solar guide & solar questions

If you are considering a solar powered system, there are many questions you can or should pose to solar professionals. Here is a list, a kind of solar guide.

Preliminary issues

Before contacting solar professionals it's advantageous to know what's more relevant and to think a little about the subject. You should identify the more important questions and build - even if in a rather informal way - your own solar questions guide before any formal contact.

You should question yourself on the most important solar areas - types of solar systems, panels, location, prices, quotes, payments, location, installation and after-sale services... - and the more relevant questions in each of them.

Defining the type of solar system

First of all you should define what solar powered system you want: a solar hot water system? A PV solar electricity system? A solar space heating system? These solar systems are very different, and in most cases people just want one type of system: usually solar electricity or a solar water heating system...

Solar air heating systems (or solar cooling systems) are less common and less tested or with limitations... But you may want to consider them to, or even to consider another different system: an hybrid solar-wind system, for instance.

Only after defining the type of solar system can you truly define your own Solar guide.

Solar questions on Hot water systems

If you want a solar hot water system, your solar guide may include questions like...

- Local climate vs. solar design.
- Type of solar water heater system: drainback, thermosyphon, other?
- Storage tanks and their capacity
- Back-up system: gas or electricity water heaters or boilers; articulation with the existing system and compatibility issues.
- Outlet and inlet connections;
- Location of the system (roof? yard?) and possible impact on the roof structure;
- Impact of the surrounding landscape on the location of the solar panels.
- Type of solar panels (cold climates require more energy-efficient solar panels: tube solar panels...)
- Non-freezing fluids, heat exchangers (common on solar systems for colder climates)
- Water temperatures (is the system capable of reaching temperatures around 140ºF/60°C at least once a day?)
- Incentives and rebates
- Financing issues
- Payback, taking into account possible incentives and rebates
- Size of the system and its integration with a back-up gas system.
- Solar hot water kits and their prices (in alternative to a customized solution).

Solar PV systems Questions

Solar PV (photovoltaic) systems involve power generation. If you want a solar PV system, your solar guide may include some of the questions listed below...

- Stand-alone systems vs. grid-connected systems;
- Type of solar panels (monocrystalline, polycrystalline... )
- The components of the system: inverter, batteries (for stand-alone systems), solar power monitor, electric meter...
- The capacity of the PV system;
- Storage system (in the case of off-grid PV systems);
- Location of the PV system (roof, yard, other place);
- Tilt and orientation
- Impact of the surrounding landscaping on the solar panel location.
- Impact of the local weather conditions and climate (sunlight levels) on the system efficiency;
- Incentives and rebates;
- Financing issues;
- Payback, taking into account possible state incentives;
- Size of the system (particularly important in stand-alone systems);
- Solar PV kits and their prices...

Solar questions Guide: the Installation

Your Solar guide should include questions on the installation, namely...

- Installation time
- Sub-contractors? Who will ultimately be responsible for what segments of work?
- Certification by third parties; experience and accreditation;
- Local references involving other installations;
- Related services: delivery, commissioning, after-sales services, legal requirements.
- Equipment conformity with standards and specifications;
- Equipment certification;
- Average performance (wattage, in the case of the PV systems)

Location and mounting

Questions on location and mounting should also be addressed and included in your Solar guide; consider questions like...

- Panel orientation (south-facing sun in the northern hemisphere...);
- Solar system tilt and location;
- Roof mounting; the impact of the surrounding landscape;
- Loads and their impact in the building/roof structure;
- Size of the system and number of panels;

Solar questions on Quotes and prices

Since prices vary a lot, do some research about prices of solar systems before dealing with suppliers. And ask questions about the prices of customized solar solutions if they aren't in the expected range.

Also do not forget that prices for standard solutions - namely solar kits - can also be lower than those of customized solutions.

See for more details on prices: Photovoltaic Panels Prices and Solar Hot Water Prices, and also Solar Costs and Payback

Solar Guide on Financing, Payments, After-sale services...

Installing a solar powered system is comparable to other building upgrades, and you may have the right to renewable energy mortgages or take out a home equity loan. Or you may want to use other financing opportunities...

So, do not forget to include relevant questions on financing, payments or quotes on your Solar guide; consider questions like...

- Which are the general payment terms?
- Which financing options are available? (Some solar manufacturers offer credit and several financial products; multi-year credit card programs, leases, delaying of payment until collecting rebates & incentives are common).
- Do the solar products fall on the eligibility rules for rebates or tax credits? Are they qualified for tax credit (which can go up to 30% of the system's installed cost, in USA)?
- Which are the amounts of the rebates and tax credits? Which are the final prices?
- Is the quote free? Which are the quote coverage? Is there any other additional costs (labor costs, for instance);

After-Sales services

After-sale support is also an area in which there are questions to be put in your Solar guide. Questions like...

- Warranties for the various components of the solar system;
- Installation warranties;
- Annual service contract;
- Emergency services