My Home Solar Panels

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   what is the name of the company that produces solar panels for PG&E?
   I'm trying to invest in rising stocks for solar paneling companies, I figure the company thats affiliated with PG&E will be one of the most stable stocks.

   • ANSWER:
     Go to findsolar.com.

2. QUESTION:
   What solar company is the best for CHEAP SOLAR PANELS BUT GOOD QUALITY?
   What solar company is the best for CHEAP SOLAR PANELS BUT GOOD QUALITY? Please tell me why and i will give you 5 stars

   • ANSWER:
     There are good solar panels.

     There are cheap solar panels.

     There are no solar panels that are both good and cheap. The manufacturing process does not admit shortcuts very well.

     The technology is changing pretty quickly to amorphous film systems - but if you are not purchasing at commercial quantities, you cannot afford it.

3. QUESTION:
   Where can I find a company to install solar panels that is located in the midwest?
   I live in the St. Louis area, and I'm thinking about adding solar panels to my home, howerver, I cannot find a company that installs them that is local. I have browsed the internet and all I can find is companies in California.

   • ANSWER:
     Here are links to a companies in St. Louis.
     http://www.missourisolarliving.com/
     http://www.midamericasolar.com/

     I believe Home Depot sells and installs solar.
     Good for you for going solar.
     Pay no attention to the poster above me. Solar panels are guaranteed for 25 years.

4. QUESTION:
   Who is the Solar Panel Company in the documentary: Who Killed the Electric Car?
   I am doing some research on flexible solar panels, for school, and I remembered that the company in the documentary produced, but I cannot remember, for the life of me, the company from Who killed the Electric Car?

   Any help is very appreciated. Thanks!

   • ANSWER:
     use perhaps the Riemann's dzeta function

5. QUESTION:
   Can a solar panel company sell carbon credits?
   I am looking to rent roof space and install my own solar panels to produce power. Of course the power will be sold to the local power company, but I am wondering if I can sell Carbon Credits to local companies as well. Does anyone have any info?

   • ANSWER:
     There are carbon brokers who specialize in trading carbon credits. Some states have higher rates than others. In the US, it is still not likely to be a profitable business model until they improve the Feed-In-Tariff policy. Some European countries are set up that it is a great way to make money. http://www.brokerscarbon.com/

6. QUESTION:
   How can i start my own solar panel company? What certificates do i need?
   What all do i need to be legal? Also while im waiting to become legal how can i sell solar panels for larger companies?

   • ANSWER:
     I think all you need is a business license to sell panels. That would be a hard business to break into, like trying to open a lumberyard when Home Depot already has rock-bottom prices. The big guys have economy of scale.

     If you want to install the panels, that's another matter. I believe you would need a C-10 solar contractor's license in California, but can check your own state's website for requirements.

     Like any business, it would be better to work for someone else first. Learn the ropes, before setting out on your own.

7. QUESTION:
   The company I work for is interested in using solar panels. What are the best resources on the web for info?
   I think it is a great idea and would love for this company to get these panels. I am the sole person in charge of retrieving info though, and want to make a convincing argument. The owner wants a realistic number of how much it would cost to go solar powered. Also, we are located north of Chicago if that makes a difference. Any info would be appreciated!

   • ANSWER:
     Just fyi for anyone looking for affordable local solar panel installers in their area, this is a great resource: http://www.getsolar.com

8. QUESTION:
   Does anyone know a good company to buy solar panels from?
   I'm a carpenter, and can do electric work. I want to make some money installing Solar Panels. what's the best source?

   • ANSWER:
     Wow. This is a big question.
     First, are you in the United States? If so, then I would look at a couple of web sites.

     First, I would look at joining ASES - the American Solar Energy Society. (Actually, I'd do this whether or not you were in the US) Their magazine will have ads and directorys and so forth for panel manufacturers, inverter manufacturers, rack vendors, metering companies, etc. At the very least, their web site will give you numerous links to popular panel manufacturers.

     Right now, it can be difficult to get panels in the US. My buying agent can't promise us a significant number of panels until at least late this coming fall. And prices are going up due to a silicon shortage at the moment. Still, you could probably get your hands on small quantities. You just might not be able to choose exactly which manufacturer you want.

     Also, I'd look into getting NABCEP certification. This is the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. They provide a referral service for people looking for solar installers, and they may have a net work of members that could help get you started.

     Good luck!

9. QUESTION:
   What are some good names for a solar paneling company?
   My friend is starting a solar paneling company and is trying to come up with a good catchy name using Solar in it somehow. Any ideas?

   • ANSWER:
     How about "Suncapture Solar Panels"

10. QUESTION:
    Company that installs solar panels for free with a contract?
    I remember I found this company that would install a solar power system on your house and then give you a per watt fee every month. If I go over my available watts on my solar power system, then I would just get it from the power company. I am wondering if this company is still around. Does anyone know?

    • ANSWER:
      There are companies that still do this with PPA's. Power Purchase Agreements means that the company will install and facilitate the solar panel system, but then the customer agrees to buy power from them. Tioga Energy uses PPA. They install and facilitate the solar panels and the customers only have to pay for the power generated. Your should check out their website at tiogaenergy.com.

11. QUESTION:
    Where is the best place to install solar panels and build a company?
    where would be a nice place to install solar panels so they can get most of the sun's energy?

    • ANSWER:
      My first question is where are you located? In the US south facing is best. In Australia north facing would work best.

      My second question is what type of company? Solar?

12. QUESTION:
    Hello All.. Just wondering if anyone has had a professional company install their Solar Panels...?
    I'm looking at writing an Article on people's experience with Solar Panel companies.
    If their experience was good or bad if the workmanship was great or average etc..
    Any help would be really appreciated..

    Thanks very much

    Mits

    http://www.build-your-own-solarpanels.com

    • ANSWER:
      try instructables.com
      there are a lot of revues on them

13. QUESTION:
    Buy a small area of land and set up a few solar panels sell the power to the electric company?
    You would have to pay upfront capital
    then propery taxes and replace the battery every few yrs.
    But still if you had enough solar panels I wonder if you could
    live off the money you would get from the electric company
    when you sell your power to them?

    • ANSWER:
      The payback period of solar system depends on the cost of power in the desired location. Its 20 years at best for a grid tied system. Most large companies make a profit by selling their green tags.

      Also, a grid tied solar system doesn't use batteries. If you would like to learn more about solar systems visit:
      http://www.aurorapower.net/alternative-energy/solar-electric.aspx

14. QUESTION:
    What do you think about investing in a solar panel company?
    Are solar panels a good choice io invest as alternative energy source

    • ANSWER:
      This sector has been "hot" for over a year (where have you been). It's very volatile. Be very careful.Set "stops" but give yourself "wiggle room". Don't get involved if you don't understand "Technical Analysis"...... this sector is way to dangerous for a novice.

15. QUESTION:
    Where can I find info on starting a solar panel/energy company?
    I have an existing business and would like to start a company installing/manufacturing solar panels. Creating solar energy interests me also.
    I would like to know any info on starting a business that manufactures and installs solar panels. From residential homes to solar panel fields.

    • ANSWER:
      My husband has been an installer of Solar pool heating and Solar Hot Water heaters, and other things with solar for about 5 years now, we are also looking to open our own solar company, the requirements here in florida are that you have been in the solar field for 4 years and 1 year as a supervisor, then you have to buy all the books (12 in total) and stufy them and take an Exam to actually be able to get your license, so if you want to open the business doing solar you have to know solar but while i was looking into it i noticed it said "You can also substitute up to three years of college credit hours for experience." and the college credits do not need to be construction related, i guess the best thing to do is type in yahoo "Solar license & the state you live in because each state has their own requirements! one thing is the company my husband works for, they pay about ,800 for material and sell the systems for about ,000, so theres money to be made!! good luck and let me know how it goes!

16. QUESTION:
    Should i invest in a solar panel company?
    Hi, i was wondering should i invest in a solar panel company? if so which one and how much should i invest in it?

    • ANSWER:
      Investing in individual stocks is a risky business. You would probably do better with a mutual fund that is more diversified. If you want to invest specifically in the solar sector, look at a fund with the symbol TAN.

      I could list names of solar companies, but really, would you make investing decisions based on what a stranger on the internet said on Yahoo Answers?

17. QUESTION:
    Does anybody here have solar panels and sell the extra electricity to the power company?
    How much power with what kind of solar panels do you average making a day or month and how much do you sell and how much money do you make from selling electric to the electric company?

    • ANSWER:
      The answer depends on a lot of things.

      1) In the US, any public utility company is required to buy back your excess power. Some small companies, like Co-ops and municipal companies, are except from this requirement. However, there is no regulation about how much they have to buy it for. Some companies buy it back at the same rate they sell it. So if you sell 500kwh a month, and buy 500kwh a month, your bill would be [FAQ-ANSWER] (or a small connection fee). Some pay you an "avoided cost" rate, what they buy from other power plants, at a fraction of what they sell it for. So you may buy it at [FAQ-ANSWER].15 per kwh, but they'll buy any extra from you for [FAQ-ANSWER].05. Some companies limit you to zeroing out your bill, some will write you a check for whatever you generate.

      2) How much power you use would determine how big of a system you need. If you buy 1000kwh per month, you would need a system big enough to generate that much during the day, so you can sell the excess during the day, and buy it back at night. That way, you don't need batteries for night, you basically use the electric company to hold your extra power until you need it later. Check out how many kwh you buy a month from the electric company, it will be listed on your electric bill. Plug that number into the calculator at http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/on_grid_calculator/. That will tell you how big of a system you need.

      You know the expression it takes money to make money? It will cost a lot to buy a system bigger than what you need, and with few exceptions, will most likely not make you money selling power back. It's a better investment to first spend your money on conserving electricity, it costs less money to save electricity than to make it. Once you have cut your requirements, THEN look into buying a solar system.

      Most people buy a system big enough to generate a percentage of what they use, therefore reducing their bill, not eliminating it, and certainly not making money on it. Many tax incentives are available to help pay for it, you can see them at http://www.dsireusa.org.

      The AltE Store has got some great free videos talking about solar power, check them out at http://www.altestore.com/store/Books-Classes-Educational-Videos/Educational-Videos/c1138/

18. QUESTION:
    can my electric company Monitor how much energy i am using if i have solar panels?
    lets say i have solar panels that produce 500 kwh, and im using 750 kwh. obviously i'll be charged for the 250 kwh that my solar panels did not produce, but will the electric company be able to tell that i am using 750 kwh?

    • ANSWER:
      Sort of. You may not be using the power at the same time the panels are producing the power. If you are away during the day, hopefully only your fridge is running, so you are producing more than you are using. The bi-directional meter will be spinning backwards, showing that you are pushing power out to the grid. At night, when you turn on the lights, TV, computer, etc, you'll be using more than you are producing, (which is nothing, it's dark), so your meter will be spinning forwards. At the end of the month, they will charge you for what you used, and credit you for what you sold. Ultimately it will end up you pay for 250kwh, but they know that you used more than that and your meter spun backwards at times. However, because they won't know how much your fridge used during the day when you were producing, they won't have an exact figure of how much you made/used.

19. QUESTION:
    If I have solar panels for electricity, will I still have to be hooked up to the electric company?
    In other words, is it possible to power all of my appliances and household equipment with electricity from solar panels? Or will I still have to do business with th electric company?

    • ANSWER:
      You would need a huge number of solar panels to provide all your electricity needs. Especially in the winter when much sunlight is blocked by clouds.

      In short, you would still have to do business with the electric company.

20. QUESTION:
    What company sells photoelectric solar panels in Philadelphia?

    • ANSWER:
      Try this:

      http://www.phillysolar.org/Solar_Matrix.htm

21. QUESTION:
    How many solar panels do I need for my house? Power company says I used 20 Kwh per month.?
    How many solar panels 4 feet by 8 feet would I need for a house using 20 KWH per month from the power company?

    • ANSWER:
      Double check your electric bill, if you have a fridge, there is no way that is correct. A fridge would use around 60kwh / month. Once you are sure of your actual monthly usage, put it in a calculator like this http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/on_grid_calculator/ to determine how many watts you need.

      If 20kwh/month is correct, you'd only need one solar panel and a micro inverter. http://www.altestore.com/store/Solar-Panels/150-Watts-Up-Solar-Panels/SolarWorld-SW175-175W-24V-Solar-Panel/p6107/ and http://www.altestore.com/store/Inverters/Grid-Tie-Inverters-On-Grid/2000W-and-Under/Enphase-Energy-Micro-Inverter-190W-208VAC-MC4/p7303/

22. QUESTION:
    What kind of tax benefits will my company receive if we install solar panels/wind turbines on our land?
    I am interested in the possibility of installing solar panels onto our business's buildings and I am wondering what kind of government aide/funding or tax incentives we may receive if we were to utilize solar/wind energy?

    • ANSWER:
      Some states have way better incentives than others so check out what your state offers here: http://www.dsireusa.org/ DSIRE is a database of all the incentives offered on the federal, state, and local levels.

      If you don't want to sift through the DSIRE database I would recommend visiting http://www.globalsolarcenter.com/

      If you visit Global Solar Center's site they will provide yo with a free solar quote and give you all the information you need regarding which incentives you will be eligible to receive, your estimated annual savings, your payback period, a cash-flow analysis, and your expected IRR. They helped me a lot when I was pursuing solar for my home as they were very informative and in the end directed me towards the smartest decision. They also offer multiple financing options to help ease the burden of the usually large upfront costs involved with solar installation. Good Luck!

23. QUESTION:
    Where could I find a company(s) that installs solar panels for business in Oregon?
    I've recently started a project to help my store become more green and I need to get some estimates from businesses and if all goes according to plan we will have some panels on our roof and some other measures that I've written into my proposal. Any help is welcome. Just so you know it's a large grocery store in a corporate chain and I've been approved to do all the research, just no promises of payment.

    • ANSWER:
      Google the following: "solar panels" oregon.

      Here are a few from the first site listed below. Sorry for the capitalization; that was the site's formatting choice, not mine.

      SOLAR INC.
      3698 Franklin Blvd
      Eugene, OR 97403
      (541) 284-2426

      ADVANCED ENERGY SYSTEMS
      2990 FOREST BOULEVARD, EUGENE, OR 97405
      Phone: (541) 683-2345

      ALTERNATIVE POWER & MACHINE
      4040 HIGHLAND AVENUE, GRANTS PASS, OR 97526
      Phone: (541) 476-8916

      CASCADE SUN WORKS INCORPORATED
      2444 SE FIRST STREET, REDMOND, OR 97756
      Phone: (541) 548-7887

      ENERGY OUTFITTERS LTD.
      543 NE E St
      Grants Pass, OR 97526
      (541) 476-4200

      ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SUPPLIES
      819 SE TAYLOR STREET, PORTLAND, OR 97214
      Phone: (503) 222-3881

      KING SOLAR SERVICES
      4435 MAPLETON DRIVE, WEST LINN, OR 97068
      Phone: (503) 635-5560

      MR SUN SOLAR
      3838 SW MACADAM AVENUE, PORTLAND, OR 97239
      Phone: (503) 222-2468

      OERGON SOLAR & WATER
      TALENT, OR 97540
      Phone: (541) 535-7332

      PROTECH SOLAR
      409 PINE STREET, ORETECH, OR 97601
      Phone: (541) 882-4545

      SOLAR ASSIST
      1395 CROSS STREET SUITE 21, EUGENE, OR 97402
      Phone: (541) 338-4957

      SOLAR COLLECTION INCORPORATED
      1934 PIONEER ROAD, TALENT, OR 97540
      Phone: (541) 535-5364

      SOLAR DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
      825 SE PARK AVENUE, CORVALLIS, OR 97333
      Phone: (541) 753-8725

      SOLAR ENERGY SOLUTIONS
      3730 SE LAFAYETTE COURT, PORTLAND, OR 97202
      Phone: (503) 238-4502

      SOLAR WIND POWER OF PORTLAND
      10006 SW CANYON ROAD, WEST HAVEN SYLVAN, OR 97225
      Phone: (503) 297-5781

      SUMMERS SOLAR SYSTEMS
      EUGENE, OR 97401
      Phone: (541) 683-4014

      SUMMERS SOLAR SYSTEMS
      7342 RAINBOW DRIVE SE, SALEM, OR 97306
      Phone: (503) 363-4108

      SUNBOW SOLAR
      1074 NW RACHEL STREET, HILLSBORO, OR 97124
      Phone: (503) 640-6165

      SUNLIGHT SOLAR ENERGY
      4 NW FRANKLIN AVENUE, BEND, OR 97701
      Phone: (541) 322-1910

      UNITED SOLAR COMPANY
      1905 SW BUTLER ROAD, GRESHAM, OR 97080
      Phone: (503) 666-3065

24. QUESTION:
    How much money can you get per kilowatt hour if you sell to an energy company from your solar panels?

    • ANSWER:
      It depends where you live - the answer differers dramatically based on local laws and power companies.

      Here in PG&E's territory, currently you can offset up to 100% of your power bill, but if you generate more power than you consume over 12 months, they don't pay you for your excess. This may be changing, with AB920:

      http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/solarenergy/nembilling/faq/

25. QUESTION:
    Does anyone know a company that will make custom solar panels?
    Basically I need a custom solar panel created. I won't go into detail but the dimensions need to be around 4''x2.5'' and be as thin as possible.

    • ANSWER:
      I ran a Google Search for [Custom solar panels]
      http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Custom+solar+panels&btnG=Google+Search&rlz=1R2GGLL_en&aq=5&oq=Custom+

      This one offers:
      CT Solar Call us with your specialty, custom and OEM solar power needs. We can design and produce large or small quanties of custom panels designed for your needs ...
      http://www.ctsolar.com/
      Here is there contact info:
      http://www.ctsolar.com/index.asp?PageAction=CONTACTUS
      Telephone: 772-621-4499
      FAX: 772-382-0770
      email: sales@ctsolar.com

      Other sources available on the first Link also.
      Wingman

26. QUESTION:
    Does anyone know a company that provides solar panels in Peterborough?

    • ANSWER:
      ESEA - they are based in Peterborough:

      http://www.esea.org.uk/

27. QUESTION:
    Does any one know of a Government grant or private company grant to purchase solar panels for the home?
    I would like to install some in my home and use my house as a demo for other home buyers and builders to see that is not that complicated and the benefits are huge.

    • ANSWER:
      Sounds to me like you can't see the forest because of all the trees are blocking your view.

      I understand what you are wanting to do. The hard part is making Joe Public understand that there is a savings.

      Most people can't see past the next pay check and if the savings do not show up as a check they can cash, then to them there is no savings. This is like having your car payment deducted from your pay check. You never see the money so you don't think you have the expense. (you don't feel the expence) With solar the savings is over the years and will never be seen unless you do the math. You spend your savings every day on cokes and gas for your car or watching a movie and never notice it is there. You never see the cash so the feeling is there is no savings.

      I think you are looking at it the same way. Install your system and get your 2000 dollar government tax credit and you will be saving some money. If you sale your home after 5 years put the price of the system in the home and get all your money back for it. Plus you had free electricity for the last 5 years.

      The large savings is there just hard to see it.

28. QUESTION:
    What do you guys think about this cheap solar panel company?
    I came across this site that had links to incredible deals on solar panels for California and Colorado residents (up to ,000 discounts with the new rebate acts)... Just wondering what you guys think about this? I want to install this on my residential and vacation home so I can make some money...
    http://www.nwsalesgroupllc.com/products.html

    • ANSWER:
      Hey Geek, NW Sales does not make solar panels, they are a marketing clearing house, much like Expedia, Travelocity and others are not an airline, they market travel suppliers like airlines, rental car and hotels using their website. They have partnered with Real Goods, a company that has been around for years to sell other peoples green products. You can go to real goods own website and see all the products and prices. To say a user can save up to ,000 is like a phone company saying you can save 55% on rates. On what rates? What is the real cost? All you can do is ask them for a "Quote," and then wait for them to write up a full system cost for you, then take it and compare it to someone elses. If you really want to compare products and suppliers, check out Home Power Magazine, we did 12 years ago, now our home is powered by the wind and sun. The people and places we eneded up doing business with did ot promise us 50% off, or savings of up to any amount of money. In the end, our entire system cost a lot less than ,000 anyway. I'll include the link and others below. Good luck, and take care, Rudydoo

29. QUESTION:
    How much energy have you sold back to power company with Solar Panels/Wind Turbines?

    • ANSWER:
      In the US the power company will only credit the extra power you generate and give it back when you need it. They don't actually give you any money for the extra power you make. If you make more than you use, the electric company gets to keep your extra power and sell it to somebody else.

      What a scam!!!

      I was all set to get a grid tied photovoltaic system. Then add solar panels until the whole south side of my roof was covered with solar panels thinking I was going to paid back every month until I found out they don't work that way.

      In parts of Europe, people are making their own solar farms and selling the power to the electric company and making money.

30. QUESTION:
    What was the name of the solar panel company Mccain and Schwarzenegger had their press conference?
    I know this is an odd question but I am trying to do some research on them

    • ANSWER:
      didn'it fall down on them.? if not why not?

31. QUESTION:
    Where can i learn how to start a solar panel company? in Southern California?
    I live in Southern cal and know there are answers to my question I just need Direction !

    • ANSWER:
      Here is a link to an entrepreneur opportunity in solar installation. Good Luck!

32. QUESTION:
    Is there a company that fiances, not leases, solar panels?
    I am interested in know if there is a place to finance, aka monthly payments towards ownership, of solar panels instead of leasing solar panels. Would be nice to one day have solar panels and not be paying for them

    • ANSWER:
      It sounds like a good idea to invest in them. Presently people are still weighing the pros and cons about their use in homes and businesses ? What happens when the weather keeps the sun out for two to four days? You may need lots of batteries to store the electricity, right ? Yet, the sale of batteries may be ok for emergencies while having your own panels may still be too expensive for many people. It is worth a try though, ,having a stock of them around may be practical..

33. QUESTION:
    any suggestions for a name for a company manufacturing solar panels and solar related stuff?

    • ANSWER:
      land of the rising sun

34. QUESTION:
    What is a good acronym for a solar company?
    i need a clever acronym for a non profit company that is erecting solar panels to help a power plant be more environmentally friendly. if someone can think of something for the acronym "OH YEAH" that would be AWESOME! but anything else works
    Thank you!

    • ANSWER:
      S-Superb
      O-Outstanding
      L-Liberating
      A-Awesome
      R- Radiant

      IDK, LOL.

35. QUESTION:
    Solar panel installation company?
    I want to install solar panels on my roof to pay for power like many other people do, especially in Japan. Is there a company that does this? I live in Pennsylvania (moved here not long ago, sadly.)

    • ANSWER:
      Using the installers directory in Home power Magazine Feb/Mar 08, There is no installers listed for Pennsylvania.
      However, Dunimis Technology (www.pvforyou.com) states that they have installed in PA.
      Other installers in the proximity are:
      Western NY solarandwindfx.com
      Ohio www.repowersolutions.com
      www.third-sun.com

36. QUESTION:
    What is the largest solar panel / PV company?
    I need to know the largest solar panel / photovoltaic company in the world and in Asia.
    I heard that Sun Tech is one of the biggest but I need a more reliable source of information. Can anybody help?

    • ANSWER:
      There are a lot of ways to define largest:

      - sales
      -market cap
      - number of units placed
      - number of employees

      You should be more specific. Also, remember that some companies that make solar are part of a bigger company, so it is hard to differentiate the solar part from the rest of the company.

37. QUESTION:
    If a government or company were to buy a large quantity of solar panels, what brand/type would they buy?
    We are doing a school project and we need to find out how many solar panels it would take, and how much it would cost, to produce 174 billion kWh/year. So, if someone were to try and produce this much energy, what solar panels would they use, how many of them, how large of an area would they cover, and how much would it cost?

    • ANSWER:
      im not sure but im guessing the size of the bronx (new york city) also i didnt know there were more then 1 type of solar panels

38. QUESTION:
    where can i learn how to start a solar panel company?
    starting a small solar panel business in MA

    • ANSWER:
      There is a company in Florida called Solar inovations. Give them a jingle. There looking to push there product.

39. QUESTION:
    How can I find a company that will sell and install solar panels for my home in Pineville, North Carolina?
    Do I need a special permit? Will my housing assoc. need to approve?

    • ANSWER:
      I would do a search on Yahoo or Google. If you plan to have a grid-tied system -- tied into the grid as opposed to a battery system-- then you will need to know if your state has a net-metering law and if your utility has special rules for tieing into the grid. And I would definitely find out if your housing association has a problem with it before I spent a penny. But what I have found to be the biggest obstacle to solar is the high cost of the panels and equipment. If you have the money, go for it. If that is problem for you too, you can rent the panels and not have any investment. You just pay for the power the panels produce. It's a grid-tied system, but the company doing this gets all the necessary permits, installs and maintains them. You may have to get the housing association permit on your own. Email me for the link to their website. bullshoalsblues@yahoo.com

40. QUESTION:
    Are there any private grants available for solar panels?
    I was looking for private grants for solar panels. Our company has alreay found state and federal grants. We are a small environmental, woman owned company in the state of Delaware. Could you send me any information that could be useful? Thanks

    • ANSWER:
      I am not aware of any private grants. The best place to find all of the available state and federal rebates and incentives by state is the Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.
      http://dsireusa.org/

      I hope that helps.
      Kristen
      http://newenglandbreeze.com/

41. QUESTION:
    what is the best company to buy solar panels from?
    im looking for the cheapest wholesale solar panels

    • ANSWER:
      If this is just a few dozen panels for your home, you'll have to go to a regular dealer. There are distributors, but you have to buy a lot, I think one container (200) minimum. An internet search for "solar panel prices" will bring up all the major sellers. I have not heard of any one of the major sellers that is actually bad, so would go on price alone, including shipping.

42. QUESTION:
    If I own land, can I have a company install solar panels?
    -there is no property on the land

    • ANSWER:
      It depends on the zoning laws of that area.

43. QUESTION:
    I want to start my own Solar Panel company any advice out there on how to get started.?

    • ANSWER:
      I have a little advice for you. You need to plan this out well if you want to do it right. Here are a few decisions that you need to make first:

      Are you going to be a full service company, offering sales, installation, and repair? Or are you just going to sell them and have somone else install them? Or do you plan to build them and sell them?

      If you are simply going to sell them and then contract to someone else to install them then it is all pretty simple. All you have to do is get your Business License(From the City you will run your business in), state and federal tax ID with "EIN" or Employer Identification Number,(You get this from the State Tax Commission) with your sales tax license.

      Next you need to find a supplier for the panels you want to resell. This might be the hardest part because you either have to pay cash for them or find someone that will extend you a line of credit with no credit history. The latter may be impossible. The ideal scenario would be if you have some personal capital to invest into the business.

      The last part, is you need to find a good installer that will give you reasonable pricing for repeat business. Once you have all of that, then you are ready to start the sales part...

      -If you plan to install them yourself then you need all of the above plus quite a bit more. You should really be a licensed and insured electrician. I recommend getting some experience with someone else before you set out on your own. I would consult a business insurance sales person to make sure you have the proper workers comp, and liability insurance to protect your business.

      This is just a start.. I hope this helps!

44. QUESTION:
    If i buy solar panels will i be able to get money from the pseg company?
    Im planning to buy some solar panels to put on top of my house if i get people to install it and how do i find out of pseg will give me more money to produce electricity ? How much watt do i need i live in nj Edison is this possible to do i heard you can make money and not have an electricity bill

    • ANSWER:
      posssible , but that is mostly a myth. so dont count on it.

45. QUESTION:
    What type of commission can I expect to make selling solar panels?
    If I am a sales person with a solar company, what typically (percentage and dollar wise) should I expect to take in after landing a sale of solar panel installations? I am looking at all clienteles: single family, apartment buildings, offices.

    • ANSWER:
      ask the big guy (boss)

46. QUESTION:
    would electricity company know if I install solar panels at home?
    for example in Florida .

    • ANSWER:
      you have to inform them

47. QUESTION:
    What do you think about the company that wants to "rent" you solar panels on your roof?
    Has anyone tried that approach? What is your experience?

    • ANSWER:
      Sadly, it's a scam. Go here, enter citizenre into the search bar and read the comments posted in response to the three articles. It's very long, but all your questions will be answered.

      www.renewableenergyaccess.com

48. QUESTION:
    If we install solar panels, do we still have to use a electricity company?
    We're looking to purchase a piece of land and build a home.

    • ANSWER:
      There are two options here.

      1 - Most people will buy the panels and the hydro company will reimburse them for the power they have generated. The owner of the panels will still use hydro from the company but sell the hydro it generates back to the company and thus their hydro bills will be lowered.

      2 - Some people will buy a battery to store the power that their panels generate. This way they are completely "off the grid" and could basically be living where there aren't even power lines. The reason fewer people do this is because the batteries cost way way more than the panels. I think like 20000 dollars.

49. QUESTION:
    I want to install solar panels in my home. Anyone recommend a company? Chicago Suburbs?

    • ANSWER:
      I wouold "Google" that one. There are many companies that install the panels.

50. QUESTION:
    If you create more energy than you use because of solar panels, does the utility company pay you money?

    • ANSWER:
      In some areas of the United States yes certain utilities will pay you for your unused energy. I know this happens in California.

      You should contact the city,county and state in which you reside. There are some tax benefits that you might be entitled to using solar energy,in some cases the federal tax credits that you might be entitled to. Once person you might check with is your tax consultant and see about any possible state and federal tax advantage you might be entitled to.

      I hope this has been of some benefit to you, good luck.

      "FIGHT ON"