The solar panels have a limited 25-year warranty from their manufacturer, which is longer than just about any product I know of. 

As of January 1, 2009 there is a 30% tax credit, uncapped for Solar PV systems. For example, a $30,000 system gets you a $9,000 tax credit.   A $60,000 system produces an $18,000 tax credit. 

Generally, we recommend that you have your systems inspected every couple of years to insure that it is in good working order and the mounting hardware and electrical connections are secure. Rain usually washes off the dirt and pollen that accumulates on the panels. You can wash the panels off yourself, but be careful not to hose water on the panels when the sun is out, as you may crack the glass, just like putting cold water on your windshield on a sunny day can damage the windshield.

Net metering is the regulatory ability to get credit for electricity you generate from solar. Net metering allows you to use the electric utility as your storage or “bank”. During a sunny day your system may put power into the grid making your electric meter turn backwards, and at night you will draw that banked energy back. Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. have net metering. At the end of each month, you the customer pays only for your net consumption of electricity.   

No. Our area is not windy enough, unlike the wind corridor that stretches from West Texas to the Dakotas and coastal areas of the country. There is a 30% tax credit for residential wind turbines, but is capped at $4,000. You typically need at least an acre of open space, to get consistent winds. A wind turbine that can produce most of your family’s electricity may cost $80,000 or more, but the federal tax credit is currently capped at $4,000. Your net cost would be $76,000.   In contrast, an $80,000 solar PV system would have a $24,000 tax credit.   Your net cost after the federal tax credit would be $56,000.   Additionally, there is the height factor. Residential wind turbines are tall, 65’ or more (the higher the better), and could irritate your neighbors. They also require getting approvals and permits from multiple governmental agencies and Homeowner Associations (HOAs).

The PV modules are similar in size and appearance to typical skylights that have been installed on homes for years. Instead of 2-3 skylights, you are going to have multiple modules neatly installed on your roof. 
Generally, if roof mounted, we install the panels on the rear or back of the roof so as not to be visible as you approach the home. Your neighbors will be envious. 

Typically, it takes 30-45 days from the time you sign a contract to have the modules installed and wired. Your utility provider then has 30-days to change the meter on your home. Total time is generally 60-75 days to become your own electrical producer.

Yes, we are a licensed contractor.   We can replace your shingles at the same time we install the solar PV modules on your roof. If your roof shingles are more than 15 to 20 years old, it is often a good idea to replace them prior to installing the solar PV system which can last up to 25-years or longer.    You need only contract with one contractor to take care of both.

Unlike most solar installers in the area who have been in business for a matter of months, we have been in business here in Northern Virginia since 1987.   This year are celebrating our 22^nd year of doing business in the local community.

Yes, for a nominal $150, payable by check or cash, we will come to your home and determine the suitability of solar PV at your site. Should you decide to have us install PV panels within 6 months of our visit we will apply the full $150 to the installation price of the PV panels.

If I had to recommend just three resources they would be, Thomas L. Freidman’s book “Hot, Flat, and Crowded”, published in 2008 and available everywhere.    I would also recommend the documentaries, “An Inconvenient Truth” (2006), featuring Al Gore, and “A Crude Awakening” (2006) both on DVD and available from Netflix and others.  

Generally, yes. 

Yes. Townhome roofs are often ideal for the installation of smaller PV systems, as a townhome’s electrical consumption is less than a single-family home.   For approximately $21,000, after a $9,000 tax credit on a $30,000 solar PV system, you could be producing electricity from the sun!

Yes, we install solar PV modules on commercial office buildings, retail shopping centers, and other commercial buildings. Often a commercial building’s roof is flat and we use slightly different hardware to mount the panels to the roof, so as best to capture the solar energy. What better way to say your business is green than to have solar panels installed?

 -A 3,000 watt system (3kW) with good sun exposure and southern orientation will produce about 330 kW per month, on average in our area. A 6 kW system will produce twice as much as a 3kW system.    For example, if you desire to produce 50% of your electricity from solar power and your electric utility bill shows that you use an average of 1,000 kWh per month, you need a 4.5 kW PV array (50% of 1,000 kWh = 500 kWh). 500 kWh divided by 110 kWh = 4.5 kW.

Generally, the larger your home the larger the system you will want. However, even if you have a large home and install a smaller system it will help reduce your dependence on the grid. Every little bit helps. Please see the matrix under pricing for the recommended size for your home. 

No. Most systems we install are roof mounted. However, sometimes the roof is not the ideal location for a solar array. We do mount systems on the ground in a rack mounted on a pole. We also install PV panels on garages, carports, barns, run in sheds, and other outbuildings.

No. South is optimal, but panels installed facing East and West still will generate 85-90% of what a South-facing array will produce. It is all good!

There is no easy answer to this question. Because the future costs of coal and nuclear energy is unknown and likely to increase, the comparative data for analyzing solar is a moving target. However, it is true that a solar PV system will pay for itself over its lifetime and the payback period is shorter as other utility grid energy costs increase. Once installed, the source of energy for a PV system, the sun, is free. The use of solar energy reduces the cost of utility supplied power, including environmental and health costs. The average American uses approximately 20 lbs coal per day to produce electricity. There is no clean coal plant in the U.S. today. The majority of the electricity used in our area comes from coal-fired plants.