Is solar right for you?
You may be considering adding solar to your home’s roof or finding another way to harness the suns energy. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solar solution, Black Hills Electric Cooperative is here to clear up confusion and offer resources that can help you figure out what works best for you.
Your average electric bill helps determine the size and potential savings for solar at your home. The best way to help you make a sound decision about solar, please contact us and we can help you along the way!
If you're not sure about solar, the information provided below can help give you insight into what installing and owning solar panels is like. If you are ready to move forward with installing solar panels on your home or business and have found a solar company that works well for your needs, you can use the buttons below to access our interconnection applications.
The first thing you need to look at is how you currently use energy. Are you using energy inefficiently? What can you do to cut back or make your home more energy efficient?
- Use your appliances more efficiently and consider investing in highly efficient products like Energy Star appliances, smart thermostats, load control devices, etc.
- Switch to energy-efficient lighting, such as LED light bulbs.
- Weatherize your space. If you use electricity to heat or cool your home, this will significantly impact the amount of solar energy you need. Weatherizing your home and installing more efficient heating and cooling technologies will help reduce the amount of electricity you need to produce with solar.
- View trends in your energy consumption through your online profile at https://bhec.smarthub.coop/.
BHEC recommends conquering these hurdles first before you consider installing any type of renewable energy. It's not wise to spend thousands of dollars to generate electricity only to waste it due to inefficient windows, doors, refrigerators, or heating and air conditioning.
If you are confident you have achieved a high level of energy efficiency in your home and you are ready to look at a renewable energy system, you might want to consider the following:
- Do you get enough sun? To generate the most electricity, solar panels should be placed in locations with the most sun exposure. In the northern hemisphere, the optimum solar panel location is a south-facing roof. West-facing orientations are also suitable for solar installations as these systems produce more energy later in the day when electricity is generally more expensive. Make sure there are no trees on your, or your neighbor's, property that could eventually grow to block the sun.
- Do you want a system that will provide all your power needs, or do you want supplemental energy generation to reduce the amount of power you buy? BHEC highly recommends only sizing your system to cover your energy needs. You will not have a big return-on-investment by selling excess energy back to the grid.
- How long do you plan to live in this house? This can be a major factor when deciding if solar is the right option for you.
- Can your roof handle it? Ensure the roof can hold the weight of the system (about 3-5 lb. per square foot) and that the roofing material will last as long as the PV system (25-30 years). If your roof is in poor condition, you may be a good candidate for solar roofing. If you expect to need a new roof within the next few years, you may want to consider making that improvement before installing solar.
- How much are you willing to spend? Solar systems can be expensive. Make sure you do the math and figure out your return-on-investment.
It is important to choose the right installer. Some members recommend getting multiple bids to consider in order to find your best option. A bid should include the total cost of getting the PV system up and running, including hardware, installation, connection to the grid, permitting, sales tax, and warranty.
Here is a list of questions to consider asking each solar installer.
- Is your company familiar with BHEC's interconnection process?
- Is your company familiar with the township's requirements, as well as the State Electrical Inspection process?
- Are you properly licensed/certified?
- Do you carry liability insurance?
- What is the warranty for this system?
- What happens between you and the contractor if you sell your house and you have signed a long-term contract with the solar contractor?
- Are there any state or federal tax credits that will help to reduce your out-of-pocket costs?
- What does a service call cost?
Remember to:
Ask how much energy the system will generate. The output of a renewable energy system is highly dependent on the weather and therefore will not generate at its full potential all of the time. Have your contractor run numbers using local weather data.
Will the system pay for itself in a few years? Ask your contractor about system upkeep and warranty issues. Check out the manufacturer's and contractor's references. Ask about and visit other local installations and talk to the owners. See what lessons they learned and what they have to say about system performance.