives you an extended warranty, covering shipping and installation labor for 25 years.)

Milestone Solar agricultural installation generates more power than five average homes use in a year

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A newly completed commercial solar installation on a Washington County, MD, farm will generate more electrical power annually than five average homes use in 12 months. 

Incorporating 186 Panasonic 330-watt HIT® modules, six SolarEdge inverters and 186 SolarEdge optimizers, this best of class system is rated at 61.4 kilowatts (DC) and is expected to produce more than 85,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. The average home, by comparison, uses 15,000 kWh a year.

As a ground-mount system, it’s oriented for maximum exposure to sunlight, and Panasonic Solar’s unique internal pyramidal cell structure captures sunlight that other cells would reflect away. 

The installation was designed, engineered, installed and commissioned by the solar professionals at Milestone Solar Consultants, Falling Waters, WV.

What a difference one word makes

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We’ve visited this subject before, but it’s an issue that’s been coming up regularly: Anybody can buy Panasonic solar modules from a distributor and install them. But not everybody should. That’s why Panasonic’s Authorized Installer Program exists. At least one installation company in West Virginia and Northern Virginia has been downplaying this program while they offer Panasonic module systems at unrealistically low prices.

When you choose a non-Authorized installer, you give up two important things.
 
The first is extended warranty protection. All Panasonic HIT modules come with a 25-year performance and workmanship warranty.  Only when you choose a Panasonic Authorized Installer do you also get a 25-year extended warranty, which covers shipping and installation labor for 25 years.   This warranty is between you and Panasonic. It covers maintenance and installation labor from any installer if for any reason no Authorized Installer is available. You get it only when you buy the system from an Authorized Installer (I have this in writing from Panasonic, if you’re interested.) because Panasonic wants to make sure that a qualified, professional company will install their modules.

Which brings us to the second (and easily the most important thing) you give up.

In an effort to purposefully and willfully confuse potential customers about the advantages of using an Authorized Installer, the wannabes leave out what’s really important about earning Authorization.
 
What’s really important is the rigorous vetting process that Panasonic puts would-be Authorized Installers through. Panasonic looks at things like contractor licenses held, experience, number and quality of reference installations, and professional qualifications – specifically, NABCEP certifications. They look for relevant real-world construction qualifications such as mechanical engineering, structural engineering and electrical engineering. (West Virginians please note: social engineering and community organizing are unlikely to be on that list.)

Panasonic modules operate at unusually high voltages, making it necessary to actually understand things like temperature-corrected conductor selection, proper fusing and grounding, and proper string sizing. In other words, a qualified, professional solar design engineer is a really good idea.
 
As an Authorized Installer, we’re very happy to offer the Panasonic systems option and are more than willing to compete for your business on a level playing field against any qualified installation company. Panasonic’s technology lets us design and install truly world-class solar systems, and we’re pleased to report that a lot of our customers are choosing to pay a little more to take that route.
 
But some of this low-ball stuff going on in recent months is not a level playing field, and the companies I have in mind are not even close to being qualified installers, in my opinion. (The terms that actually come to mind I probably shouldn’t use without clearance from my attorney, but you get the point, I’m sure.)
 
Particularly in West Virginia, where state Contractor Licensing Board solar consumer protections are pretty much nonexistent, in my opinion and experience, it really comes down to this:  Are you willing to risk your investment, your property, and perhaps even your safety to save a relatively small amount of money by using a wannabe installer?
 
If your answer’s yes, we wish you good luck with that …

Choosing a solar installer: No one more cares more than you do

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Despite the effects of the recently imposed tariff on imported solar products, courtesy of SolarWorld and Suniva, most people in the industry are still predicting a big year in 2018 for residential solar. The big commercial integrators – the people that buy solar modules by the thousands – will certainly take a hit. But they were struggling anyway, particularly in light of decaying SREC values and of many major power companies’ reluctance to buy huge amounts of power from third parties. The power companies are building their own solar farms – big ones and lots of them.

The continuing growth of residential solar, particularly solar with storage, is good for the entire industry. But there’s a downside that rarely gets talked about.  How can you, as a consumer, be sure the company you choose is both qualified and capable, understanding that you put not only your property but also your actual safety in the hands of people making sometimes major mechanical, structural and electrical modifications and/or additions to your property?

We are licensed in and operate in four states:  Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.  In many ways the identification of poorly qualified solar installers is somewhat self-regulating in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Those three states require solar installers to have building contractor licenses and electrical licenses. Two of them have taken it even farther: On the basis of demonstrated solar qualifications and additional testing, Virginia issues an Alternate Energy Systems suffix to its contracting license; that’s what the “AES” at the end of our Virginia license number stands for. We have a Class A license in Virginia – the highest classification – with the AES suffix.

Pennsylvania was very serious about protecting consumers from under-qualified installers. The state had an Authorized PV (photovoltaic) installer number that dates back to the days when your credentials and experience had to be thoroughly vetted by the state, and your first three installations had to be inspected by a state-designated solar specialist to qualify for the very generous state grant program. Our number was 626.

Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia require two permits to install a solar system:  A building permit that covers the structural and mechanical work, and an electrical permit.  The reasons are pretty obvious to most.  In addition, most Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) within those three states require the plans for the building permit to be sealed by a licensed structural engineer. At the permit office, another professional engineer reviews them to make sure the design complies with the Building Code requirements, as appended by the local authority.  For example, Washington County, Maryland, requires a one-foot setback at all roof edges and additional fire lanes if the array exceeds a certain percentage of the overall roof space.

Obviously, most states take seriously the requirements as to spans between attachments, structural characteristics of the racking system proposed, rafter or truss spacing, the wood type of the trusses, the size and length of lag bolts being used, the overall pitch of the roof, wind load, snow load and many other factors.

But not, apparently, West Virginia.

Here, in my opinion, solar consumers have virtually no protection.  We’ve worked all over the state, and in much of it there’s no permitting requirement at all.  There is an electrical inspection process, that the utility companies require for interconnection, but the inspections are minimal and the inspectors have very limited understanding of the issues specific to a solar system – including key factors like conductors allowed, disconnects, best practices for grounding, and fairly new code requirements like Rapid Shutdown. They’re probably good electricians, but have little if any formal training on solar technologies. Most electricians doing commercial or residential work have had no formal training on solar technologies, and that makes perfect sense to me; the solar issues are quite specialized.

If you’re looking for consumer protection from the WV State Contractor Licensing Board, you can, again in my opinion, forget it. If there are any published standards for solar installation, I’ve been unable to find them.  I’ve been lobbying the board for more than two years for a formal process for solar installations and a written policy for the specific license type requirements for commercial and residential systems.  This includes an in-person presentation at the Board meeting last August.  The latest correspondence from them is too convoluted to repeat, but I think it actually indicates that just an electrician license and a Specialty license are good enough to install residential solar system.
If you’re unfamiliar with a Specialty license, it’s a license awarded after passing the Business and Law exam only. Unlike General Building Contractor and Residential Building Contractor licenses, there’s no requirement whatever for trade-specific testing.

Compare that with the other three states where both a building permit and an electrical permit are required.  And where the building permit plans are required to be sealed by a licensed structural engineer.

I believe a more competent approach by the Contractor Licensing Board would be to require solar installers to have a General Building License for commercial solar and a Residential or General Building License for residential jobs, along with an electrician or electrical contracting license. That would be somewhat consistent with other states, even with no permitting in given areas in West Virginia.  What’s interesting about that is I have an email dated July 7, 2015, from Mitch Woodrum, then Acting Deputy Commissioner, WV Division of Labor, that says those are the licenses required. When or why it changed I have no idea.

After almost three years of trying, I’m of the opinion that the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board has absolutely no interest in protecting solar consumers from marginally qualified or totally unqualified solar installers.  My guess is they either don’t understand the issues after multiple attempts, or they have political interests they are protecting, or they simply don’t care. I truly have no idea at this point, but that’s my opinion.  And I’ve wasted enough time on that dead horse with that group. It’s time to try a different horse.

So if you’re a potential solar consumer in West Virginia, you’re kind of on your own. But there are avenues.  First, the only universally recognized certification for solar professionals is by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

A NABCEP certification is definitely the big leagues. An analogy might be a CPA in the accounting field, a PMP certification in the project management field, or a CCIE certification in the networking field.  To even be allowed to sit for a NABCEP test, a specified number of training hours from a recognized provider are required, along with documented field experience.  The test is rigorous; the pass rate is not high. As a result, the certification carries a lot of credibility throughout the solar industry and also in many state permitting offices. In Maryland, for example, a NABCEP certification is required to qualify for the state grant, and in some AHJs in Maryland and Virginia, a NABCEP certification is required to even pull a solar permit.

The list of NABCEP certified individuals in West Virginia isn’t large, but it is what it is.  In the interest of full disclosure, I’m listed as the only person in the state with two NABCEP certifications, so if you want to color this self-serving, I’m okay with that.  It does not make any of the above information any less true.

You’ll also notice a lot of companies that are currently busy installing solar in West Virginia are not on that list at all. Should that matter to you? I think so. Also, please be aware that companies using terms like “NABCEP trained” or “solar qualified” are not to be confused with NABCEP Certified. The intent is pretty obvious to me.

A Checklist for Consumers

If you’re one of the many individuals or families considering a solar system, we invite you to take a look at this new checklist webpage. We put a lot of thought into what are the important questions that a prospective customer should address. There are probably other factors that will impact your final decision, but these are pretty important. This is stating the obvious, but no one cares more about the long-term success and safety of your solar project than you do.

Caveat emptor, my friends.