Solar Electric
A Solar Electric System produces electricity directly from sunlight, and can power up to 100% of the electrical needs of a home or business. Solar Electric technology (also known as Solar Photovoltaic or ‘PV’) has evolved for decades, proven reliable through over 40 years of commercial, military, and satellite applications. Systems are designed to a property’s capacity and owner requirements, with or without Backup Power, and are generally tied to the utility grid to take advantage of energy Net Metering.
Given current state and federal incentives for residential property and real-world production, the generated power of a typical Grid-Tied Solar Electric system will pay back initial investment costs in only 10-12 years. This is less than half of the expected life of a Solar Electric System, meaning 15-20 more years of free, stable, clean power, and without unpredictable utility rate increases. There is no income limit or restriction on who can access this credit, while a property tax exemption is also in effect for Louisiana. See the the Tax Credit section for more information.
Grid-Tied Solar Electric
Grid-Tied systems make up the majority of Solar Electric Installations. These systems efficiently convert Solar Power into utility-grade power at a relatively low cost, and provide an abundance of power during times of sunlight. This power is used on-site for any immediate electrical demand, and is supplemented with utility power during cloudy or high electrical use conditions. When more solar power is being generated than can be used on-site, the excess is fed back to the utility grid through a special Net-Usage Electrical Meter. See ‘Net Metering’ below for details.
A typical Grid-Tied installation consists primarily of the solar array and one or more Grid-Tie inverters. The array is an arrangement of Photovoltaic modules that is often roof-mounted for efficient use of space, and can consist of anywhere from one to 100 modules or more, for 200 to 20000+ Watts of instantaneous solar power. The solar array generates Direct Current (DC) electrical power, which is then fed into the inverter(s) for conversion into Alternating Current (AC) power for home or business use.
A Grid-Tie inverter is generally tied into the facility circuit breaker panel for convenient shutoff, and will not operate when the utility grid is down. This is a special requirement to protect utility workers from electrical shock, and does not apply to Backup Solar Power systems. Solar inverter conversion provides very high-quality power, a requirement for tying any system into the utility grid, and ensuring full compatibility with all electronic devices.
Technological Options
Solar Electric technology has matured into a diverse market of high-quality manufacturers and unique design options. Modules are available in standard-efficiency (great value) and high-efficiency (maximum power) framed units, as well as translucent units and flexible-sheet thin-film formats. Each project will have several factors that suggest a certain application, but there are often several possibilities in each case.
Framed units are generally used for rooftop or ground-mount installations, and make up the majority of all Solar Electric designs. These modules are used worldwide for many applications, from small residential projects to multi-megawatt utility-scale installations.
Translucent modules are used for skylights, solar canopies, awnings, and other building-integrated designs. They provide an extraordinary, unique design feature to a project while also generating high-energy electrical output for on-site demands.
Thin-film flexible modules are used primarily for two special types of roof application: TPO/PVC commercial roofs and Standing Seam (SS) metal roofs. The module width matches exactly the distance between seams on a standard SS roof, and lengths are available from 9′ to 20′. A high-strength adhesive backing provides permanent, wind-resistant application to almost any smooth surface.
Microinverters
A new technology that has found popular application in our region is the microinverter. Instead of one or two system inverters for the entire solar array, each module is directly fitted with its own solar inverter. This design provides a higher energy output from each module and the entire array, while making the system less susceptible to partial shading and variations in module characteristics. System wiring is also simplified.
Enphase M210 and M190 modules are the industry leaders of this technology, and Solar Alternatives has completed some of the region’s largest installations using these units. The Enphase Envoy and Enlighten web interface provide real-time and historic monitoring of system production and status.
