Monthly Archives: April 2017

Solar power isn’t just for homes and businesses. Churches, mosques, synagogues and other houses of worship can benefit substantially from photovoltaic systems. Many religious buildings use electricity every day, and the utility bills are paid out of the ministry’s coffers. With a photovoltaic installation, however, churches can create their own energy from the power of the sun, freeing up those funds for more appropriate uses. Why Should Churches Purchase Solar Power Systems? With no money down, leasing solar panels may seem like a good option for many religious organizations. However, many churches have owned their own property for decades (or even longer) and have no plans to move to a different building. So why not choose a permanent installation and...

Solar loans make investing in a home photovoltaic system easy and affordable for homeowners throughout the Intermountain West. Most solar lenders require little or no money down. And unlike leasing, solar panel financing allows you to retain ownership of your photovoltaic energy system. That means you can take advantage of the 30 percent federal tax credit, as well as other lucrative state and local financial incentives. Many banks, credit unions and private lenders offer secured and unsecured solar loans. What’s the difference between these financing options? And which type of loan is right for you? What Are Secured Solar Loans? Secured solar loans require you to provide some sort of collateral, typically your house. Home equity loans and lines of...

Solar panel prices have fallen dramatically over the last few decades, so investing in photovoltaic power has never been more affordable. Yet many homeowners and business owners continue to put off installing a photovoltaic system because they expect further cost reductions. If you’ve made the decision to adopt solar energy, does it make financial sense to hold out a little longer, in hope of further price cuts? Why Solar Panel Prices Have Dropped Every new technology is expensive when it first hits the market. Over time, manufacturing processes are streamlined and raw materials become cheaper. And as supply increases, costs go down. This is the law of supply and demand. Photovoltaic panel prices have followed this pattern across the decades....

A professional solar site evaluation is invaluable for helping you understand the benefits and challenges of installing a photovoltaic system. And getting an expert opinion won’t cost you a thing. Most photovoltaic contractors — including Intermountain Wind & Solar — offer free consultations to homeowners and business owners who are considering making the switch to photovoltaic energy. A site assessment provides a clear picture of how well a PV panel array will work for you. Step 1: Examine of Your Roof for Solar Site Potential One of our experienced photovoltaic experts will visit your home or business to assess its potential for harnessing energy from the sun. Checking out your roof is the first step of the solar site evaluation....

If you want to determine the solar potential of your property, Google’s online tool, Project Sunroof, can help. When Google created Project Sunroof in 2015, its coverage area was limited. Since then, however, Google has greatly expanded, and now states in the Intermountain West are included in the database. How Project Sunroof Works Google’s online tool makes finding the solar potential of your home quick and easy. Plug in your address, and through the power of Google Maps, the tool calculates the amount of sunlight that hits your roof over the course of a year. The site uses high-resolution aerial imagery, so you can see a 3D model of your roof and envision the placement of a solar panel system....

Solar batteries aren’t a requirement for a grid-tied PV system, as the utility company provides electricity when the sun isn’t shining. Even so, installing a battery bank can be a wise investment for homeowners stuck with unfavorable electric utility rate policies. If yours includes any of these impractical pricing structures, you can increase your cost savings by adding solar batteries to turn your grid-tied photovoltaic array into a hybrid solar power system. No. 1: Your Utility Company Has Time-Of-Use Rates Many utility companies have adopted time-of-use (TOU) rates. Under this rate structure, the amount you pay for electricity changes depending upon the time of day. When demand on the grid is high — typically in the late afternoon and evening...

Solar panels are designed to be extremely rugged, and they can easily tolerate whatever Mother Nature decides to throw at them. However, photovoltaic modules aren’t immune to environmental exposure. Over the course of decades, they lose some efficiency. How long can you expect solar panels to continue to function effectively? And will you ever need to replace them? Most Solar PV Panels Include 25-Year Warranties Nearly all well-established photovoltaic manufacturers provide 25-year warranties for their PV panels. The warranty guarantees that your photovoltaic modules will maintain an energy output rating of at least 80 percent for 25 years. If you have a string inverter, you can monitor your electricity production online or right on the LCD screen. For PV systems...

From a distance, photovoltaic panels appear to be solid black or blue. Get up closer, though, and you can see that solar modules have a pattern of white lines. What are these lines? What do they do? Do all solar panels have a visible grid pattern? The answer lies in the way PV panels are designed and constructed. Grid Lines on Photovoltaic Panels Have a Purpose The white lines on photovoltaic modules serve one of three important purposes, depending on whether they’re the gaps, the fingers or the busbars. The gap lines are spaces between the solar cells, through which you can see the panel’s white backing. The gaps are necessary to allow for thermal expansion of the cells when...

When you contact a solar installer, you may not know enough about photovoltaic system installation to ask the right questions. At Intermountain Wind & Solar, we want our customers to make well-informed choices. To that end, we want to share four critical questions to ask your PV solar installation contractor before making the important decision to go solar. 1. Is My Roof Suitable for Solar Installation? The first fact you must establish is whether your property is a good fit for a photovoltaic panel array. If your rooftop is not suitable for a panel array, what are your options? Our professional solar installers are committed to helping our customers achieve their goal of adopting renewable energy. If your rooftop isn’t...

A home PV solar power system harnesses the sun’s energy to provide you with free solar electricity for decades. But photovoltaic arrays are continually exposed to the elements. Consequently, they may degrade and lose a bit of efficiency over time. Corrosion is often to blame for degradation, as rust can affect the critical electronic connections within the panels, reducing the amount of energy they can produce. But just how much does corrosion affect your photovoltaic system’s performance? Factors that Influence Corrosion in PV Solar Panels Anything that contains metal is susceptible to corrosion — including metal photovoltaic components. Photovoltaic modules are designed to last for decades as the solar cells and their electrical components are protected by sealants, encapsulating polymers...