Questions about Solar?
No, but you can lower your bill substantially depending on your electricity use. For example, charging an electric vehicle in the home and always having your light and heater on may have higher costs compared to someone who turns off their lights and uses a gasoline car.
You can go off grid with a solar and battery system, but you likely still need the grid for necessary energy, stability, etc.
There are 3 components to a solar power system: solar panels, inverters, and batteries. Panels absorbs solar energy and generates direct current (DC) power. Inverters convert the DC power to alternating current (AC) power, which is used to power your home. Batteries store energy generated by the solar panels for later use.
Yes. Check the Current Policy Section for more information.
Solar panels in the market typically have a 22-25% efficiency, but this is perfectly efficient enough to support the powering of your home and reduce your energy bills. Factors that influence efficiency include the position of the sun, material used, temperature, shading, sunlight intensity, and more.
The national average is around 10%. Over a 25 year lifespan, homeowners could potentially save ranging from $25000 to $35000. Average payback time is typically 7-10 years for residential solar systems. System costs, geographic location, sunlight levels, electricity consumptions, and other factors influence your electricity bills, but savings will continue to increase over time as electricity rates increase.
We will work with you to get you the most appropriate, economical, and stylish solar system for your home. The customer comes first.
The Net Billing Tariff is a policy that allows solar energy system owners to receive credits for the excess energy they produce and send back to the grid. This means that when your solar panels generate more electricity than you use, you can sell that surplus energy to your utility company, potentially lowering your energy bills. Compared to previous Net Metering versions, the Net Billing Tariff reduces compensation for exported solar energy to the grid and encourages battery backup in order to use that energy during peak hours to minimize electriicty bills.
Risk of fire from solar systems is very low. During a fire, evacuate, call 911, ask for help, do not attempt to fight the fire yourself. If you want to shut down the power to your house, which is the first step firefighters do, know where the emergency shutdown is. ASE will have it clearly labeled. This is not something we encourage. Get yourself to safety first.
Homes with solar panels sell at higher prices due to the energy savings from the solar system. In California, the home value appreciation from the solar system is not taxed when selling the home as part of the California Solar Mandate.
Yes. Battery storage allows you to have backup power in case of outages and to save on your electricity bill by using stored power during peak hours
The silicon solar panels have a positive and negatively charged layer. When sunlight hits the panel, it absorbs photons, and when a photon with sufficient energy hits the silicon atom in the solar cell, energy is transferred and an electron is knocked loose. The internal electric field moves the electron towards the negative side, and the hole left behind by the electron moves towards the positive side. This separation of electrons and holes creates a voltage. The solar cell is designed with conductive metal plates on its sides that capture the moving electrons. When the cells are connected in a circuit, these captured electrons flow through wiring to get back to the holes on the positive side. This continuous flow of electrons constitutes an electrical current. Please check the How Solar Section for more information.