At Brilliant Harvest, we are committed not just to installing solar energy systems but also to ensuring that our clients and the community understand the benefits of solar power, which is clean, reliable, infinitely renewable, increases your energy self-reliance, and can increase your home’s value. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we hear from potential clients and our valued customers.
The basic concept behind solar energy is that sunlight hits solar cells, the solar energy panel converts sunlight into electricity, electricity powers your home, and your utility bills decrease. We have a little more detail on how that actually works. (Well, a lot of detail.)
A photovoltaic (PV) solar energy system consists of solar panels, which are groups of PV cells, an inverter, an electrical panel, utility meter, wiring and mounting hardware. Once mounted, there are no moving parts (except a cooling fan in the inverter) and, with a quality installation and reputable equipment, a system can last more than 30 years with little maintenance. Let’s break it down piece by piece:
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Deciding whether to install a solar energy system on your home or business is a big decision, with numerous factors you should consider. Cost, system size, the reputation of the contractor, and the return on investment are just a few of the issues that need to be weighed before going solar.
You should be asking yourself the following questions:
- Is the company / are the companies I’m considering reputable?
- How can I make a decision on my solar system when I don’t know anything about the technology?
- Is my return on investment going to justify the expense of installing a solar energy system?
- Are there any warranties and/or guarantees on the quality of my system and its materials?
- What about maintenance?
At Brilliant Harvest, we don’t just want to sell you a solar system – we want to provide you with all the information you need to make an informed, confident decision.
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When you are considering installing a solar energy system on your home, this is quite possibly the most important question you can ask. There are a number of factors that can help guide you in hiring a trustworthy solar installer; the most critical are peer recommendations and consumer reviews, seeking multiple quotes, understanding your estimate, professional certifications of the installer, the quality of customer service, financing and – most importantly – getting and calling references to ensure your installer does good work and has made past clients happy.
Let’s go through some of the most important factors you should consider when seeking a solar installer:
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The key factors to consider when comparing solar panels are performance (they should produce the power that the rating leads you to expect), quality, durability, and warranty terms. Aesthetics can also play a role in a consumer’s decision-making process.
While online research should provide you with some great background, there are expert resources that can be extremely helpful in guiding your final decision. There are annual lists produced by solar publications (like PV-Tech, Solar Power World, Renewable Energy World, Solar Industry Magazine, and Forbes) of the top PV panel manufacturers. These resources make it very easy to learn which manufacturers make a quality product – and which ones to avoid.
Solar panels should last and produce an output of more than 80% of the rated power for at least two decades …
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The Tesla Powerwall 2.0 is making an even bigger splash in the home energy market than its first-generation predecessor. It can be Tesla Powerwall 2.0 indoor/outdoor, wall or floor-mounted, holds 13.5 kWhs per battery, will power a continuous 5 kW of energy and surge to 7 kW, you can stack 10 batteries per inverter … plus, it’s really sleek and cool.
The Tesla Powerwall 2.0 protects you against power outages, self-recharges, and will help to move you away from reliance on fossil fuels and toward clean, renewable energy.
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This is a very common question when people talk to us about solar energy. No matter what type of roof you have, Brilliant Harvest typically exceeds Florida’s tough wind load standards. There is almost no greater challenge to building in Florida than addressing the threat or actual instances of dangerously high winds; making sure the solar panels mounted on your home are secure is our first priority.
Some of the most common roof types include asphalt shingles, 5V metal, standing seam and tile. Here is how we secure your solar array to your roof:
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If you have a solar energy system, then you are the beneficiary of net metering. If you’re not quite sure what that means, we’re happy to explain. In Florida, net metering rules were adopted in 2008. Net metering allows utility customers who connect approved, renewable generation systems – such as solar panels – to the electric grid to sell electricity back to the utility company.
When consumers generate electricity from their solar array for their home or business, it reduces the amount of energy they need to purchase from the utility and lowers their monthly electricity bills. If their system produces more energy than they need, the excess power is sold back to the grid. That amount of energy is deducted from their monthly bill or credited toward a future bill in the same calendar year.
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For some home or business owners, there may be a desire to install a solar power system but the funds aren’t available to purchase it outright and impediments to financing – such as a lack of equity or past bad credit – keep the opportunity out of reach. For those with impediments to financing, a program called PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) can help.
PACE is a simple and effective way to finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation upgrades to buildings. PACE can pay 100% of the project costs for new heating and cooling systems, lighting improvements, solar panels, water pumps, insulation, and more for almost any property – residential, commercial, nonprofit, and agricultural.
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We are asked all the time about the factors that can impact the energy output of a solar array. Geography is certainly one of the top factors. With approximately two-thirds of its days per year being sunny, Florida ranks third in the nation for rooftop solar potential (due to its solar resources and its population). Other factors include the cleanliness of solar panels, and weather and seasonal variations – the angle of the sun to solar panels changes with the time of day and time of year.
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