What To Know When Hiring A Solar Energy Contractor

Solar Energy Doesn't Have To Be Hard...

If you have made the decision to switch over to solar, you are likely going to need a solar energy contractor to make sure that your panels are installed correctly, that you are connected to the grid, and that you are getting the most out of your panels. However, there are a few things that you should know before you find a contractor and a few things that you should ask to make sure that you are getting the best service possible. There is a new office for the NM Solar Group which is Alamogordo solar energy contractor.

Work With Company Delegated Contractors

The first thing that you should know is that most companies will have their own contractors. You might be able to get someone who doesn't work with the specific company, but in most cases, you will get someone who works for the company that you are purchasing your panels from. This actually works in your favor because they will have nothing to gain from trying to upsell you and they will be extremely familiar with the panels that they are installing. This means they will be much less likely to make an error and they will usually be in and out much faster than other professionals.

Check About Warranties

Second, You should always ask the contractor about the warranty that you have on your panels and what upkeep you need to do to make sure that the warranty remains active. You will likely already have the paperwork for your warranty, but they might be able to explain it in layman's terms, making it easy for you to understand what you need to do. If you didn't receive your paperwork, they will usually be able to give you a copy, ensuring that you are able to file it correctly. They will also be able to tell you any problems that people have and how to avoid them.

Question Them On Specific Changes

Third, you should know that your contractor might have to make some changes to the install depending on your house and climate. If you have read about the installation online, it might look slightly different. Trust them, they know what they are doing and they won't go out of their way to make mistakes.

Are You Getting Enough?

Fourth, you should ask them if they think you are installing enough panels for what you want to do. They tend to have more direct contact with people who are adding in panels, so they will be able to tell you what other people in your area or situation are using. This is just one more way for you to make sure that you have made the right choice and the last chance for you to add in more panels if it turns out that you need more.

Overall, your solar energy contractor is looking to help you get the best possible deal and to switch yourself over to solar. They will work hard to make sure that your house is connected correctly, but they will also work with you to ensure that you have the best possible results with your new panels as well.

Looking for a solar energy equipment supplier in the Albuquerque area. How to know the best solar energy equipment supplier by clicking here.

Understanding How Solar Energy Companies Make Money

A Look Behind The Industry

When you look at the prices of solar energy, and the fact that you can often make money back on your energy bill once you install your own panels, it can seem like solar energy companies aren't making any money. However, there are a few ways that they contribute to their bottom line and that will help you understand where they are doing with their business plans as well. This may help you feel more confident about investing in solar and help you understand how the business is going to grow in the future.

Installation

The first way that they make money is by installing solar panels. There is a bit of a profit margin when the installation is being done, and when people buy panels. Obviously, this isn't a huge profit margin, but it is often enough to keep the company in business. This is why they focus on getting more people connected and on keeping their relations with their clients completely positive. They want their clients to refer their friends and to feel like they can trust the company like a friend.

Investors

The second way that they make money is through offering their investors a stream of revenue at a fixed percentage. If someone invests in the company and is told that they will get a guaranteed 7% return on their investment over the next few years, the company can make money if they are making more than that on the investment. As an example, the company could be making 10% on that investment, giving them a 3% return on the investment, while still giving their investors a great return on their money. This makes everyone happy, but also helps the solar company stay above board.

Tax Credits

The next way that they make money is through tax credits. These are put into place to help people switch over to solar, but they also allow the company to write off a large number of things. This allows them to have lower expenses, get more people signing up, and in many cases to get a credit for the services that they provide as well. This applies to situations where they are using their own panels to provide electricity to customers, getting the tax credits for their own panels.

Non-existence Maintenance Costs

They also make money off the fact that properly maintained panels need very little work done on them. Their labor cost is almost non-existent, and they can always invest in more panels. This means that they can provide more electric to customers and to other companies that are buying, with very little cost to themselves. Once they have set up a good solar farm, it will just continue working with just a few hours of work a week, something that other forms of electric just can't do.

Overall, the solar energy companies make money from having low costs, being able to guarantee results, getting more people to use their services, and from building great relationships with the people who invest in their services and who might be future customers.

Albuquerque is one of the area's that we service as a green energy supplier. You need to check out our new office: Solar company in Alamogordo NM. Know how to find the best solar energy contractor.

How Do You Find The Right Solar Energy Equipment Supplier For Your Home?

Have questions about Solar Panels? We have answers.

As a homeowner, you know the benefits and advantages of owning your own residence. You have the security and stability of a permanent address that will be yours as long you want to stay there. You can get to know your neighbors, and you can customize your home to suit your own needs and preferences.

Some of those preferences might be adopting something like solar power. If parts of your home or property get enough hours of direct sunlight over the course of the year, at the right angles and latitude on the global map, then you can harness the power of the sun to help power your home. You might not generate enough juice to ditch the grid completely, but you might reduce your utility bill and possibly even sell some surplus back that you don't use. Even if you don't wind up with enough electricity to matter, you might still generate solar-powered hot water.

Of course, doing all of this means finding the right solar energy equipment supplier and also an installer. In many cases, the two are the same, but there are always going to be local contractors and crews you can use for installation. So, the only real decision is choosing the right solar energy equipment supplier.

Global Distribution Of Solar Equipment: Pros and Cons

It used to be that your only options would be local suppliers, but the Internet means that is no longer the case. You can find a solar energy equipment supplier online and order parts and pieces from anywhere across the country, and sometimes you can even import your hardware from outside the country. However, there might be so many options online that it's hard for you to choose from.

If you know other homeowners that have gone solar, it's worth asking who they used for their equipment for referrals and recommendations. It's also worth possibly talking to your home's builder, even if it's been a while, to see if they know of particular suppliers whose equipment works well with their builds and models. Also consult your homeowner's insurance provider to see if there are any recommendations, perks, or discounts you can take advantage of.

Online review sites that let customers rate solar energy equipment suppliers are a good way to see who the market generally considers as great, good, average, or risky. It's worth cross-checking that with your own local utility company to see who they might use or recommend.

Local Retailers Provide More Solutions

While most of this can be done on your laptop and office phone, don't neglect running a local search for retailers and equipment providers around your community. Local professionals in the solar industry will know which brands and manufacturers are the best in the industry, but they'll also know how well pieces and models work in your local climate, as well as specific factors like hours of sunlight, seasonal variations, and the angles or ranges you might need to target your panels in order to get the most juice you can from mother nature's brightest bulb in the sky.

Albuquerque area has one of the best solar energy equipment solutions in the state. We also have an office here: Alamogordo solar panel installers. Learn how to sell the solar power back by clicking here.

How A Green Energy Supplier Can Help You Get Energy For Less

Help The Earth, Help Your Pockets

While it may seem like you get the exact same energy no matter where you go, that couldn't be farther from the truth. The majority of energy in most countries still comes from burning coal and other substances, this means that you are paying both for the price of the coal and for the infrastructure when you look at the rates you are given. Many times rates are higher when a company actually tries to pollute the environment less as well. It makes using energy in your home feel like you are doing something bad, which is not ideal in the place where you are meant to be able to relax and enjoy yourself.

Thankfully, there are other options available that don't harm the environment and that may actually be cheaper for you as well. These are green energy options, coming from green energy suppliers, who source their electricity and other forms of energy in ways that are sustainable, do not contribute to climate change, and are easy to produce, making the energy that they supply both green and cheaper. Most of the time these cost savings are passed on to you, the customer, making it easier for you to make ends meet, and making you feel good about the decisions that you make as well.

Green energy suppliers are actually able to go through the same systems as everyone else, supplying you power along the same grid, making it so that you don't have to retrofit anything. This can be important for people who have chosen not to go towards solar electric or anything else that actually requires them to install something on their home. Not having to change anything on your side also makes it cheaper for you, saving you even more money in the process. Finally, you don't have to agonize about the decision to switch, you just call the company, set up the account, and go on with your life as normal.

The Added Bonus of Transparency

Green energy suppliers are also required to be much more transparent with you than traditional suppliers, giving you a better understanding of what is going on with your energy supply. You know that they are as conscientious as possible, going out of their way to protect the environment while still serving your needs. If something goes wrong, they are more likely to tell you than other companies, helping you feel that you can trust them. Finally, they are happy to share information about new advancements, helping you stay in the know about the new forms of green energy that they are working with each and every day.

Overall, if you are an earth-friendly person, you probably will feel better if you switch to a green energy supplier. Even if you don't think about the environment very often, you will still like the savings that you get, and you can feel better about yourself, for going about your life the same way that you always have.

One area that we service in Albuquerque with our solar energy contractor and also our new office the Alamogordo solar company. Learn how a solar company makes money by clicking here.

Can You Sell Your Solar Energy Back To A Power Company?

Solar Energy: Can It Be Sold?

Advances in construction, manufacturing, and technology have made the possibility of generating solar energy from a residential property an affordable and practical possibility for many more homeowners than was previously possible two or three decades ago. Many local governments have relaxed their building codes regarding such matters, but there can even be property tax breaks, rebates, and other financial incentives encouraging the use of such technologies.

A lot of homeowners love having their own power from solar panels because it reduces their power bills while also giving them a clean source of energy they can feel good about. However, some of them wonder if they can extend the savings by selling their unused solar energy back to their local power company. Unfortunately, the answer to this is not a clear-cut yes or no, as there are many factors involved.

In Some Cases...Yes!

For starters, your home has to be connected to the grid in order for you to even be able to physically give power into it. Some who choose solar power systems for their home design them in such a way that they do not actually have a physical connection to the local grid established at all. They want to live ‘off the grid' in a literal sense, and in doing so can not profit from it. However, most homes with solar systems do have a grid connection, given that their solar power often isn't enough to power their entire home all the time.

A second necessity is a local power company willing to buyback solar power from homes that generate it. Some will do so, if the home selling it is, in fact, a currently-paying customer for electricity, making the buying of solar power a simple matter of rebates or credits on the power bill. If more solar power is bought than grid electricity used, though, they might not pay the difference, instead just rolling the credits over towards future bills instead of cutting a check. Discover one of the best solar energy company in New Mexico, plus the new office that just opened Alamogordo solar energy company.

The concept of selling excess solar power back into the grid appealed to many for a while as a way of possibly financing their system, especially if it was generating juice on hot afternoons they weren't home and the local utility company needed every bit of power it could get to run everyone's air conditioners. However, as battery technology is making leaps and bounds, more and more homeowners with solar systems are just keeping their own juice in storage until needed at night or on a cloudy day, making the issue moot in many cases.

One of the areas's that we are servicing as well as the surrounding areas is the Albuquerque area here. Click here to learn more about green energy.

Inverters: What you should know

Solar Inverters

Inverters are not always the first thing that comes to mind when considering adding solar to a home or business. But an inverter chosen for a PV system is equally as important as the panels. Below we will go over the advancements in inverter technology, and explain why NM Solar Group uses the best solar inverters on the market.

Differences in Solar Inverters

String inverters were the original system to change DC energy (raw energy) to AC energy (the energy that prominently runs through your home). The problem with string inverters is they are like Christmas lights. They can only produce power to the lowest current, so any shading on a panel or a lower producing panel effects the entire system.

Then came the micro inverter. Leading the charge was phase, AP systems, and behind that was Solar bridge micros. They change DC energy to AC right at the panel. Allowing clients to see panel for panel monitoring and allowing installers to use many different planes for installs.

Solar Edge came in after and changed the game. Please reference their stock price compared to enphase or the owner of Solar Bridge Sunpower. Solar Edge took the best of both worlds. Parallel or each panel independently operate and they send DC energy down to a central inverter making it cheaper and easier to add a battery. Each optimizer still allows you to monitor the panels individually but it also helps each panel to produce the optimal amount. The largest transfer or loss of energy happens when DC gets changed to AC. Doing that that inside of a garage or on a shaded side of your house is much more efficient and better for the electronics than doing it on the hot roof.

At NM Solar Group we chose to use Solar Edge with optimizers because we believe in doing what's best for our clients and making sure their systems run properly as long as possible.

Source:

SolarEdge

Choosing the Right Solar Company

How to Know you are Choosing the Right Solar Company

When making the decision to install solar on your home or business finding the right company can be confusing. There are a few things that are important to consider while choosing the best company for your project.

Local Company

Choosing a local company ensures the company has a vested interest in the area. National companies will come into town sweeping away all the local companies but aren't able to offer long-term service to the client. They often times have huge expenditures that they pass along to anyone who purchases from them. Local companies like NM Solar Group know the environment they are serving. They will know the native roofs in the area and can know the best practices to get you the best performing system for your situation.

Honest and Forthwith

When you call the company, does a human answer the phone? Can you ask for the owner's phone number, and call them at any time? These are qualities you should expect from a Solar Company. When asking questions, be sure you feel validated and understood. Solar is a complicated process, and there are no bad questions. Find a company who is happy to answer the phone when you call, a company who knows your name and one who is happy to answer all of your questions.

A solar company needs not have a complicated contract. Be sure you understand the contract before signing. If you are working with a company with a lot of small print, stop and ask if this is in your best interest or the best interest of the company.

Highly Rated

Ask around. Find a company that has installed solar on homes around you. If you know someone with solar, ask who they went with and what their experience was. Look online for reviews, and even ask a company for references. The solar company you chose should be proud to be a customer service driven company. This is a company who will be working with you for an extended period of time, be sure they treat their clients well and are good at solving problems that can arise.

We always appreciate reviews from our past clients. If you are someone who has worked with us let us know how we did. Click here.

NM Solar Group prides itself on being a customer first company, we follow all best practices. Consider working with us if you are in the New Mexico area. Click Here for a free estimate.

Answers to Common Questions About Going Solar

In New Mexico we find ourselves over indulging on power quite often. Weather it's 100º outside in August, and we crave a cool home at 72º (or 68º). Or when we are in mid January, and we just can't seem to get enough light from the day. I know I turn all of my lights on when we get home at 4:30pm on a cold dark winter evening, it just seems to warm my space and create a more comfortable place to be.

Despite all efforts to keep lights off while not in the room, or turn the thermostat up while away for the day, our electricity bill always seems to be at a steady incline year to year. Budgets can be tough to stick to, especially if you become surprised by a $400 electric bill one month or more.

Even for families who are energy conscious, PNM increases rates year after year. It's difficult to predict what energy costs will be year after year. Ryan, owner of NM Solar Group decided to start NM Solar Group to help find a solution to this problem.

Answers to Common Questions About Solar in New Mexico

1. What are my options for going solar?

Purchase a system with cash or financing – Owning a system used to be very expensive, but within the last few years prices have dropped significantly making the purchase very obtainable. The homeowner will choose a company that suits their needs (we hope you chose us!). Once you contact us we will help you decide the best financial decision for your family. There are many zero down payment loan options. The company you chose will examine your electric bill, look to be sure your roof is ideal for solar then decide what size system will best to cover your electricity needs, while saving you money each month. Loans are typically paid off within 10-15 years, and after that time your electricity should be 100% covered by solar power. Systems sold with NM Solar Group have a 25-year guarantee, so your loan will be paid in full long before your guarantee is over. This option will increase the value of your home making it an excellent option even if you don't plan to stay in your home for many years to come.

Pros:
You own your system.
Increase Value to your home.
Electricity costs around 15% less than costs without solar system, then 100% less when loan is paid off.
Your system can be moved to new home
Federal Tax Incentives will reimburse you for 30% of the cost
Net Metering

Cons:
Not everyone can qualify for lending. (We can approve most credit scores at 650 or higher)

Lease a solar system (also called “third-party owned solar”) – With this option, a solar company will own the solar system on your roof. The solar company who is leasing your system purchases the equipment, installs on your roof, and handles monitoring and maintenance through the life of the agreement. You, the homeowner, pay a slightly lower rate for the electricity produced.

Pros:
You don't need to qualify for financing
Lower electricity costs

Con:
You will be locked in a contract with a Solar Leasing Company
This option does not increase the value of your home, in fact, it can be difficult to sell a home with a leased system because the new homeowner will have to agree to take over the agreement.
You will always pay for electricity

2. How much will it cost to go solar?

Leased

Upfront: No upfront cost.

Monthly: You will still have your monthly electricity bill, but it will be slightly lower than what you pay to PNM. The monthly electricity bill will vary depending on PNM or any other utility company you that supplies your electricity

Owned

Upfront: If you chose to finance your system through NM Solar Group, there are no up front costs. We offer zero down payment options for financing. Some people chose to pay cash, in which case you can pay the full amount in cash, or do a partial payment of cash then finance the rest.

Monthly: PNM charges a $7 fee every month no matter if you use their utilities or not, so you will pay your utility's fee. The company you chose will evaluate the usage of power for each household throughout an entire year, then evaluate the size of system you will need. Many months of the year your solar panels should more than cover your power usage, during these months you will earn credits through your utility company called net metering. During the high months of the year, you can use the credits you stored up with net metering, so you don't need to pay any extra during these months. It may take a year of having solar to store up enough credits to completely cover power costs. The homeowner will then just pay the monthly payment of the loan they have for their solar system.

3. How much will I save with going solar?

Leased- The amount you will save depends on how much energy you generate for the electricity company. This is based on a factor of the utility company, roof slant and location, and many other factors. With this option your bill varies from month to month, and your electricity bill will never fully disappear.

Owned- While making payments for your loan most people save around 15% on electricity costs each month. Once the system is paid off, your entire electricity cost should be covered by solar.

4. What happens if I make more energy then I use?

New Mexico offers net metering as an incentive to installing solar. A net meter will measure how much solar electricity your system produces, the excess is then put into the utility grid. Your net meter will spin backwards giving you energy credits. You use those credits when your system is not producing electricity including at night, or when you don't make enough for what you use.

5. Where do the panels get installed?

The myth is that if you don't have a perfect south facing slanted roof you can't get solar. NM Solar Group evaluates each home to find the location that will produce the most energy. We can do slanted mounts on flat roofs, we can do ground mounted systems and many other options. We wouldn't install a system on a home where it wouldn't be beneficial to the homeowners, but in many cases we can find a way to make solar work.

6. Will I be off-the-grid?

Not usually. The only way to be off the grid is to purchase a battery system. When installing solar you will still be tied to your utility company.

More About NM Solar Group:

We are a full-service solar company with our customers’ best interest at heart. We don’t just offer a great product, but a complete range of services from consultation, design, to financing, then solar panel installation and aftercare. Once a customer, always a customer. We never stop working for you. Our professional team is on standby to provide design and installation advice and to help you get the most value out of our full-service commitment.

Click Here for your free, no pressure solar energy evaluation.

Expanding our services- Silver City, NM

Serving New Areas

It is extremely important to NM Solar Group to serve New Mexico with integrity and respect. We are a company who serves clients first and installs solar second. New Mexico is our home, and there isn't a place we would rather be. We take our time, and really ask ourselves if we are making a positive difference whenever we begin business in a new part of our beautiful state. Then, when we begin business in a new town or city, we like to learn about the culture to best serve our clients. We are excited to begin a new project in Silver City, NM. We hope to help transition Silver City into a place where the households save money by using renewable resources.

What we can do for Silver City, New Mexico

On a micro level, each family that decides to add solar to their home can save 15% or more on their electricity costs, while paying for the solar system. Once the P.V System is paid in full, 100% of electricity costs will be produced by the sun*. If solar is installed this year, the federal government will cover 30% of costs with an Income Tax Deduction. On top of countless other benefits to each person that decides to make the switch to renewable energy.

The town of Silver City is rich with national parks, forests, and wildlife. People travel from all over to boulder in City Rocks State Park or wander through the Gila National Forest. One of the missions of NM Solar Group is to keep New Mexico Enchanted. Silver City is a gem in our state, and we hope to keep it this way for many generations to come. When families make the decision to switch to renewable energy to power their homes it helps us to ensure this future for Silver City, and New Mexico as a whole.

Our First Project in Silver City, New Mexico

We will be installing a 2.95kw System Size (10x panels)
SolarEdge Inverter + Optimizer for optimal efficiency of solar system
100% of electricity from clean solar
$35.5k savings over life of system
19.5% yearly ROI

Equivalent environmental savings as:

2,518 trees planted

20.45 vehicles off the road

228.29 barrels of oil not consumed

*Each PV System will produce different amounts of energy.

Effects Of Clouds On A Solar Panel

Solar panels hold a wealth of advantages, both for individuals and for the world at large. Economically, solar panels guarantee to decrease the expense of electrical power. Environmentally, photovoltaic panels can offer us cleaner power, sustainable power that will not need more damage to the environment. Solar energy can reach remote areas. It can carry education or urgently required medical info.

The results of clouds on a solar panel, though, might lessen those and other appealing benefits.

The impacts of clouds on a solar panel may make it far less efficient in certain parts of the world and at certain seasons.

Because of that, individuals who are considering solar panels for their housesare often heard to ask: will clouds impact my photovoltaic panels?

Will Clouds Affect My Solar Panels?

Clouds do impact photovoltaic panels. The quantity of power your photovoltaic panels can produce is directly dependent on the level of light they receive.

In full, bright sunshine, solar panels receive optimal levels of light. During those “peak” sunlight hours, your photovoltaic panels will produce power at their optimum capability.

If there is sufficient light to cast a shadow, in spite of the clouds, your solar panels need to operate at about half of their complete capacity. Eventually, with heavy cloud cover, solar panels will produce really little useful power.

The Good News!

The effects of clouds on a solar panel can be unexpectedly great. Incredibly, your solar panels will put out their supreme amount of peak power during cloudy weather!

As the sun moves into a hole between the clouds, your photovoltaic panels will see something wonderful. They will see complete direct sunlight “plus” reflected light from the clouds! They will drink in more energy than they could on a cloudless day!

The impacts of clouds on a solar panel might then produce peaks at or above 50 percent more than its direct-sun output!

Fulfilling the Challenge

There are methods to fulfill the cloud difficulty.

1. If you often have clouds in the afternoon, however, early mornings are clear, intend your solar panels somewhat towards the east.

2. Be sure you utilize a big sufficient battery system to maximize the amount of power saved for use when the clouds show up.

3. When the sun reflects off the clouds, make sure your controller has plenty of headroom over the rated panel output power so that it can absorb the rises.

Those techniques and more are practiced in cloudy areas of the world where individuals have sprinted far ahead of the United States in their use of photovoltaic panel energy.

Impacts of Clouds on a Solar Panel in Germany

Germany is typically a very cloudy country. Read about the environment of Germany, and you will discover that it is “temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, damp winter seasons and summers; periodic warm mountain (foehn) wind” inning accordance with Nation Master’s website.

In spite of its cloudy climate, though, Germany is by far the world’s most significant user of photovoltaic panels. You could sell back to the main power grid all of the excess electrical power produced by your solar panels if you lived in Germany. Why would I even care in such a cloudy environment? If clouds affect my solar panels excessive, I would not fret about offering back to the primary grid.

In 2006, Germany opened the largest solar park on the planet. Germany likewise has Europe’s the majority of contemporary solar housing task– a solar town of 50 solar houses that produce more energy than they utilize!

Will clouds impact my photovoltaic panels? Even if I resided in Germany, the impact would not suffice to forego solar power.

Suggestion: There are couple of locations that are so consistently cloudy that solar energy is out of the question. Improvements are being made constantly, and even solar panels little enough to fold into a brief-case can produce valuable amounts of power.

Ecologically, solar panels can give us cleaner power, sustainable power that will not require more damage to the environment. If there is sufficient light to cast a shadow, in spite of the clouds, your solar panels should run at about half of their full capability. Eventually, with heavy cloud cover, solar panels will produce very little helpful power.

As the sun moves into a hole in between the clouds, your solar panels will see something fantastic. If clouds affect my solar panels too much, I would not worry about offering back to the main grid.