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When photons of light strike a solar cell, electrons are energized. Just as a dark surface in the sunlight heats from the electrons bouncing around from friction, the solar cell is designed to create a path for the electrons to flow. The flow of electrons is the definition of electricity. The inverter configures the power to what our homes and the utility grid require. This power flows to your home’s electrical loads or, if in excess to what your home requires, this power flows out to the electrical grid.  This leaves a credit on your meter which can be used in no sun periods.

Solar modules or panels, an inverter and a mounting structure make up the three major components of a system. Wiring, conduit and disconnects tie these components together for the typical solar system.

Yes, just as you enter a car on an overcast day and it is noticeably warmer, solar modules make power with these reduced light levels, just not as much as bright sunny days.

What will snow do to my power production?

The time of the year we can have snow cover our array are the lowest production months of the year.  Therefore, you can just let the snow melt naturally. This does not create a significant reduction in annual power production totals.

Yes, unless your roof area is limited, we can easily add more modules if your electrical loads increase. Increasing the size of your inverter at the initial installation is a smart hedge for future expansion.

The roof of your home or business is typically the lowest cost location for your solar array. This is because we are using the structure of your roof and do not have to create a whole separate structure as we do with a ground mount. Having the modules higher is many times an advantage from surrounding shading.

We take many measures to seal all penetrations with compounds and mounting feet. Intuitively, this seems like a problem yet in reality leaks from roof mounted solar modules is not a problem.

What maintenance is required?

One of the real advantages to solar photovoltaic modules are their lack of any moving parts. While the inverter has a few moving parts, they are minimal. Washing of the array with a garden hose will reduce occasional soiling yet most owners let the rain and snow handle this.  We do recommend checking your inverters LED status lights or your power bill occasionally to make sure the system is on.

The main advantage of adding batteries is it gives us backup power when the grid is down. At present, it is not economically advantageous to utilize batteries.  In other states with progressive utilities, they will buy our home power to support the grid.  Unfortunately, our Montana utilities do not allow this.

At present, adding batteries can double the cost of a grid-tied system.  Stay tuned as this will change in the future.