Is Solar Right for Your Home? by matt

Hi, this is Matt coming at you live and direct from the call center at One Block Off the Grid headquarters. We speak with thousands of people who are interested in going solar. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking to save money or save the world, we want to help guide you through the process of going solar. We offer unbiased advice and information to help you make the correct choices in your pursuit of energy independence.

After you go to 1bog.org, fill out our webform and provide all the requested information, you are part of the 1 Block Off the Grid Community. Not only will you have helped your friends and neighbors get a great deal on a photovoltaic solar system, but you will have taken the first step towards owning a solar system yourself.

What happens next?

One of the prequalification team members is going to call you, welcome you to the program and determine if solar is the right choice for you and your family. Unfortunately, solar is not right for every home. There are a variety of factors that will determine if solar will be cost effective for your home and we want to help you make a well informed decision. Here are the three major factors that we evaluate when we call:

1. Roof shading can be a major hurdle for solar efficiency. A solar panel is made of many individual silicon cells that, working together, change solar radiation into electricity. If one of the individual cells is shaded, it affects the entire panel. The amount of electricity produced is only as effective as the weakest link. If you have large trees that cast a shadow on your house, you’ll need to trim them if you want your panels to produce the amount of electricity of which they are capable.

2. Solar panels work best facing directly south. While this is ideal, not all homes have this possibility. The next best is facing southwest. Unfortunately, the further off of due south a panel faces, the less efficient it is. If you do not have a suitable south or south-west facing roof section for solar installation, you may need additional panels to get the electricity you require. Another solution to this problem is using a ground mount system. Instead of using your roof, we can mount the system directly on the ground.

3. Do the advantages of solar meet your needs?  One of the most attractive pieces of the solar puzzle is that a typical system will pay for itself in 8-10 years, while those who rely solely on an electrical company face ever-increasing rates. The money you save in electric bills will offset the price of the system and after it is paid for, you essentially get free electricity. The only draw back is that a household that spends a lot on electricity will more quickly recoup the cost of the system, while one with a low bill (typically less than $50) won’t recoup the cost as quickly. For some, there is still the incentive to purchase a system out of a commitment to the environment and reducing carbon footprints.

If your house passes this three part test,you are interested in getting your home evaluated for a solar installation, and you’re in an area where we’re running a current campaign, we will be happy to have the selected installer in your area contact you to make an appointment.

At 1Bog, we are committed to helping people adopt solar energy and reduce their dirty power consumption. Please give the team in the Prequalification department a call if you have any questions. Even if you just want to chat, we are here to help and offer advice.