1. The US Treasury Department will cover 30% of the costs.

2. The IRS will allow you to depreciate 85% of the costs in the very first year when you install solar.

A staggering ~75% of your commercial solar investment in New Jersey is returned in the first year!

(Heading colors refer to this chart.)

3. Your system will generate SRECs which can be sold for up to 14% of the installation costs each year for 15 years.

4. Yes, fourth most importantly, your system will produce electricity, meaning you no longer have to buy it from the power company (the portion that is offset by the system, anyway).

5. PR! Everyone loves a good company doing good things for the environment. These days, to install solar is to attract attention.

We can’t exactly assign a dollar figure to #5, but a quick sum of #1-4 is $74,700, or 74.7% of the total system cost. Installations in 2012 will probably realize less than 60% return in the first year.

Lastly, with SRECs (#3) earning income for fifteen years and Saved Electricity Costs (#4) for the life of the system, an investment in solar energy will pay for itself very quickly and begin earning meaningful income for your organization.

Oh… I almost forgot, #6 Solar Energy is great for the environment too!

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For more information on how you can get started toward a greener, more profitable future, or if you are ready to install solar and need a custom proposal, contact me at patrick@civitasenergy.com.

The New York Times recently wrote an article on solar energy permitting and the resulting frustrations of solar integrators. Here is a snippet:

Ken Button, the president of Verengo Solar Plus, a residential solar panel installer in Orange, Calif., says his company — and his industry — are being strangled by municipal red tape.

Fifteen Verengo employees, Mr. Button said, are dedicated solely to researching and tailoring permit applications to meet the bureaucratic idiosyncrasies of the dozens of towns in the company’s market. And because most jurisdictions require applications to be submitted in person, Verengo employs two “permit runners” whose only job, Mr. Button said, is to “take those permit packs and physically drive them around, stand in line, and pay the fees.”

“We have 50 different permitting authorities within 50 miles of our office,” Mr. Button said. “They all have different documentation requirements, different filing processes, different fee structures. It’s like doing business in 50 different countries — just in Southern California.”

The article continues on to state that permitting “adds an average of $2,500 in costs to each installation.” Because Civitas Energy aggregates solar power systems in smaller geographic areas, our integrators work with one municipality’s permitting office. One permitting office means one permitting process. One process means faster and less complicated logistics, which saves the integrator money. When the integrator saves, we ensure that you save as well.

Learn more about Civitas can help you save on your Solar Power Systems.

The BBC reported today that 2010 was the warmest year since records began in 1850. The WMO, which collects data from groups including the National Climatic Data Center and NASA, has concluded that 2010 was the warmest on record, beating out the previous record holder, 1998, by 0.02°F.

Image Source: WMO.int

The reports from both the BBC and the WMO contain several interesting results, including: the period from 2001-2010, temperatures were 0.83°F higher than average; 2010 witnessed the “lowest extent of sea-ice cover in the Arctic;” and “the 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998.” These are each noteworthy observations, but we respect that a few data points may not be enough to change your opinion of global climate change.

With another snow storm headed our way, global warming can be a tough concept to sell. Whether you accept that climates are changing or not, it is difficult to deny that a change in behavior to reduce the amount of natural resources we burn is the right thing to do… especially when changing costs you less than your current way of life. By installing solar energy, you save money. By installing solar energy, you do your part to reduce eye-sores like oil rigs and tankers on the beach-front horizon and Appalachian mountain top strip mines. By installing solar energy, you will spend less money. And did we mention that by installing solar energy, you may earn money??

So, Global Climate Change: Should You Care? That is completely up to you, but as for Solar Energy, you absolutely should. It just so happens that Solar Energy is a great response to climate change. Whether your motivation is environmental, political, or financial, there are plenty of reasons to adopt renewable energy. Choose yours and make the change today.

For more information on the cost of solar panels and solar energy financial assistance available, please take a spin around our website, or send us a note directly with your questions.

We argue that it already is.

The federal government provides an energy tax credit equal to 30% of your total installation costs. That is, if you owe 15k in taxes at the end of the year and you installed a 50k solar array, you taxes are as good as paid.

From there, the different state models come into play:

• Some states provide cash rebates while others mimic the federal system of tax credits. In both cases, the balance of the system cost is recovered in the form of saved electric bills.
• Many states use PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) to create a loan which is repayable through your property taxes — the elimination of your energy bill is a greater savings than the increased property tax amount. For more information on how PACE works and where it is available, see http://pacefinancing.org/.
• The concept that is really driving east coast states (Mid-Atlantic specifically) to solar viability is the SREC, or Solar Renewable Energy Credit or Certificate. The idea here is that carbon-emitting entities must produce x% clean energy. If they do not, they will be fined. In lieu of a fine, they may purchase your credit for creating solar energy. This idea is near and dear, so we wrote a blog entry on it: What the Heck Is a REC?
• Another idea that works successfully in Europe and a few small markets in the U.S. (Hawaii is about to implement this, while Maine tried and failed to do so) is the Feed in Tariff. The idea of a FiT is that the utility pays you a greater rate for the clean energy you feed into the grid than the rate you would pay to draw energy from it.

To find out which incentives are available in your state, use http://www.dsireusa.org/solar/.

-Your Friends at Civitas Energy

The quick answers: 1) that’s complicated, so continue reading; 2) there sure is; and 3) it sure does.

Optimum Tilt & Location

The prime tilt for a solar panel results when the face of the module is perfectly perpendicular to sunlight. Creating a perpendicular surface reduces the chance of the protective glass coating reflecting light away from the panel. Additionally, when a surface is not perpendicular, it has a smaller effective surface area. Here’s an example: take the nearest book, piece of paper, or even your keyboard. Hold it up so that it is perpendicular to your line of vision. Now start tilting it away from you; it appears smaller to more you tilt it, right?

The actual ideal measurement varies by location; it varies by time of day; and it varies by time of year. Let’s make a few assumptions before discussing what the optimum tilt is going to be:

1. Our solar PV array is located in Princeton, NJ
2. Today is the Vernal Equinox (when the sun is directly above the equator)
3. It is noontime

Given these assumptions, the optimal tilt for our solar panels is 40.3° degrees from the horizon. That was easy, right? Ok, ok, here is the explanation: our assumptions were carefully chosen such that the result is exactly equal to the line of latitude on which Princeton lies, 40.3°. So for those of you in Princeton with pitched roofs of 40.3°, congratulations, you have the perfect site for solar energy!

Let’s clear this up with the image below. Photons of light are emitted from the sun on very close to parallel paths. At the equator, these photons hit the horizon a perpendicular angles, which is ideal (remember, we are assuming that it is the equinox). In Princeton, however, light hits at an angle, so we tilt our solar panels to create a perpendicular surface.

Angles are not exact, and Florida looks like a foot. Nobody’s perfect!

For the geometry teachers out there, the rules of alternate and consecutive angles dictate that if we tilt the panel by the same amount as our latitude angle, we will create the desired surface perpendicular to the rays of sunlight. For the rest of us, careful measurements, which have been done many times over, reveal that an angle equal to the latitude reading is ideal.

Tracking the Sun

Let’s revisit our assumptions. First, we are in Princeton. Unless you are installing a PV array on the roof of your RV, this assumption is not going to change. The second and third however, change constantly. Equinoxes occur twice per year, so there are 363 other days to consider, and noontime is actually a very brief moment in time, so there is more than 99% of the day to consider as well. To get the maximum energy efficiency from solar panels, they would need to be set in motion.

To account for the daily movement of the sun relative to our Solar PV array, modules must rotate side to side in order to maintain a face perpendicular to the rays of the sun. As for the seasonal effect — think about how much higher in the sky the sun is positioned in the summer than in the winter — a second axis, one that allows the panels to increase or decrease tilt, is required.

We rarely ever recommend the dual-axis tracking system because it introduces a host of new problems (e.g., increased cost, moving parts, additional shading — remember what you learned about shading from our free solar seminars?? — and additional space, which most roofs do not have), but it is worth pointing out that some solar energy arrays do in fact account for the movement of the sun. Generally speaking, the roof pitch of standard NJ homes is adequate for flat-mounted solar panel arrays which means you do not have to worry about the problems inherent to a tracking system.

For more, please take a minute to read a the page on our website describing renewable energy technology. Check back soon, or follow us on your favorite social media site (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to be alerted of similar articles on renewable energy as they become available.

Please use the comments section below to describe your experience. Write whatever you wish, but if you are having some writer’s block, here are a few ideas:

• What about the experience did you enjoy?
• What did you not expect?
• Was the cost of solar in line with your expectations?
• Were you able to offset 100% of your current and future energy needs?
• How was the process of claiming your energy tax credit?
• Did you take any energy efficiency measures before installing?
• Are you inspired to tackle any further green energy projects or steps towards sustainability?
• Did you take advantage of PACE, or other financing options?

Thanks in advance for sharing. If you are interested but have not yet pursued solar energy and/or sustainability, please cruise around our blog or visit our website, http://CivitasEnergy.com, to start learning.

Graphically

The center of the graph is equal parts service, quality, and price contributing to, in my opinion, top quality. As you start to favor Price, point P, you move farther from points S and Q (Service and Quality). The same is true of each point; as you approach one, you distance yourself from the other two.

Deciding which factors are most important to you determines what value is. That is, if you are comfortable with an installer coming in, working rapidly, and moving on to the next job never to hear from them again, then a point on this graph close to “P” is top value to you. If, on the other hand, you want your questions answered quickly and your home treated with patience and care, a point closer to “S” and “Q” will be top value to you. Of course in this case, you understand that you will be moving away from point P, meaning it will be more expensive.

When it comes to solar energy, we like to remind people that the investment pays for itself, so why not pay up a little for top quality and service?

Mathematically

Graphics aren’t your speed? How about a mathematical formula:

As we all know, there are two ways to increase the value of a fraction: raise the numerator or lower the denominator.

The technique of raising the numerator is tricky when you start talking about real world examples. Usually, you have to pay more for better service and quality. But let’s simplify it and think of an example where two companies quote you the same price. The company that does more and is quicker to answer your questions is the better value.

Lowering the denominator can be tricky as well. What if you were given a truckload of solar panels for free? You might think that this is unbeatable value. But the cost of the panels is not all that makes up the total price of a solar energy system. Your time is valuable and you would need to install free panels. Your home is valuable and mistakes can be costly. Your safely is valuable and high-voltage electricity is dangerous. Your sanity is valuable and if something goes wrong, you may lose it.

Unless you are a rather handy electrician, your best value is going to be hiring a top quality installer and negotiating the price down.

With Pizza

Let’s say you are hungry for a slice of pizza. There is a place in the East Village that sells slices for one dollar. They aren’t bad, but I’m pretty sure it is frozen pizza heated in the oven, and for a buck, that’s fair. 14th St and First Ave hosts a much better place, but would you pay $4.50 for a slice of its specialty pizza? That’s a tough question. If you are emphatic about one feature or another — that is, if you are on a limited budget, or you have a highly refined taste for broccoli and artichoke pizza — then the answer is obvious. But if you are looking for value, perhaps neither is the right choice. Each shop has one element of the value equation, but not all of them.

How do we get to value in this case? Here’s an idea: You give me $3.00 and I will get seven other people to do the same. I will then do a little Godfather II and make the pizza joint an offer it can’t refuse (actually, I’m just going to buy a whole pie), and you get your top quality slice for $3.

Why do we talk about value in these terms?

Firstly, we want you to understand a few different ideas of value. Secondly, these ideas are at the root of Civitas’ services. We aim to squeeze the graph, bringing “P” closer to “S” and “Q;” we reduce the denominator in the fraction while keeping the numerator very high; and we help buy pizza pies so you get your delicious slices for less. We offer pizza, err solar energy, for less than had you gone to the same installer on your own.

It is time for you to start your education in solar energy. Begin by attending one of our free solar seminars. If we are not currently working with your community, let us know that your community wants discount solar energy, and we will come to you.

A woman in Georgia sits down to pay her bills and it comes time to write the check to Cobb Energy. First Coast News will take it from here…

Here’s our first crack at it:

Hello, Mrs. Hall, I am calling about the solar array you requested for your home. Before I send over the quote, do you happen to have 29 acres of unused, unshaded land?
Patrick, @CivitasEnergy
(Sadly, I did the math to come up with that figure!)

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