Customer Thoughts:
Nancy & Craig decided this was the year! They have wanted to take the solar plunge for a long time and this was the year to leverage tax credits for maximum savings!
While surveying the land with Craig during a site visit, I got some insight into why he and Nancy opted to Go Solar. Craig’s mantra is to enjoy life: he is a Smuggler’s Notch Ski Patroller and seasonal Wood Worker, and she works in forestry and is passionate about maintaining wild spaces. They seem to have it pretty well figured out. “Our time on the planet is finite, so we have to do good while we are here!” I think we could all learn a little from these two…
The Site
Located on 10+ acres in Westford, VT the site had a couple of options for adding a solar system. The first question: do we go for a roof or ground mount solar system? There are two possible structures on the property: the main house and Craig’s woodshop. The most important aspect when considering going solar is the southern exposure. If you live up north like us, solar panels should be south-facing to ensure they capture the most sunlight throughout the day. After reviewing the exposure on the property, it became clear that the best option for solar would be a ground mount in the grassy area near the driveway. The house had no meaningful southern exposure, and while the woodshop did, it was pretty well treed in! Another benefit of this location is that it is near the electric meter and the home.
The System
The goal was to ensure that they would be producing all of the energy they consume each year.
Solar Panels:
We opted to use 24 x 400W Q Cell Solar Modules. Engineered in Germany, these are some very slick split cell panels!
Q Cell panels are known for their high-temperature tolerance and outstanding efficiency while maintaining an affordable price tag.
These panels are rated at 9.6 kilowatts DC and will produce a whopping 10,778 kilowatt-hours per year in this location – plenty for the efficient home and woodshop in Westford!
A solar system is only as good as its inverter. For this, we chose the SolarEdge inverter system. This is a great option for a few reasons. First, the efficiency rating of 99.2% is industry-leading and will result in significant additional savings over the life of the system. Also, the sophisticated internet data monitoring included with the inverter gives the homeowner the ability to view the performance of their system in real-time from a computer or mobile device. And it even alerts us here at Building Energy if there are any faults in the system or if one or panels are under-performing. This way, you can be ensured that in the unlikely event of an issue with the system, we will be aware and working on a fix before you even notice!
Sometimes Everything Lines Up
If this system or story excites you, give us a call (802) 859-3384 or Contact Us for more info!
Remember: Don’t be a Number, Go Solar with your Neighbor!
