Thinking about going solar?

How does it work?

There are two basic types of residential solar installations: thermal and photovoltaic.  Thermal systems use the sun to heat air or water, while photovoltaic systems make electricity.  Avery and Sun specializes in photovoltaics, or "PV." This is how it works:

Sunlight hitting a solar panel on your roof creates DC electricity.  An inverter changes the DC to AC, the kind you use in your house, and ties it directly into your existing electrical service.  During the day your system normally produces more electricity than you use, so the excess current turns your electric meter backwards!  (Your neighbors will be using it.)  At night, with lights and appliances running, your meter will run forward again, using the "credit" you have accrued during the day.  You may still pay an electric bill if you use more electricity than you generate.  Some PV systems also have a battery back-up that provides energy when the grid goes down, but there are advantages and disadvantages.  We'll help you figure it out.

Will it save money?

Yes. The answer just a year ago would have been "Maybe." Now the answer is a definite "Yes." There are two reasons for the change. The first is that equipment costs have come down. We are now installing systems for considerably less then they cost a year ago. The second is that you can now sell solar energy credits, which will pay you cash for the solar energy you generate, while still letting you use it! You will actually make more money selling credits than you will save on your electric bill. See: Get Paid to Go Solar

Instead of paying for energy every month, you will be investing several thousand dollars up front. But good solar equipment is guaranteed for 20 - 25 years, and if installed properly will last twice that long, with virtually no maintenance. Then there is the 30% federal tax credit for what you spend on your system. This is in addition to the Solar Energy Credits you sell. If you spend $10,000 on a PV system, you get $3,000 off your taxes. And that's not a deduction; it's a credit: If you owe $5,000 in taxes, you will have to pay only $2,000. More importantly, the price of electricity is likely to increase very rapidly in the coming years, and you will have already bought up to 50 years of it. Most important of all, you are not spending money that pollutes the air, strips mountain tops, depletes limited resources, and warms the climate. Instead, you will be voting with your dollars for renewable energy.

Will it help the environment?

Absolutely. Solar energy consumes no fossil fuels, causes no water or air pollution, and releases no carbon emissions. It is the cleanest form of energy available.  If you are conscious of how you use electricity, and willing to make lifestyle changes, a well-designed and adequately sized PV system can actually provide all of your household energy needs.   In the coming years plug-in hybrid vehicles will make it possible to use solar power for transportation!

The real advantage of solar is not what it does for your pocket book, but what it does for your mind and your soul.  You will think about it and talk about it with friends and neighbors.  You will notice what your electric meter is doing.  When you are generating your own energy directly from the sun you will not just be using less of a bad thing, you will be creating more of a good thing.  Amidst all the doom and gloom, you will have practical experience with a real solution, and you will have a vision of where our society can go if it chooses.