Doing Solar The Way It Should Be Done
Is there a right way or a wrong way to approach solar ? In speaking with many solar advocates , customers , fellow solar consultants and installers I hear a common thread that tends to be along the lines of “ size the system for the energy demand of the house .” This makes sense , but does it really make cents as in dollars and cents ?
There are very few companies out there that don ’ t follow the status quo when approaching a solar project . Those are the companies that look deeper into the energy demand scenario and ask the most important question after seeing the energy bill . This question is critical to what the chosen few of my astute colleagues consider is the key to “ doing solar the way it should be done .” Rather than asking the “ how ” much is your energy bill question , one should be asking the “ why ” question . Why is the energy bill so high ?
To design a system for the current electric bill can in many cases be the “ wrong way to do solar ” and also an injustice to the homeowner . This approach can result in a larger and more expensive system than what may be necessary .
To do solar the right way , assess the entire home to see if there are energy leaks causing these higher electric bills , such as : unsealed air ducts , lack of proper insulation , older inefficient heaters and air conditioners , older water heaters
or pool pumps draining energy . Once these potential energy vultures are identified and eliminated , the solar consultant can factor in the amount of energy savings per month and design the solar system accordingly .
This approach can save homeowners thousands of dollars on solar as they will now require a smaller solar system . The money saved on solar can be used to pay for some of those energy upgrades in the home or building . Doing solar the right way is a whole home or entire building envelope approach , which we call “ reduce before you produce .” Reduce energy consumption before producing clean energy with solar . This makes sense and saves lots of dollars and cents .
For information , call Affordable Solar Roofs at ( 408 ) 779-3333 , or visit affordablesolarroofs . com . Serving the community since 1995 .
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