Photovoltaic Solar Power Info

Introduction

Solar Power (photovoltaic) Systems convert sunlight into electricity.

They do this with a many components, including solar panels to absorb the light and turn it into DC (direct current), an inverter to change DC to AC (alternating current), and cables, mounts, etc. There are typically no moving parts unless you have a tracking system that keeps the panels aligned with the sun for optimal production.

Most systems are roof mounted, in Los Gatos, the ideal roof is a south facing one. This is because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Panels facing the south will generally have the most hours of sunlight.

Equipment

Panels

There are many things to consider: size, wattage, efficiency, price, appearance, etc. All panels will degrade over time, the typical warranty is that they will still produce 80% of their rated output after 25 years. Also keep in mind a panel that is rated for 250 watts will produce that in ideal conditions.

Inverters

The new trend is to get micro-inverters, under each panel is a small (typically 250 watt) inverter. This is great if you have shading issues, each panel has a dedicated inverter, so shade on one will reduce the output of just that one panel. If you have a string inverter, there is typically an array of panels that are all connected and fed into a single inverter. If one panel is shaded, the output of the array is affected. Then there is the single point of failure, if the inverter fails, the system fails. The pros and cons are endless, and on top of that, the technology is still changing, there's now what they are calling DC optimizers.

On-Grid vs. Off-Grid

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Lease vs. Buy

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PG&E Net Metering

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Local Resources

ML Solar in Campbell, CA http://www.mlsolar.com/ - good prices on panels, inverters, etc.

Solar eMD in Campbell, CA http://www.solaremd.net/ - Ben does good work.

Recommended Installers

Solar City (only does Leased systems)

Cobalt Power (http://cobaltpower.com/) which were recommended by a friend at SunPower (posted by John K)

Rick Devlin, Sun Star Energy Inc, Solar Energy Equipment Supplier, Address: 1130 Wilderfield Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95033, Phone:(408) 838-8400 (by Alex L)

Real Goods Solar (by Stepheneie O)

ReGrid (by sfbusfbu)

Alterra Solar (http://www.allterrasolar.com/), Santa Cruz local company (posted by Dean W)