Frequently Asked Questions

Net Metering is related to “grid-tied” residential solar energy systems that we use extensively for residential homeowners and commercial businesses.

Here is a brief Q&A on the Net Metering Energy Program (NMEP) –

So, what is this Net Metering energy program (NMEP) all about? 

In short, NMEP allows a homeowner to own their own private electric utility stead of renting it. There are numerous options to acquire an NMEP solution without a down payment or any out-of-pocket costs for a homeowner.

When you own your own electricity using NMEP your solar energy electric rates are fixed, and exempt from all electric rate hikes in the future. 

a simple analysis of your annual energy usage referring to your recent electric statement provides a basis for the analysis.

A customized NMEP Design Report report is then prepared for your review. Each report addresses the unique issues surrounding your property it is not a one-size fits all. Some homes only need 12 panels, others may need 45 or more.

NMEP provides substantial utility, manufacturer and government incentives and credits to assist the Homeowner to acquire their Solar generator NMEP system. Your home may even qualify for a special Energy Grant that prepays anywhere from a few months up to a year of solar energy electric costs!

Why do I have to endure “doorknockers” at dinnertime  (you know…all those people knocking on your door trying to sell you solar about 15 times a week) 

All kidding aside, the legitimate reason for this push is the announced demise of All fossil fuel power plants by the Federal government which is currently in play as you are reading this.

Each State’s electric utility board is responsible for overseeing the decommissioning of all  coal-fired  power plants  in their respective region.  e.g. – For Colorado, decommissioning will start in January 2023 if not earlier! 

You can likely guess that when power plants are decommissioned, they have to be reconfigured to use renewable energy, meaning a substantial investment is required by the utility resulting in rate impact (read RATE HIKES), and like gas stations in the same neighborhood, when one “power plant” raises prices – ALL OF THEM FOLLOW SUIT. 

Using Solar energy generators with NMEP provides IMMEDIATE benefit by lowering your cost of electricity to roughly 9 cents per kilowatt and remaining there for the future or until you pay off the solar energy system, in which case the cost of your electricity goes to ZERO…

Solar panels have no moving parts and are designed to withstand hailstorms in excess of 250 mph. 

Not a typo… 250 mph — watch the video on how our high-end Solar panels are tested.

When a homeowner participates in the NMEP program, all excess energy not consumed by your home is stored on the local utility grid which results in energy credits being deposited onto your utility account.

Those energy credits are used automatically to access conventional grid energy during nighttime or snow days.

Today’s power costs are expected to 25% – 40% or more in 2023.  The only relief for a homeowner lies in using NMEP, and will literally save tens of thousands of dollars in electric rent fees over the long term, which you and I call out of pocket expense. Those rent dollars once expended cannot be recovered once spent.

Our current rebates, discounts, special tax refunds and Energy Grants are exceptional. We bundle the industry’s only 30-year solar insurance policy for our homeowners which covers all PARTS & LABOR with ZERO deductible.

The average cost of this policy is only $900, which is probably less than your minimum homeowner’s deductible for one weather related clam!

You have a part to play – these credits and rebates are not issued automatically, they must be claimed by the Homeowner. 

We help you to complete a simple qualification report with your utility company and prepare a full Design Report with components, scheduling and related systems costs compared to ongoing rental of electricity. 

You will be pleasantly surprised at the savings and may wonder why EVERYONE has not moved to Solar energy already!

Call the office and try to have a copy of your last electric statement to share some basic information about your home energy usage, types of appliances, etc… — its that easy!

ZERO! – you need only a copy of your last electric bill. TXT a copy to our back-office group at 719.671.5000 or return a copy of your PDF statement from your utility to www.cs2energy.com/upload – a report will be generated and returned to you in 24 hours.

The panels we use in this area are referred to as TIER-1 panels and are the same class of equipment used down on the Gulf coast to withstand Hurricanes and Tornados. These TIER-1 panels are resistant to hailstorms up to 250 mph – yes you read that correctly – 250 mph.

If your panels get damaged by Hail you have likely been in a tornadic weather event and your home has likely also been severely damaged – thus, you will be making a claim under your homeowner’s policy for repair/replacement.

Your solar panel generators are physically attached to your home so they are either covered under your homeowner’s blanket policy; or sometimes your agent may write a separate add-on or rider policy to cover them to minimize deductible expense for you. We recommend that you call your agent to verify which option is best for you.

Grab your phone calculator…

Today you are renting electricity anywhere from 11 cents to 17 cents per kWh (maybe more) – and your new solar panels will make electricity at a FIXED cost of about 9 cents (or less) per kWh. This electricity is exempt from all future PUC electric rate hikes – so YES, there are significant long term savings averaging $26,000 – $45,000 depending how large your home is.

If your panels get damaged by Hail you have likely been in a tornadic weather event and your home has likely also been severely damaged – thus, you will be making a claim under your homeowner’s policy for repair/replacement.

Your solar panel generators are physically attached to your home so they are either covered under your homeowner’s blanket policy; or sometimes your agent may write a separate add-on or rider policy to cover them to minimize deductible expense for you. We recommend that you call your agent to verify which option is best for you.

If your home qualifies for Net Metering, your down-payment is ZERO!

YES, ask what the current discounts and incentives are at the time of purchase as they change throughout the year and the seasons –

An Energy Credit occurs when your solar energy generators make more energy than your home can consume. When that happens, the excess energy is pushed and sold back to the grid in exchange for private energy credits that only you can use. The energy credits provide access to conventional grid energy at night and on cloudy or snow days.

Today, Fire Department code requires that even your solar energy must be STOPPED at the source if there is a grid outage, as your solar energy would be converted back up to 13,000 volts of energy or more when it leaves your home, which would make for a very bad day for the Linemen at the power company working to effect repairs. 
 
If you want/expect to continue to use your solar energy if we have a grid outage during the day, then we need a device called a 
transfer switch. The transfer switch allows the energy from your solar panels or generator to stay inside your home and not create a safety hazard to the Linemen.

There are several types of these transfer switches from a smaller version like in the video above which supports a select number of circuits based on using a smaller generator; to a “whole house” transfer switch like we use with our Generac generators.

We can discuss which version and type is most applicable for your project along with cost summaries and differences. Consider viewing the video on Transfer switches the wiring is very similar for each.

YES, however, as much as we love using them, batteries are expensive and generally require annual maintenance –

It depends what your goal is for wanting them. There are several options to consider.

Don’t  be shocked at the cost – they run anywhere from $12,000 to well over $30,000 just for the batteries and inverters to utilize that power in your home.

If you want/expect to continue to use your solar energy if we have a grid outage during the day, then we need a device called a transfer switch. The transfer switch allows the energy from your solar panels or generator to stay inside your home and not create a safety hazard to the Linemen.

There are several types of these transfer switches from a smaller version like in the video above which supports a select number of circuits based on using a smaller generator; to a “whole house” transfer switch like we use with our Generac generators.

We can discuss which version and type is most applicable for your project along with cost summaries and differences. Consider viewing the video on Transfer switches the wiring is very similar for each.

The installation process takes less than a day – its actually the permitting process and engineering reviews and approvals that take about 6-8 weeks of time as there are usually hundreds of projects each week that are being worked on.

Permitting and engineering reviews involve three agencies including the City, the power company and the Building department. If you were to take this on yourself, prepare to invest 7-8 months – we do the same work in only 7-8 weeks.

If you elected to use a financed option, then depending upon when you move there may be a payoff balance that can be settled by one of three methods –

                                                     

  1. Use the gross proceeds form the home sale to settle the balance remaining – Note: this will result in FREE electricity for you buyer, so you would want to likely negotiate a higher price for your home unless it’s for your Mom
  2. Negotiate your best price for your home and simply transfer the remaining balance and FIXED solar electric bill to the new buyer
  3. The new buyer may wish to absorb the balance into a new single mortgage when purchasing your home, which is essentially a mirror of Option i

There are likely other questions which may not have been addressed here –  not to worry, make a list, then call, TXT or email to setup a private Zoom meeting to get answers in context.

Whatever Solar technology solution you choose you are helping the environment and your family pocketbook by using clean, safe non-polluting energy, for which you should be proud.

As an aside, California decreed the use of solar with battery storage mandatory on every new home as of January 1, 2020. How long do you think its going to take until that is the standard across the country?

As of this writing, there is a Federal tax credit (of 26%) available for solar projects – taking advantage of that free gift from the government is in your best interest. We will show you how to claim that tax credit with one piece of paper.

If you’ve read this far, you may been strongly considering using solar, which is great.

You realize that you have seen the light, right? (sorry…couldn’t resist)

The next steps is pretty straightforward.

1) We conduct a brief interview with you to understand your normal energy usage, calculate annual consumption for sizing, and review a recent electric bill to calculate your current cost of electricity as a baseline for you.

2) We use the information in step 1 to prepare a Design Report for you to review. 

3) After your review, you’ll be able to make an informed decision about the benefits of using Net metering with solar energy for your home and we’ll discuss how to schedule a site survey to make sure your roof and electric systems are in good shape.

You may still have questions, which is fine and quite normal. Call our office to speak

with a system advisor and request a private discussion…and yes, even on the weekends!

719.671.5000