FAQ

A: A solar electrical system is a clean, quiet, long-lasting generator with no moving parts that produces electricity from sunlight – even on cloudy days. It is also known as a “photovoltaic” or “PV” system (photo = light; voltaic = electric power). A PV system can virtually spin your electric meter backwards — giving you solar electricity during the day, sending up to the grid anything extra that you´ve produced (and are credited for), and effectively delivering it back at night when you need it — thanks to bi-directional (2-way) energy metering.

A:  There are 4 types of PV systems: Direct, off-grid with batteries, on-grid with batteries, and on-grid without batteries.

1. Direct PV is simply a solar panel connected to a DC device like a solar-powered attic fan that is not connected to your building wiring or the utility grid.  The fan operates only when the sun shines.
2. Off-grid PV with batteries is used to power millions of homes and electrical devices around the world that do not have utility power. Off-grid PV with batteries use special batteries designed to be charged and discharged for many years. The batteries in an off-grid PV system store energy to provide autonomous power at night and on cloudy days.
3. On-grid PV with batteries operates similar to off-grid with batteries except that the battery stored energy is used to provide emergency power during grid power outages. Batteries and other parts increase PV system complexity and its cost by about 30% more than on-grid PV without batteries.
4. On-grid PV system without batteries is the most popular (and practical) urban and suburban solar solution because of its much lower intial cost, virtually maintenance and trouble-free operation, and the fact that it offsets costly and polluting grid electricity.

A:  The primary differences are cost and complexity. We are all concerned about power blackouts, but utility power is reliable in most urban and suburban areas so very few people need to take on the extra expense of a system with batteries. There are exceptions though, and if your utility power is unreliable you have 3 options. Southern View Energy can install a fossil- fueled generator in conjunction with your PV system for occasional emergency power outages.  We can design and install an on-grid PV system with batteries for you that will power your “essential” electric loads (lights, refrigerator, communications, etc.) during a utility power outage. Or we can also design a separate battery and inverter system even without PV, that will provide you with uninterruptible power for special electric loads.

A:  Only PV systems designed with battery back-up can give you power during a grid power outage. PV systems without batteries turn off automatically during a grid power outage to prevent possible injury to workers repairing the power lines. When grid power is restored, the PV system turns back on automatically.

A:  When the sun goes down the inverter automatically switches to standby mode and you get electricity from the utility company. The next day when light strikes the solar array the inverter turns back on automatically, to provide you with PV-generated power.

A:  We offer all types of PV systems, with and without batteries, for both on and off-grid applications.

A:  No.  A PV system has no moving parts, is extremely reliable and long-lasting, and requires practically no maintenance. Solar power works in conjunction with utility power and in no way adversely affects grid reliability or causes grid outages. On the contrary, PV actually improves grid stability and electricity quality. In addition, PV modules produce more energy than used to produce them which is good for the environment.  PV modules are “net energy positive” in less than 4 years, whereas grid power made from coal, gas and nuclear materials consumes non-renewable resources and every kilowatt produced by these means pollutes the land, air and water.

A:  Yes, but PV is not usually used to directly power separate circuits for specific equipment. It is far more practical for the PV system to be connected to the main bus bar in your electric service panel to offset all power consumed. That way, there is no negative effect on equipment like motors that have large startup and operating current consumption.

A:  A well-designed and properly installed PV system can last for many decades. PV systems installed in the 1970s are still in operation. Since solar modules have a 20-30 year power output warranty (depending on the manufacturer), you can plan on at least 25 years of steady operation. With the first silicon solar cells made by Bell Laboratories in the 1950s still operational today, a 40-50 year lifespan expectation for today’s PV systems is not unreasonable.

A:  The south-facing roof of most homes has enough space for a solar array that can produce anywhere from 20-100% of the energy used in a home. Each 100 square feet of solar array will produce about 1,500 watts of PV power and generate an average of 7 kilowatt-hours per day.  And you are not limited by roof space alone: A PV array can also be placed on the ground.

A:  No. A grid-tied PV system does not require batteries.  All excess power produced during the day is deposited into the grid, with the credits available to the owner later thanks to net metering.

A:  A PV system without batteries produces power from daylight.  Full sun produces full power.  On cloudy and even rainy days power is still produced, although at a reduced rate.  Your PV system’s output is calculated based on area-specific climate data which takes into consideration changes in the weather.

A:  Today’s solar panels come with power production warranties that run from 20-30 years. Inverters have 10-25 year limited warranties. And Southern View Energy provides a 1-year specification, labor and workmanship warranty on all PV systems that it installs.

A:  Your on-grid batteryless PV system is virtually maintenance free. There are no moving parts and nothing to lubricate or adjust.  Georgia’s usual regular rainfall keeps the solar array clean or you can rinse off dust and dirt with water from a hose. Off-grid battery systems and on-grid with battery back-up systems allso require no maintenance, but will benefit from having an annual inspection by a qualified solar technician to assure that the charge controller and batteries are being maintained in good working order.

A:  Yes. All PV systems must have a building permit and electrical inspection. Southern View Energy is a licensed and insured electrical contractor, and is further NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) solar certified.

A:  Maybe.  Unfortunately, Georgia is one of the few states left that does not have a Solar Rights Act that prohibits a homeowners’ association from restricting installation of PV systems.

A:  Possibly.  Consult your homeowners’ association covenants for details. In recent years many HOA’s have removed or substantially modified older restrictions that they had on solar installations. We can also provide support in the form of material photographs, drawings, and even samples of solar panels for board members or other homeowners to see.

A:  Southern View Energy, Inc. is one of Georgia’s most experienced licensed photovoltaic contractors, with direct installation experience on over 2 megawatts (2,000,000 watts) of installed power in residential, commercial and municipal locations. Further, we are one of the very few to employ only our own trained professionals…we never subcontract out our work. And we stay current with all that is happening in the world of solar.

A:  Buying a PV system from Southern View Energy is easy. In order to provide you with an accurate quote for your custom solar electric system, we would need to review your most recent electric bills. Once we receive your basic information (site location, recent electric bill) we will contact you with a preliminary quote within 48-hours. If that sounds like it may work for you, we will then schedule an on-site assessment to confirm measurements, inspect the structure of your roof, review electrical components and determine panel tilt and azimuth. Contact us today, and we’ll help make your “going solar” simple!

A: “Net metering” is a special billing agreement that is part of any solar grid (utility)-tied system, and establishes the amount of credit that the utility will pay to the PV system owner for excess energy their system may produce and is exported from the site, to the grid.  Practically no utility in GA provides a 1:1 credit on a kWH basis.  Meaning for example, if you send 100 kWH out to the grid, that same amount either gets credited to you on the same period’s billing or is carried forward in any manner.

A bill credit for the solar customer, on a cents per kWh basis, is part of the NM (net meter) tariff (or ‘rider’) that the customer establishes at the same time as their application to interconnect with the grid is submitted.  This amount is rarely equal to the amount billed (your ‘retail’ rate) from the utility: It is the utility’s annually-adjusted rate of their ‘avoided cost’, or what it costs for for it to produce it.

The majority of utilities now use a single digital bi-directional meter that is programmed to track energy flow ‘coming & going’, and record for billing purposes.  In some rare instances, a utility or the particular situation at the site requires that a separate solar-production only meter be installed ahead of the point of grid interconnection, and the utility consolidates the 2 individual meter records.

A proper analysis of these 2 different rates of utility savings — and various PV system sizes & all other variables regarding their positioning & sun access — is VITAL to establishing a realistic expectation of the solar offsetting real-time demand at the site (valued at ‘retail rate’) and how much is being exported for credit, at the utility’s ‘avoided cost’ rate.

A:  A well-designed PV system such as Southern View Energy can provide will save from 20% up to 100% on your electric bill.

A:  Homeowners and businesses alike are eligible for the generous 30% U.S. Clean Energy Investment Tax Credit. This is taken on a simple 2-page form (IRS 5695) at tax time, and has a lifetime carryover provision. In other words, if for any reason you cannot realize your full tax credit amount in the first year it never expires — it carries over each year until you do.

A:  Yes, several utilities throughout the state offer substantial rebates on solar electric and hot water installations. Southern View Energy stays current with each of them and can advise if your utility has one.

Business owners with a commercial PV system also have the added benefit of accelerated, 5-year depreciation (with a bonus 100% able to be taken in the first year) that can turn their PV system into a profit center in very short order, with an excellent return on investment.  And both residential and commercial PV system installations add considerable value to the property on which they are installed.

A:  Give Southern View Energy a call, or send us your name, address, phone number, email address and a copy of a recent electric bill and we will contact you with a preliminary quotation based on the aerial photo of your home or business and your electric consumption.

A:  Southern View Energy does all the paperwork from system design and engineering, to permit and inspections. We will also assist you with any rebate and utility interconnection applications.