Solar energy is produced by the sun’s rays (or photons) shining on a solar panel. When the sun shines on a solar panel the rays (photons) are converted into electrons of DC (direct current) energy. This DC energy flows through the inverter and is then turned into AC energy (alternating current) that powers your home.

Net metering allows you to send the electricity you generate from your solar panels to the electricity grid for a credit toward your energy costs. In essence, it’s a “trade” of electricity you supply against electricity you consume.

Upon your system being installed a bidirectional meter is installed to track energy production versus consumption. This allows your local distribution company to subtract the value of electricity you supply to the grid from the value of what you take from the grid. When receiving your bill you will see a ‘net’ difference between these amounts where you will see your monthly saving and direct positive impact on operational costs and the environment.

The electricity produced from your solar PV system is first used for your home and excess electricity is put back into the grid. At times where your solar PV system does not produce enough electricity from your home power is instantly supplied to your home from the grid.

If you supply more power than what you take from the grid over the billing cycle, you’ll receive a credit toward future energy bills.The credit can be carried forward to use within a 12 month cycle.

Generally speaking the lifespan of your solar panel will last over 20 years. However the exact lifespan and rate of degradation will vary by manufacturer and product.

Cleaner NRG is focused on ensuring your ongoing satisfaction with the product you choose and only partners with the best installers across North America to ensure you’re serviced by leading industry professionals.

There are a few main factors to consider including the following:

 – The best roof orientation for a solar power system is a south-facing roof if you are north of the equator. East and west is also good. North facing slopes tend to produce a little less

 – A 35 to 50 degree roof tilt is optimal for year-round energy production

– A roof that is clear from major obstructions such as trees, skylights or too many vent

– A roof that has adequate space is key.  A typical solar system averages approximately 50-100 square feet per kilowatt

– Clear access to the sun for most of the day unobstructed by trees, roof-gables, chimneys, buildings and other features of your home or surrounding landscape

– A roof in good condition

Quite the opposite actually. When installed properly, each solar panel will only add approximately 2.3 lbs per square foot of weight to your roof. Roofs are engineered to hold 40-60 lbs per square foot.

Furthermore, solar panels also protect your roof against harsh elements such as sunlight, rain, snow and hail.

Going solar will increase your home’s value. Electricity savings, from having solar, reduce the cost of living in the home and therefore should make it more affordable to live in the home.

If you purchased or financed your solar PV system, studies have shown that your home will sell at a premium and the new homeowner will continue to reap the benefits. If you sell your home with a solar lease you can either choose to buyout your lease before you sell your home or transfer the remainder of the lease to the new homeowner and allow them to benefit.  

Here’s the best part – qualified homeowners can go solar with no money down and start saving on your electricity bill by leasing a solar panel system.

Your payment options vary based on the state/province you live in. There are 3 main options that most states/provinces offer including a solar leasing, a solar loan and a cash purchase.

Leasing a solar panel system is similar to renting in that the solar installer continues to own the system and covers the costs of installation, maintenance and repairs. You benefit by instantly reducing your electricity bill. When you lease your system your solar lease payment along with your net-meter electricity bill, combined will be less than what you are currently paying for electricity. 

In most cases when taking a solar loan or financing the solar PV system installation costs and maintenance is the responsibility of the homeowner. The benefit of a solar loan or purchase is that it results in higher financial returns for the homeowner. When purchasing a solar PV system most states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and California allow homeowners to benefit from a 30% Federal Tax Credit.

Select states including Massachusetts and New Jersey will also allow homeowners to generate additional revenue from their solar PV system by selling their excess electricity in the form of SRECs to businesses.

Further incentives that homeowners purchasing or financing a solar PV system receive include sales and property tax exemption in select states.

Your savings will vary based on a few factors, however everyday we see US and Canadian homeowners save anywhere from 10-30% off their electricity bill.

To find out what YOUR exact savings would be we suggest getting a free quote here.

Federal and state/provincial incentives vary based on your location. Below is some information on how homeowners from different states/provinces can participate:

Massachusetts
When purchasing solar in the state of Massachusetts homeowners can benefit from a Federal Tax Credit of 30% (expiring December 31, 2019). They can also benefit by applying for a Mass Solar Loan.
A Mass Solar Loan is a low interest fixed rate solar loan that supports income qualified residents to purchase or finance solar panels for their home.

Furthermore, homeowners in Massachusetts can benefit by selling their excess electricity in the form of SRECs. For every 1,000 kWh of electricity generated by a solar PV system one SREC is generated. They can then sell this SREC back to the utility company and drive additional revenue from their solar PV system.

For more information on SREC selling prices click here.

New Jersey
Similar to most states, when purchasing solar in the state of New Jersey homeowners can benefit from a Federal Tax Credit of 30% (expiring December 31, 2019).The state of New Jersey also allows homeowners that purchase their system to sell SRECs.

Further state incentives include the solar PV systems having 0% sales tax and being exempt from New Jersey’s 7% sales tax. They are also 100% exempt from local property tax.

New York
New York homeowners can also benefit from the 30% federal tax credit (expiring December 31, 2019) on the entire cost of the system with no system size limits.

State incentives include having the solar PV systems being 100% exempt from sales tax and being 100% property tax exempt for 15 years. Furthermore, for residential and multi-family homes there is a 25% tax credit on the system cost with a cap of $5,000 on a system size up to 25 kW for residential and up to 50 kW for systems owned by a condo or cooperative housing association.

New York homeowners that lease a system can also benefit from tax incentives and claim 25% of the total value of the lease over the lease contract period. In order to claim the incentive homeowners simply need to fill out a IT-255 form when filing their taxes.

Connecticut
In addition to the 30% Federal Tax Credit available to Connecticut homeowners that purchase a solar PV system, the state of Connecticut offers strong additional incentives. Their solar rebate, also known as the  Residential Solar Investment Program (expiring December 31, 2022) administered by the Connecticut Green Bank provides a $0.54 per watt rebate (up to a 10 kW system) when purchasing the panels. Similar to Massachusetts there is a state loan program, the Energy Conservation Loan that provides eligible families with the ability to borrow up to $25,000 at low interest rates between 0 to 6 percent.

Further state incentives include 100% sales tax exemption and property tax exemption.

California
In addition to benefiting from the 30% Federal Tax Credit when purchasing a solar PV system incentives from select local and municipal utilities are available. For example if you’re a customer of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power you’re eligible for a $0.25 per watt rebate on solar that is installed.

Furthermore, California has strong state supported financing options for eligible homeowners called the HERO, Home Energy Renovation Opportunity. The HERO allows homeowners to finance their solar PV system and pay it back through their property taxes. In addition California also offers an incentive for home builders building new energy efficient solar homes called the NSHP, New Solar Home Partnership.

Ontario
Currently, the Ontario MicroFIT Program where qualified homeowners were being paid a premium rate of 28.8 cents per kWh for the electricity that their panels produced and put back into the grid has filled capacity and come to an end. 

Announcements have been made that there will be a new program and details will be announced in the upcoming months.

Solar panel production varies depending on the solar cell efficiency, solar panel size and the amount of sunlight directly hitting the panel. However every panel has a maximum production per panel. The more each panel produces the less panels you need to purchase and the more compact your system can be.

When choosing solar panels for your roof you should look 3 main things:

1. Production: The amount of energy each panel produces will directly impact your savings and cost. A lower producing system such as a 250 watt panel will take more panels to give you the same results as a higher producing system, such as a 25 watt panel. The better the production, the less panels you need and the more compact your system.

2. Warranty: It’s important to know what type of manufacturer’s warranty and workmanship warranty the installer you choose will have to ensure you and your family are protected.

3. Degradation: Solar panels last for a long time within harsh environmental factors. What is important to consider is the degradation of solar panels over time. Some panels loose between .2-2% efficiency every year depending on the panel. When factoring decades, degradation is am important consideration.

Solar is an investment in your future. You want to make sure you’re getting the best product possible for your home.

Solar panels do not require much maintenance as they don’t have many moving parts.

Yes, solar panels come with warranties. Your exact warranty will depend on the manufacturer and installer of your panels.

Installers will often pass on the manufacturer’s warranty on the panels, racks and inverters as well as provide a workmanship warranty on the installations. The length of the manufacturer’s warranty may vary for different parts of the system such as a longer warranty for the panels and shorter for the inverter.

When leasing your solar pv system, panels are maintained and warrantied by the installer. They also come with a power production warranty as well. 

There are a number of reasons to go solar including reducing your electric bill with as low as $0 down.  Find out more about why you should go solar here.

It’s simple – the first step is to let us get you the best quote. From there we’ll be able to provide you with all the details about your savings and guide you through your solar journey.

To learn more about what this journey would look like, click here.

We want you to maximize your saving and help the environment!

Cleaner NRG wants to ensure that your solar experience is one you want to share with your friends. It’s important to us that we answer all your questions, pair you with an installer that will provide you with the highest savings, best producing and warrantied system and ensure you are thrilled with your journey from start to finish.

We only partner with reputable installers with the most up and coming technology, pricing and offering so that we can ensure your satisfaction and future business.

It’s simple – the first step is to let us get you the best quote. To do so, provide your information here and one of our team members will reach out to you.