Residential Solar Energy | Resources and Questions to Ask

Green Living is the Life For Me!

Today I am exploring solar energy uses in the residential sector with Stew Miller, President and Co-Founder of Yes! Solar Solutions in Cary, NC.

Questions for a Solar Company (courtesy of Yes! Solar Solutions)

Pre-Sale

• Do you charge for a site visit?
• How many installations like mine have you done?
• How long have you been in business?
• What references can you give me?
• Is the sales person NABCEP (North American Board of Energy Practitioners) Technical Sales certified?

Lincenses / Certifications

• Are you a General Contractor?
• Do you have / use a lincensed electrician / plumber / engineer?
• Are any of your installers NABCEP certified? for PV or Thermal?
• Any other certifications?

Installation Process

• How many installers do you have?
• Are they your permanent employees?
• How many will work on my installation?
• How long should it take?
• What will be required of me?
• When will I pay?

Post Installation

• How does it work
• Warranties, operating manuals, etc.
• Who do I call if there is a problem?

Tour of Yes! Solar Solutions

Entrance and Solar Sculpture outside of Yes! Solar Solutions

Sunpower Solar Panel

REI Solar Panel

Stew Points out PV Inverter

Various size wires for installation of solar

Lockers and Tool Storage

Safety harness and rope

Panels waiting to go out to job site

Solar Water Heater

Close up of Solar Water Heater

Close up of PV Inverter for Solar Water Heater

Rating Info for PV Inverter on Solar Water Heater

References and Resources

Solar Cost Estimator

Yes! Solar Solutions

DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Effeciency)

NC State Solar Center

NC Green Professionals Directory

How Solar Energy Works

Pros and Cons of Solar Powered Home Systems Article

One Year with Solar on My Home Article


Thanks for checking out my blog and clicking on my sponsors!


Rick
apexgardner@gmail.com
@apexgardner (Twitter)

http://apexlazydogblog.blogspot.com/

http://apexgardner.deviantart.com/ 

http://greenlivingisthelifeforme.blogspot.com/ 

Green Living Resolution Follow-Up

Green Living is the Life for Me!

Today I am following up on my 2014 Sustainability Resolutions...

Successes:

• Exercising Daily
• Praying and giving thanks for 10 things everyday
• Eating more fruits and vegetables

My wife is expanding our garden for this season

• Going to church weekly
• Drinking less soft drinks and more water

Drinking more water thanks to my Brita Pitcher

• Carrying my lunch to work
• Eating at locally owned restaurants
• Replacing bulbs with CFL's (not LED as originally planned)

These specialty  fixtures we could not replace with CFL bulbs

• Limiting showers to less than three minutes
• Recycling bottles, cans, plastic grocery bags, junk mail, newspapers

Grocery Bags and papers collections for recycling

• Recycling batteries and old electronics
• Blogging weekly about green living

Needs improvement:

• Reading books on sustainability
• Studying and passing LEED AP certification
• Tracking water and electricity usage
• Riding public transportation once a week

 

• Purchasing carbon offset credits for personal travel through NC GreenPower
• Using reusable grocery bags (finally put the bags in my car so I don't forget them)

So over all, I am doing very good with many of my resolutions, however, I definitely bit off more than I can chew. I have several that I need to revisit and put on my daily and weekly to do list so that I get them accomplished. Hopefully, you can get some new ideas here for how you can do better at green living and becoming more sustainable.

Thanks for checking out my blog! Be sure to check out my sponsors.

Rick

apexgardner@gmail.com

http://greenlivingisthelifeforme.blogspot.com/ 

http://apexgardner.deviantart.com/ 

http://apexlazydogblog.blogspot.com/

@apexgardner (twitter)