- Are the upfront costs high
- Why do I need a site inspection?
- I want to do it right now! How long does the process take?
- Is there paperwork involved? Do I need to file papers with the State for the credit?
- Will my Home Owners Association allow it?
- How long is my warranty?
- How do I know if my system is working properly?
- Do I need a battery backup?
- Is there maintenance required?
- Can I charge my electric car from my roof?
- I already have a solar panel on my roof, it heats my water. Isn’t this the same thing?
- What is Grid-Tie?
- What is Net-Meter?
- What is Photovoltaic?
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
- Are the upfront costs high? Hawaii Energy Smart works with you every step of the way. Usually the biggest deterrent to going green is the initial upfront expense. Hawaii Energy Smart has a strong working relationship with First Hawaiian Bank to make this an affordable decision to move forward. We can also offer you other types of financial options that may be more beneficial to your needs.
- Why do I need a site inspection? Every property is different. For a solar electric system, we need to assess and determine your properties sun exposure, shading issues, roof type, square footage of roof, amount of materials needed and condition of existing electrical system. If we installed a wind-turbine system, we first would want to record wind data of the property to determine the best system for you property.
- I want to do it right now! How long does it take? Hawaii Energy Smart has learned that you never want to step over a dollar to pick up a dime. We get the job done right the first time. That’s because we take the time to work with you from start to finish. Having years of experience and great relationships with our suppliers allows us to get the job done quickly once we have evaluated your property and recommended the best solution for your home or business.
- Is there paperwork involved? Do I need to file papers with the State for the credit? Yes there is. Hawaii Energy Smart makes it easy by assisting you with your paperwork. We also pull all electrical permits and work with State and MECO inspectors.
- Will my Home Owners Association allow it? Yes! By law they cannot prevent you from producing solar power. Wind turbines usually have stricter covenants in residential neighborhoods.
- Is there a warranty? Yes. Hawaii Energy Smart warranties their installation and labor for 5 years. We also honor the 25 year warranty on the solar panels and the 15 year warranty on the inverters.
- How do I know if my system is working properly? Hawaii Energy Smart has the ability to monitor the health of your solar array online. For wind systems we will perform a site inspection.
- Do I need a battery back up? This is determined on a site-per-site basis. Normally the answer is: No. However some folks live in area’s where power is interrupted frequently, so they may want to consider this option. In a Grid-Tie system, the Grid is your battery.
- Is there maintenance required? Depends on the system. Wind turbines from time to time need a tune up. Grid Tie systems with battery back-up need battery service. Solar electric Grid Tie systems without battery back-up generally require very little maintenance.
- Can I charge my electric car from my roof? Yes! The county of Maui has signed a commitment agreement to switch all it’s fleet vehicles over to all electric vehicles: phoenixmotorcars.com/news This means that not only can you eliminate your power bill, but if you someday buy an all-electric vehicle, you can also eliminate your gas bill. That’s double the savings! Read More: betterplace.com or nissanusa.com
- I already have a solar panel on my roof, it heats my water. Isn’t this the same thing? No. That is a solar thermal (hot water) system. Our systems are solar electric – they make electricity.
- What is Grid-Tie? When a photovoltaic array or wind system is installed, an inverter is added to convert DC power into usable household AC electricity. The house or business then uses the energy it needs from the system. Excess energy is then fed to the grid and returned back to you later in the form of a free credit. In most cases, this eliminates the need for a battery back-up as the grid becomes your battery
- What is Net-Meter? A Net-Metering arrangement is when any excess energy exported to the Utility Company is subtracted from the amount of energy imported from it. For example: say your solar array generates enough energy for your house during the day, plus some surplus energy. At night when the sun isn’t shining, that surplus electricity is returned (credited) back to you for free. If you have a large enough array, you may be able to eliminate your electric bill.
- What is Photovoltaic? A Photovoltaic, or “PV system” is an electrical system consisting of a solar panel array and other electrical components needed to convert solar energy (the Sun) into usable household electricity.
View demo: |
©2009 Hawaii Energy Smart All Rights Reserved
