We’ve wanted to go solar for a number of years – for the planet and for our pocketbook – but never thought it made sense here in New Hampshire. But after friends went solar a few years ago and had a good result, we decided to look into it.
We had a new metal roof put on the house recently, solar panels have become more affordable, solar panel efficiency has gone up and tax incentives all combine to make solar attractive even in the Northeast, especially with the increasing electricity rates.
Good Reasons to go solar:
- Tax credits for solar
- Energy rates keep going up
- Lessen carbon footprint/reduce greenhouse gases
- Today’s solar panels are less expensive and more efficient
- Backup power during outages via a Tesla Powerwall II battery
- Possibility of charging a future EV
- Solar panels look better these days – all black instead of silver lines between cells.
Due to the many advances in photovoltaic technology over recent years, the average panel conversion efficiency has increased from 15% to well over 20%. This large jump in efficiency resulted in the power rating of a standard size panel increasing from 250W up to 400W.
With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, thanks to president Biden and the Democrats, solar incentives net a 30% tax credit. It is important to note that no Republicans voted for the biggest bill to address climate change to date.
Here are some of the details. Note: Unfortunately for us, batteries are only eligible for the tax credit starting in 2023.
Solar PV systems installed in 2020 and 2021 are eligible for a 26% tax credit. In August 2022, Congress passed an extension of the ITC, raising it to 30% for the installation of which was between 2022-2032. (Systems installed on or before December 31, 2019 were also eligible for a 30% tax credit.) It will decrease to 26% for systems installed in 2033 and to 22% for systems installed in 2034. The tax credit expires starting in 2035 unless Congress renews it.
Besides, we lose power often in this heavily treed region so with a Tesla Powerwall II battery as part of the system, we get some emergency backup power instead of installing a noisy, polluting backup generator.
Not to bore you with the details but the process took about eight months from start to finish, mostly due to labor shortages in the solar installation industry.
Estimates – we had two solar companies give estimates. The first one didn’t get back to us, so they lost the business to Granite State Solar. The estimate included a plan for where the panels would go and how the electrical work and battery would fit in our utility room. Originally I had thought the battery would go in the garage but it needs to be in a space that is over 40 degrees for battery efficiency.
Once gave GSS a deposit they got to work. Applied for connection with the utility, in this case Eversource. (We had to sign a contract with Eversource that said we wouldn’t switch to another electricity provider). Filed for a building permit with the town.
We ran into a snag with the town as our property on a pond. They said we needed a variance and had to go in front of the variance board that meets once a month. We also had to send certified letters to all abutting properties within 250 feet of our property.
It seemed very silly as solar panels on the roof would have no impact on the quality of the water in the pond and would not have any impact on any of our neighbors. The variance board rubber-stamped the application but still, it was annoying to have to jump through and extra set of hoops of red tape.
We also had to get approval from our community association. They have a set of standards on all kinds of things like house color, tree cutting etc. So they send out a team of volunteers to determine if our solar panels would “fit in” with the overall vibe of the community. Another hoop to jump through and another rubber stamp approval.
Finally, the installation day arrived a team of about 20 installers and electricians descended on the property. They got the panels and most of the electrical work down by the afternoon and only the two inside electricians had to come back the next day to finish up the last few bits.
So at this point we are good to go right? We can flip on the solar? Not so fast. We need a final inspection from the town inspector. Ok so a week later the final inspection is scheduled. The guy never shows up. But he does come the next day, glances around a bit and signs off on the project.
Can we throw on the switch yet? Not so fast. If we turn on the system now we would be creating power and getting charged for it because the current electrical meter can’t measure if electricity is coming or going. We need a net meter.
Net metering was pioneered in the United States as a way to allow solar and wind to provide electricity whenever available and allow use of that electricity whenever it was needed, beginning with utilities in Idaho in 1980, and in Arizona in 1981. In 1983, Minnesota passed the first state net metering law.
The utility, Eversource provides the net meter (pop out the old meter, pop in the new net meter) but on average takes 10 business days to install one. Oh the agony of waiting! Knowing that one’s system could be generating sweet power from the sun, yet the utility slow to install the meter. It’s not like they haven’t had eight months or so to get ready for this moment.
Net Meter Installed!
It took Eversource 14 regular days to arrive and swap out the old meter for a bi-directional Net Meter. The process took about five minutes and required a brief disruption of power.
Then I flipped on the breakers on the solar system and the Tesla Powerwall II and nice clean solar power started to flow into the house and into the backup battery!
Now I have two apps on my phone for monitoring energy usage. One is the Tesla lifestyle app which shows the flow of power – from solar panels, to and from battery, to and from the grid.
Also, the Engage “Enlightenment” app which monitors the panels themselves. You can see which panels are producing energy. Engage is the brand of inverters on the panels so this app monitors the system at the granular level.
Next Steps – Monitoring energy usage
If you have solar or not, tracking energy usage is a good way to cut back on your expenses. This energy monitoring device called Sense track all the energy usage and energy production in your house.
It simply clips into your circuit breaker box and monitors energy peaks and duration of energy demands. It cleverly calculates the specific energy usage and signature draw of power. Sense then makes an educated guess as to what device is in use. For example, a toaster typically draws 1200 watts, uses the power to heat up quickly and then uses less power as it maintains temperature for a few minutes.
Sense also gives you a clear view of how much energy you produce, use, and sell back to the grid. See real-time details or look back at your home’s history. It’s all designed to help you maximize your solar production and investment.
The app also has “The Power Meter” which tells you exactly how much electricity you’re using right now, with wattage steps up and down when devices turn on and off.
Another option is Emporia Energy options.
Determining Zombie Energy Using Devices
If you simply want to know how much energy a particular device uses, you can use one of these “kill a watt” devices. These are very handy in determining which devices in your house are using energy even then you think they are off. Any device with remote control is typically always “on” in some sense, using electricity while it waits for you to use the remote.