Residential Systems
Most residential homes use between 500 and 800 kilowatt hours of electricity per month. Your solar electrical system can be designed to generate your total monthly electrical use to eliminate your utility bill or to generate a portion of your monthly use to reduce your bill.
At Solar Energy Sense we understand that choosing a solar electrical system is a major decision. We expect that you will have many questions: What size system will I need?, How much will it cost?, How is it installed?, and Will you be there if there's a problem? We promise to listen, respond to your questions and concerns, and carefully walk you through every step of the process.
Briefly, the process includes three phases - iniitial consultation, pre-installation, and installation.
Initial Consulation:
- Douglas Reichwein, President of Solar Energy Sense, will visit your home. You will need to provide two months of your electrical bill. Douglas will access your home for sunshine and shade using a tool known as the "Solar Pathfinder." Douglas will also be available to respond to your questions and concerns.
- Douglas will custom design a solar electrical system meeting your tehcnological requirements and complementing the architecture of your home, You will then receive a detailed solar electrical installation proposal.
Pre-Installation:
- Solar Energy Sense applies to your electrical utility for permission to set up a net meter. This must be approved before your system is ordered.
- All required building permits are submitted and approved.
- Commonwealth Solar Rebate applicaiton is submitted prior to installation.
- System components are ordered.
Installation:
- Mounting feet are laid out on the roof and are bolted through the roof to the rafters. This mounting mechnanism can withstand winds of up to 110 mph.
- Flashing is applied to prevent leakage.
- Rails are mounted to the feet.
- Mircoinverters are mounted to the rails in their proper location.
- Safety grounding wires are run.
- Panels are mounted to the rail above their respective inverters.
- Panels are wired together in branches according to the system design.
- All wires are joined in the junction box and fed into the breaker panel, through a disconnect breaker.
- The Enphase Envoy Communication System is connected.
- The System is inspected and commissioned to begin generating electricity.
Example of the Solar Installation Process
At Solar Energy Sense
we understand that
you take pride in your home's architectural design.
With more than 30 years as a home designer and builder, Douglas Reichwein will design your Solar Installation in a manner that's aesthetically pleasing.
To see examples of aesthetically pleasing solar installations, click on the images of the homes below.
17 Chase Road, Falmouth, MA 02540Solar Electrical
can significantly increase the value of your home.
An ICF Consulting study (funded by HUD & the EPA) concluded that every $1 saved in energy costs adds $20 to a home's equity value.
