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Solar electric systems are known by many names. Photovoltaic, PV, solar power... they all refer to the same thing. The technology behind solar electricity has been around for decades and is a tried and true way to power your home (yes, even in upstate New York).

To find out more about solar electric installations you can keep reading, send us an e-mail, or simply give us a call. If possible, gather your electricity bills, then fill out our secure Client Information Form for PV systems. This online form gives us some basic information to begin to address your situation.

Site Requirements      (back to top)

In general, solar electric systems need to face south. Within 30° of geographic south (180°) can be acceptable, but the closer, the better.

For compass users: magnetic south is not the same as geographic south. For example, in Ithaca NY, due south on a compass is actually about 12° west of true geographic south - which will be at about 192° on the compass wheel. The technical way of expressing this is that our magnetic declination is -12°. Although a geographic south facing system is optimal, a SE or SW module orientation results only in about 15% energy loss.

PV systems need a spot with little shading between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. Shading might come from trees (yes, even in winter without their leaves), other buildings, and even seemingly minor obstructions such as vents, chimneys, dormers, etc.

For a roof-mounted system, your site will also require a roof area of about 60 square feet of space per 1000 W (1 kW) without obstructions such as vents or antennas.

If your roof cannot provide this, you may wish to consider a ground-mounted system, which provides much more flexibility in locating the modules as well as greater year-round energy production.

A distinct benefit to pole-mounted systems is that you can change the tilt angle seasonally to increase efficiency and brush off snow from the modules in winter. However, these systems are more expensive due to the substantial foundations required to secure the poles as well as the excavation for electrical conduit extending from the pole site(s) to a building.

Site Evaluations      (back to top)

In order to design a residential or commercial grid-connected PV system, our system designers will come to your site to evaluate its solar potential. The fee for a residential site visit is $250 plus $1 per mile one-way travel beyond a 30-mile radius from Ithaca. The fee for a commercial site visit is $500 + travel for a single building/site and may increase with the number of buildings and sites involved. Please note that our Site Evaluation fee will be refunded in its entirety if you have us design and install a system for you.

For Residential clients, our Site Evaluation will result in the following deliverables:

1. Shading report - a highly detailed analysis with annotated images and dimensions of every roof surface clearly showing those roof areas which are useful for deployment of solar - as well as those which are not. If no roof surfaces are appropriate or desired, then sites on the property suitable for ground-mounted solar are analyzed for shading.
2. Electric usage report - an analysis based on Customer-supplied bills or on a Utility-supplied usage summary showing what fraction of present or historical electric usage can be offset by solar.
3. Customer Purchase Agreement (CPA) - consisting of a detailed Project Description, datasheets for major system components, itemized materials and labor costs, anticipated incentive payments, and estimated tax credits.

For Commercial clients:

1. Shading reports - highly detailed analyses with annotated images and dimensions of every roof surface clearly showing those roof areas which are useful for deployment of solar on one or more buildings that are identified by us as having useful solar generation potential.
2. Electric usage reports - analyses based on Customer-supplied bills or on a Utility-supplied usage summary for one or more electric meters at the buildings/sites visited.
3. Solar feasibility report - giving specific suggestions and estimated costs for the design, installation and commissioning of one or more solar projects at the buildings/sites visited. Next steps in the process are clearly articulated here.
4. Economic analyses - for all projects described in the Solar Project feasibility report.

For Off-Grid (OG) clients:

1. Shading report - a highly detailed analysis with annotated images and dimensions of every roof surface clearly showing those roof areas which are useful for deployment of solar. If no roof surfaces are appropriate or desired - which is often the case in OG settings - then property sites identified during the visit for ground-mounted solar are analyzed for shading.
2. Project cost estimate - consisting of a detailed Project Description, datasheets for major system components, itemized materials and labor costs, anticipated incentive payments (if any - usually not), and estimated tax credits.

System Size, Production, and Pricing      (back to top)

The tables below present very rough, best case cost estimates, which at least can be used as a starting point for budgeting. There is a rough economy-of-scale as system size increases. Commercial systems, typically larger in size, will show even greater economy of scale. Detailed costs will be presented after a Site Evaluation and specific design(s) have been worked out for your site.

Cost estimates for residential, grid-connected, non-battery solar electric systems using high-efficiency SunPower or Sanyo solar modules are presented in the table below.

System Size	Annual kWh	Mount Style	Total Cost	NYSERDA Incentive	NYS Tax Credit	Fed Tax Credit	Total Incentives	Final Cost
2 kW	2,219	Roof	$18,000	-$3,500	-$4,500	-$5,400	-$13,400	$4,600
		Pole	$20,000	-$3,500	-$5,000	-$6,000	-$14,500	$5,500
4 kW	4,438	Roof	$32,000	-$7,000	-$5,000	-$9,600	-$21,600	$10,400
		Pole	$36,000	-$7,000	-$5,000	-$10,800	-$22,800	$13,200
6 kW	6,658	Roof	$42,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$12,600	-$26,350	$15,650
		Pole	$48,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$14,400	-$28,150	$19,850
8 kW	8,877	Roof	$52,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$15,600	-$29,350	$22,650
		Pole	$60,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$18,000	-$31,750	$28,250
10 kW	11,096	Roof	$60,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$18,000	-$31,750	$28,250
		Pole	$70,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$21,000	-$34,750	$35,250

Cost estimates for residential, grid-connected, non-battery solar electric systems using less costly and lower power density, but still high quality Solon, Trina or Hyundai solar modules are presented in the table below.

System Size	Annual kWh	Mount Style	Total Cost	NYSERDA Incentive	NYS Tax Credit	Fed Tax Credit	Total Incentives	Final Cost
2 kW	2,219	Roof	$16,000	-$3,500	-$4,000	-$4,800	-$12,300	$3,700
		Pole	$18,000	-$3,500	-$4,500	-$5,400	-$13,400	$4,600
4 kW	4,438	Roof	$28,000	-$7,000	-$5,000	-$7,200	-$19,200	$8,800
		Pole	$32,000	-$7,000	-$5,000	-$9,600	-$21,600	$10,400
6 kW	6,658	Roof	$36,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$10,800	-$24,550	$11,450
		Pole	$42,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$12,600	-$26,350	$15,650
8 kW	8,877	Roof	$44,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$13,200	-$26,950	$17,050
		Pole	$52,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$15,600	-$29,350	$22,650
10 kW	11,096	Roof	$50,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$15,000	-$28,750	$21,250
		Pole	$60,000	-$8,750	-$5,000	-$18,000	-$31,750	$28,250

Notes:

• New York State income tax credits are applicable only to primary residence in New York. State tax credits shown here are the maximum allowable credits. Individuals may or may not be able to use all of the credits dependent on taxes owed.
• Federal tax credits shown here are the maximum allowable credits. Individuals may or may not be able to use all of the credits dependent on taxes owed.
• The electric production figures in this table are based on (1) a daily average of 3.8 hours of "full sun" (1000 W/m²) annually for Ithaca NY, (2) an overall efficiency factor of 80% (0.8) to account for energy losses in the system, and (3) an unshaded, south facing solar array oriented approximately 35° from the horizontal - roughly, an 8:12 roof pitch.

Financial Incentives and Tax Credits      (back to top)

NYSERDA Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Incentive Program - PON 2112

On June 30, 2010, the State of New York Public Service Commission (PSC) approved NYSERDA's operating plan for the RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) program. This is based on the April 2, 2010 order (Order 03-E-0188) which approved an additional $132M for PV incentives through 2015.

NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) offers its PV incentive program (PON-2112) to help defray the cost of investing in a solar electric system. The following incentive levels are effective now:

• For residential systems, $1.75 per watt ($1750 per kW) up to a maximum system size of 7 kW.
• For not-for-profit organizations, $1.75 per watt ($1750 per kW) up to a maximum system size of 25 kW.
• For commercial or municipal systems, $1.75 per watt ($1750 per kW) up to a maximum system size of 50 kW.

The following information about NYSERDA's Solar Photovoltaic (PV) program is taken directly from the PON-2112 Program Manual:

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) provides incentives for the installation of new grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. System incentives are capped at 7kW per site/meter for residential systems, 50 kW per commercial site/meter, and 25kW per site/meter not-for-profit applicants. Funding for the Solar Electric Incentive Program ("Program") has been allocated by the New York State Public Service Commission through the Renewable Portfolio Standard program. The goal of the program is to install 82 MW or 93,806 MWh's of Solar Electric Power systems. Incentives will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis, and applications will be accepted through December 31, 2015, or until funds are fully committed, whichever comes first.

Incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Incentives will only be reserved for customers once an application has been approved by NYSERDA. Incentives will be available for the PV Program at a rate of $2,000,000 per month starting in July 2010 through December 2015. The individual project incentive rate will be $1.75 per W for all types of applications, subject to change on a bi-monthly basis, depending upon demand during the previous two months.

Renovus will handle all paperwork associated with this new program for our customers.

Please note that NYSERDA offers its incentive program subject to the following restrictions:

• The PV system must be grid-connected.
• Incentives are available for PV systems installed for qualified customers only. Qualified customers are those who pay the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)/System Benefits Charge (SBC) as part of their electricity bills. To see whether your utility company participates, please refer to this NYS Department of Public Service webpage. To our knowledge, all New York State investor-owned utilities, including NYSEG and National Grid, participate in this program.
• NYSERDA reserves the right to limit the number of incentives per customer/site/meter.
• Incentives are based on direct current module ratings at standard test conditions (STC).
• System sizes may be greater than the maximum size allowed for incentives, however, the incentives will be provided only for the eligible portion of the PV System.
• NYSERDA reserves the right to make changes in the incentive levels. It is anticipated that these changes may occur at two month intervals based on the level of participation in the program and market conditions. Any revisions in the incentive levels will be posted on NYSERDA's website, and Eligible Installers also will be informed via email. Customersâ applications that are accepted by NYSERDA after an incentive change will be automatically changed to the new incentive level. NYSERDA anticipates that incentives may be increased or decreased by $0.25 per watt at the beginning of a given bi-monthly period. Eligible Installers and Customers are prohibited from cancelling and re-applying if incentives are increased.
• Incentives are capped based on the proposed PV System size that does not exceed 110% of the total kWh consumption for the previous 12 months of electric usage. New Construction systems must be sized not to exceed 110% of the calculated yearly projected kWh of electric usage.
• Additionally, the incentive cannot exceed 40% of the owner's net out-of-pocket costs after deducting for any federal and state tax credits or federal payments in lieu of tax credits. The installer shall include calculations supporting the requested incentive amount.
• Incentives will be reduced in proportion to output losses when losses from factors such as shading and orientation exceed 20% of ideal kWh output.
• Residential customers may be eligible to participate in any loan programs such as PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy, On-bill financing, the NYS Energy $mart Loan Fund(sm), should they be available in the future. For customers that participate in the loan programs, the incentive will be reduced by the equivalent "buy down" cost or other cost incurred by NYSERDA to make the loan product available. The total incentive for any customer, including cash and loan product, will not exceed the system capacity in kW times the per kW incentive.

New York State Tax Credits

New York State offers a tax credit of 25% of the system "expenditures" (a term which we interpret to mean after any incentives have been applied), capped at $5,000. This is only for grid-connected, primary residences. Here is a link to NYS tax form IT-255. It is our understanding that this credit can be "rolled over" for up to 5 years, or until the entire amount is claimed, whichever comes first.

You should consult your tax advisor before making any financial decisions based on tax credits estimated by our company or anyone else.

New York State Property Tax Exemption

Installing a renewable energy system, such as a solar, wind or farm-waste system, will increase property value. To encourage New Yorkers to install such systems, New York State provides a property tax exemptions for properties hosting these "earth friendly" systems. These exemptions assure property owners that their real property taxes will not increase as a result of the installation of such a system. In other words, any increase in the assessed value of real property attributable a solar, wind or farm-waste energy system will be exempt from taxation. These property tax exemptions cover residential, commercial, institutional and industrial systems.

At present these exemptions cover all wind, solar and farm waste systems purchased and installed before January 1, 2015 and provide a 15-year real property tax exemption. The total exemption amount is equal to the increase in assessed value attributable to the renewable energy system. The exemption only applies to general municipal and school district taxes. Local and governments are allowed to opt out of the exemption. Please refer to this listing to see if your municipality or school district has opted out. At present, systems built in the school districts of New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers do not qualify.

More detail:

Section 487 of the Real Property Tax Law exempts from taxation, but not special ad valorem levies or special assessments, real property which includes a solar or wind energy system or farm waste energy system satisfying guidelines established by NYSERDA. The solar or wind energy system or farm waste energy system must be existing or constructed before July 1, 1988 or constructed after January 1, 1991 and before January 1, 2015.

A county, city, town or village may adopt a local law or a school district (except the city school district of New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse or Yonkers) may by resolution provide that no solar or wind exemption or farm waste energy system shall apply within its jurisdiction for systems constructed after January 1, 1991 or the date of such local law or resolution, whichever is later.

The exemption is equal to the increase in assessed value of the property attributable to the inclusion of the solar or wind energy system or farm waste energy system and is to be granted for a period of fifteen (15) years. Where the system or its components are also part of the building structure, the increase in value to be exempted from taxation equals the assessed value attributable to the system or components multiplied by the ratio of the incremental costs of the system or farm waste energy system or components to the total cost of such system or components. "Incremental cost" is the increased cost of a solar or wind energy system or farm waste energy system or component which also serves as part of a building structure, above that for similar conventional construction, which enables its use as a solar or wind energy system or farm waste energy system or component. For further information, see NYSERDA guidelines. Note that municipalities that offer the solar or wind energy system exemption may require payments in lieu of taxes not to exceed the amount of the exemption.

To claim the exemption, the property owner must submit form RP-487 from the New York State Office of Real Property Services (ORPS) to the city or town assessor.

Federal Tax Credits

The Federal government offers an income tax credit of 30% for residential systems. Due to recently passed legislation, there is now no cap on the maximum amount that may be claimed. As such, this credit can offset a significant amount of the "total" or "basis" project cost (a term which the Solar Energy Industry Assocation (SEIA) interprets in their Federal Solar Energy Incentives FAQ to mean before any incentives have been applied). To claim the credit or for more detailed information, refer to Federal tax form 5695. The 2009 form states If you cannot use all of the credit because of the tax liability limit..., you can carry the unused portion of the credit to 2010. It seems reasonable to assume, by implication, that the carryforward can continue for as many years as required to claim the entire amount of the credit.

The Federal Business Energy Tax Credit of 30% also has no cap. To claim the credit or for more detailed information, refer to Federal tax form 3468. More information on current legislation is available at the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.

You should consult your tax advisor before making any financial decisions based on tax credits estimated by our company or anyone else.

Financing      (back to top)

Upfront cost of solar electric systems can be high. However, we are aware of third-party financing options which might be of help. If you require more information, please get in touch with us.

SunPower offers a solar financing program for purchases of systems designed and installed by its dealers. We can discuss this option with you if you choose a SunPower system.

Alternatives Federal Credit Union in Ithaca offers 18-month interest-only payments on a Home Equity Line of Credit for installations of solar panels. Call and ask to speak to an Alternatives loan officer for more details (607.273.4611).

For an excellent overview of financing options, a Homeowners Guide to Financing a Grid-Connected Solar Electric System is available from the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) division of NREL.

Purchase Agreement Payment Schedule      (back to top)

When we quote a system price before incentives, that is the total amount we need to receive to cover our costs and make a small profit. The NYSERDA incentive payments are, in fact, rebates refunded through a NYSERDA-eligible installer to the customer after the purchase is made.

A Purchase Agreement from Renovus specifies four (4) payments due from the Customer at various times in the "process" of design, installation and commissioning of a grid-connected PV system:

1. Scheduling Balance - approximately 10% of the total Purchase Agreement price - due when the contract is signed and returned to us;
2. Materials Balance - approximately 65% of the total Purchase Agreement price - due before we can order materials for the project;
3. Completion Balance - approximately 15% of the total Purchase Agreement price - due on physical completion of the system (but not formal interconnection to the utility grid);
4. Interconnection Balance - approximately 10% of the total Purchase Agreement price - due on formal utility approval for full-time interconnection of the system to the grid.

On the receiving side, the first 75% of the NYSERDA incentive is usually received by us about 4 to 5 weeks after all materials have been delivered to us for the project. The final 25% payment is received by us only after the system is completed, interconnected to and approved by the utility. With good timing, there can be some overlap of the receipt of the first incentive payment (75%) and the last two Balances due - but we can't guarantee this since it doesn't always happen. The state and federal income tax credits are applied to your taxes filed after the system has been commissioned. So, due to potential time lags in processing NYSERDA incentive payments, customers should be prepared to cover the entire cost of the system before receiving any rebate funds back from NYSERDA.

Grid-Connected Systems and Net Metering      (back to top)

Grid-connected or grid-tied solar electric systems are just that - your PV array is connected to the utility, sending its electric production to the grid during periods of excess generation (mostly sunny days) and taking electric from the grid during periods when household usage exceeds generation (at night and on very cloudy days).

In New York, residential installations of up to 25 kW AC output are eligible by law for net metering. With net metering, the utility company must credit excess PV production towards future electric use at the full retail electric rate.

Net metering is available for non-residential systems up to 2 MW (yes, that's megawatts!).

Your monthly billing will reflect your net usage - a credit if you produce more electric than you use, or a charge equal to your usage minus your production. At the end of one year, any remaining (unused) credit is paid to the system owner at the wholesale or "avoided cost" electric rate. In essence, with net metering you are using the utility system as an electric storage system. However, under current regulations, it does not pay to generate a great deal more electricity than your household will use annually because the excess is paid to you at the prevailing wholesale electric rate.

Grid-Connected Systems with Battery Backup      (back to top)

If you want backup power in the event of a utility failure, you'll need batteries to store electricity. In this situation, we typically install a "critical loads panel" to service the most important devices in the building - such as electric power to heating system controls, emergency lighting, a well pump, and (possibly, depending on battery capacity) larger devices such as a refrigerator, etc. When the grid is functioning, these items will be powered by the grid; when the grid is down, your batteries will service these loads.

The system is set up so the battery bank is automatically monitored and kept fully charged, and all excess solar electric produced is sold back (net metered) to the utility when the grid is functioning. As in a battery-less, net-metered, grid-connected system, you will be credited at the retail rate for this excess production in a residential situation. It doesn't take much electric to keep the batteries full since you aren't typically drawing from them. Should the grid go down, you have full batteries ready to power your designated critical loads.

By only covering your critical loads, you can minimize the expense of an otherwise very costly battery system necessary to power an entire house as an off-grid system. Even so, the battery backup system components will add a minimum of about 30% to the cost of a battery-less grid-tied system and utilize about 10-15% of its energy output to maintain batteries in a ready-to-go, fully-charged state.

Figuring Electric Use      (back to top)

We size solar electric systems based on your electric use, designing them to produce all or some fraction of actual use. In order to receive the NYSERDA incentive, a PV system cannot be sized to produce more than 110% of "demonstrated usage" - which is usually documented by past electric bills.

You can find your annual electric use in kilowatt-hours (kWh) either on your utility bill, via the utility company's website, or by calling the utility to request this information. You (and we) will use this information to determine what size of system will meet your needs. Let us know if you anticipate your use to be significantly decreasing (for example, through efficiency measures such as those listed above) or increasing for some reason (for example, more people in your household).

Do not be disheartened by the current level of your energy usage and the cost of the PV system needed to produce all of this electricity. We have found that, over time, PV system owners decrease the amount of electricity they use. This happens as they gain an appreciation for the output of their system, and also for their electricity use habits. Also note that PV systems are inherently modular - they can be added to later on. It will be most cost-effective to let us know of this possibility early in the design phase so that we size wires, conduits, and other balance-of-system components accordingly.

If you are moving to a new home, making significant modifications to your existing home, or beginning new construction, you may not have utility bills that accurately reflect your electricity use. If this is the case, please let us know so that we can help you estimate your future use.

Energy Efficiency      (back to top)

Renewable energy systems will be most cost effective in buildings that are already energy efficient. Efficiency measures are absolutely the best investment you can make in terms of energy costs. Here's a short list of things you can do...

• Get an energy audit to identify your building's greatest inefficiencies. This NYSERDA webpage lists certified building performance inspectors. Look for someone who will assess not only your heating system and cold air infiltration, but will also evaluate the energy use of appliances, lighting, and other "plug loads" in your home.
• Replace ancient incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFL's) or light emitting diode (LED) lighting.
• Replace electric heating systems with more cost-effective options.
• Replace old, inefficient appliances, especially refrigerators and freezers, with efficient ones. Most appliances manufactured in the 20th century "oil age" will be inefficient and unbecoming of a 21st century "solar age" household. An "EnergyStar" rating is not enough - read, compare and understand the actual energy consumption of each model available.
• Replace electric hot water heaters with solar thermal systems backed up by natural gas or propane water heaters, preferably the tankless or instantaneous (on-demand) type.
• When submersible well pumps need replacement, use low surge or "soft start" models.
• Consult websites such as this Homeowner's Guide to Energy Efficiency for suggestions on how to become more energy efficient as well as links to information about renewable energy options.

Local Efficiency Experts



Snug Planet, an Ithaca-based team of experienced building scientists and installers, evaluates your home's insulation, air leakage, mechanical systems, and appliances. Snug takes an integrated approach to assess and improve your building's energy performance to make it more comfortable, durable and efficient. They are accredited by the Building Performance Institute and certified by the Energy Star program.

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New Construction      (back to top)

We can give you much more specific information after a Site Evaluation or Project Consultation meeting. It's a good idea to have us review your home design ideas before building plans are finalized so we can offer recommendations about the benefits, requirements, and limitations of renewable energy systems.

That said, we strongly encourage you to build a super-insulated house - well beyond the building code requirements - and incorporate passive solar into your design. Also, please review our off-grid recommendations page and consider investing in the most energy efficient appliances.

To properly design a system for a new home, we'll need to develop an estimate of the appropriate system size. We can do so by:

• basing the size on what you want to spend on the system.
• using your current electricity use as an estimate. For this, we'll need to know your average annual electric usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh) - please see figuring electric usage. If your new home will have significantly different features, such as moving from electric baseboard heat to a gas boiler, this method will be less accurate.
• multiplying the number of people who will be living in the home by typical electricity use. Very roughly, this works out to between 5 and 10 kWh per day per person (regardless of age). This is quite a broad range, so is a very general guideline.
• conducting a quantitative estimate. The most accurate estimate requires that you make a list of electrical items you anticipate using and estimate how much time, on average, you will use each item daily or weekly. Although this is an involved exercise, it will quickly help you realize why choosing energy-efficient appliances makes sense. Renovus has a worksheet to help estimate electrical loads. Please contact us to request a copy if you are interested.

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Off-Grid (OG) Systems and Batteries      (back to top)

If you are more than about 1/4-mile from the nearest utility pole so that grid-connection is economically prohibitive, or you simply do not want to be grid-connected, you will need to produce and store (almost) all of your anticipated electric energy in batteries. Be aware that batteries are the most short-lived component of a PV system, with a typical useful life of 2 to 10 years (yes, that's a big range!) depending on how they are used and maintained. Our system designers have developed a battery-sizing chart which can help potential OG customers understand how much energy storage is necessary.

If you are considering this type of system, recognize that this is a serious choice which, in most circumstances, involves making changes in personal energy use habits and becoming aware of when solar energy is available and when it is not. For "off-gridders", it is critically important to be as energy efficient as possible to keep system costs within reason. First and foremost, we encourage you to build a super-insulated house, well beyond ordinary building code requirements, and to incorporate passive solar into building design wherever possible.

Please see our list of off-grid recommendations for specific off-grid home and appliance recommendations. Investing in the most energy-efficient appliances, such as refrigerators, clothes washers, lighting (CFL's and LED's) and other such measures will be far less expensive than installing a larger PV system and battery bank. Check out appliances such as SunFrost refrigerators and freezers and Staber washing machines.

Off-grid PV system owners often consider investing in a backup electric generator to charge batteries during periods of low solar generation. A less-noisy, less-polluting solution, if you have a reasonably good winter wind resource at your location, is to install a small wind turbine to provide electric during our sun-deprived months when the wind is strongest.

To properly design an off-grid system, we'll need a clear idea of how much electricity you will need. You must make a list of what electrical items you anticipate using, find the number of watts or amps the item uses, and estimate how much time, on average, you will use the item daily or weekly. With that information, we can come up with an estimated system size and an idea of system cost. This may seem tedious, but underestimating your actual electric usage can leave you in the dark, and oversizing the system will incur unneeded expense. Renovus has prepared a worksheet to help guide you through this process. Feel free to call us or send e-mail for a copy.

Off-grid PV systems are not eligible for the NYSERDA incentive or for the NYS income tax credit. They appear to be eligible, however, for the 30% Federal income tax credit. Such systems can make financial sense if you are a significant distance from the nearest utility pole. If you simply want the security of having (some) electric when the utility is down, please refer to the preceding section on grid-connected systems with battery backup.

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Where We Install      (back to top)

Currently, we install throughout New York State, except for New York City and its immediately surrounding counties, and Long Island. We also provide service to the northern Pennsylvania region.

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What Components We Use      (back to top)

Renovus Energy is a design-build firm - we generate a design and choose components specifically tailored to your situation, and then install the entire project by our own experienced staff - subcontractors are rarely involved.

We use excellent quality components which we have field tested. We are particularly impressed by SunPower solar modules, which are among the most efficient modules available to the residential solar market. As a Premier Dealer for SunPower, we have a guaranteed supply of these modules and matched inverters.



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Our Track Record      (back to top)

Renovus Energy was formally incorporated in 2003, prior to which company co-founder and president Art Weaver had designed and installed off-grid PV and small wind systems for two years. Since then, Renovus has installed well over 100 PV systems throughout New York. All of our staff members bring unique qualities, experience, and commitment to our business. We do nothing else but install renewable energy systems full time and are experienced with all aspects of PV. Our work is of the highest quality and we stand behind it. Period.

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