FAQ Category: Solar

A house with a southern-facing roof with little or no shade is the optimal situation for solar generation. East and West facing rooflines can be used as well but their output will be decreased.Click here for TID’s Solar Calculator to help determine if your home is a good candidate for solar.

Solar panels or photovoltaics, work by converting sunlight into electrical energy. This happens when certain types of semiconducting materials such as specific types of silicon are exposed to sunlight. When sunlight hits them, they emit small amounts of electric energy. This is called the photovoltaic effect. When linked together, these photovoltaic panels can create enough…

We recommend that you get at least three estimates prior to agreeing to install a solar system. The emerging renewables program requires PV systems to be installed by an appropriately licensed California contractor. For PV systems, this requirement means either an “A” (general engineering), B or C-10 (electrical or C-46 (solar) contractor’s license.As with any…

Solar systems are made up of PV modules which are commonly referred to as Solar Panels, racking to attach the panels to a sub-structure like your home’s roof, an inverter to convert the DC charge produced by the solar panels to AC and wiring to connect the panels to the electric meter.

Most systems have a warranty of 20 years. The average system degrades in output by approximately 1% per year. So, you can expect that your system which originally may have produced 1,000 watts of electricity when new will produce just 800 watts 20 years from now.

No. Solar pool heaters use a different process to heat water. Solar water heating systems contain solar collectors that either heat the water directly or heat a “working fluid” that then is used to heat the water. This process is called a solar thermal system. Solar thermal systems and photovoltaic systems do not share any…

There is very little maintenance required for your home solar system. Your solar contractor can provide you with tips to keep your system operating at its best.

Solar contractors have created mounting systems for most commonly used roofing systems.

Newer mounting systems have been improved to be more resistant to leaks. You should ask your contractor how the system will be mounted and the attachments sealed against leaks.

The potential savings will depend on several factors, including your current utility rate structure, the size of the solar system you install and the amount of sunshine your system will receive. Your solar installer should be able to provide you with an estimate based on those and other factors. You can also run the numbers…