FAQs

Although your solar system is technically capable of producing energy when the power grid goes down, it is designed to shut off immediately. This is a safety feature called “rapid shutdown,” that protects utility workers by making sure your system isn’t sending electricity back into the grid while they make repairs.

If you’d like to have power during an outage, we can add optional battery backup. These let your solar system safely power just your home without sending electricity into the grid.

• Sometimes. All utility companies (the main ones throughout the Shenandoah Valley are SVEC, Dominion, and HEC) have a monthly service charge to stay connected to the grid - which is something that benefits you. For example, the grid supplies your electricity when it's nighttime and your panels aren't producing.

• In summary, every month there is a basic consumer charge, and it's unique to the utility company you work with. The rest of the year your electricity operates on a “net metering basis”. When you produce more energy than you use, that is credited to the times of the year that you don’t produce as much energy as you use. Those electricity credits carry forward to months when you don’t produce as much electricity and help offset those monthly bills up to $0.

• There is very little maintenance required for solar systems. Primarily, doing a visual check several times a year to verify that there is no debris gathering around your panels or wiring is important, and clearing out anything that has gathered. At times dust may gather heavily on the panels, and if the rain doesn't seem to be clearing it off, a gentle wash with an RV brush and water is all that's needed to ensure peak productivity. 

• Generally, other than ensuring that it stays connected to the internet (for monitoring), there really isn't much to do. 

• We install Enphase microinverters and Tier 1 solar panels because of their extremely low rates of failure. Rarely do the parts need to be replaced.

• Yes, we will secure all the necessary permits, order the materials, and oversee the entire installation, inspection, and coordinate with the utilities and the local jurisdiction to ensure that all goes smoothly. 

• When choosing to get a solar system, a majority of the decision is around gaining energy independence, getting a return on your investment, and long-term savings. The decision to go with battery storage is more about if it's a desired or necessary feature that you want. 

• If you would like to power your home during times when the electricity goes out on the grid (Keep in mind though that the amount of time a battery can sustain your home varies project to project and depends on a variety of factors). So one of the biggest benefits to having batteries is that you are able to store up extra energy and then use it during times when your panels aren't producing - like when the power goes out, or at nighttime (if you're completely off-grid). 

• You can do batteries while being connected to the grid, or off-grid. But if you want to be off-grid completely, and want electricity at nighttime, you're going to need batteries. 

  As always, we're here to answer more questions and talk through your unique situation to help you make the best decision when it comes to adding storage to your solar system or not.