Solution Overview

What is a Photovoltaic System?
PV systems have recently gained strong popularity because of lowered equipment costs coupled with ever increasing electric rates. Additionally, Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents enjoy generous financial incentives to install PV. Unlike solar hot water systems, which are essentially a plumbing device, PV is an electrical system hard-wired to your electric circuit breaker box. The core of a PV panel uses silica wafers, when exposed to sunlight generates direct current (DC) electricity. The more solar modules a PV system has, the more electricity is generated. This DC electricity is then "inverted" into alternating current (AC), which can be used for household use to reduce (or even eliminate) you electric bill.

What is Net Metering?
Net metering is the practice of using a single meter that tracks both what you've "taken" from the grid and what you've "fed-back" into the grid. When your PV system generates power beyond what your house is consuming, this surplus power is "fed" back into the utility grid, making your electric meter actually spin backwards. If you generate more electricity than you consume at the end of the month, you receive full retail credit and possibly cash from your utility provider (depending on their policy). New Jersey residents currently have one of the most compelling buy-back rates in the country. Dual metering configurations use two separate meters to track power from the grid and to the grid individually for billing purposes. Either way, most homeowners will install a solar hot water system in addition to a PV system because this will allow the PV system to satisfy a higher proportion of household electric demand, making the PV system even more cost-effective.

PV systems typically fall into the following configurations:

• "Grid-Tied" PV systems use special inverters to allow electricity to flow safely back into the electric grid, augmenting the utility company's electric capacity. Grid-tied PV systems may have battery back-up capability (with additional cost), but are not necessary to the system. Grid-tied PV systems are the most cost effective way to generate your own "green" renewable energy from the roof of your home.