Solar Contractors?
We are starting to investigate whether to install Solar PV or thermal systems on our roof (four story brownstone in CG). Any recommendations on who we should reach out to for consultations and to get estimates on cost and savings, etc? Would like to primarily hear from homeowners who have actually gone through this rather…
We are starting to investigate whether to install Solar PV or thermal systems on our roof (four story brownstone in CG).
Any recommendations on who we should reach out to for consultations and to get estimates on cost and savings, etc?
Would like to primarily hear from homeowners who have actually gone through this rather than folks actually peddling their services (unless they can give me a referral to someone with a brownstone or building here in Brooklyn where they did the work).
Is that an LPC approved slate solar panel?
For solar PV, I used Solar Energy Systems (http://www.solaresystems.com/) to design, permit and install a system on my four-story brownstone back in 2005. It was a little small compared to their typical project, but they did a good job (the system has produced more than the power estimated in the initial shading study) and were very easy to deal with.
If you do install a PV system, beware Con Ed. Your account gets moved over to a special group that from my experience hires only zombies and morons.
Hey,
Not sure how long you are willing to wait but it seems to be a focus of Congress on getting affordable renewable energy into commercial and residential homes. One initiative started out in Berkeley, CA has been the PACE program. several others have started since the Berkeley program. NY recently approved legislation on it but more recently it’s been shelved in light the FHFA quashing it since, basically it takes in a form a special tax assessment which is a super senior lien on the home in front of the mortgage. So this has been placed on hold for now.
There are several programs which will allow you to lease the panels and just enter into a power purchase agreement with the provider, much like the cable guy. The goal here is to save you money while not having to front the cost of purchasing/installing solar pv. Solar City and SunRun are a few cali programs. I am not sure if any are available in NY but I think they are seeking ways to get it done here.
The other option is of course to purchase the panels and install them outright. You would get the rebate and if you are able to monetize on the tax credit that is also helpful although from what I understand is hard to do for most residential owners. You can also sell your renewable energy credits but that might be cumbersome and it is dependent on the local legislation on how and if they are tradeable. I’m not sure where one’s breakeven would be if they were to install the panels themselves but given the high cost of solar panels, recognizing the cost will decrease over time, they probably might not return much for awhile, unless your entire home is made of solar and you never have to pay a electricity bill again. And that all depends on your energy needs v. other factors such as sunlight availability, efficiency of conversion and yes surface area.
I hope this helps.
http://www.pacenow.org
http://www.sunrunhome.com
Please feel free to contact me regarding solar thermal feasibility. My e-mail can be found on my contact page here on brownstoner, just click on my name or sunpower at nycsolar dot org. I am also located in Carroll Gardens
Regards.
SteamMan
We’re installing solar PV and have been working with Aeon Solar. They came with excellent references, and we also had a chance to look at one of their installations in Boerum Hill. (We’re in Park Slope.) They have been excellent, knowledgeable about the various rebates, coding issues, including new FDNY codes for installations, and everyone in their company has been a pleasure to work with.
Contact Rob Ashmore at Aeon Solar: roba AT aeonsolar DOT com. He’ll tell you what’s possible and how much it will cost and what rebates you can expect. Also, if I ever get back to my blog, you can follow the results on the Renovation Blogs, NorthSlopeReno. Our panels are going up this week, I believe.
Mercury Solar Systems was recommended to me by a co-worker. He had the panels installed on his house and was very pleased. The website is Mercurysolarsystems.com, I spoke to a rep on the phone from the Port Chester office, and he was very informative, and honest. Unfortunately, our roof space was not large enough to cover the smallest system. There are a lot more code rules in the City regarding roof space that has to remain open and unblocked.
Youshould utilize the tax benefits of the installation as well even though it is not as much as it used to be. When filing with the DOB you should ensure that the architect completed also the tax benefit forms for local real estate tax exemptions in addition to state and federal. Unfortunately it is not such a big gain anymore but still something to offset original installation costs.