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 NEW: Grid TIE and Net Metering A bit of Renewable Energy History

  PV's at work in Upstate New York and the North Country.

Declare your energy independence. Own your own power company. And have it professionally installed by a certified installer. Dave Austin, our chief installer, is eligible to obtain New York State financial incentives for our Utility Grid Tie system customers.

There are three main types of PV systems each with a specific purpose:

Please do not consider a solar PV system a source of power for electric heat! This is highly inefficient. It is far more effective to use the the heating rays of the sun with a solar thermal system to produce heat directly and efficiently than it is to use daylight to make electricity to change to heat using heating elements. Every energy conversion increases loss of energy. So minimize the conversions.

Smart Energy
What can Solar power do?
  How does PV work?
Basic off grid Stand Alone system description
System Diagram
Own your own utility company 

Financial Incentives and Tax Credits (Grid tied systems only)

How do the interconnection and incentive processes work?
Basic Grid tied system description

Ways to make your home Power outage survivable

PHOTOVOLTAICS is Smart Energy.

Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. It is versatile, modular, reliable, yet a simple source of power. We believe that using the sun's energy directly is very intelligent.

What can Solar Electricity do for me?

Invest in your own POWER COMPANY which gives you more control over your life. And protects against being without power.

Reduce or eliminate electric bills and/or provide power when the utility is down.
Constantly recharge your batteries so that they last longer and are charged and ready to go when you need them.
Easily expand as your needs increase.

Solar power can provide you with an affordable and dependable electric power solution that requires no fuel and has no moving parts (especially in remote sites).
It will work anywhere that is not shaded. PV panels produce electricity even on cloudy days (though with reduced output).
PV is now used to power everything from utility grid connected homes, remote cabins, remote homes, RV's, boats, to water pumps, traffic controls, outdoor lighting, and telecommunications.

Combine PV with other renewable power sources such as wind and micro hydro.

Combine PV with solar heating and hot water.

SOLAR PV BASICS:

How does PV work?
 
The photovoltaic effect occurs when sunlight energizes electrons in a semiconductor material and causes them to flow through a circuit, creating electric current. The basic building block of the solar electric system is the photovoltaic (PV) cell. Traditionally the PV cell has been manufactured from pure single crystal or semicrystaline silicon. The silicon is processed to enhance the ability of the electrons to break free and flow. Strips of conductive metal alloys, such as copper, are deposited on the cell to act as a circuit. As the electrons are excited by the sun, the resulting current is collected by the circuit and transmitted through wires to a power conditioner or a battery.

PV cells are soldered together in series and parallel, encapsulated in thermoplastic and laminated between layers of glass and a backing material to form weather sealed "modules." The edges are sealed into frames of aluminum or plastic. These frames add structural stiffness and a means to fasten them to mounting hardware.

BASIC Off Grid Stand Alone SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

PV power generation systems are made up of interconnected components, each with a different function. A major strength of PV systems is modularity. As your needs grow, individual components can be replaced or added to increase capacity.

COMPONENTS:

• Solar ARRAY: consists of one or more PV modules which convert sunlight and daylight into electricity. The modules are connected in parallel and series to provide the voltage and current as is appropriate for the application. The array is usually mounted on a metal structure or roof and tilted to face the sun.
• Charge CONTROLLER: The main function is to maintain the batteries at the proper level of charge and to protect them from overcharging. Many optional features are also available.
• Battery BANK: The battery bank contains one or more deep cycle batteries, connected in series and/or parallel depending on the application voltage and current needed. The batteries store the power produced by the solar array for when it is needed.
• Inverter: An inverter is required when you want to power AC devices. It converts the DC power produced by the solar array and batteries to AC power.
• AC loads: These are the appliances you want to run with the power. AC loads are typical household appliances.
• DC loads: DC loads are appliances designed for DC power such as RV and automotive equipment. DC loads make more efficient use of the power than AC loads and therefore may be a better choice for use with home energy systems.
• Other components: Circuit breakers for safety, meters, wiring, switches and controls.
• In order to determine what size system you need it will be necessary to determine how much power you really need. To do this a power budget must be developed. We have a Load Profile Form for you to list your appliances and determine how many hours each thing will be used each day. Armed with this info we can begin to see how much investment needs to be made in a system. You can fill in the info and give it to us when we come for a site survey or mail it to us.
• FOR MUCH MORE detailed information on how an off grid stand alone system works we have produced  a video. You can buy it now right here.

A PV system is

not just another household appliance. It is Your very own POWER COMPANY.

As such, it is an investment which gives YOU control. If you are $10,000 away from a power line and desire to have electricity without noisy generators that are subject to breakdown, PV may be right for you. A $12,000 to $25,000 investment along with careful assessment of your power needs and careful choice of appliances , may be sufficient to give you all the power you need. Plus you will have no high electric bills. Or...
 
 

With inverters intended for grid connection you can use the power company lines as a storage device when you are producing more than you are using. When you need additional power than is available from your solar/ wind system you have it. It's a great way to reduce your electric bill the environmentally friendly way. New York State has a net metering law. Consult your utility company because with their permission, it is legal to (in effect) spin your meter BACKWARDS with PV and now with small wind.

For more information on net metering check with SEIA

Grid tied systems connected to investor owned Utilities qualify for Incentives in NY customers of electric cooperatives "REA" do not qualify.

Description of a Grid Tied system:

A grid tied photovoltaic system is an assembly of components. These components include photovoltaic modules arranged in a group of solar "panels" (modules) combined together to increase power output as measured in units called watts. The modules are held together with racks and fastened to the roof in such a way as to maintain the integrity of the roof (or on the top of poles or ground mount racks in the yard). The system also includes at least one inverter. The inverter converts the electricity produced by the solar array(s) into electrical energy compatible with ordinary utility power. This energy then powers anything in the building that is turned on while sunlight falls on the PV array. If excess energy exists it is fed into the utility power lines via a breaker in the main electric service panel. In the case of systems intended for backup power, charge controllers, batteries and an essential loads sub-panel are also included as part of the system. The system also includes a meter that is easy to read for monitoring and recording energy produced by the system in units called kilowatt-hours.

Some frequently asked questions about

Solar Electricity:

"But we don't have enough sun here"

In our experience system owners who have experience with a solar system are not the ones saying this.

The New York State Police have confidence in solar power:

Solar power for NY State Police radio towers in the Adirondacks

November 1998 -Adding More solar power on a pole on Black Mountain for New York State Police.

What future growth do you expect Solar energy to experience relating in particular to PhotoVoltaics (solar electricity)?

For the sake of our species, we need to increase the use of PhotoVoltaics and other renewable energy systems world wide. It is becoming increasingly obvious that a substitution of nonpolluting renewable energy sources for fossil fuels is necessary. Solar and other renewable energy, may be about to become the most profound growth industry other than internet commerce. This would be especially true if predicted economic collapse occurs because fuels and utility power may become less available. Be the first on your block to get adjusted to a 21st century lifestyle!

Many are desirous of installing a PV system in their utility electrified home but don't know the first thing about the physics, economics, etc. of PV. Maybe they know basic wiring & electrical installation . What about grid connected homes and PV?

With current State incentives and TAX CREDITS PV is affordable for many homeowners TODAY! Combined with net metering PV is a worthwhile investment TODAY especially considering ever rising electric rates.  PV is very practical for remote homes and other sites $10,000 or more away from connecting to a power line. PhotoVoltaics for those connected to the utility grid, if one takes the real cost to the environment and the globally suicidal consequences of continuing to use fossil fuels and nuclear power, one realizes the full picture economics of using renewable energy. With this in mind it becomes apparent that in the long term PV is very economical and necessary and the time to start switching to PV is now! Even for grid connected systems. If you still feel $4.00 per watt installed is too high a price for PV you might consider solar heating (much less expensive) to cut your hot water and/ or heat bill. Use the savings from the solar heat system to save up for a solar electric system.

AS EMERGENCY POWER: PV systems designed for providing emergency power employ batteries to store energy for times when Utilities can't provide power. As an insurance policy, PV can be very economical. It can be quite valuable to have electricity when there are power outages, which may be more common in the future (especially as the utility grid ages as witnessed by the Northeast Blackout of 2003) . A suggestion is that one set up a small PV system for emergencies - for communications (a small 12 volt TV and/or radio), a small energy efficient refrigerator, and emergency lighting. The system can be expanded to meet all of one's requirements (within limits, conservation is key). In fact with current financial incentives available in New York State it might be worth considering a larger system now while incentives last. Larger emergency power systems are available that can power computers, refrigerators, furnaces, well pumps as well as lights for hours even days. These larger systems can save money on your electric bills in between power failures helping them pay for themselves.

However, you should carefully assess how much you really need backup power. Batteries may not be a wise choice for everyone. They are not always necessary in Grid tied systems. They add 20% to 30% to the cost of a system depending on your power needs. Batteries are like babies. They die from neglect. Battery based systems generally cease to function if the batteries die. Therefore, you need to assess how much you really need them. If you have long and/ or frequent power outages in combination with things that must stay powered (essential loads) then batteries are a good idea for you. If your power outages are rare and you prepare in other ways so short power outages become survivable then batteries might be more a liability than a help.

Ways to make a home power outage survivable.

• Install a wood stove that does not require electricity for heat. Some gas fireplaces might also work as long as they do not require power for controls or blowers. You can usually heat water and food in a pot on a wood stove.
• Emergency water can often be obtained by draining it off the bottom of a water heater tank (be sure to shut off the power to any water heater before draining it. It could be damaged when power is restored if it is not full of water). If you anticipate a power outage fill a bath tub before hand and recover water from it during the outage.
• Refrigerators and freezers can store cold for many hours if they are well insulated and in a cool location. They store more cold if they are full rather than empty. So if your freezer is near empty, fill it with plastic jugs of water and let them freeze. During an outage you can use some of the jugs to turn your refrigerator into an old fashioned "ice box". Leave some of the jugs in the freezer to keep it cool. If it is a winter outage you can store frozen food outdoors in metal boxes or an unheated tool shed to protect it from animals.
• Following the above suggestions can make your home survivable of the most common power outages that last no more than 24 hours.

Don't use solar electric to run expensive, inefficient old appliances whose design was based on cheap oil. i.e. Don't use PV for electric resistance heating. I have heard this described as being like trying to cut butter with a chain saw. Instead use passive solar heating and cooling techniques for your home. Make a sketch of the plan drawing of your house on your lot with a north arrow and indicate trees, shading of other buildings, etc. and look for ways to cool or heat with the sun and natural shading.

Why not contact Great Brook Enterprises, Renewable Energy to help you with your project. We have been selling and installing all types of renewable energy systems since 1978.

We are installing contractors of renewable energy systems including solar, wind and micro hydro power systems. We install in Upstate New York, and northern Pa. only. However, if you are outside our territory we can help you by designing a system, talk you through an installation and/or help you get materials. There will be a charge for our services.

For more free information contact us via our E-mail  So let us know a little about your project.

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Click here to go see our Industry Association page, New York Solar Energy Industries Association.

Refer to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and The Source for Renewable Energy .

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